9.10.21

The Penn

NEWS | PAGE 3

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

IUP TO HOST 19TH ANNUAL 9/11 MEMORIAL IN OAK GROVE

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PROFESSORS REMEMBER THE EVENTS OF 9/11

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News Editor: Benjamin Brumbaugh – msqy@iup.edu

(The Penn/Nick Schmidt) The World Trade Center opened on April 4, 1973. At the time that the buildings were completed, they were the tallest buildings in the world. The complex cost $400 million, or $2 billion today. After the towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001, cleanup took nearly eight months, and a memorial was made where the towers stood.

IUP to host 19th annual 9/11 memorial in Oak Grove RACHEL KOVACH Contributing Writer rsrbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP will host a 9/11 memorial service from 11:40 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday. It will take place in the Oak Grove in front of the 9/11 memorial.

For the 20th anniversary of 9/11, there are some special guest speakers that will make an appearance at the event.

The guest speakers attending this ceremony include IUP’s President Michael Driscoll, an award-winning journalist Tim Lambert whose family-owned part of

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the land where Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pa., and Bethany Barefoot, an alumna who received a scholarship that was created in honor of an IUP graduate who died in the attacks.

This is the 19th year that the university has held a 9/11 memorial event.

“Our first event was held on Sept. 11, 2002,” Michelle Fryling said. “More than 2,100 members of the IUP community gathered for a 9/11 anniversary remembrance.”

Fryling said that the memorial was put in on Oct. 4, 2002, and is on a “long-term loan” to the university from the Kovalchick family

of Indiana.

“The relic, a 13-foot remnant of the World Trade Center,” Fryling said, “is accompanied on the left by a granite memorial in honor of those lost in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.

“IUP faculty member Dr. James Nestor (art, retired) was instrumental in the design of the memorial, which was a joint project of IUP Student Congress and the Office of the President.”

IUP lost three alumni in the destruction of the World Trade Center, Fryling said.

William Moskal ('79), Donald Jones ('80) and William (Bill) Sugra ('93) were the three members that

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died on 9/11.

“I think it’s really nice that even though it’s been 20 years, they’re still remembering the people who lost their lives,” Dakota Barton (sophomore, English) said. “I think that, especially because they have a piece of wreckage, too, it really shows that they care.

“A lot of people our age stopped caring about it, but IUP helps to keep the memory alive even if it was tragic.”

For many years, this event has been held on the morning of Sept. 11 with moments of silence occurring when the planes hit the World Trade Center. This year, however, the anniversary falls on

a Saturday, so the event has been strategically planned to be during IUP’s Common Hour to allow as many people as possible to attend.

According to a past news release on this event, if there is inclement weather, the event will be moved indoors to the Performing Art Center’s Fisher Hall. Please remember that masks are required in all IUP buildings; however, they are not required outdoors on campus.

This event will also be livestreamed for anyone who wants to watch but cannot attend. The livestream can be found on IUP’s YouTube channel.

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Dr. Lara Luetkehans begins new journey She will serve as interim provost following Moerland’s retirement MOLLY CUNNINGHAM Contributing Writer kydy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Dr. Lara Luetkehans is now serving in the interim provost position at IUP after Timothy Moerland retired on Aug. 20.

Moerland retired from the position and helped Luetkehans with

the transition. Last year, Luetkehans was participating in a professional development program for higher education leaders and Moerland was her mentor.

“Our learning never ends,” Luetkehans said. “We’re always growing.”

The provost is the chief academic officer for IUP. She leads the division of academic affairs

The Provost’s Office is located in Sutton Hall.

(iup.edu)

(dom.edu) Dr. Luetkehans graduated with the bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago in 1989. She got her Ph.D. in instructional technology from the University of Georgia in 1998.

which are all of the academic colleges, the university college and offices. These would include offices such as the career planning and professional development office.

“I try to be an approachable person, and I try to relate to people and try to lead with empathy,” Luetkehans said. “I think that helps with building community.”

This role suits Luetkehans because she is committed to building the IUP community. Sharing vision, strategies and making sure people know that they can communicate were some things that she said will help rebuild IUP. She works closely with the academic deans, provost associate and an associate vice president.

Working with other leaders in the division gives it a collaborative process.

An interim position means that it is a one-year position. IUP will be doing a national search for a provost this coming year. Luetkehans’ role is to focus on four goals that President Michael Driscoll gave her.

A primary goal is to lead the IUP NextGen transformation. Another goal is to reengage the community and the academic side of things. Luetkehans wants people to feel like a part of and the future of the institution of the university.

In addition, Luetkehans wants to look at some of the structures and operations of the colleges.

IUP is her academic home, and she likes to be here because she can relate to the students.

“A lot of our students are first-generation students and are navigating higher education for the first in their family,” Luetkehans said.

Luetkehans loves watching the students mature and grow into their careers. In addition, she appreciates the relationship between the institution and the community.

“We have tremendous faculty who are really committed to students with a teacher-scholar model,” Luetkehans said.

She added that this is important for the faculty to be here to teach and help students grow profes-

(iup.edu) Dr. Timothy Moerland worked at IUP from 2013 to 2021. Before that, he worked at Kent State University from 2008 to 2012. sionally and personally.

There is a strong commitment to teaching, but the faculty also highly values research. Luetkehans explained that IUP is different from other institutions because it does not just focus on teaching.

“I love the balance that IUP creates for faculty careers,” Luetkehans said.

Her education began with an undergraduate degree in philosophy. Luetkehans became an academic librarian and she got her master’s degree in library science. She was working as a media librarian at Medical College of Georgia.

“I was really interested in how medical students were using media to learn, and that’s what led me to my doctoral degree in instructional design and technology,” Luetkehans said.

Individual differences in learning and how technology could be used to address individual differences were always fascinating to Luetkehans.

While Luetkehans was working there, she got her doctorate in structural design and technology at the University of Georgia. When she took her first faculty position at Northern Illinois University, she worked there for 17 years and then came to IUP as the Dean of College in Education and Communications. She continued her career as a dean for the last eight years until she had the opportunity to serve the interim provost position at IUP. Luetkehans expressed the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion in order to make IUP a welcoming place for all students, faculty and staff.

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PASSHE, IUP face enrollment issues System must change, adapt as a result of the decline TANNER SCHELL Contributing Writer dsqcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The number of public high school graduates continues to drop in Pennsylvania.

From 2012–13 to 2026–27, the number of high school graduates in the state is expected to drop by almost 13 percent. This is affecting colleges and universities in Pennsylvania as well.

In 2012, IUP’s enrollment was at its peak of 15,379 students.

Since 2012, however, the university’s enrollment has been decreasing each year. In 2020, IUP’s enrollment was 10,067 students which is more than a 33 percent decline from peak enrollment numbers in 2012.

Executive Director of Media Relations Michelle Fryling provided an explanation for this steep decline in enrollment.

“In a word: demographics,”

Fryling said.

This demographics statement seems to suggest a class-based or economic issue.

Things are getting more expensive across the state of Pennsylvania and across the United States.

This includes, but is not limited to, a college education. As income inequality increases, more people are only able to afford things that they need in order to survive.

College is not necessary for survival and, as such, more people are choosing to forego a college education.

One of the things that the university has done in response is to freeze tuition for the last few years.

“We’re also working to do new and innovative admissions

(Twitter/PASSHE) PASSHE oversees 14 universities throughout the state of Pennsylvania. It is the largest education provider within the commonwealth.

strategies and recruitment and continuing our focus on retention; addressing enrollment is not just about getting new students, but helping the students who are enrolled remain, be successful and graduate,” Fryling said.

IUP is not the only university facing these types of issues. The vast majority of the 14 schools within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) is facing the problem of declining enrollment which is attributed largely to the demographics issue discussed earlier.

PASSHE is making changes within its system to combat this

growing problem.

One solution that affected IUP last semester was retrenchments at most state schools. IUP’s professorial staff was cut by nearly one fourth in a move made to cut costs and move IUP in a new direction.

This new direction is referred to as IUP NextGen. These plans strive to move our university toward being more of a science, technology, engineering and math school. This meant many arts, writing and specialty programs were moved to different departments or eliminated completely.

The state school system is also undergoing a consolidation.

California, Clarion and Edinboro Universities of Pennsylvania are merging to form a single uni-

versity in western Pennsylvania.

Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield Universities of Pennsylvania are merging to form a single university in eastern Pennsylvania.

Each of the aforementioned universities will retain its own campus and its athletic programs.

They will have only one president, and various other administrative positions will also be eliminated in order to cut costs.

Act 50 gave the PASSHE Board of Governors the authority to enact these changes.

IUP will not face a merger, at least, in the near future.

“Act 50, which was passed by the legislature to allow integrations, specifically prohibits IUP and West Chester from being involved in integrations,” Fryling said.

It remains to be seen if the changes described above will positively or negatively affect the enrollment issues at IUP and across the PASSHE system.

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September 10, 2021

News

Professors remember events of 9/11 Sadness, shock, confusion, anger prevalent

TANNER SCHELL Contributing Writer dsqcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The 20th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, is Saturday.

Every year, the anniversary of that day brings back vivid memories for people around the United States.

Although most IUP students were too young to fully comprehend the events of that day, the anniversary brings back a flood of memories for professors at the university.

“I was at the University of Pittsburgh at the library where I was a graduate student then, and I went to study before my afternoon classes,” Dr. Marjorie Zambrano-Paff (Spanish) said. “It was a regular morning until we were told that we needed to evacuate the library immediately.

“Nobody knew what was going on because there were no TVs at the library, and cell phones back then were not smartphones, so we could not check online right away what was happening.”

Zambrano-Paff decided to go to the 13th floor of the Cathedral of Learning where the chair of the romance language department informed her and others of what was happening.

“My sister managed to call me from Nicaragua while I was walking back to my apartment,” Zambrano-Paff said. “She was crying frantically because the news in Nicaragua said that a second plane crashed in Pittsburgh.”

Flight 93 crashed two miles north of Shanksville, Pa., which is about 60 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

This was one of the four planes that crashed on 9/11, killing all who were on it.

The news coverage on the attack was jarring for many.

“It was one of the most horrific scenes to witness,” Zambrano-Paff said. “I could see people jumping off the building.”

Citizens of the United States struggled to understand what they were hearing about and witnessing on their TVs. “After the second plane, I knew it was more than just an accident,” Dr. Aleea Perry (political science) said. “News from the Pentagon and Pennsylvania made it clear that it

was coordinated and far-reaching.

“What ‘peace’ we had upon our shores since Pearl Harbor was gone in an instant.”

The events left many feeling shaken and sad.

“I was in tears, I was afraid, I was alone,” Zambrano-Paff said. “I could not call anyone because the lines went crazy.”

Lt. Col. Dennis Faulkner, professor of military science at IUP, was an active-duty service member when the events of 9/11 occurred.

Faulkner was assigned as the Executive Officer for HHC 2-35 Infantry at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. He was participating in a field training exercise on the north side of Oahu when he heard the news.

“I recall overhearing my company commander having a discussion with his wife on his cell phone,” Faulkner said. “I remember him repeating what she was relaying: ‘What... they hit the Pentagon and the World Trade Center?’”

Shortly after, Faulkner was ordered back to base for further instructions.

“All military bases immediately shut down and installed new and very draconian security measures for entry onto each base,” Faulkner said. “The main problem was roads and the physical structure of most post entry points at that time were not hardened in any meaningful way, so everyone easily recognized how vulnerable all these military posts were to attack.”

Faulkner expressed the importance of remembering the events of 9/11 and recognizing the bravery and service of so many people in the United States.

“I think it’s important to remember the sacrifice of so many Americans,” Faulkner said. “Yes, service members, but also, first responders, average Americans who found themselves in a position to help their fellow citizens on that day and average Joes that decided they were not going to let terrorists win and declared ‘let's roll,’ being the first Americans to fight back against terrorist on Flight 93.

“We should remember their sacrifice and honor it by living our lives as Americans: free, proud and fearless. This is the greatest respect and honor we can pay to any patriot.”

The 9/11 attacks are the single deadliest terrorist attack in the history of the world, and they are also the single deadliest day ever for both firefighters and police officers in the United States.

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September 10, 2021

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Students evacuated from Wallwork Hall

(The Penn/Nick Schmidt) Students in Wallwork Hall were forced to evacuate when the fire alarm went off Thursday. Students reported smelling smoke in the building.

Campus police responded and the situation was remedied within the hour and students were able to return to their dorms at that time.

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September 10, 2021

Question & Answer with Dr. Sue Rieg Brought to you

By The Penn Staff Dr. Sue Rieg began her tenure as the Interim Dean of the College of Education and Communications this semester.

Earlier this week, Dante Zottoli spoke with Rieg about her new role and her responsibilities to the IUP student body.

Rieg comes to IUP as a very experienced professional in the world of public education.

Here is what she had to say: Zottoli: “What was your academic and professional journey that led you to where you are today?”

Rieg: “I started, actually, as an elementary school teacher.

“I’m a proud IUP alumna from the elementary education program and I was a first-[generation] college student, so I got my degree, went into teaching [and] got my master’s at IUP in elementary math.

“While I was in the math department program, they offered me an assistantship and I taught a class for one of the professors in the elementary math department, and she's the one that planted the seed for me to be a professor someday.

“So, at that time, I only wanted to leave and teach elementary school, so I taught for 17 years.

“I was a principle for two years at East Pike Elementary School and then I got my doctorate [at] Duquesne University.

“After my doctorate, I applied to IUP as a professor, and, sure enough, I got hired, and I worked my way through the ranks from assistant to associate to full professor.

“I was a department chair, an assistant chair, I was a director of professional development schools and the position that was most closely related to the dean position. I was the Dean’s Associate for Educator Preparation, so I had that role for four years, so I worked very directly with the provost.

“I retired as a professor in June, and President (Michael) Driscoll invited me back to this role as interim dean.

“I'm really humbled and honored that President Driscoll had that much faith in me to lead the college of education.”

Zottoli: “What goals do you

have for yourself and the communications and education departments?”

Rieg: “My No. 1 goal is to provide leadership to the academic departments here in the college and to support them, and administering a high-quality education for our students.

“We want to make sure that all of our students have the foundational knowledge for practical experiences and the expertise for any relevant fields that they will get when they leave IUP. “My main goal is obviously to provide that leadership and support to the departments and, also, those people who know me know that I'm a huge advocate for students; that's always been my bottom line in any leadership position and any decision that I have to make.

“I gather the facts and then I do what I know in my heart and in my head is what's best for students.

“One of my main goals is to advocate for students and to support the initiatives, recruit and retain students here in our college and, also, we've been trying to diversify our student body we know in the fields of education and communication media. You know, all of our fields, they're looking for diverse candidates to assume position so that's definitely a goal.

“Support our current partnerships; a lot of the work that I did in this office before I became dean was making partnerships with mainly the school districts and school entities, but I think there's a lot of opportunity I just actually talked about with the counseling that my friend shared possible opportunities this morning as well as more partnerships in that area.

“So, I do want to make sure we try to expand those partnerships because I really feel that not only does it help our students get more in-depth experience in fields where they will be, but it also helps our community because I know with our literacy program, our graduate assistance program with our local school districts, not only our literacy graduate assistants (GA) working in the schools but they're also serving the substitute teachers and that's a huge need in school districts right now.”

Zottoli: What makes IUP’s Colleges of Communications and

Education different from those of other universities?

Rieg: “The top partnerships that we have are really strong both in [communications] and education, and we are really blessed with alumni that are supportive to us on our programs and welcome us. When they go out and get hired in the field, they welcome our interns and our student teachers and they know our graduates back into their places of business or their schools or whatever entity there and so that kind of speaks to both as far as our education side of it.

“We have professional development school programs that some schools don't have and that's where our teacher candidates spend their entire capstone or senior year in the public schools so in the fall semester that is here on campus, they're taking classes, but they're also making those immediate connections that are going into the classroom.

“They’re taking the foundational knowledge and the theoretical, and they're applying it to practice immediately and then, those candidates in the yearlong placements, they get to stay in that placement during student teaching, so they already know the school policy is the district students they already know.

“Those partnerships have been really positive, and I mentioned our GA program before. Universities are hiring our Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) graduates, school districts are hiring our literacy GA's and paying for their tuition or paying them a stipend to work for them.

“With them, I should say, in the schools that's been a win-win situation for both our students and the school districts that are hiring them.

“A few years ago, we were one of only a few schools that received close to $1 million in Pennsylvania Department of Education's Teacher Innovative Teacher Residency grants.

“We were able to actually pay those candidates who were doing the yearlong residencies and we paid them a stipend because a lot of our students as you probably know have to work, you know, to survive, so we were trying to find ways that if they did this yearlong experience how can we help them financially so that they don't have

such a financial burden.

“That grant money went out to the students mainly, but we also work closely with the teachers, and we have teachers from local school districts, we have teachers sometimes for Pittsburgh public schools because they're great partners with us.

“We had the urban and the rural experiences for our students, and just that branch bringing in that much money really made us stand out in the state, so that was good, and also several years ago we had our National Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation review, and we were one of very few colleges and universities that came out of that review with

no areas for improvement and no stipulations.

“That's something we were really proud of that kind of sets our education programs, you know, ahead of the game.

Zottoli: Is there anything that you would like students to know?

Rieg: “I love to hear from students.

“I don’t prefer to sit in meetings all day, every day.

“The students are welcomed to invited to their meetings and organizations to come and meet with them and talk with them.

“I just want incoming students to know that we are very highly committed to providing strong quality education for them.”

(iup.edu) In addition to her extensive experience as a professor at IUP, Rieg ran for a seat on the Indiana Area School District board of directors.

Rieg originally came to Indiana to attend IUP and never left.

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September 10, 2021

News

Opinion Mental health conversation shifts

(Facebook)

Students concerned about trendiness, corporatization of mental illness *This article contains sensitive subjects about mental health and mental illness.

“My OCD is so bad.” “I was so depressed yesterday.” “This test is giving me anxiety.” “She was acting like a psycho.”

People with mental health issues have been hearing people who do not struggle with a mental illness say these harmful phrases repeatedly. As conversations about mental health become mainstream, it is important to address how the banalization and commercialization of those serious topics have become an issue.

The conversation about mental health has been trending more in recent years. Role models, celebrities and other people with big platforms have been stepping forward to talk about their experiences with their mental health issues. These individuals have also been advocating for increased resources and research on the topic.

However, there are some people taking advantage of the fact that conversations surrounding mental health are gaining platform to “hop on the trend” for personal gain. These people act as though having anxiety, depression or a personality disorder is something “quirky” and “cool” as opposed to being a serious issue.

This has led to two serious problems. The first being the commercialization of mental

Opinion

illness. Nowadays, it is not so rare to see young people walking around with colorful shirts saying “I’ve got anxiety,” or “I hate being bipolar, it’s awesome” almost as if bipolarity or anxiety were brands and not actual disorders.

One will probably never see a shirt full of colorful hearts saying “I have smallpox” or “I love chronic heart failure” or anything related to having a physical health issue. So why is society not giving the same respect to mental illnesses? Why do physical health problems get the serious tone and respect while mental illnesses get the “funny” jokes and “cute” merch?

This commercialization of mental illness brings us to the second problem of the “quirky-zation” of mental illnesses: they stop being seen as illnesses.

One could see this taking shape in many different forms. A dangerous form that takes shape is self-diagnosis. While someone should never start saying they have a physical disorder unless a medical doctor tells them so, it is more common to see people saying they have mental illnesses because they saw a meme or a funny TikTok about said illness.

The logic behind this sort of content seems to be something like: “if you like your room clean, you must have OCD,” “if you feel worried before a test, you definitely have anxiety,” “if you have a hard time communicating with others, you probably are

autistic,” etc.

While it is okay to sympathize with others that are overcoming their illness and join in on the conversation, pretending to have something you do not have does more harm than good, especially if you try to speak on behalf of those struggling.

That becomes a problem because not only does it banalize the seriousness of illnesses but also forces stereotypes surrounding them. Not everyone who feels deep sadness or sorrow has depression. Sadness is a natural human feeling that everyone is bound to feel at some point in their lives.

On the other hand, not everyone who has depression will look like a big ball of sadness all the time. As a matter of fact, one can never simply look at a person and “figure out” that they are struggling with any sort of mental illness. After all, most of those illnesses are also called “hidden disabilities” for a reason: they are hidden.

Another problem regarding those negative stereotypes is the way it impacts societal views on those mental issues. These stereotypes can lead people to believe that the struggles faced by those who have a mental illness are less valid or that these people are faking it or being dramatic, and sometimes it can lead people to assume that others are dangerous.

If people begin to think that

September 10, 2021

those with a mental illness are faking it or their struggles are not as serious, they could be denied access to help and resources they might need.

Those with mental illnesses are valid. They are not dangerous.

They are human beings, and we should be trying to help. The first course of action should be to recognize our biases and actions and talk to those that are affected so we can better understand

what they are dealing with.

Mental illness is not pretty. It is not fun to struggle. It is not fair to glamorize the sufferings of other people and speak for them.

Everyone needs to do their part so we can better tackle mental illness and other mental health related issues.

Brought to you

By The Penn Staff

(Facebook) T-shirts that reference mental illnesses have become trendy and mask the struggles of individuals that are affected.

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Culture COVID-19 cases rise again

Culture Editor: Lane Lannan – ffpcc@iup.edu

Lead Culture Writer: Caio Gomes – hysbc@iup.edu

Students share concerns, fears for future

(The Penn/Nick Schmidt) Students have been getting accustomed to a new masked learning environment.

REBECCA WALKER Contributing Writer blddc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP With an increase in reported cases of COVID-19, students at IUP are beginning to worry what the rest of the semester may look like.

Beginning on Aug. 16, when students returned to campus, there has been a total of 34 reported cases of COVID-19. Students that have tested positive reside in both on and off-campus housing. Their identities have been kept private while the Pennsylvania Department of Health performed contact tracing.

IUP has kept the student body informed and aware of the current situation; however, students are beginning to wonder if there is more that can be done to stop the spread of the virus and ensure the remainder of the semester is in person.

Some students have suggested

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ways IUP can better enforce social distancing.

“They need to space out seating in the dining hall and extend its hours so there are less unmasked individuals in a tight, enclosed space,” Jonathan Eckert (senior, history) said.

(YouTube/IUP) IUP President Michael Driscoll announced the mask mandate in August.

With the newly implemented Common Hour, most students are heading to the dining hall to get lunch in the same hour. This presents the problem of many un-

masked individuals in one building, as Eckert pointed out.

Students agree that mask policies are straightforward, but protocol for exposure in their classes are not.

“I think the guidelines are quite unclear.

I’m honestly not 100 percent sure what I am supposed to do if I am exposed to the virus. The only thing super clear about guidelines is mask wearing,” Megan Gent (freshman, social studies education) said.

Some students are also concerned for their in-person classes that do not offer Zoom. Should a student be exposed to or contract the virus, they are to self-isolate for at least 10 days. Getting behind in class and catching up for 10 days’ worth of content is not something most students want to

September 10, 2021

undertake; however, professors are willing to work with and help students should this occur.

While there is a mask mandate inside buildings, regardless of vaccination status, some continue to disregard this. Many students have reported being in close proximity to people without masks.

“Although a lot of people are great with wearing their masks, tons of people don’t wear them correctly, or at all,” Leanne Goodell (freshman, English education) said.

“I’m constantly riding the elevator with like three unmasked people.

Some teachers need to put their foot down on having kids wear their mask above their nose.”

While Eckert, Gent and Goodell said they were not surprised by the rise in reported cases, they agree that IUP is doing the best it can to try to stop the spread.

There is information available on IUP’s website regarding COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. On-campus testing is available to students for free as well as the vaccines for the virus.

IUP will continue to keep students updated on the number of positive cases and best ways to ensure all students are staying safe, as well as trying to secure the continuation of in-person learning and the on-campus experience.

While some are sharing many concerns about increasing cases, missing class and possibly going online, it is imperative to recognize that every student has a role in this.

Each person’s actions and choices affect how the semester will go for every other individual.

IUP is a community; working together and thinking of others is how it will remain one. Mask up.

Culture

Culture

September 10, 2021

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Healthy living has never been so easy Enjoy quality items at Simply Nutrition

(Facebook/CDC) Making sure to stay safe during travels is important, especially for long weekends like Labor Day weekend.

Students share activities for Labor Day weekend ISABELLA BENSON Staff Writer hpjy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Labor Day weekend is the first long weekend of the school year for the students of IUP, and, while some use it for relaxation time, it is important to understand its history.

Labor Day is an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, landing on the first Monday in September. The holiday was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894, originating in one of America’s most difficult chapters.

During the Industrial Revolution, the average American worked 12hour days and seven-day weeks in order to fulfill daily needs. Children were working as young as five or six in factories, making a fraction of an adult’s paycheck. These workers also functioned in unsafe conditions with little access to fresh air, bathrooms and breaks.

Years later, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

Today, there are many ways to spend the Labor Day holiday as a college student, especially if you want to soak up the last moments of summer after the first weeks of school.

Getty Heights Park on Oakland Avenue is a great place to take a pet to enjoy the long weekend.

“I took my dog to the dog park,” Kaila Dean (senior, psychology) said. “He had a blast.”

Many students spend time with their family and friends as they have extra time to travel to their homes. This often involves parades, sporting events and cookouts.

“I spent my Labor Day weekend going to a cookout with my family,” Mackenzie Welker (senior, early childhood education) said.

Labor Day weekend was spent at a cookout on my mom’s side, Kaylee Berstler (senior, nursing) said, and then went to my cabin on the river with my dad’s side.

Some students did not get the break they may have hoped for during this time.

“I worked all weekend,” Kaitlyn Armstrong (senior, psychology) said.

Despite the fact that she worked, Armstrong added that her boss gifted the staff Starbucks.

Other students had heartwarming experiences during the break.

“I invested into an LLC (limited liability company), and I worked on a house that was sinking,” Steele Henderson (senior, human resources) said.

Sporting events can also be a big part of the weekend.

“Over the holiday, I watched the Penn State and Wisconsin football game,” Gage Henry (freshman, finance) said. “It was nice to see my family after my first couple weeks of college.”

Spending time with family, friends and having a little fun at a barbeque is always beneficial to a hard-working student at IUP. Whether you chose to stay at school or go back home, hopefully you had a good weekend and are ready for classes to kick it into full gear in the coming weeks.

(Facebook/Simply Nutrition) Since its opening, Simply Nutrition has offered healthy shakes and smoothies for customer.

LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Nutrition is important in daily life, and, luckily for students, there is a new restaurant that deals with just that.

Simply Nutrition, a restaurant specializing in healthy shakes and teas, opened in July and was started by husband and wife duo Todd and Bre Haley. They are located on Philadelphia Street and encourage students to stop by and have a good time, and the close proximity to campus makes that possible.

“The best part about being so close to campus is that we are within walking distance for the students,” Bre Haley said. “We hope to become a new favorite spot [for students].”

Haley added that Philadelphia Street and, by extension, downtown Indiana have been great places for her husband and her.

With the pleasant atmosphere and stores lining the street, Simply Nutrition became a welcome addition to the area.

Considering the variety of businesses in the community, Simply Nutrition manages to fit

right in and blend with the area.

In addition to this, there was another reason for the Haleys to pursue opening the shop where they did.

“We live in Indiana,” Bre Haley said. “We knew that our area needed healthier options.”

Haley went on to say that her husband and her have started making lifestyle changes in favor of healthier alternatives, which was the inspiration for the restaurant. They want to offer the same opportunities at healthier living that they themselves had.

With that mission in mind, the two made a menu that follows the mindset of promoting good health and nutrition.

“We offer a protein meal replacement shake/smoothie, loaded energy tea, protein iced coffee and different shake boosters and add-ons,” Bre Haley said.

“We also have different pre-workout and post-workout options.”

Those are not all that Simply Nutrition has to offer as they boast a menu full of different flavors for each of the different menu items. With such a wide and appealing range of flavors and items to try, there is a lot to experience. For new customers, Haley would recommend a loaded tea and shake combo; a

perfect way to get a taste of what the store has to offer.

Despite their wide menu range, Simply Nutrition is not as well-known as the Haleys would like. Luckily, they have plans in the works to get their business name out and more known on campus.

“We are hoping to grow our college customer base by extending our hours in the very near future,” Bre Haley said. “We also plan to do more advertising within campus and be open during big events such as homecoming.”

Haley added that the menu will continue to be expanded to offer more healthy options for students. The store also provides free Wi-Fi as well as a positive atmosphere. The Haleys would love to see students coming in.

More information about Simply Nutrition can be found at its Facebook page. The whole menu can be found there as well as new item promotions and store hours.

With all that in mind, stop by Simply Nutrition along Philadelphia Street for a good experience with some healthy shakes and teas. Tell the Haleys that The Penn sent you their way, and enjoy your time there.

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September 10, 2021

Culture

(The Penn/Caio Gomes) STATIC provided snacks for students in attendance for the movie.

STATIC hosts ‘Netflix and Chill’ event

‘Cruella’ is a favorite among IUP students STATIc CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu

The choice seemed very appropriate as the event was mostly well received by students. Not only were all the seats at the Ohio room in the HUB filled by students attending the event, but there was also a significant number of students sitting on the floor close to the screen.

@ThePennIUP My name is Caio and I won’t be static when it comes to covering STATIC’s many events.

Yesterday, the Student Activity Committee of IUP (STATIC) hosted a Netflix and Chill event at the Hadley Union Building (HUB).

The movie of choice was Disney’s 2021 blockbuster “Cruella.”

Starred by Academy Award winner Emma Stone, “Cruella” is a re-interpretation of the infamous antagonist of the classic animation “101 Dalmatians.” The movie was well received by both the critics and the public, having a 97 percent public approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes and an average of 74 percent critic approval rate; more than enough to be “certified fresh.”

Considering the generally good reception towards the movie and the fact that it is still a quite recent release, it only seems natural that STATIC has chosen to display “Cruella” at its Netflix and Chill event. “[When picking out our movies] we try to look at what has come out recently that enough people would want to see but might not have seen yet,” Joel Eby (senior, marketing), STATIC’s music chair, said. “[Until recently], people had to pay to watch Cruella on Disney+, so we thought that [we could bring it here] if people didn’t want to spend that money on it.”

(The Penn/Caio Gomes) The IUP therapy dogs made an appearance at the event.

This relatively high attendance is partially due to students being excited to finally be able to attend school activities in person once again after one year and a half of in-person activities being haltered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I heard about this [movie night] on Instagram and wanted to come because I am excited that everyone is back in person,” Austin Will (sophomore, nursing) said. “It is easier to connect this way than when we are all at home.”

Apart from watching the movie, Will added that he and his friends were also excited to attend the event because, prior to the screening, students attending the event got a chance to play with IUP’s therapy dogs.

“The movie is about Cruella, who is a character in 101 Dalmatians, which is a movie about dogs

and our dogs are popular, so we thought, ‘Why not bring in the dogs?’” Eby added.

STATIC saw the increase in student participation as a victory.

Being STATIC’s first event this year that is not tied to Welcome Week, STATIC’s executive board did not quite know what the student turnout would be, and they were pleased that it was a positive turnout.

This is not to say that STATIC was unprepared to deal with such high attendance rate. Despite all the seats being filled, the room did not feel overcrowded; there were more than enough snacks for everyone and there were plenty of members helping support the event.

The high participation was also seen as positive because it was a good opportunity for the executive board to connect with students interested in joining STATIC as a general member.

“I was pretty happy with the turnout because a pretty positive amount of people showed up, and they are having a good time,” Ali Walker (graduate, student affairs and higher education) STATIC’s graduate student advisor, said.

“I hope that this will get even more people excited to attend our event, so we can provide even more interactions.”

“Some students signed up for STATIC’s general membership, which is really good, especially if they want to join our executive board. I recommend starting as a general member first and then applying for the executive board,” Walker added.

Students interested in joining STATIC as a general member can do so by contacting its general membership chair, Sydney Greitz, through email at bbsbc@iup.edu.

(The Penn Archives) Philadelphia Street is home to many restaurants favored by students, including Casa Jalisco, a Mexican restaurant.

Hawks share favorite places to eat AMBER URANKER Staff Writer kyhy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Despite having many food options on campus, students often choose to dine at local restaurants around Indiana instead.

Always eating at spots on campus can get a bit boring for some students, so having other options around Indiana is important. Fast food and take-out can also put a damper on your mealtimes throughout the day, in addition to the issue of trying to manage healthier eating. Finding new places to dine around Indiana can help you eat healthier, socialize more and improve your experience while at IUP. With so many different types of restaurants to choose from, students have no problem finding a place to call their favorite. From Chinese food to your classic burgers and fries, Indiana has a plethora of interesting eateries.

So, which restaurants are IUP students loving right now?

“My favorite place to eat in Indiana is the Fortune Buffet,” Alicia Smail (senior, pre-med/biology) said. “They have four big buffet tables to choose from and the food is so good.”

The Fortune Buffet may not be the closest restaurant to campus, but Smail insists that it is worth the drive. With many food options including sushi, soups, noodles and pastries for dessert, the Fortune Buffet has it all. It is also located next to a couple of stores that you can stop in after you eat like Lowe’s, Giant Eagle

or Fine Wine and Good Spirits.

“Thai Indiana is my absolute favorite,” Michaela Shaw (senior, psychology and sociology) said.

“Casa Jalisco is a close second.”

Thai and Mexican restaurants are relatively abundant around Indiana, so it allows options for those that may prefer one over the other. Thai Indiana and Casa Jalisco Restaurant Mexicano are located on “Philly Street”, or Philadelphia Street, and are surrounded by a few other restaurants and shops. Once you are done eating, you could take a nice walk, do some shopping or find your way back to campus.

“My favorite place to eat is Brunzies,” Brooke Ippolito (senior, secondary English education) said. “It was one of the places I tried my first year, and I've never had anything there I didn’t like.”

Ippolito and her boyfriend go to this spot every time he makes the trip to Indiana. Brunzies is located right off Philadelphia Street and the menu is full of tons of options from burgers to pizza to boneless wings. With drink specials throughout the week, it is popular with many students on campus.

Because Indiana has so many places to get delicious food, it may be difficult to pick just one as your new favorite. Trying new restaurants out and getting to know what other students are liking can help you cut down your multitude of options. Hopefully, with these suggestions from fellow students, you may be able to narrow down your choices and find your new favorite place to eat in Indiana.

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September 10, 2021

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(The Penn Archives) Students can go to the Jimmy Stewart Museum to learn about the actor, who was born in Indiana.

(The Penn Archives) Whitmyre Hall is the suspected location of the chamber.

Entrance to chamber discovered at Whitmyre Tunnels found to extend under university

The Crimson Hoax EVA TILLICH Managing Editor jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Crimson Hoax is a weekly column detailing satirical stories from the IUP community.

“The Chamber of Secrets has been opened; enemies of the heir beware.”

IUP is home to many secrets.

One of those secrets that IUP has been trying to hide from the general public’s knowledge is the system of tunnels that goes under the university.

What goes on in these tunnels? Is it haunted? Is this how the Philadelphia Street Specter, Jimmy Stewart, is making his way underground so nobody can find him?

The truth might even be more sinister than that. What is about to be revealed may be shocking.

The tunnel system is, in fact, a passageway to a secret chamber hidden underneath the campus

known as “IUP’s Chamber of Secrets.”

But who would be venturing through these tunnels going back and forth to and from the Chamber?

Evidence shows that IUP has been trying to hide a giant snake, also known as a basilisk. The mystery, however, does not end there.

It is rumored that students who have encountered this serpent have acted weird, almost like they were possessed by some force. Students who run by the basilisk have become “more obsessed” with their schoolwork than ever before.

“One day, my roommate, Ginny, was hanging out near Whitmyre and when she came back, she was acting strange,” Emma Watson (junior, English) said. “She came back saying that she now had the desire to attend graduate school and have a 4.0 grade point average. I usually appreciate this sort of behavior, but it is strange coming from Ginny.

Even my cat was surprised because Ginny was usually a C-average student.”

But who would create a Chamber of Secrets and bring an educational basilisk to campus? Some say that it might have been Robert E. Cook, whom IUP’s Honors College is named after.

This theory makes sense as most of the students who reported interaction with said basilisk reported it happening near Whitmyre Hall, which is where the Cook Honors College (CHC) is located.

“I think it makes sense that

Robert Cook made a Chamber of Secrets and left a magical animal that makes students smarter,” Amelia Pond (sophomore, criminology) said. “C-average students go near Whitmyre, which is where the Honors College is, and then suddenly start caring about their future and their grades.

“I once saw a documentary about a school named Hogwarts and one of their founders left a chamber there, too, so his heir could achieve his goal. Maybe Cook also has an heir who is now using magic to make students care more about school, like Cook wanted them to.”

Where is the entrance to this tunnel system though?

The entrance can be found in Whitmyre Hall. This is ironic considering that the inside of the building resembles Hogwarts, but perhaps it may also be additional evidence that the chamber in Hogwarts really was an inspiration to the one in IUP. “My new girlfriend Amelia told me about the Chamber, and I think it might be good for some students,” Tom Grint (junior, theater) said. “I think is better than the one at Hogwarts.”

Other students, including Watson, disagree. Their argument is that students should care about their grades on their own, not through the witchcraft of some heir.

It is advised to be cautious when travelling around the campus at night, especially if you are out near Whitmyre.

Students share favorite activities around campus ISABELLA BENSON Staff Writer hpjy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP is a staple part of Indiana with some negative assumptions about its campus; however, there are many other things to do here besides party.

To begin, let us set the scene: It is a beautiful day and, surprisingly, it is not raining. If you are a student, the Oak Grove is loved by many on campus. Lay out a nice blanket with your friends and bask in the sun, or pull out that biology homework you have been dreading to do.

For some quiet time, visit Commonplace Coffee located on Grant Street as it is just a little walk off campus. Here, you can have the complete coffee shop experience with delicious treats and relaxing music; it even has outdoor dining options. So, next time you have a group project or a paper to write, stop here to have a coffee and a pastry.

Some of us may think IUP is not the place for love, but there are many fun date ideas for you and that special someone, especially if you are a fan of ice cream.

“I love to go get ice cream at The Meadows,” Kathryn Connell (senior, nursing) said. “It’s truly a staple here.”

The Meadows Original Frozen Custard is a short drive from campus on Oakland Avenue and has been a family tradition since 1950. It offers a variety of custard flavors every day as well as Italian ice and sundaes. You can sit outside on a warm, summer’s night or go inside for a lovely dining experience.

Anyone that goes to IUP knows of “Philly Street”, or Philadelphia Street, which is a strip of restaurants, bars and shops: a perfect place for the night owl or early riser.

“Bob’s Subs is my favorite on Philly Street,” Braydon Benson (freshman, business) said, “And always remember to get your sandwich Bob’s Way.” This college favorite has been around since 1973. When you step into Bob’s Sub, not only do you smell the beautifully crafted sandwiches, but you also get a blast from the past with old IUP pictures spread along the walls.

Another dining place to check out is the 9th Street Deli on Philadelphia Street.

“9th Street Deli has, hands down, the best steak-n-cheese in Indiana County,” Tyler Seitz (senior, public health) said.

For late-night workers and students of Indiana, you can choose from H.B. Culpeppers, otherwise known as “Culps” to the regulars, The Coney, Al Patti’s Bar and Grill, Voodoo Brewery and many more.

All of these eateries are walking distance from campus and from each other.

Last, but certainly not least, The Jimmy Stewart Museum on Philadelphia Street is there for those that want to understand one of the monumental actors that lived in this town and throughout the 1950s, Jimmy Stewart himself. You can also hear Stewart’s voice at the crosswalk on Philadelphia Street.

Indiana is home to many enjoyable activities for students and families; whether you want ice cream, a sub or a blast from the past, Indiana has much to explore.

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Theater-by-theGrove returns

Plans, performances shown for upcoming year FLORA KELLY

Contributing Writer pzzy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP After a long hiatus from in-person performances, IUP’s resident theater company, Theater-by-theGrove, will be returning to the stage this fall.

It will be returning with a production of the comedy, “The Inseparables,” which is written and produced by Pittsburghbased playwright, T.J. Young.

Theater-by-the-Grove will be the first organization to present a live staging of this play, making this to be premiere performance of “The Inseparables.”

Dr. Richard Kemp, head of Acting and Directing for IUP’s Department of Theater, Dance and Performance, as well as Brian Jones, professor and chairperson for the department, were able to share insight into the plans and progress of the production as well as a few of their own thoughts. As director and producing/technical director for this production respectively, Kemp and Jones have highly involved roles in the play’s progress.

An open call for auditions was held Aug. 26, rehearsing having begun Sept. 1.

“We have just begun the active phase of rehearsals,” Kemp said.

“Prior to that, work went into reading the script. Analyzing it last week, we had a table read where actors and the design team are there to hear the play, and, yesterday evening, we actually started the process of being on our feet on stage.”

Kemp explains the careful process of building a production, step by step with the analogy of “working through the play in a sort of ‘sketch’ fashion, in the way that an artist might sketch initially a drawing or a painting, to get a sense of its overall shape and dynamic flow.” Next, they would begin work on the more ‘traditional’ method of rehearsal, such as finding “the motivation for the characters so that we have a base of psychological credibility for the characters.”

“The Inseparables” is unique partially in that its premise is innately meta and self-referential in its content. The true story plays out through observing both of the fictional worlds represented within the play evolve and influence one another.

“We are watching two different fictional worlds: one is a group of actors seeking to put on a play, and the second world is the fictional world of the play they are seeking to put on, which is an adaptation of ‘The Three Musketeers’,” Jones said. “It’s interesting the play itself is made up of the actions of a rehearsal, [actors] are saying, ‘Wait, I don’t remember my blocking here,’ but that’s the character within the play saying that. I was really having trouble recognizing when somebody was playing a character and when someone was just being an actor, figuring this whole mess out.”

A play so rooted in reality, and the stories that inherently arise through watching personal relationships play out, inevitably will hold some meaning and personal significance to those who work on it.

“The significance of doing this production is that we kind of get to watch ourselves; it’s a story about what we do [as actors].

That’s one of the concerns I have, actually, about whether we’ll be able to reach an audience with it,” Jones said.

Jones expressed his apprehension with whether, because of this, it will be well received by those who have perhaps never been inside a rehearsal hall.

“Our challenge is to maybe make visible to a naïve audience that has some significance,” Jones said.

While it is theater-related content may be new to some, another way in which “The Inseparables” is unique is its dedication to ensuring the work remains accessible to all involved in other ways, both onstage and in the audience.

In a note on casting from the playwright Young himself, he writes, “I want this play to reflect the way people are represented in

(The Penn Archives) The Theater-by-the-Grove went on a completely virtual experience during the 2020-21 school year. my life, where a variety of races, gender and sexual identities, and levels of ability exist. There is not a single role in this play that must be played by a straight non-disabled white person. Nor should they be excluded as they also exist in my reality. Queer interpretations of the relationships in this play are also encouraged. I ask that this play not be cast in a way that creates a bizarre and artificial world where diversity doesn't exist. Cast accordingly, change the pronouns that are used, find the way the different bodies tell the story and run with that.”

“Any of the roles played by any person of any ethnicity, race, gender - all that is immaterial, and what he [Young] is looking for is for the actors to bring to their characters something of themselves in regards to those things,” Jones said. “We’ve chosen this play deliberately because of that notion of it being an authentic exploration of gender, of race, of ethnicity, of encouraging the performance of those elements of oneself.”

“We’ve settled within the last

year and a half as a department and as a theater-producing entity, to move towards making us an anti-racist theater.”

“We want to lead the university, we want to lead in our field because we are in a university, we contribute to our field about what it means to be anti-racist. About how we need to change in order to do that.” Jones said “It’s not a play about the Three Musketeers, rather, watching characters wrestle with how to put on ‘The Three Musketeers,’ and gaining faith in themselves in the process and I’d also like to let them know that everyone’s welcome. It’s not something you have to be in the know to get; in fact, I hope half of the audience has never been to a live theater before because this would be a real introduction to real theater,” Jones said.

“They need one another. They need people that are different from themselves. They need peo-

ple that they might have difficult relationships with,” Jones said.

“The Inseparables” is set to open Nov. 3 – 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Waller Hall’s mainstage, with tickets going on sale two weeks prior.

They will be available to purchase online at iup.edu/livelyarts, as well as at the box office located in IUP’s Performing Arts Center.

There will also be one matinee showing on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.

While “The Inseparables” will be this semester’s mainstage production, Theater-by-the-Grove will also be putting on a series of smaller scale studio projects, initiated and created by students.

Keep an eye out for when dates are announced for these upcoming performances, which can also be found through iup.edu/ livelyarts.

After so long away, let us strive to fill as many seats as we can and give the members of Theater-bythe-Grove a warm welcome back.

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September 10, 2021

Culture

Sports Long Time Coming

Sports Editor: Austin Smith – A.S.Smith7@iup.edu

Crimson Hawks set to play first game in nearly two years NICK SCHMIDT Photo Editor nrcy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The wait is over.

After not seeing competition for 656 consecutive days, the IUP football team will make its long-awaited return to the field at George P. Miller Stadium on Saturday. The Crimson Hawks certainly do not have a cupcake opponent coming to town for the 2021 home opener; IUP’s first home game since Nov. 23, 2019.

Ranked in the top 25 in a pair of preseason polls, IUP opens its 10-game regular season against another nationally ranked team, the Kutztown Golden Bears, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover game.

IUP enters the game ranked No. 17 in the American Football Coaches Association preseason poll and No. 20 in the D2Football media poll. Similarly, Kutztown is ranked in the top 20 in both polls, and the Golden Bears figure to present a challenge to the Crimson Hawks.

This will be the first of five home games for the Crimson Hawks, and one of the team’s most colossal matchups this fall.

IUP was picked second in the PSAC West Division coaches’ preseason poll announced in August, but the Crimson Hawks garnered three votes from the coaches in the division to narrowly finish second. Slippery Rock earned four votes and was tabbed the preseason favorite to win the PSAC West.

IUP and Slippery Rock will clash on Oct. 16 in a game that figures to go a long way in determining the division champion.

Before that, IUP has to get past a pair of ranked opponents in

Sports

the first two weeks of the season.

After Kutztown leaves town, the Crimson Hawks will welcome Shepherd, the favorite to win the PSAC East this year after receiving six of the eight votes in the preseason coaches’ poll.

Kutztown is the defending PSAC East champion, having won the division title in 2019. The Golden Bears have unassumingly been one of the most successful teams in the entire PSAC since 2014, having put together six winning seasons and a 48-20 record.

Meanwhile, IUP is coming off a 10-2 season in 2019, in which the Crimson Hawks were bounced from the NCAA Division II playoffs in the first round.

With plenty of returning talent, this season’s potential of success at a national scale is within grasp.

IUP brings back three Lindy’s Preseason All-America selections in wide receiver Duane Brown (redshirt junior, sports administration), defensive back Nazir Streater (redshirt senior, business management) and hulking lineman Josh Dauberman (senior, criminology).

At six-foot-five, 315 pounds, Dauberman is the leader of IUP’s offensive line, which has tradi-

tionally been among the best in the PSAC and the Crimson Hawks hope to maintain that lofty standard.

A big-play threat every time he touches the ball, Brown caught 47 passes in 2019, leading the team in both receiving yards (937) and receiving touchdowns (13). Add in his rushing yards – he was a running back in high school – and Brown accounted for 1,179 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns.

At quarterback, the Crimson Hawks have replaced one graduate transfer with another. Harry Woodbery, a six-foot-two, 195-pound transfer from Eastern Illinois is expected to start behind center, as did Quinton Maxwell in 2019 after transferring from Ohio University.

On the defensive side, the new-look Crimson Hawks return just three starters from 2019, but they expect to have another solid squad with seasoned defensive back and returner Streater leading the pack. He led the team in interceptions in 2019 and held his own in the kick return game, averaging 27.1 yards per return.

Paul Tortorella enters his fifth season as IUP’s head coach and is off to the best start of any head coach in program history. That is quite a respectable accolade considering the long history of success of a program that has built a 578-272-23 (.675) all-time record.

Tortorella reached 30 wins faster than any other IUP coach, including College Football Hall of Famer Frank Cignetti (19852005). The Hawks have tallied a 31-6 (.838) overall record under Tortorella’s command.

IUP leads the all-time series against Kutztown 5-2, but the Golden Bears won the most recent meeting in 2015, nipping the Crimson Hawks by a point, 34-33.

September 10, 2021

(The Penn Archives) IUP football will look to start its season off strong Saturday.

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Sports

Agard relieved to play first real games in over a year Hawks start the season with perfect 2-0 record after Labor Day tournament JEFFERY HART Editor-in-Chief J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP fall sports are back for the first time in over a year, and the IUP field hockey team is taking full advantage of this return to play.

The Crimson Hawks opened up the season with their Labor Day home tournament.

“It’s a relief,” head coach Gary Agard said. “I think the players just wanted to play and compete.

I think it was kind of a godsend; it exposed our freshman and sophomores [to] experience against teams that set us well for this weekend.”

IUP opened its season with two solid wins against Newberry and Lindenwood by scores of 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.

The Hawks had some impressive showings from their players to start the season. In their first win, Paeton Hartmann (junior, pre-med) opened up the game with a goal after a scoreless first 40 minutes. Elizabeth “Lizzi” Clemmer (fifth year, nursing) scored the game-winning goal in the last four minutes of the match.

A familiar name for the Crimson Hawks, Georgiana Chiavacci (graduate, human resources) lit up the scoreboard in IUP’s game against Newberry, scoring two goals for her squad.

While these players may have shown up on the scoreboard in the first two matchups, Agard has high hopes for many of the players on this year’s squad.

“We have so many [great players]; Lizzi Clemmer keeps this team together,” Agard said.

“Emma Wilhelm (sophomore, nursing) has been the rock for our team this year. Blaise Cugini (junior, early childhood/special education) is going to really step up this year. I also think Paeton Hartmann stepped up her game. I think she is gonna have an amazing season.”

Even though there were no official games played last year, the field hockey team got to play in some scrimmage games in the spring that have proven vital to the development of this squad’s younger core members.

“I think the year we had off, we got to play in the spring; we got to play against the college teams,” Agard said. “I think they had the experience of playing against college players. The freshmen this year are really understanding the speed of the game. I am expecting great things for the incoming class.”

This 2-0 start will help the team build momentum going into its next matchup on Sept. 11 against the Seton Hill Griffins. The Hawks have an impressive 10-0 record against the Griffins dating back to 2011 and are looking to keep that streak going.

It would be easy for a team to be lulled into a false sense of security, but the Hawks did not take any games off.

“Every game is important for us; we have an objective to go really far this year,” Agard said. “We are gonna focus on one game at a time. We are gonna practice like every game is important. Even though they had a slow start, they are still a quality team, and they are going to give us their best. There are no soft teams in our conference.

“I have been here 20 years. I think that most of the national championships come through this conference. It is tough, no easy wins.”

In the preseason Penn Monto/ National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Coaches’ Poll, there were five teams in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference that were ranked in the top 10.

There is plenty of tough competition in this conference; Agard and his squad would have it no other way. There is a lot of optimism that this squad can make some noise this year in an already stacked conference.

(IUP Athletics) The field hockey team is looking to improve from its 2019 season. The Hawks opened up 2019 going 4-0, and they are hoping to have a hot start to this season and continue their win streak.

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21

Beckwith leads Hawks to victory at Cal-U invitational MATT GLOVER

Contributing Writer htpcz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Crimson Hawks cross country teams flew by the competition Saturday at California University of Pennsylvania’s (Cal-U) season-opening invitational.

The men’s team, which was projected to finish the season in fifth place by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Coaches’ Poll, took first place ahead of Slippery Rock University (SRU) and Cal-U. With the combined effort of five runners finishing top 10 and seven in the top 14, they were able to beat SRU by one point.

Joel Beckwith (freshman, environmental engineering) stole the show by outrunning Noah Bernarding of Cal-U by 0.5 seconds for first place overall in his college debut.

“He came out of nowhere,”

Marco Cardone (sophomore, exercise science) said. “Joel Beckwith is a freshman and won the entire thing.”

Other top finishers for the men include Evan Weaver (senior, natural science/pre-physical therapy) in fourth, Daniel Gibney (freshman, safety, health and environmental applied sciences) in eighth, Marco Cardone in ninth and Adam Lechleitner (freshman, nursing) in 10th.

This was the second year in a row the men took home the gold in their first invitational of the season.

“I’m glad we got the win,” Cardone said. “When you start off well like that, you’re excited to see what comes in the next race.”

Despite crossing the finish line in front of 26 other runners, Cardone considers the team and its goals ahead of his own.

“I focus on the goal of doing well as a team and doing the best I can myself,” Cardone said. “I’m not really thinking how fast I’m go-

Paige Wess

(IUP Athletics) The Hawks have won their first meet the last two seasons.

ing to run. I’m just worrying about my pace, working together as a team and helping them out during the race.”

The women’s team, which was projected to finish the season in seventh place by the PSAC Coaches’ Poll, took second place behind SRU which had a perfect score of 15.

Paige Wess (junior, nursing) was one of seven IUP runners to finish in the top 20. She placed seventh; Tori James (sophomore, nursing) placed ninth; Hannah Miller (freshman, athletic training) placed 12th; Brianna Herr (graduate, nutrition and dietetics) placed 13th; and Emma Alexy (junior, natural science/ pre-physical therapy), Emily Schrag (freshman, secondary mathematics education) and Mia Elmore (freshman, nursing) placed 15th, 17th and 20th respectively.

“The freshman coming in made a big impact and aided us a lot,”

James said. “Emily [Schrag] and Hannah [Miller] did a really good job.”

The teams were also facing a new course in different weather conditions than 2020’s Cal-U invitational. Their 2020 season was delayed until the spring due to COVID-19.

“It was definitely hotter outside with fewer teams this year,” Cardone said. “They added about a quarter mile to the course this year, too.”

Starting the season earlier in the year also gave the teams less time to prepare.

“The team has had fewer workouts than we did before,” Cardone said. “Last year we did it in the wintertime, and we had time trials to see what to expect, but this year we jumped right into it like a normal season should be.”

The Crimson Hawks will next race against the Robert Morris University Colonials Sept. 17 in Clinton, Pa.

(IUP Athletics)

22

September 10, 2021

Sports

IUP Athletics launches football opener giveaway

By IUP Sports Information Mark Arbuckle Nissan of Indiana will supply one free ticket to each Indiana Area School District student in grades K-8 for IUP football's home opener this Saturday, Sept. 11 vs.

Kutztown.

"We rely on the Indiana community, especially

over the past year, to support the IUP Athletic Department, our teams and our student-athletes," said director of athletics Todd Garzarelli. "We want to make sure we do our part and support our surrounding community with initiatives such as this."

Each child in grades kindergarten through eighth grade will receive one free ticket for

this Saturday's game at George P. Miller Stadium on IUP's campus and is encouraged to bring family and friends. Due to the pandemic, the IUP football program has not played a game since the 2019 NCAA playoffs.

"We want to thank Mark Arbuckle for his generosity and support and want to acknowledge Dr. Mike Vuckovich, the superintendent of Indiana School District, for his collaboration and efforts."

Kickoff on Saturday at 2 p.m.

(IUP Athletics)

Sports

September 10, 2021

23

Soccer team is nationally ranked, first time since 2014 Crimson Hawks start season strong with 2-0 showing BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

For the first time since 2014, the IUP women’s soccer team is playing games as a nationally ranked team. The No. 14 Crimson Hawks are off to a fast start, winning their opening two games.

The team defeated West Virginia Wesleyan College by a score of 2-0 this past Sunday in a non-conference matchup.

Goals were scored by Mahogany Willis (senior, communications media) and Camila Gonzalez–Toledo (junior, criminology).

Both goals came in the first fifteen minutes of the game.

Goaltender Samantha Gildner (junior, athletic training) played a strong game in net with 12 saves on 15 shots.

The Crimson Hawks tallied nine shots and three corners on the Bobcats.

Head coach Adel Heder was pleased with the victory. “[The] first game is always good to win,” Heder said, “[It] motivates the team and builds confidence.”

The Bobcats were good competition and a worthy test for the Crimson Hawks to start the season. IUP did not take them lightly.

“West Virginia Wesleyan is a good team,” Heder said. “We played aggressive, a lot of good decisions, and won 50/50 balls.

We took advantage of it, and we scored two goals.”

There is a very short turnaround time in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) soccer, typically only three, maybe four days, between games.

The team moved on to its second game of the season which took place on Wednesday night.

Next on the schedule for Heder and his squad were the California University of Pennsylvania (Cal-U) Vulcans. This was their first conference game of the season.

Cal-U had lost its previous game on Saturday to Lock Haven University by a score of 1-0.

Prior to game time, Heder shared some thoughts on the big away conference matchup.

“The teams in our conference are good,” Heder said. “We need to carry the winning attitude to this game.”

The Crimson Hawks did exactly that.

IUP defeated the Vulcans on Wednesday night by a score of 2-1, winning in dramatic comeback fashion.

The only first half points came from the Vulcans with a goal scored by Juliana Cruz.

The Hawks went into halftime trailing 1-0.

Things changed in the second half. Kristen Finnerty (sophomore, interior design) scored after a full 66 minutes. Then just a few minutes later, Hannah Scardina (sophomore, pre-physical therapy) split the defense and scored the game-winning goal off a beautiful assist pass from goaltender Gildner.

Gildner and the defense went on to shut the door and the Hawks were victorious once again.

The team would tally 16 shots and eight corners total.

IUP has now beaten Cal-U in women’s soccer five out of six times in the past meetings.

The Crimson Hawks now must once again quickly move on to perhaps their biggest game of the season so far.

The fellow undefeated Edinboro University Fighting Scots will travel to IUP this weekend, which is shaping up to be a great PSAC clash between two perfect record teams, right here on campus.

Edinboro has defeated Notre Dame (Ohio) and Mercyhurst University so far this season.

One team will get its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon.

The IUP women’s soccer team, led by Heder, will look to continue its winning ways.

Rachel Onderko

(IUP Athletics) This is the first time that the IUP soccer team has been nationally ranked since 2014.

24

September 10, 2021

Sports

Volleyball off to promising start, Torbett looks ahead to Chowan

(IUP Athletics) After her last tournament, head coach Julie Torbett tallied her impressive 450th career win.

JAY MCGARY

Contributing Writer fwzt@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Women’s volleyball is off to a winning start in the first full season since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Sitting at a 3-2 record coming off a 2-2 showing at the home invitational, hosted at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex this past weekend, the women’s volleyball team is almost halfway to the amount of wins it had in the 2019 season. A promising beginning for a team that was ranked fifth by Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) preseason polls.

After a busy weekend at home, the statistics are beginning to show just how the girls are contributing. Leah Henderson (junior, sports administration), starting setter, leads the team with 109 assists. Nicole Peterson (junior,

sports administration), starting outside hitter, leads the team 57 kills across the five games.

But another big player emerged over the weekend: Bailey Flowerdew (sophomore, psychology). Flowerdew accumulated 66 digs and five aces across the weekend invitational and, as a sophomore, earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.

Coach Julie Torbett had nothing but good things to say about Flowerdew and her work ethic.

“Bailey […] did an amazing job this weekend,” Torbett said. “She is very coachable and makes adjustments. She has a great serve which helped us maintain control on the defensive end.”

It is certainly promising that the three main players on the roster so far all have at least another year to represent the Crimson Hawks.

Torbett was happy with the players’ performance during the multi-day tournament.

“I saw that the players never give up,” Torbett said. “They let teams go on runs but they make runs themselves and get us right back in it.”

That type of mental toughness is something Torbett emphasized in pre-season interviews, and it is encouraging to see the team manifest such teachings in its play.

Volleyball, unlike a lot of other sports, typically competes within the context of day or multi-day long invitationals. This can represent all sorts of challenges emotionally, logistically and mentally.

The IUP invitational and the upcoming Charleston invitational this weekend both task the Hawks with playing four games over the span of two days.

This type of format allows for a lot of downtime between matches. Torbett described the extended time in-between games in a positive light.

“The breaks are a great time to refuel and recover as well as

reflect on our performance,” Torbett said.

Allowing the team to reflect upon its game from hours earlier keeps those learning opportunities fresh in players’ minds and can translate to quick on-thecourt success.

Though, this does not mean she wants her team to dwell on missed opportunities or forget what is coming next.

“When we return to the court we need to move on and tackle the next task at hand or the next opponent,” Torbett said.

This “keep moving forward” philosophy may allow players the peace of taking it one step at a time, but that does not mean they can altogether forget about larger challenges ahead. Their final game during the invitational this weekend will be the host, Charleston, who comes into the event with a 3-1 record, sweeping matches in all their wins with their only loss coming from a

close 3-2 match.

Torbett maintains confidence in her team when faced with talented opposition, especially as the season gets underway and the team hits its stride.

“Hopefully we will be more prepared having a few more matches under our belt,” Torbett said. “It is always important to finish strong in every set, match, tournament and season.”

The team plays in West Virginia at the University of Charleston Invitational this weekend, beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Friday against the 1-3 Chowan University Hawks.

IUP will also face off against 0-1 Winston-Salem State Rams and the 2-2 Ohio Dominican Panthers.

IUP will wrap up the trip to Charleston with a head-to-head match against the 3-1 host Charleston Golden Eagles.

The Hawks will look to continue their winning ways this season and continually improve as each game passes.