The Slate 5-8-19

An open letter to President Carter, B1

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Carter to improve media communication Hannah Pollock Asst. News Editor In a meeting Tuesday Shippensburg University President Laurie Carter, chief external relations officer Kim Garris and members of The Slate staff aired their concerns regarding university communication and student media.

The Slate staff reached out to the president Friday afternoon after viewing a video posted to YouTube in which she made comments about student media and communication across campus.

In the meeting, Carter said she was unhappy with The Slate’s recent coverage of Gilbert Hall. She explained that a concern about the condition of Gilbert Hall was voiced within her Student Advisory Committee.

According to Carter, the Student Advisory Committee is made up of a diverse group of individuals, who represent various student organizations on campus. There is no limit on the number of students on the committee.

After receiving the concern from the committee, Carter said she immediately walked over to Gilbert to address the issues.

“We are certainly more than willing to help. I think that we demonstrate that or at least attempt to,” Carter said.

When asked about obtaining quotes for stories and being able to communicate with

sources such as university maintenance and facilities and housing representatives, Garris said, “Some people don’t like to talk and ask for us [communications and marketing] to give comment for them.”

In a recent meeting of Carter’s Student Advisory Committee, she said she and members of the committee “had a lengthy discussion” regarding the content of recent Slate editions.

“Students shared that it was impacting morale on campus,” she said.

Carter further went on to explain the overall difficulty facing Shippensburg as well as other higher education institutions.

“We are dealing with a tough higher-education landscape. We have been working very hard,” she said.

She added that staying positive helps boost morale and improve the climate of the campus community. Carter explained that her Student Advisory Committee meetings included the airing of concerns by students about campus life.

“We are more than willing to take feedback.

The student perspective is vitally important,” Carter said.

When asked about recent stories involving sexual assault charges against an SU student, Carter said that the university followed its protocol and is not involved in legal processes.

“The university has no input on the legal

process,” Carter said. “There are due process rights that we have to ensure for all students.

We have to protect of all the people we have here.”

Carter added that there is support available for the entire campus.

“We do have a myriad of services for any person involved in those situations,” she said.

Members of The Slate Staff shared their perspective on what they have been publishing in recent editions. The staff shared that most of the major story ideas in recent weeks including, the plans of changing the current use of Kriner Hall, the concerns surrounding the Pride Center and articles about Gilbert Hall and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs all came from tips from SU community members and were not sought out by members of The Slate.

The issues voiced in the recent editions came from concerned campus community members. The Slate’s mission statement is “serve the Shippensburg University community with vital news and entertainment.”

“It is our job to bring a voice to the voiceless,” said a staff member.

President Carter quickly responded, “There are no voiceless students at Shippensburg University.”

“It is my job to lead,” Carter said.

She reiterated that she is available for student communication through multiple facets

Chancellor Dan stops by SU Hannah Pollock Asst. News Editor Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Dan Greenstein visited Shippensburg on Friday to update the Shippensburg community about the PASSHE system redesign.

Students, faculty, administration and community members gathered in the Old Main Chapel to hear “Chancellor Dan’s” updates, as PASSHE recently entered phase two of its system overhaul.

SU President Laurie Carter praised those who were in attendance of the event.

“It is so important to be involved in the system redesign,” she said.

Greenstein opened with a short video, which presented audience members with facts relating to the fast-growing and fast-changing technology they have in their society, including the number of current jobs held by humans that will soon be done by robots.

“Does anyone not watch that video and think ‘What does that mean for our university?’ Greenstein asked.

Despite budget cuts, a decline in the number of high school graduates and a ‘divisive’ culture, Greenstein said PASSHE remains committed to its students.

Greenstein continued by emphasizing each group of the second phase of the system redesign, ensuring student success, leveraging university strengths and transforming the governance and leadership structure, as found on passhe.edu.

“We have an emerging vision, but we don’t know how we’re getting there,” he explained.

During the question session, anthropology professor Karl Lorenz expressed his concerns of the system redesign for students’ choices in their majors and minors.

“Will students’ options be limited at each individual university, for example English at Shippensburg and biology at Bloomsburg?” he asked the chancellor.

Greenstein explained that students could take classes at other universities if their own university did not have a resident professor who taught it or to stay on track for graduation.

However, the specialization of offering certain majors at cer-

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tain universities would not occur.

Student Katherine Hargrove questioned how the redesign will work from the student’s perspective. She asked if transportation for shared programs were only offered at certain universities or students were expected to drive to other campuses.

“The cost of having a car on campus is often prohibitive,” she said.

Student Brenda Aristy also shared her concern for how shared programs will impact organizations like the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, which focuses on retention.

Greenstein explained that the system will go farther together than apart. He stressed the importance of how SU is a part of the greater PASSHE system.

“We’re going to work together collectively,” he said.

Hannah Pollock/The Slate

“Chancellor Dan” Greenstein shares PASSHE’s redesign plans. PASSHE is in phase two of three in the redesign, which is expected to finish in 2021.

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Carter reiterated that there are many avenues she offers for students to express their concerns to her. including “Convos with Carter,” President’s Hour, the Student Advisory Committee and by meetings with her.

“We can’t address challenges we don’t know about,” Carter said. “We have to have better communication.”

President Carter said in a recent email to The Slate, “student media will have regularly scheduled access.”

SU community reacts to assault accusations Shannon Long & Jenna Wise Shippensburg University President Laurie Carter said the university followed procedures in relation to two sexual assault accusations brought to light in a PennLive article last week.

The university is obligated to protect the rights of the people on campus, Carter said. But because of legal reasons, the university cannot release information about the incidents.

“At SU we work very hard to make sure [students] are safe,” Carter said.

SU student Brianna Armour said she first heard about the sexual assaults when her friend sent her a link to the PennLive articles a day after they were posted.

“I was shocked reading about the reports because we typically don’t hear about things like that happening on this campus,”

Armour said.

She said she has seen SU do nothing to inform students about the sexual assaults.

“The only reason the news is being spread is by social media and word of mouth,” she said.

Armour said she would like the administration to make everyone on campus aware of the situation.

“They don’t even need to go into detail but it would be nice to let people know that there could potentially be an admitted rapist attending classes with them, whether it’s by a simple tweet, email, or alert by text message,” she said.

Although Armour does feel safe on campus, she said she feels sickened that there is an admitted rapist at the university.

Senior Rachel Nazay said she was shocked and angry when one of the accused men attended a class they had together after the news had broken.

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May 8, 2019

Jonathan Bergmueller/The Slate

SGA senators vote on a motion to approve the 2019-20 SUSSI SGA operating budget during the meeting on Thursday afternoon. The motion passed 16-7 with two abstentions, but a 45-minute long conversation occurred before the vote. A motion to table the vote indefinitely also was brought up, but failed by a vote of 18-8.

SUSSI spending limit motion sparks debate Shannon Long News Editor Thursday’s Student Government Association (SGA) meeting held a heated debate over a motion regarding Shippensburg University Student Services, Inc.’s (SUSSI) spending limit.

The motion to approve an income of $1.3 million in the 2019-20 SUSSI SGA operating budget passed 16-7 with two abstentions, but not before multiple conversations occurred between current and past SGA members.

During the open-floor discussion, former SGA President Logan Wein addressed the concerns he had about the motion. Wein said a meeting took place Tuesday evening and only one SGA advisor, Darrell Miller, was present. SGA has two other advisors — Sarah Schenk and Danny Velez. Wein feared the conversation that took place during the meeting may have been one-sided because Miller is the president of the SUSSI voting board.

When Wein was SGA president, he said he had multiple conversations with SU President Laurie Carter about the budget. Not all portions of this current budget were passed because she is not ready. Wein fears Carter might not be okay with all parts of the budget.

“I just know that a lot of you are new to SGA and you guys may not be familiar with SUSSI and the way it operates and its history, and I hate to see you all to vote on something you’re unfamiliar with — especially such a large amount of money,” Wein said.

Wein noted it seemed strange that the vote on this spending limit did not come about when he was in office, but when individuals with little knowledge on the process are in office the vote had to be made.

Student Trustee Evan Redding also spoke during the open floor discussion. He said he felt he was not included in the meeting that happened on Tuesday night, and that was an irresponsible move on SGA’s part. The student trustee is to be included on the SGA ERC board until graduation, according to Redding. SGA President Aven Bittinger later apologized and acknowledged that he was the one who did not invite the other two advisors or Redding.

The motion that was being voted on encouraged a 2 percent pay increase for SUSSI employees. The SUSSI board of directors is made up of SUSSI employees, Redding said.

“Therefore, I see that there is a direct conflict of interest in the vote you’re about to hold today,” he stated. “The people who are asking for a raise are also the governing body.”

Redding did not have the chance to look at the job descriptions or responsibilities of these employees. He also did not get the chance to see performance evaluations which he said corporations typically use to determine raises.

“I strongly, strongly, strongly recommend that you begin to ask these questions and that you table the vote today and that you do not vote because I see there’s a conflict the way in which this is handled,” Redding said.

To close his remarks, he said he hopes his student trustee replacement will be included in conversations in the future, SGA continues to be transparent and the board of directors abstains from voting if the spending limit is approved because they will benefit from the raise.

Former SGA vice president Makayla Glass also addressed SGA. Her concern went back to a budget and finance meeting where the

APB working to keep student ticket prices to minimum Jenna Wise Editor-in-Chief Shippensburg University’s Activities Program Board (APB) is working toward changes that its staff hopes will make events more affordable for students.

According to APB President Chase Fisher, the organization has a yearly commitment to pay back about $40,000 to the Student Government Association (SGA) and Shippensburg University Student Services, Inc. APB charges students more money than it would like for events to meet this requirement, Fisher said.

Although APB is able to meet its income commitment each year, the organization believes that it is leaving out students who do not have the money to spend on trips, concerts and games.

“We feel like we’re excluding other students,” Fisher said.

He added that other schools’ program boards typically charge students $5-10 per ticket because they do not have income commitments to meet. Tickets to an APB event may be two or three times that price because part of the organization’s focus is paying back the money it owes, according to Fisher.

Money that is leftover at the end of the year from APB’s budget also goes back to SGA. Any extra money that the organization makes is placed in a restricted account that the staff can use to make office improvements.

“We don’t have a problem meeting [the income commitment],” Fisher said.

“We just don’t think it should be a thing.”

An APB survey earlier this semester

showed a correlation between students who said they wish events were more affordable and the portion of the student body that may not have the financial means to attend these events, according to former President Evan Redding.

“We just want people to have an easy decision on whether they’re going to go [to events].” Fisher said.

Fisher said the income commitment also makes APB hesitant to try new events, because they must ensure that they are making enough money to pay back.

“We stick with Philly sports, the NYC trip…we can’t be as risky,” he said.

APB met with SGA’s Budget and Finance Committee twice this year to discuss their income commitment, as well as the possibility of lowering or eliminating it entirely. The discussion will continue next year with the new committee, according to Fisher.

Former SGA Treasurer Raven Francis said they are exploring a new income commitment model which would allow APB to let students into events admission-free, while collecting revenue based on general admission attendance.

SGA Treasurer Ramses Ovalles said he thinks it will be beneficial for new committee members to examine APB’s request. He added that he is not opposed to lowering the income commitment, but said it takes time to make a decision of that nature.

“I think it would be good for the new Budget and Finance Committee to look at it since [APB] requested it to be lowered,” Ovalles said.

fiscal office’s budget request was discussed.

This meeting worked on passing the last of the budgets, but went over the one-hour time span allotted for the budget and finance committee.

However, the largest request was saved for last when many of the few members of the committee that were present were tired of being there, Glass said. She did not understand the $300,000 increase and how it could be afforded after being generous with previous passed budgets. It passed with three yes’s and three abstentions, which Glass said is a red flag in itself.

She remembered the budget only had signed approval from the president, Miller, and the vice president and treasurer Franklin Klink, but not from Velez which means it should not have been brought to the budget and finance committee because it was incomplete.

According to Glass, SGA says they encourage opposition, but most budget and finance motions are passed based on the recommendations from the advisor for the treasurer.

However, these recommendations also pertain to many personal interests such as salaries, insurance, retirement, benefits and pay increases.

Miller took time during the open floor discussion to respond to Wein, Redding and Glass. Miller has been an employee at the university for 32 years. He said even though Carter has not made a decision on the budget does not mean she is not going to pass it.

The past treasurer, Raven Francis, offered to answer questions Carter may have, but got no response.

“We’re not sure what the holdup is,” Miller said. “We’re not assuming the president has a

problem with it.”

Ramses Ovalles said he and Francis had two meetings with Carter about the budget.

Carter said the parts of the budget that were not yet approved had to do with money that go to students. She is working to keep costs that students pay to a minimum, and that is why it took her so long to look over the budget.

Miller said he wanted SGA to pass the motions so there is a spending level that will not exceed a certain amount. He explained Carter has veto power over the budget.

In response to the conflict of interest among the SUSSI board, he said the setup of members on the board is not ideal, and he has been trying to change that. He assured everyone that the payroll is reviewed with the vice president of student affairs with a compensation committee with two other people, and it is then brought forward to the board.

Before the motion was voted upon, Isaac Dietrich motioned to table the discussion, but that motion failed with a vote of 18-8.

Ovalles said tabling the budget would only move the decision to the ERC board over the summer which is unfair to the rest of the SGA members.

Bittinger commented that Thursday’s meeting showed the role of SGA on campus.

“Student Government is not just an ordinary student group, but has a direct impact on many facets at Shippensburg,” he said.

Wein and Ovalles were asked for further comment, but did not respond by publication deadline.

April showers bring May flowers

Graphic courtesy of Tim Hawkins, photo by Meghan Schiereck/The Slate

Shippenburg University students dealt with April showers, as SU recorded its 15th wettest April with 5.08 inches of precipitation. The water year to date, which started Oct. 1,is 55 percent above average.

NEWS

May 8, 2019

State Police Briefs Police investigating criminal mischief The Pennsylvania State Police is investigating a criminal mischief that occurred at 44 Richard Ave. on April 29.

Police say a single hung window belonging to 21-year-old Larissa Follweiler of Bath, Pennsylvania was damaged. Anyone with information should contact police.

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Your World Today Column not the same as article, contains opinion Commentary

Theft reported in Southampton Twp. A 68-year-old woman reported to police that luggage valuing $195.95 was stolen from Deerfield Commons on April 11.

Police determined that the package was stolen and are continuing to investigate.

“ASSAULT,” from A1 “We shouldn’t have to be going out of the way to avoid him,” Nazay said.

She added that her professor was also confused, because she had not been notified of the charges against him.

Nazay later sent an email to the president, dean of students, women’s center director and several others in which she shared her concerns with the handling of the situation. She was reassured by administrators that the situation was being dealt with behind-the-scenes.

Nazay emphasized that her concern is being able to feel safe on campus and in class.

“I want to be able to go to class without feeling uncomfortable,” she said.

Women’s Center director Arielle Catron advised that the Women’s Center is open to all SU students as a confidential resource.

“Students are welcome to come by Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to discuss their concerns, get information on reporting options [and] learn about on and off campus resources, all in a confidential environment,” she said. “We’re here to give support, information and non-judgmental confidential counseling when it’s needed.”

Commentary: Criticism of press undermines all

Shane Kaliszewski Opinion Editor As journalists, we really only have two things; a copier that frequently malfunctions and our integrity. They say that the pen is mightier than the sword, but this only holds weight if the words being written are trusted to be true.

It is the duty of the press to question everything; to turn over every stone in search of the truth. Similarly, it is the public’s job to scrutinize what they read between the pages each week.

In a world of clickbait, “fake news” and misinformation, it is increasingly difficult for consumers to trust the things that read in the paper, hear on the radio or watch on the nightly news.

The motivations of journalists everywhere have been called into question by the highest office in our nation. Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and renown social critic, was murdered for questioning the authority.

Simply logging onto Facebook will bombard you with pages upon pages of links to news that is far less than credible.

In times like these, it is especially crucial for press everywhere to stand together and defend their position as vehicles of truth.

Shippensburg boasts one of the best communication and journalism programs in the region. Of the 14 public universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, SU’s Department of Communication and Journalism is the only accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

As a public administration major, I never had the pleasure of learning from these incredible professors, but it is obvious to me that my colleagues at The Slate have.

When I started as opinion editor five months ago, I was blown away by the amount of time and dedication each member put into the paper. I was expecting a throw-away extracurricular to bolster my law school application.

Instead, I was exposed to some of the hardest-working students I’ve met at SU. Not only was their work ethic impressive, but their commitment to their craft was unparalleled. Each page is reviewed for spelling, aesthetic and content three or four times before making it to print.

Most importantly, every fact is vetted, checked and double-checked before it is even considered for print.

As students, Pennsylvanians and Americans, it is our duty to question everything. Since 1957, The Slate has provided critical reporting and commentary on university and national issues.

It becomes increasingly difficult to provide this crucial social service if the paper’s credibility is being called into question.

Cleaning The Slate The Slate staff strives to provide readers with the most accurate content, but sometimes we miss the mark. Here, you will find corrections to fact errors we made from the previous week. The Slate staff apologizes for these errors.

In the April 30 issue, on A1, The Slate published an article with the following headline “MSA students want changes to historic Gilbert Hall rooms.” The Staff would like to add that in an email, Kim Garris chief external relations officer said, “the plans for the renovations of Stewart Hall began in 2014 with an extensive feasibility study.” The decision to renovate Stewart Hall was made prior to President Carter’s tenure.

The SU Foundation’s Charting the Course, Lighting the Way, began in 2010, which included the fundraising campaign that was known as “The Campaign for Stewart Hall,” according to Shippensburg University Foundation Director of Marketing Anne Schaffner.

Jenna Wise Editor-in-Chief Criticism of journalists is nothing new. This is why we at The Slate were not entirely surprised to face some of it ourselves this past week after releasing what was supposed to be our last issue of the year.

The Slate staff, however, decided to make one more issue after learning of multiple comments made about this organization within the last week.

These comments, while vague in nature, insinuated that The Slate has caused divisiveness in some of its coverage and that we do not have all of the facts in our reporting.

In an interview, both the president and the interviewer referred to the column I wrote last week titled “SU fails to communicate truth of campus issues” as an “article.” This has compelled me to explain to all of you what a column is, and the important difference between this and news coverage.

A column is a commentary piece that uses facts to formulate an opinion — typically the perspective of one individual.

“Your World Today” — which is in the news section — shares opinions on news related to some of the topics covered by that section. It is a column that was started by former editor-in-chief Troy Okum, and carried on by myself.

Each “Your World Today” column is preceded by the word “commentary” at the top of the piece. This same word precedes the headline with the online version, with the intent of informing readers before

they even click on the link that what they are about to read is opinion.

Confusing the word “article” with an opinion piece is understandable if you are not familiar with journalism terms, but it also makes the line between commentary and straight reporting murkier.

I do not have a problem with people challenging my opinion; in fact, I welcome it. But it is an issue when people base criticism of The Slate around an opinion piece that is me simply sharing my perspective of the “Shippensburg University story.”

If criticism is directed at anyone, it should only be toward me.

I am proud of the work The Slate staff has done this year, and I stand by the reporting and facts presented in these stories.

I know that the staff will persevere, no matter what adversity is thrown its way.

Pressure grows to loosen party grip on Pennsylvania primary Marc Levy Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania: Land of Disenfranchisement?

It’s not the state slogan, but Pennsylvania is in the minority of states with closed primary elections as the number of independent voters grows quickly and sparks a debate in Pennsylvania’s Legislature for the first time in memory about opening up party primaries.

It helps that it is led by a high-profile backer, the top Republican in the GOP-controlled state Senate, Joe Scarnati, who has his own story about switching his registration to independent in 2000 to get elected.

“As I look at extremism that takes place in primaries today and lack of participation, I want to increase that participation in the primary process,’’ Scarnati, R-Jefferson, said in an interview Wednesday. “And I think it is a start, it’s not a solution, but it is a start to start getting some moderation in our primary process.’’

Scarnati’s bill, which would let unaffiliated voters cast ballots in a party’s primary, received a hearing this past week in the Senate State Government Committee as part of a broader election reform package.

It has the support of the committee chairman, Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, as well as backing from the Senate’s ranking Democrat, Jay Costa, Gov. Tom Wolf and good-government groups Common Cause and the Committee of Seventy.

Costa, of Allegheny County, said he sees the bill as a way to get more voters engaged.

In Pennsylvania, about 786,000 of the state’s 8.5 million voters are unaffiliated, up 75% in eight years, reflecting national trends that are fueling activism around the cause of opening up primaries.

Here’s the catch: researchers don’t find that open primaries have much, if any, effect on increasing turnout or moderating politics.

One paper, published in 2011 by researchers from the Public Policy Institute of California, Princeton University and the universities of Denver and Chicago, found that “we should expect little from open primary reform in the modern political age.’’

“In fact, most of the effects we have found tend to be the opposite of those that are typically expected: the more open the primary system, the more lib-

eral the Democrat and the more conservative the Republican,’’ it said.

Many independent voters don’t pay close attention to politics and are among the least likely to vote, researchers say.

Meanwhile, independent voters are not necessarily moderate, and are just as likely to have party-aligned ideologies as party-registered voters, researchers say.

“Most people who call themselves independent or unaffiliated actually vote pretty consistently with one of the major parties,’’ said Seth Masket, director of the Center on American Politics at the University of Denver. “They just prefer not to call themselves a member of that party or be identified that way.’’

States have a hodge-podge of primary election laws, and Pennsylvania is among the most closed states, along with heavily populated New York and Florida, analysts say.

There is movement, albeit slow, among states to open up primaries, say researchers from the National Conference on State Legislatures.

Pennsylvania, since at least 1937, has had closed primaries, and researchers say primary elections were originally created as a way to smash the influence of party brass over picking nominees.

Now, a constellation of advocacy groups want to open primaries for a similar reason: to smash the influence of parties over the political process.

Jen Bullock, a Montgomery County psychotherapist and registered independent, said this is the most traction she’s seen 15 years after founding the group Independent Pennsylvanians.

An open primary system can erode the outsized influence of political parties over a system of elected government that doesn’t address issues of concern to ordinary citizens anymore, Bullock said.

“I don’t think the parties should be gatekeepers to our voting rights,’’ Bullock said.

Party officials are keeping a low-profile on the issue. Democratic Party chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills said she would leave the matter to the party’s elected officials, while Scarnati said Republican Party officials have told him “they’re not happy about it.’’

But, he said, he has come to the conclusion after 19 years in office that he is right, and that willingness to compromise is badly needed in the state Capitol.

“The upside for political parties,’’ Scarnati said, “is far greater than the downside.’’

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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Opinion

The Slate Speaks An Open Letter to President Laurie Carter Dear President Carter, This open letter is a response to a mass email sent by your office to the Shippensburg community, as well as other public comments made about stories that have been published in The Slate over the past several weeks, and in a meeting Tuesday between you and members of The Slate staff.

You have stated that your administration is open and transparent and The Slate staff applauds those efforts, but that openness has not been our experience on numerous occasions. Those occasions involved stories that were not always controversial. You noted many times in your emails and other venues that there are multiple opportunities for students to meet with you and address their concerns. You list some of those opportunities as your “Convos with Carter” and your quarterly sessions in the residence halls. However, stories break at any time of the day or night, and The Slate staff strives to inform the campus as quickly as possible.

We cannot wait weeks until an opportunity to sign up for a “Convo with Carter” or appear at one of the dorm sessions and begin shouting questions at you in public to try to get answers and information. You noted in the meeting on Tuesday that you want to improve relations with the student media as well as improve access and The Slate supports that effort. However, President Carter, The Slate is, was and always will be an independent student-run organization that covers the campus.

And that bring us to the point you assert in your email and in our conversation on Tuesday that our coverage of the campus is negative and is hurting campus morale. The Slate’s mission and responsibility is to report on the community that is Shippensburg University — the good, the bad and, sometimes, the ugly. It is not the role of the student newspaper to serve as a public relations arm of the university. Its role is to keep the campus community informed — a role that has been essential in a free and democratic

society. To say The Slate is negative in its reportage is inaccurate if you were to look at the mix of news that The Slate staff has reported on over the past year. On those pages you would find many positive stories about the administration, the faculty, the staff and students at this university. There are positive stories about the new engineering program, the first-year experience, students winning awards, the accomplishments of SU student-athletes and an award-winning feature story on an anthropology professor among so many others. To denigrate The Slate staff by calling it and the paper “divisive” or negative ignores all the great work that we do — on a totally volunteer basis — to cover the campus and keep the campus community informed.

Unfortunately, some stories are not positive and it is in these times that it is perhaps even more vital that we fulfill our duty of reporting those stories and the truth to the best of our abilities. To ignore the bad and the ugly — to “talk about the negative in positive ways” as you note we should — is to ignore

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the harsh realities of life. Trying to gloss over those stories or not give a voice to members of the campus community who want to bring issues they feel important to light is something The Slate is unable to do. In Tuesday’s meeting, you said, “We can’t address challenges we don’t know about.”

Precisely, President Carter, that is what The Slate is all about. It wants to report on those challenges and keep the campus community as informed as possible. We believe strongly that what we share with our readers — positive and sometimes negative — is what the community needs to know. That has been the mission of The Slate for more than 60 years.

Please accept this letter as an open invitation into our newsroom to observe the countless hours and hard work we dedicate to reporting the truth and keeping our community informed.

Sincerely,

Management slate.ship@gmail.com Jenna Wise....................Editor-in-Chief Molly Foster.................Managing Editor

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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

C1

Ship Life

SU powerlifter ranks 11th of all time Austin Stoltzfus Staff Writer It is strange to think that somewhere in the woods of Letterkenny Army Depot, camouflaged faces huddled together, peering at a phone screen to watch a weightlifting competition unfold.

However, that’s exactly what happened April 12 as their friend and fellow cadet, senior Sam Tomlin competed at the USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Championship for the second time at Ohio State University.

Competing with more than 100 other student-athletes in the 183-pound weight class, Tomlin pushed, pulled and

heaved his way through the three stages: squats, bench press and deadlift.

Beginning his journey toward the national championships only two years ago, Tomlin described how he began power lifting while attending Shippensburg.

“I realized I was no longer a high school athlete and I needed a way to maintain a competitive nature in my life,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin boasts an impressive record at the national championships with a bench press of 320 pounds, a squat of 570 pounds and a deadlift of 650 pounds, which broke a Collegiate National Championship record and remained

intact until this year when one of the many competitors in the nation broke it. On Openpowerlifting.com, Tomlin’s name is ranked 11th all time in the world in the 180 -pound weight class for 20to 23-year-olds for overall most weight lifted.

Tomlin described how busy he has been this semester, pointing out multiple obligations he maintains while outcompeting almost his whole weight class at nationals. Aside from hitting the gym, Tomlin dedicates an abundance of time on his research project for his exercise science major. In addition to his major, Tomlin is in Army ROTC, where he currently

holds the cadet position of command sergeant major, overseeing the exercises of the Raider Battalion.

“I initially had the ambition of winning first in the country, but I came up short,” Tomlin said. “I’m still really proud of myself, but the demands of 21 credit-hours and ROTC, all while conducting a research project, made it hard to find time to focus on powerlifting.”

Despite falling short of his exact goal of first place, Tomlin plans on continuing powerlifting in the future but explained how he needs a break from feeling burned out. He is currently the president of the weightlifting

club on campus and coached himself and student, Jackson Loring, who also competed at nationals.

From Kelayres, Pennsylvania, Tomlin started classes at Shippensburg University in 2015. In 2016, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a medic.

Shortly afterward he joined ROTC and this May he will commission as a second lieutenant in Army logistics.

Fellow cadet, senior Patrick Hiller, commented about Tomlin’s presence in the Raider Battalion.

“He’s always a real social, jovial guy,” Hiller said. “His positive attitude is contagious and it always seems like

he has a smile on his face.”

Tomlin explained that he plans on furthering his education to become a registered nurse along with serving as a commissioned officer in the National Guard.

When he’s not working out, studying or leading the Raider Battalion, Tomlin enjoys hanging out with his friends and loves talking about sports and music. He recalled that a few years ago he and some friends started a talk show on WSYC, discussing anything from the newest albums to the Green Bay Packers game.

Unique custom doughnuts in Chambersburg Josie Dillard Guest Writer

Photos by Jonathan Bergmueller/The Slate

Attendees could visit any of the many tables that were at the event. Activites included bike riding and surveys, among others.

Environmental club holds Earth Day event Austin Stoltzfus Staff Writer The rain held off just long enough for the Shippensburg University Environmental Club to host its annual Earth Day event in SU’s academic quad Thursday afternoon.

About 25 different organizations attended the event and provided various activities for students to participate in and further educate themselves on Earth Day and environmental facts. With music booming across the quad, students explored the stands while migrating to their classes. They occasionally stopped to speak with organizations like the Center for Land use and Sustainability, Farm Club, Counseling Center, Shippensburg University Animal Alliance and many more.

The Students for Environmental Activists and Sustainability (SEAS), also known as the Environmental Club, coordinated the event with help from the Farm Club and the Earth Science Department, according to SEAS president, junior Becky Hansen.

“We are mainly focused on raising the campus’s awareness for Earth Day and show off the campus’s sustainability,” Hansen said. “We want Earth Day to be recognized by everyone.”

Hansen explained that this year, along with overall sustainability, the event’s theme was water, including how to use water sustainably and educate people on utilizing

clean water. Hansen excitedly displayed the event’s logo, which consisted of planet earth as a water droplet to implement the theme of water.

Organizations distributed tickets to participating students, who could then redeem them for prizes at the SEAS stand.

Hanson explained that all of the available prizes were eco-friendly. Depending on their ticket stockpile, students could trade tickets in for metal straws, reusable water bottles, or a compostable toothbrush made of bamboo. Students could also win a solar-powered phone charger or Earth Day shirt.

Promoted as the Sasquatter, the eye-catching bus, which was remodeled as a small home, kept its doors open for curious students to examine the interior layout. The bus included many unexpected amenities like a refrigerator, washing machine, two couches, an oven and stove, rooftop deck, solar panel and cabin heater.

A diagram outside the tiny home boasted its sustainability and included facts like the Sasquatter’s water usage compared to an average household. The tiny home uses 0 gallons of water by using a composting toilet, eliminating the most taxing category of an average household’s water usage, which sits at about 35 gallons — 26.7 percent of the water used. The poster also gave helpful water-saving tips,

like turning off the shower while lathering and wearing pants several times in between washes.

Students like junior Nathaniel Franklin collected data from student surveys regarding their average water usage. Franklin explained that he will then present the data to his environmental science class to show the degree of plastic water bottles wasted by students.

Other organizations like Ship Dining, the National Residence Hall Honorary and the Counseling Center

focused on other aspects of sustainability. Ship Dining provided smoothies to those who could generate the energy by pedaling a bicycle to blend it. Graduate student Trevor Donovan from the Counseling Center handed out information on volunteering for the National Parks Service along with local swimming or kayaking locations. The NRHH presented a challenging game to interested passersby.

Students were tasked with sorting through a bin, recognizing which objects were

trash, recyclables or compostables.

The Farm Club showed off its recent garden vegetables, like kale and asparagus. The club handed out seeds to encourage students to do some planting of their own. Junior Cameron Weiser, a Farm Club member, explained the club’s goal.

“We really want to engage the campus and educate students on sustainable agriculture,” Weiser said. “We want to teach people what they’re eating.”

The Sasquatter bus, considered a tiny home, uses 0 gallons of water by using a composting toilet compared to the average 35 gallons most homes use.

The Doh-Nuh T Co. is tightly tucked in beside The Historic Texas Lunch in downtown Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Inside boasts fresh and hot, made-to-order doughnuts. The cozy bakery is the only place in Chambersburg to pick up custom doughnuts since 2015.

The smell of frying donuts tickles your nose at the door. From the door, it’s a straight shot into seeing the doughnut being made from scratch.

The whole process of mixing, frying, glazing and topping is visibly done behind the glass on the spot.

The Doh-Nuh T Co. offers 15 glazes and 32 toppings with over 500 possible combinations.

Customers start out with a plain doughnut to start as a blank canvas that’s tailored to their taste buds.

These are no ordinary donuts, as they pack a subtle crunch. These doughnuts are made with a special cake donut batter.

“They’re denser and more rich than a rising donut or a yeast doughnut, which is generally what everybody else makes because they’re cheaper to make,” said Jedera Allen, co-floor manager of The Doh-Nuh T Co. The journey begins with a whiteboard and imagination. The whiteboard helps organize all of the decadent dessert decisions, including the glaze, topping and drizzle. Honey, lemon, peanut butter, chocolate, apple and rum are just some of the glazes from which customers can choose.

The toppings list is more extensive with items such as bacon, cappuccino crunches, peppermint, sprinkles, streusel, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

D1

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

A&E

Screenshot by Jonathan Bergmueller, courtesy of Ubisoft

Alexios, the male player character, overlooks part of the in-game Athens.

“Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” like “Origins” before it, has a photo mode in which players can capture the Greek world around them. Furthermore, they make basic edits such as modifying the color temperature, saturation, noise and more.

Review: ‘AC Odyssey’ sends franchise back to ancient Greece Jonathan Bergmueller A&E Editor Ubisoft brings the “Assassin’s Creed” franchise to a whole new level of awesome in its new game, “Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey,” which dropped Oct. 5, 2018.

Fans of the series know that Assassin’s Creed revolves around an age-old conflict between the clandestine “Assassin’s” and “Templars,” who fight entire wars behind the scenes of history.

Modern-day assassins use a machine called the “Animus” to explore the past and find hidden ancient relics necessary to get the one-up on the “Templars.”

“Odyssey,” released Oct. 5, 2018, takes place in the beautiful ancient lands of Greece, several years after the 300 Spartans fought back against Xerxes’ Persian invasion.

Players assume the roles of either Alexios or Kassandra the Eagle-Bearer, descendants of the legendary Leonidas of Sparta. This is the first game in the franchise that truly represents a roleplaying game (RPG) — players have choices over their characters’ actions, down to the gender of their character.

“Odyssey’s” Greece is more beautiful than any “Assassin’s Creed” to date.

Players will need modern graphic technology to support the new “Ultra High” graphic settings, and even on the lower settings, the game looks amazing.

“Odyssey” centers around the Eagle-Bearer’s fight to unite his or her family and take down the shadowy “Cult of Kosmos,” a secretive order that precedes the modern-day “Templars.”

The cult has infiltrated every aspect of Greek society and is present in the courts of both Athens and Sparta, leaders of the Delian and Peloponnesian Leagues.

“Odyssey” explains the cult orchestrated the Peloponnesian War to seize power from behind the scenes. They also have an interest in the Eagle-Bearers’ bloodline, said to derive from the ancient god-like race that preceded humanity on earth.

There is an impressive air of mystery surrounding every step of the plot, and players slowly uncover more information about the Cult of Kosmos — and the ancient Greek world — as they play.

“Odyssey” follows in Ubisoft’s 2017 “Assassin’s Creed: Origins” footsteps by expanding on the new gameplay. Combat is flush and entertaining as ever with the new addition of abilities

like “Bull Rush,” and “Sparta Kick.” However, this comes at a cost.

Because of the in-game leveling system, players will frequently encounter opponents who are too strong to be killed in one stealth attack. This completely forces players away from Assassin’s Creed’s stealthy-roots and forces them to beef up their characters for as much open conflict as possible. It is still fun, but for a game that has built itself up on player choice, this is an incredibly limiting dynamic.

Morality takes hold in “Odyssey,” and in a way more meaningful than the “Good or bad” morality systems of other games. In one of the earlier choices in “Odyssey,” your character comes across a family struck by plague who are about to be executed to prevent the spread of the disease. It may seem right to save the family in the moment, but if the player lets them live, they spread the plague, which results in many deaths across the island of Kephallonia, your character’s home. This nuanced morality brings a level of complexity to decision-making that is not present in many other open-world RPGs today.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

Percussion recital rumbles in Old Main Meghan Schiereck Multimedia Editor “How many of you have never been to a percussion recital?” asked Aaron Trumbore, assistant director of bands at Shippensburg University, taking a bow after his first piece. The majority of the people in the room raised their hands.

“Thank you for coming,” Trumbore answered. The faculty percussion recital last Friday in Old Main Chapel welcomed newcomers and returning listeners alike.

The concert featured percussionist, educator, composer and percussion small business owner Aaron Trumbore on marimba; and his brother, pianist and music educator Seth Trumbore on piano. The final song, “Cloud Forest” by Blake Tyson featured four members of the SU Wind Ensemble

percussion section: Travis Houtz, general percussion; Matthew Zemba, glockenspiel; Noah Shandor, djembe; and Carrie Brough, vibraphone.

Aaron Trumbore introduced an original solo composition, which originally premiered in summer of 2018, called “PLVS VLTRA” or “more beyond.” He said it was a musical meditation that there is more beyond life on Earth. The concert also featured “Danzas argentinas Op. 2. No. 1 Danza del Viejo Boyero (Dance of the Old Herdsman)” by Alberto Ginastera that Aaron arranged for drum and piano.

“I thought it was wonderful,” said SU sophomore Maggie Myers. “His musicianship was impeccable.”

The concert featured a variety of pieces. One was a piece centered around the morse code beat for “Can

you hear me?” by Wally Gun. The piece featured both brothers.

The concert was also unusual in that it did not have an intermission. “We decided not to have an intermission because I think the music flows better without that 10-minute break,” Trumbore said.

Additional pieces included “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla, “Not far from here” by Blake Tyson, and “Morning Clouds” by Jens Schliecker and Nils Rohwer.

“Morning clouds” featured two extended solos for both marimba and piano. “Danza ritual del fuego” or “Ritual Fire Dance” by Manuel de Falla replaced “Tap Oratory” in the program due to a technical error.

“It’s really cool to see Aaron perform, especially to see him perform his own work,” junior Zsofia Kandrot said.

Movie Showtimes Showtimes for Wednesday, May 8, at AMC Classic 7 in Chambersburg

Shows

Times

1. Avenger: Endgame

6:00 p.m.

2. UglyDolls

7:15 p.m.

3. Long Shot

7:00 p.m.

4. Breakthrough

7:35 p.m.

5. The Curse of La Llorona

8:35 p.m.

6. Shazam!

4:45 p.m.

Billboard Top 10 1. Old Town Road - Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

6. Without Me - Halsey

2. Wow. - Post Malone

7. Dancing with a Stranger -Sam Smith & Normani

3. Sunflower - Post Malone & Swae Lee

8. Talk - Khalid

4. 7 Rings - Ariana Grande

9. Bad Guy -Billie Eilish

5. Sucker - Jonas Brothers

10. Middle Child - J. Cole

Wednesday, May 8, 2019

E1

Sports

Yankees, E2

Baseball, E2

Softball’s season comes to an end

Photos courtesy of Bill Morgal/SU Sports Info.

Freshman Hannah Marsteller smashes a three-run homer in the Raiders’ 14-6 season-ending loss to West Chester University. Marsteller picked up five hits in nine at-bats during the Raiders’ three-game run at the PSAC tournament. The freshman infielder finished the season with 10 homers and 13 doubles.

Matthew Gregan Asst. Sports Editor The Shippensburg University softball team fell short in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, losing to West Chester University 14–6 on Thursday afternoon.

Shippensburg began the PSAC Championships with a tight 5–2 loss to Lock Haven University on Wednesday afternoon.

The Raiders opened up the scoring with a two-run double by freshman Grace Palmieri. However, Lock Haven answered with four runs in the next frame. Starter Taryn Wilson left the game after allowing two home runs in the inning.

Lock Haven starter Bekah Slattery, who leads the PSAC in strikeouts, had another good start in the win for LHU. She allowed two unearned runs while striking out 10 and tossing a complete game.

The Raiders stayed alive in the loser’s bracket of the PSAC Championships with a dominant 11–2 win over Edinboro University on Thursday morning. Palmieri hit a

grand slam in the first inning to open up the floodgates for the Raiders.

Shippensburg scored runs in all but one of the innings against Edinboro. Freshmen Morgan DeFeo and Hannah Marsteller, as well as sophomore Courtney Coy, each totaled two RBIs in the team’s 11–2 win.

Edinboro threatened to get back in the game in the bottom of the second inning.

Wilson got knocked out of the game after allowing two runs in the inning. Freshman Tressa Kagarise came in and, after hitting a batter, recorded a massive strikeout to strand the bases loaded.

Shippensburg’s PSAC championship hopes came to an end on Thursday afternoon after falling to West Chester.

The Golden Rams jumped on SU early, scoring seven runs in the first inning to take a commanding lead that would turn out to be too much for the Raiders to come back from. Wilson picked up the loss for the Raiders, making it through only a third of an inning while allowing three runs.

The Raiders rallied in the

third inning, scoring four runs to tighten the game to 8–5. Marsteller hit a threerun home run and freshman Hannah Johnson doubled in a run.

Johnson, who came in to

pitch the first inning, was doing a good job keeping the Raiders in the game until the fifth inning. The Golden Rams loaded the bases on three infield singles before senior Heidi McCollester

drove them all in with a grand slam to effectively end the game and the Raiders’ chances at progressing in the tournament.

The Raiders were not awarded one of the five

berths for the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships, ending their season. SU finished with a 25–22 record — the team’s third straight 20-win season.

Senior Taryn Wilson starts all three games at the PSAC tournament in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Wilson finished her senior Raider campaign with a 13-12 record, a 3.50 ERA and 180 strikeouts.

Phillies return to relevancy after years of mediocrity

Nate Powles Sports Editor One of the best turnarounds in recent baseball history is nearing completion. Four years removed from owning the worst record in baseball and after seven straight seasons of finishing .500 or lower, the Philadelphia Phillies have returned to a competitive level this season.

In 2011, the Phillies held

the best record in the league, but were upset in the divisional round by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The loss kicked off a drastic dropoff for one of baseball’s powerhouses. Veteran staples like Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley started to show their age and their production dropped drastically over the passing seasons.

The pitching core that had been dubbed “The Four Aces” — Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt — continued to perform at a high level, but some of the members left the squad or were not quite at the level they used to be.

All four pitchers were considered some of the best in the world, while Halladay and Lee were both seen as

top four starters.

While the team did not lose any crucial pieces during the following offseason, the disappointment of the previous season weighed the team down and the 2012 season was not successful in the slightest, as the Phillies stumbled to an even 81–81 record.

That was the beginning of a lengthy rebuild for a team that had made the World Series in 2008 and 2009.

Fast-forward to 2017.

The Phillies called up highly-touted prospect Rhys Hoskins from the minors.

Hoskins proceeded to set the record for most home runs by a player who made his debut after Aug. 1 with 18 on the season.

Through just one full and two partial seasons, Hoskins

has 62 home runs and 175 RBI’s. The rise of Hoskins ushered a new era of Philly baseball.

Young ace Aaron Nola made his debut for the organization in 2015, only one season after being drafted.

He was the most exciting prospect for the Phillies in recent memory and continued to meet and exceed expectations through his four seasons in the majors.

Most recently, he placed third in Cy Young voting last season behind New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom and Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer.

The 2018-2019 offseason was arguably the most exciting and eventful in Phillies’ history. Club owner John Middleton was quoted as saying the organization

would be spending “stupid money” during free agency to get over the hump. Two of the best young players in the league — Bryce Harper and Manny Machado — headlined a lengthy list of free agents who were almost all mentioned in the same breath as the Phillies.

After a lot of back-andforth and speculation about who the Phillies would actually be able to sign, Harper came to Philadelphia on a 10year, $330 million contract.

He joined former MVP Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura and J.T. Realmuto to bolster a newly-competitive squad.

With Nola and 2015 Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta anchoring the pitching rotation, the Phillies entered the season as one of the favor-

ites to win the NL East and to possibly even compete for the conference pennant.

After just more than a month of play, the team owns a 19–14 record and sits first in the division.

Hoskins leads the team with 10 home runs and 31 RBI’s, while Arrieta has been the most consistent pitcher with a 4–2 record and 3.40 ERA. If Harper can resume the pace he showed to begin the season — four home runs and eight RBI’s with a .333 average through his first 10 games — the Phillies can improve as the season goes on thanks to the productivity of the other members of the squad.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com

SPORTS

E2

May 8, 2019

Yankees’ hot start nothing short of a miracle

Chris Wurtz Asst. Sports Editor Injuries happen. They are a part of sports, whether it be at the high school, college or professional level. Being prepared to survive a wave of injuries that strikes during the grind of a long season is part of what makes a team successful.

However, what the New York Yankees are dealing with this season is unprecedented, and it’s just straightup hard to believe at times.

As of Sunday, the Yankees had 13 players on the injured list. There are 25 spots on a team’s regular-season roster.

It does not take a genius to realize that is a pretty sizable chunk of production missing.

At one point in mid-April, the Yankees were missing eight of the nine pieces of their full-strength lineup.

Concurrently, New York was without two of its five starting pitchers.

In addition to a handful of key role players, the Yankees’ injured list is littered with bona fide stars. Former National League MVP outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and former American League MVP runner-up outfielder Aaron Judge head the list and have each played only a handful of games. Starting pitcher

Luis Severino — who finished third in the 2017 American League Cy Young voting — has yet to pitch a game in 2019 and likely will not toe the rubber until after the allstar break.

Relief pitcher Dellin Betances, one of the league’s most dominant relievers over the past five seasons, has not pitched due to a shoulder injury. And shortstop Didi Gregorius and outfielder Aaron Hicks — both of whom are key cogs in a lineup that has been among baseball’s best for two seasons — have not played yet due to elbow and back injuries.

Every time it appears the team is getting some relief and help is on the way, another name hits the shelf.

As the Yankees welcomed third baseman Miguel Andujar back from a 28-game absence after a small labrum tear in his shoulder, the team announced that starting pitcher James Paxton would miss three weeks with a knee injury.

But by some miracle, these Yankees are 19–14 and sitting just two games back of first place in the division. But how?

Despite the pile of injuries, the Yankees are still hitting well. New York is in the Top 10 in the league in nearly every offensive statistical category — batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, hits and runs. The watered-down lineup packs a punch that is a far cry from that of last year’s record-setting crew — one that spent the season perched atop a bevy of offensive league-leader lists.

But whatever it is doing is working. Led by spectacularly unspectacular first baseman Luke Voit, the offense has collected enough timely hits to get by. Catcher Gary Sanchez — who had a 10day IL stint of his own — has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball. The thirdyear catcher is tied for third in the league with 11 homers, and he has more than 30 fewer at-bats than everyone else in the top nine.

Aside from Sanchez, no hitter on the roster has particularly stood out — partially because no one has stayed healthy enough to contribute consistently. New York has simply timed its hits well enough to sneak out of close games with victories.

On the mound, it has again been a collective effort to come up with the production to replace the arms on the IL. The banged-up pitching staff is nestled just inside the Top 10 in earned runs allowed, hits allowed, batting average against and strikeouts.

Before landing on the injured list on Sunday, Paxton was leading the rotation with a 3.11 ERA. His 52 strikeouts in 37.2 innings rank eighth in all of baseball. 26-yearold Domingo German has been a pleasant surprise in the Bronx, but many within the organization fear that his performance is just a flash in the pan.

The vaunted bullpen has held its own, but has blown a few more late leads than expected. The unit is rated as right around league-average by most metrics, which is a disappointment relative to pre-season expectations.

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison/Flickr

The Yankees celebrate an early-season road victory over the Baltimore Orioles. New York has clawed its way to a 19-14 start despite having 13 players on the injured list, including stars Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

But it is hard to find much to complain about when a team with this many injuries is sitting at five games above .500.

Which is why, again, what New York has done is nothing short of a miracle. Manager Aaron Boone is running out lineups comprised of anonymous names on a daily basis. If you had asked even the most die-hard Yankees

fan who Mike Ford, Giovanny Urshela or Mike Tauchman were before the season, you would likely get a blank stare.

And if you had told them that those three guys would routinely be in the lineup, they would probably guess that hell had frozen over.

Here we are, and as the light at the end of the tun-

nel becomes visible, Yankees fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Most of the injured players are due back in May or June, and New York has done more than enough to remain competitive as it waits for its stars to return.

The nightmare is almost over and reinforcements are on the way.

Baseball sweeps on Senior Day Courtesy of SU Sports Info.

The Shippensburg University baseball team made its Senior Day on Saturday a season finale to remember, achieving a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader sweep of East Stroudsburg with comeback wins of 9-8 and 8-7 on a muggy and then rainy day at Fairchild Field.

Shippensburg (20-27, 12-16 PSAC East) won Game 1 in extra innings on a two-out, walk-off RBI-double by senior Tommy Baggett that scored fellow senior Ty Painter from first base. SU rallied from an 8-1 deficit to win, scoring seven times in the bottom of the fifth to tie it before winning it in the bottom of the eighth with Baggett’s double.

In Game 2, East Stroudsburg (31-17, 17-11) built a 7-1 lead through three-and-a-half innings before the Raiders rallied despite the weather having devolved into a torrential rain. SU scored twice in the bottom of the fourth and five times in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead, and the game was then called at the completion of the fifth due to the weather.

Both games were packed with high drama, but Game 1 was as exhilarating as they come. ESU scored five runs in the top of the fifth to take an 8-1 lead, but the Raiders immediately answered with seven runs in the bottom of the frame to even the score. Shippensburg began the inning with six straight singles, including RBIs for junior Zack Zoller and Baggett and a two-run hit for freshman Tony Vavaroutsos that made the score 8-5.

With two outs, freshman Justin Darden laced a line-drive single through the middle to make it 8-6. Junior Jacob Pollock, whose single started the fifth inning, came up again and hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line to make it 8-7. A throwing error on the play allowed Darden to score, making it 8-8.

Photo courtesy of Casey Saussaman/SU Sports Info.

The Raiders honor six seniors who contributed more than 100 combined wins to the program.

The rally preserved the chance of a victory for senior starting pitcher Zack Sims, who left everything he had on the mound in his final outing. Sims, who threw a 146-pitch complete game, shook off a three-run first and a five-run fifth by retiring the side in order in both the sixth and the seventh.

In the eighth, ESU hit a single, bunted for a single, and drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with nobody out – prompting a mound visit by SU head coach Matt Jones. Sims remained in the game, and his next pitch resulted in a 6-2-3 double play to keep the score even and put two outs on the board. With two runners still in scoring position, the count went full in the next at-bat. On the eighth pitch, Sims got Brock Kauffman to pop up to escape the jam without a run scoring.

In the bottom of the eighth, Painter singled with one out.

Two batters later, Baggett roped a double into center field that not only plated his fellow senior from first, but also resulted in another fellow senior (Sims) getting a win in his final outing.

Game 2 also featured another hot start for East Stroudsburg, as the Warriors built a 7-1 lead off senior Michael Hope entering the bottom of the fourth. Undaunted, SU began its rally with the 13th home run of the season by senior Jack Goertzen, a single by Vavaroutsos and a double by sophomore Scout Knotts. Vavaroutsos later scored on a passed ball, making the score 7-3 through four innings.

Read the full story at shipraiders.com

Kevin Durant is ready to assume LeBron’s throne

Isaiah Snead Asst. Sports Editor With LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers missing the playoffs, many figured that

this year’s NBA postseason would be dull. But, one of the game’s top players is proving them wrong. Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant is playing at a rate we have not seen in the playoffs in quite some time.

The reigning champion Warriors were challenged by the eight-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, as the series was tied 1-1 after two games. Many criticized the 6-foot-11-inch Durant,

specifically, as he was not shooting the ball enough while being guarded by the 6-foot Patrick Beverly.

After a game in that series he told the press to relax and said, “I’m Kevin Durant, you know who I am.”

Since that statement, Durant has reminded us exactly who he is and has scored 38, 33, 45, 50, 35, 29 and 46 points in his outings since.

Most people regard Durant as the second-best play-

er in the world after James.

But during this run he may be proving that he is not the second best player — he’s the best.

There has been no answer for Durant during this historic run as he is able to score from anywhere on the court.

If the defense puts a guard on him, he uses his lanky 6-foot11-inch frame to shoot right over the top of them. If the defense puts a bigger defender on him, Durant uses his

quickness and just puts his head down and drives right by them to the rim.

“He’s the most skilled basketball player on Earth; there’s never been anybody like him,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “Sixfoot-11, handles the ball, shoots threes, passes and defends. He’s an unbelievable talent.”

Durant faces a lot of backlash from fans for his decision to join an already

stacked Golden State team in free agency three years ago.

Putting that backlash aside, we have to start looking at Durant for what he has done on the court and realize that he is an all-time great.

He is already a two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He has won a league MVP and holds four scoring titles.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com