9.21.21

The Penn

NEWS | PAGE 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 21 2021

STUDENTS ADDRESS HOUSING CONCERNS ON CAMPUS

CULTURE | PAGE 10

VOL. 114 NO. 8

03.

SPORTS | PAGE 16

WWW.THEPENN.ORG

The Penn // INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

News

Cover Photo By: Nicholas Schmidt

Culture

SPORTS

The Penn F A L L

2 0 2 1

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Jeff Hart Managing Editor Eva Tillich News Editor Ben Brumbaugh Culture Editor Lane Lannan

10.

W E A T H E T U E S DAY

74 HI |65 LO

16.

THE NEED FOR MORE REPRESENTATION

R

W E D N E S DAY

72 HI |57 LO

TODAY’S issue SPONSORED by IUP ATHLETICS:

Sports Editor Austin Smith

FIELD HOCKEY ESTABLISHING WINNING CULTURE TO START SEASON

Copy Editor Gabriella Byrne Video Editor Sean Seaman

F O R E C A S T T H U R S DAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Photo Editor Nicholas Schmidt

F R I DAY

62 HI |48 LO

The Penn’s SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

06.

DRUG AND ALCOHOL RECOVERY RESOURCE FAIR

66 HI |48 LO

We Are Golden MIKA Shortenin’ Bread The Beach Boys High as a Kite Weezer

Lead Culture Writer Caio Gomes

CHECK US OUT ONLINE FOR EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

P THEPENN.ORG

Lavender Town Louie Zong End of Me Billy Talent feat. Rivers Cuomo Come Under the Covers WALK THE MOON

TWITTER.COM/THEPENNIUP

FACEBOOK.COM/THEPENNIUP

For Elise Saint Motel Bona Fide The Clarks Instant Crush Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas Cure For Pain Morphine

FOLLOW THEPENNIUP ON SPOTIFY FOR ACCESS TO THIS PLAYLIST

BROUGHT TO YOU BY: Lane Lannan

CONTACT US the-penn@iup.edu penn-ads@iup.edu Phone: 724.357.1306 Fax: 724.357.0127 #IUPSTUDENTVOICE

N E W S Students address housing concerns News Editor: Benjamin Brumbaugh – msqy@iup.edu

Concern about potential mold in campus dorms JULIA ROBINS Staff Writer spxbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP students and parents are concerned about reports of mold in IUP residence halls, bringing back worries of the outbreak of mold in 2018.

This fall, when Kaitlyn Frazier (sophomore, nursing) moved into her dorm in the Suites on Maple East, she and her roommate found potential mold in the vents.

“Immediately after my roommate and I moved in, we noticed the mold all throughout the vents in our dorm,” Frazier said. “Four days after moving in, we started having sore throats, stuffy noses, sneezing and coughing [fits].

“So I contacted housing services, and they sent someone out and they wiped down the vents but did not tell us what it was or how it was cleaned.”

Sarah Lynne, a parent of an IUP student, commented on her son’s experience in Stephenson Hall last year on Facebook.

“He was sick the whole time,” Lynne said. “Sore throat and all that fun stuff. Tested him twice last year because we thought it was [COVID-19].

“I figured it was the AC/heat, [but] I did look at where his air came from on the vent. It was disgusting.”

In the same thread, other parents discussed the extreme moisture in the rooms in Stephenson.

Both Kelly Mitchell-Steele and Nicole Decroo reported that their

sons’ rooms are so damp that all the clothes and bedding feel wet.

An underclassman currently in Stephenson Hall also had a similar situation. She wishes to remain anonymous in fear of backlash from the housing staff or the university.

“When I went to talk to the people down in the office, I said that there was mold growing,” she said.

She felt her claims were not taken seriously.

She had respiratory issues and felt ill, so much so that she ended up taking a COVID-19 test. It came back negative.

“Finally, after a week of my friend complaining and her even getting sick from it, someone finally came in and just wiped [the mold] off,” Ethan Michael Collins

(Nick Schmidt/The Penn) Delaney Hall houses IUP’s IT Support Center, the Office of International Education and the Office of Social Equity. Some of the student reported incidents of potential mold happened in Delaney Hall.

News

September 21, 2021

(freshman, resource management) said.

“We are hoping it doesn’t come back for her health and wellbeing.”

Alexandra “Alex” Ernst (sophomore, exploratory) lived in Stephenson Hall last year and had a similar experience. Ernst claimed her main air vent was coated in black mold inside.

“I was just disgusted, and I reached out to the residence director (RD),” Ernst said.

After feeling dismissed by her RD, Ernst said she ended up cleaning it out herself.

“I was kind of mad at first, but then I just wanted it gone [because] it was so bad,” Ernst said.

It is important to note that exposure to mold in the removal process can lead to more health issues, and that students need to report it so that it can be removed by trained personnel.

Students should report their concerns in the Housing Portal in MyIUP by clicking on “Room Maintenance.”

So far this year, there have been 17 reports of buildup on air vents that students reported as mold.

Valerie Baroni, IUP’s director of housing and dining, said.

Baroni said that only two of them had growth patterns consistent with typical mold. “[Some] students reported what they thought was mold around their exhausting air vents in their suites,” Baroni said. “In several of them, it was a dust buildup from the start of the semester.

“Mold has a growth pattern whereas dust just kind of clumps.”

Even in the case of dust, students should always report it and have it cleaned properly. What students see needs to be reported and then cleaned so that it does not become mold and lead to further health problems.

“When students are in their rooms for a month, we need them to tell us if something has changed from when they moved in,” Baroni said.

Something important to note is that if most of the reports are a buildup of dust caused by dirty air filters and ducts, the type of system that IUP has may need to be cleaned more regularly.

Because the filters must filter both circulated air and outside air, the individual unit filters may need to be replaced more often.

Other systems, such as ones in typical homes, have closed systems, so they filter the same air over and over. The heating, ventilation and air condition unit (HVAC) dust that Baroni says students are seeing could be a sign that the systems need to be cleaned more often.

“We are waiting to hear back from the company that we work with, the experts in the field, to determine all of our next steps for this,” Baroni said.

The job request on MyIUP is for non-emergencies only. Students should call the housing office at (724) 357-2696 on Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for emergencies.

“No matter what, we will always look at it, clean it and treat it, and then go from there,” Baroni said.

“We examine and look at every report students make for things that need to be fixed or repaired in their rooms.”

This senior anthropology major also wishes to remain anonymous.

“Ask an RD and the answer is no, never. Ask a student living in the buildings: yes, almost everyone has [mold].”

Her residence assistant (RA) in Delaney Hall dismissed her concerns and said that the mold in her toilet, bathroom wall and ceiling were water stains.

“Ask to see people's toilets in the dorms and you'll see mold climbing the bathroom wall behind it. Also, in the laundry rooms and a handful of the four-person rooms [in the] non-[COVID-19] wing [in Delaney Hall] to the side to the left of the common area [have mold].

Continued on Page 4

3

4

September 21, 2021

Students address housing concerns

Continued from Page 3 “I couldn’t stay in the laundry room because I was getting dizzy and sick, so I used one on another floor.”

This semester, she is living off campus.

The Health Center also marks down illnesses and patterns of them. IUP has not seen a pattern of sickness in students living in Stephenson Hall.

If a student has health issues that they feel are because of mold growth, it is important to also document their symptoms at the Health Center.

Michelle Fryling, the executive director of Media Relations, gave some context as to the issues in Delaney Hall.

“We discovered several instances of mold in unoccupied areas [at the beginning of the semester in Delaney Hall] that were a result of rooms being closed, lights off and the AC set to a very low temp before the cleaned carpets could dry out [over the summer] - all conditions that promote mold growth,” Fryling said.

When mold is reported, a visual inspection is done first to see if the location of concern has a growth pattern. If it does, then IUP brings in an outside company to do air quality testing and usually surface testing.

The rooms have been closed for the year, and all reports of mold are treated with Concrobium Mold Control. The air quality will be monitored over the next few months before the rooms open back up to students.

In 2018, there were 29 instances of mold mostly in Whitmyre and Stephenson halls according to the Indiana Gazette.

“2018 was one of the record years in Pennsylvania for the amount of rainfall, and we had very few days from summer into the academic year where it did not rain and pour,” Baroni said.

“And so, our campus, like several others, experienced some mold within the facilities that was kicked up by the storms. In addition, we had some construction happening on campus which was digging up ground and releasing more things into the air.”

Twelve students from Whitmyre Hall and one student from Stephenson Hall had to switch rooms.

The only rooms in the past decade where spore levels were higher than normal ranges were in 2018; however, relying on air quality alone is not the best course

of action because some mold, like black mold, is not usually airborne.

“We not only treated the space immediately but relocated the students, pulled up the carpet and went into the walls looking for potential sources for the problem,” Fryling said.

“We found a crack in the floor, repaired it, conducted more air quality testing and restored the space.”

IUP housing confirmed that it had several reports of extreme humidity recently in the message about mold that was sent to all students on Friday.

“The email we sent about humidity was one of my staff and I drafted because we've gotten a few complaints about humidity in student rooms and then a few complaints of particles that students thought were mold around their air vents in their room,” Baroni said.

“Often, the two are tied together, right. So when there's condensation on a surface, [then] it can provide a home for mold to grow.”

Pertaining to dampness and mold growth, it listed “human error” issues that contribute to mold growth.

IUP housing recommends that students set their thermostats to 70 and keep their windows closed. If a student sets it to a low temperature, it overwhelms the HVAC unit.

If they set it below 74 and open the windows, they are also pulling more humid, outside air into the room. It also recommends that students leave their lights on and keep their blinds open as darkness contributes to dampness and humidity.

“Please know that we’re not interested in blaming students for this issue, but we do need students to help us by taking action in their rooms so that everyone is comfortable and healthy,” Fryling said.

Another thing to note about the HVAC systems is that they function at 100 percent air makeup.

This means that all the air being removed from the buildings is replaced by air being pulled inside.

This is beneficial for protecting students from COVID-19 but also means that the weather more heavily influences the indoor climate.

The rooms that had mold in 2018 in Stephenson are not the same rooms that reported mold now according to Baroni. As far as Baroni is aware of, there is not an abnormal amount of mold growth in any building this year. Baroni confirmed that one of the rooms she is currently testing is in Stephenson Hall.

News

(Alex Ernst) This photo was submitted by a concerned student who lived in Stephenson Hall last year and depicts her air vent. She suspects the black substance is mold, but this has not been confirmed.

(wtwarchitects.com) Stephenson Hall houses several business-related living-learning communities. As such, students who are enrolled in the Eberly College of Business may wish to reside there. The dorm is conveniently located close to the college of business and offers students many amenities.

News

September 21, 2021

IUP ranked by U.S. News World & Report BEN BRUMBAUGH News Editor msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP has been ranked as one of the “best national universities” in the United States by U.S. News World & Report.

This is the university’s 28th consecutive year appearing in the annual rankings.

IUP was also listed as a “Top Public” university and was ranked as one of the “Top Performers in Social Mobility.”

The rankings are determined based on various aspects of academic quality.

According to https://www. usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/ranking-criteria-and-weights,“The 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, published online on Sept. 13, 2021, are calculated using 17 key measures of quality.

“U.S. News uses multiple measures to capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each college.

“They fall into nine broad areas: graduation and retention, graduation rate performance, graduate indebtedness, social mobility, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.”

IUP’s chief marketing officer, Chris Noah, said that the university is always honored and appreciative of external recognitions.

“Our students and our alumni know how great an IUP education is, but it is nice for others to point that out as well,” Noah said.

For Noah, IUP’s ranking as one of the “Top Performers in Social Mobility” was especially meaningful.

“The one distinction in the ranking we are most proud of is being included in the ‘Top Performers in Social Mobility’ ranking, one of only 18 universities in Pennsylvania selected for this recognition,” Noah said.

“Social mobility measures how well schools graduated students, who receive Federal Pell Grants, those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000.”

He credits the university’s faculty for IUP’s continued success and

academic excellence.

“It is great to have our faculty recognized publicly through rankings like this,” Noah said.

“IUP faculty are passionate about helping our students achieve their potential, and it's good to see their hard work recognized.”

The editors at U.S. News World and Report praised IUP for its academic rigor and excellence.

The rankings highlighted the Eberly College of Business, the College of Education and Communications, the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the Cook Honors College, and the Career and Professional Development Center.

Noah said that IUP’s excellence is a combination of quality student education and support services.

“We believe what makes us great is the combination of the academic rigor students receive here along with the personalized resources and support IUP students have available to them,” Noah said.

“IUP encourages students to move beyond their comfort zone but also supports them every step of the way [through the] academic resource center, mentors, tutors, Career and Professional Development Center, Hawks Q&A Center, [and] the Guides Program.”

Noah added that learning experiences at the university spread far beyond the classroom in the form of research, internships and leadership opportunities.

He credits IUP alumni with providing their time, talent and financial resources to help expand opportunities for students through scholarships and learning experiences.

For students at IUP, the ranking confirms what they already know.

“IUP is a great university, and they really do their best to guide and educate students in many ways,” Mason Racicot (junior, education) said.

“My professors are incredibly helpful and have made my experience so far enjoyable and is preparing me for my future career,” Molly Dobrzynski (senior, nursing) said.

To view the complete rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/ best-colleges.

5

6

September 21, 2021

News

(Molly Cunningham) Narcotics Anonymous is an organization that gives addicts a place to go to speak to people who will not judge them and who have similar experiences to them.

Drug and Alcohol Recovery Resource Fair Narcan kits given out to students MOLLY CUNNINGHAM Staff Writer kydy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Drug and Alcohol Recovery Resource Fair was held in front of North Dining Hall on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The location for this event allowed many students who were coming in and out of North Dining Hall to glance at the tables.

Recovering addicts had a table at this event to reach out to people.

They said that addicts are everywhere.

Everyone is human, makes mistakes and can go down the wrong path, but there comes a point where you need to get your life back on the right path.

“There is a brighter side to the other side of darkness,” one said.

Free Narcan, which is an overdose prevention method and also called Naloxone, was available for students and faculty to take as a precaution. Every Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the Indiana County Recovery Center (ICRM), Narcan training is available.

The training helps people to identify symptoms of an overdose and then what to do or not to do if you are present with a person that has overdosed.

Nar-Anon support group for families and friends of addicts believes that by sharing stories of experience, strength and hope, the group can help each other learn to deal with the pain that comes from living with an addict.

Ryan Heinrichs, a certified

recovery specialist, was one of the people that gave out Narcan. He works for Armstrong-Indiana-Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission (AICDAC), and Heinrichs said that Narcan is a step in the right direction of helping people in the case of an overdose.

“You can’t have enough of this in the streets helping people,” Heinrichs said.

“I know from experience and from working with people for several years in this field that if a person is still alive there’s a chance they are going to do great things and help others.”

Heinrichs has been clean for eight years and now he uses his passion as a profession to help others. He said that addiction is characterized by the obsession and compulsion to use drugs despite negative consequences.

Changing the world is something that he and others are passionate about due to their own experiences or the experiences of a friend or family member.

Emma Papalia (senior, nursing) and Haley Dick (senior, nursing) were there for clinical experience in their field.

The Open Door, a behavioral

health organization specializing in addiction, has crisis intervention and services available for walk-in patients Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. along with 24/7 services via telephone at (877) 333-2470.

The Open Door collaborates closely with AICDAC for higher levels of care. The organization goes to schools, nursing homes and houses to primarily help with mental health.

The organization is an ear for people to talk to if they want to vent and if they need help finding resources. In addition, it is confidential, and people will not get billed for crisis treatment.

The tables covered what services are available to everyone along with facts on drug use. In Indiana, like in most places, addiction affects people of all backgrounds and social statuses. Drug

addiction does not discriminate; anyone can be affected by drugs and addiction.

Heinrichs said that there is a negative effect on the economy, crime rates and other resources like emergency medical services. Addictions in Indiana can affect family members, friends, professors or anyone for that matter.

“It affects the town in such a deep way and in little ways, too,” Heinrichs said.

If you or anyone you know has an addiction, please reach out to someone you know and a professional to get on the recovery track.

For more information, email Indiana County Recovery Center: recoverycenterindianacounty@ gmail.com or call (724) 717-6492.

Students can also visit the Health Center located in the Suites on Maple East for more information about treatment options on campus.

News

September 21, 2021

7

Protesters Rally in Washington, D.C. Turnout less than organizers expected D.C. Politics CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP My name is Caio and I am a political science major covering D.C. politics.

On Saturday, far-right protesters organized a rally in Washington, D.C., protesting the arrest of the rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack of the U.S. Capitol.

Security was quickly mobilized well before the rally took place.

On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a warning about the potential violence that could come from the protesters.

In the unclassified intelligence brief, DHS also warned about the possibility of some protesters using the rally as an opportunity to commit hate-motivated crimes.

In particular, the brief pointed out some social media users inciting anti-Semitic acts while discussing the logistics of the rally.

“Other references to violence identified on social media include discussions of using the rally to target Jewish institutions and ‘liberal churches,’” the intelligence brief read.

Officials took several steps to ensure that there would be enough security measures taken so the Capitol officers would not have to stand on their own like they did on Jan. 6. On Wednesday, the D.C. National Guard was contacted by the Capitol police and, while details of the security measures were not leaked, CNN reported that, according to a familiar source, the National Guard was ready to quickly mobilize in case things escalated.

The mobilization of the National Guard was already a key

difference between the handling of the Saturday protests and the Jan. 6 riot. On the Jan. 6 riot, the National Guard was not able to mobilize quickly enough as they lacked permission from the Pentagon to do so.

“The army senior leaders said that [mobilizing the national guard] ‘did not look good’ and would not be ‘good optics,’” Maj. Gen. William J. Walker, the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, said in his testimony to Congress.

“They further stated that it could incite the crowd.”

Nonetheless, this time the National Guard was not needed at the protest as it was mostly peaceful, and the protest’s turnout was much lower than estimated. According to the New York Times, fewer than 100 protesters showed up. That is the significantly less

(flickr) Supporters of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6.

than the 700 people expected by the organizers who had to provide an attendance estimate in order to get a permit.

Overall, the Capitol police reported around 400 people total in the area. The total accounts for journalists, photographers, protesters and counter protesters but excludes law enforcement officers.

As claimed by rally organizers, the poor attendance was due to the fear of prosecution that protesters might have felt upon seeing such massive mobilization from security.

“Shame on the people and the system who put fear in the hearts

of American citizens not to come out,” Cara Castronuova, co-founder of Citizens Against Political Persecution and one of the groups present at the rally, said to the crowd.

Others have championed the presence of security at the event with many pointing out the fact that rioters outnumbering officers was one of the reasons why the Jan. 6 riot turned out so violent.

Despite being mostly peaceful, four arrests were made during the rally. Three men were charged with illegal possession of weapons and one was charged with a probation violation.

(flickr) The Washington D.C. National Guard can respond in times of emergency.

8

September 21, 2021

News

Opinion

Men’s mental health matters Ending stigmas will let more men seek help

Many men struggle to reach out for help when they need it because there is a stigma that implies that men cannot show emotions or be vulnerable. *This article contains sensitive subject matter about mental illness and suicide.

Despite significant changes in the last two decades, it is undeniable that a stigma still exists regarding mental health particularly as it pertains to males.

Advancements in treatment options for mental health are undeniably better and more available than they have ever been. More people are seeking treatment now than in the past.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says that one in five U.S. adults experience a mental illness.

Both men and women are affected by various mental illnesses, but, statistically, men are affected by mental health issues less than women according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Even though women are reported to be affected more than men are, women are far more likely than men to seek treatment for their mental health.

Depression and suicide are a cause of death in American men.

Over six million men are affected by depression in the United States each year.

According to Mental Health

Opinion

America (MHA), men die from suicide at a rate that is four times higher than women.

Twice as many men die of alcohol-related causes than women, and men are three times more likely to abuse drugs.

These statistics indicate that, rather than seeking help from a mental health professional, men are more likely than women to engage in unhealthy behaviors to cope with these mental health issues.

Many mental health experts agree that a significant barrier to males seeking mental health treatment is the stigma that still exists regarding the topic.

The stigma primarily comes in three different varieties: self-stigma, cultural stigma and social stigma.

In the case of self-stigma, one may feel shameful about the symptoms that they are experiencing and may bottle their feelings and symptoms up for fear of being judged by others.

In this way, self-stigma and social stigma are closely related. Typically, the existence of a self-stigma suggests the existence of a public stigma in the sense that self-doubt and shame are often directly or indirectly taught to us by others.

If the public at large understood and was more compassionate toward males suffering from mental health issues, males suffering from these illnesses may not feel shameful or self-conscious about their situation.

The public at large often, directly or indirectly, takes their ideas from and bases them off of cultural expectations and established norms.

As is now obvious, the stigma surrounding male mental health is multi-layered and rooted deeply in our society.

Now to discuss what we can do to change it.

The first layer of this stigma comes from our culture. Changing a culture and the norms associated with it is, obviously, a very long process that does not happen overnight.

The cultural norm that has been established by our society for males is that males are supposed to be assertive, strong, determined, hard-working and less emotional than women.

Although these norms are starting to shift very slowly, they are still widely held and very prevalent.

Men are not supposed to be vulnerable, and they are not supposed to ask for help unless they

September 21, 2021

absolutely need to do so.

The key to changing the cultural stigma regarding male mental health is to reevaluate and change our cultural norms for men.

Males need to be taught that it is okay to need help, that it is okay to be vulnerable and honest about your problem, and that it is okay to have times of struggle and weakness.

The idea of masculinity as it is largely thought of today is outdated and, in the case of male mental health, negatively affects the lives of many men.

We need to teach our children that vulnerability, embracing your emotions and allowing yourself to admit that you are struggling does not make you less manly.

If we begin to change our cultural norms as they pertain to masculinity, the cultural stigma surrounding male mental health will be reduced and hopefully cease to exist.

If this occurs, then it would seem to reason that social stigma would also be reduced as society typically takes its ideas from culture.

Finally, if the social stigma is reduced, then the self-stigma will be reduced since we, as individuals, model our behaviors and ideas

(Facebook)

after our society and, thus, our culture.

What has been described is not a perfect model. We may never rid our culture of toxic masculinity altogether, but if we can reduce its prevalence in our ideas and thinking we can make society better as a whole.

Efforts to do this have already begun. Athletes, celebrities, scholars and ordinary people are talking about their stories and discussing about how being vulnerable saved their lives or made their lives better.

Schools are beginning to teach students, particularly males, that vulnerability and weakness are totally normal feelings and nothing to be ashamed of.

Parts of society are changing the way that they view masculinity, but other parts are lagging.

If the idea of masculinity is changed, then the stigma surrounding males and mental health will decrease and, hopefully, more males suffering from mental health issues will seek the help that they need.

Brought to you By The Penn Editorial Staff

9

Culture The need for more representation Culture Editor: Lane Lannan – ffpcc@iup.edu

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

Fetterman, IUP students share thoughts on inclusion CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

“Representar” means “to represent” in both Spanish and Portuguese, the two most spoken languages in Latin America. In the United States, representation is still a struggle for Latinos.

According to the U.S. census, Latinos account for nearly 20 percent of U.S. residents as the largest minority group in the country. Yet, Latinos are still an underrepresented demographic in several spaces.

In politics, underrepresentation means that only one percent of all elected officials nationwide are of Latino heritage according to USA Today. In Hollywood, it means that only 5.3 percent of broadcast TV roles were played

by Latino actors according to the Los Angeles Times. In the STEM workforce, Latino underrepresentation not only comes in the lack of Latinos working, as only eight percent of STEM workers are Latinos, but also comes with being paid considerably less than their non-Latino coworkers according to the American Chemical Society.

One of the biggest problems with such underrepresentation is that it can generate more underrepresentation. When there is not anyone whom a person can follow the footsteps of and seek as a role model in their dream career, that person will likely think that then they cannot do that career.

“If we don’t see ourselves in places, we don’t think we belong in those places,” Gisele Barreto Fetterman, the Second Lady of Pennsylvania (SLOP), said.

The U.S. Senate paints another example of Latino underrepresentation. If the Senate represents the American population and 20 percent of U.S. residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, it

10

would follow that around 20 percent of Senators would identify as Hispanic or Latino.

That is not the case. Currently, only six percent of senators are of Latino heritage, and that is a two percent jump from last year when only four percent of senators represented the population.

This is a problem because when certain demographics are gatekept away from the decision-making table, more often than not the interests of these groups are ignored.

“I truly believe that representation matters when it comes to who is making the decisions,” Jorge Tapia (junior, political science/pre-law), the chief justice and only Latino member of IUP’s Student Government Association (SGA), said.

“In order to make decisions that are going to affect a whole population of people from different backgrounds, we need to make sure that it helps everyone in an equal way [and] we need to make sure that we have input from individuals in those backgrounds,” Tapia added. “There has been countless time in history where white men would make decisions that they thought would benefit people of color, women, people of the LGBTQIA+ community and so on. Instead of it helping the communities, it somehow ended up hurting them more.”

While Latinos remain mostly underrepresented, this does not mean that change is not foreseeable. Despite many not having a platform, most of those few that do have one are using it to promote change and be a voice for those unheard.

Fetterman is a fine example of how current Latino figures are using their platforms to bring light to hidden issues. Fetterman and her family immigrated from Rio de Janeiro to New York City when she was still a child. For

(Caio Gomes/The Penn) Gisele Barreto Fetterman met with Lead Culture Writer Caio Gomes to discuss representation in the Latino community through jobs and politics. many years, she had to live “in the shadows” as she and her family members were undocumented. Now, being a citizen for more than a decade, she uses her platform to share her story so Dreamers who are in the same situation as she was years ago can keep striving and living with hope.

“When I was in that place, I really needed to find hope,” Fetterman said. “I needed to find someone who had lived through that experience, who found a way out … and I looked for that person and I didn’t [find anyone]; those stories weren’t told.

“So, it is really important to tell these stories and that is why I tell my story.”

Latinos, however, are far from being the only group affected by underrepresentation; Fetterman and other leaders know that. It is not rare to see platforms being shared, especially when it comes to issues that overlap.

In IUP, this can be seen

September 21, 2021

through both the collaborations between student organizations and through efforts by the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE).

Just recently, MCSLE has announced on Crimson Connect an event supposed to take place on Oct. 14 focused on discussing intersectionality.

Shared platforms can happen in ways that might not be so obvious to see at first. For instance, to an outsider’s eye it might seem a little odd to see Fetterman, who is Latina and does not identify as a Muslim, partnering up with a friend to start a project like the “Hello Hijab” project; a project aimed at producing hijabs that fit on Barbie and similar-sized dolls, so Muslim children can see themselves when playing with the dolls.

Yet, when considering Fetterman’s story and how badly hurt she felt when she could not see herself represented in several places, it makes sense to see

her stepping up to a project that brings light to an underrepresented minority even when she is not a part of it.

“I had this idea, and I called my friend [who is Saudi Arabian] and asked her, ‘Did you have dolls that looked like you when you were growing up?’ And she said, ‘No, I never had a doll that looked like me’,” Fetterman said.

“So, from there I met with several Muslim groups in the Pittsburgh area and asked what it would have meant to them if they had a doll that looked like them and that is how [the Hello Hijab project] was born.

“I think that if you have a platform, or an idea, or you’re creative and can figure out how to get in those places, then it is your duty to try to make the world better. So, I take a platform very seriously [especially] after not having a platform and not having a voice for so long.”

Continued on Page 11

Culture

Culture

11

September 21, 2021

Fetterman, IUP students share thoughts Continued from Page 10 It is also important to understand that “having a platform” does not have to translate to having thousands of followers and having a network of support like the one Fetterman has now.

It can start with smaller things as well.

In IUP’s community, it can mean looking at your organizations and asking yourself, “Who is missing? What voices are not represented in our organization?” and push for increasing diversity within your organization.

“One major way that I personally think that organizations across campus can do to improve their diversity and be more multicultural friendly is by not making it seem like increasing diversity is part of a checklist and rather something that they really want to do,” Tapia said. “Most of the times, a lot of organizations have treated this task as something they have to do to rather than something they want to do.”

It is only through empathizing with people and understanding the importance of hearing voices from all backgrounds that make up this country that American society will be able to break through the barriers of underrepresentation and internal bias, so it can truly become a nation with liberty and justice for all.

(Gisele Barreto Fetterman/ Twitter) Both Fetterman and her husband, Lt. Gov. of Pennsylvania John Fetterman strive to help minority communities.

(IUP/Twitter) Families and students could attend events like the Hall of Fame football game and a selfie scavenger hunt.

Family Weekend returns to IUP campus LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Students feeling homesick were able to be momentarily appeased as IUP welcomed families to campus with the annual Family Weekend.

Family Weekend, which took place over Sept. 17, 18 and 19, was an opportunity for parents to meet up with their children on campus and see what their life has been like as classes hit the one-month mark.

“It was nice to get to see my parents again,” Thomas Valcukas (sophomore, biology) said. “It is a really long drive, so they can not come out here often, but it was nice that they were able to make it out for the weekend.”

Valcukas went on to say that while his parents were in Indiana they attended the IUP football game against Shepherd. In addition to that, Valcukas went shopping and ate at restaurants as a way to get additional supplies and catch up with his family.

The events that Valcukas and his family did were only a small portion of what IUP had planned for the weekend.

According to an IUP news release, the weekend events took place at the same time as the Hall of Fame football game which saw IUP alumni return to campus to be recognized for their achievements. Events of the day took place all over campus, giving students the perfect chance to show off all of what IUP has to offer to family members.

Additional events included a selfie scavenger hunt, family night bingo, tours of certain buildings

on campus and a welcome event that took place in the Oak Grove.

In conjunction with all that was happening on campus, many families and students traveled to areas in the surrounding area, such as Philadelphia Street, to experience the life of Indiana. With plenty of restaurants and activities to do as well as hotels in the area, it was easy for families to get to feel a bit of what Indiana has to offer.

Traveling was something that some students took part in, going to neighboring towns and cities to take a break from Indiana.

“I know that a lot of people traveled or went off campus,” Matthew Levenson (sophomore, accounting) said. “Personally, I went to Pittsburgh for the Steelers game, but I know a lot of people traveled to State College for the Penn State whiteout football game.”

Levenson went on to say that people who were not being visited by family members were given the perfect opportunity to take a break from student life and travel. After all, staying in one place for long periods of time can get tiresome to those that need

a change of pace every now and then.

With Family Weekend concluded, IUP students are prepared to return to class and get back into their regular schedules.

The weekend events gave a much-needed relaxation period for some, and a reason to go on some light travels for others.

Whether you stayed in Indiana with family members and took the time to tour the town or if you traveled somewhere else for a break from the Indiana life, The Penn wishes you a smooth transition back into student life.

12

September 21, 2021

Culture

‘I got what they waiting for’ Students rejoice for Lil Nas X’s first album

FLORA KELLY

Contributing Writer pzzy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP On Friday, Montero “Lil Nas X” Hill finally dropped his long awaited, ultra-hyped debut album titled “MONTERO.” This comes after a comedic and absurd weeks-long promotion leading to the album’s release which included Lil Nas X posting a pregnancy photoshoot, complete with a fake baby bump, to Instagram with the caption, “Surprise. I can’t believe I’m finally announcing this. My little bundle of joy ‘MONTERO’ is due Sept. 17, 2021.”

Now that the album is finally here, IUP students weigh in with their thoughts.

“I’m a huge fan of Lil Nas X and his creativity in representing the LGBTQIA+ community,” Alison Appleman (junior, communications media) said. “My favorite single that was released prior to the album is ‘INDUSTRY BABY’ ft. Jack Harlow, and my favorite newly released song is ‘DONT WANT IT.’ It’s really inspiring to see such an empowering gay, Black man from Atlanta grow to fame the way Lil Nas did. He’s an inspiration for a lot of people as he continues to defy the barriers that have been put up around him.”

Others noted how some elements of the album subverted the expectations that the lighthearted promotions material had set up for them.

“Well, it was the first music of his that I listened to that wasn’t ‘Old Town Road,’” Roman Porterfield (junior, history) said. “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but there was so many different sounds. I’m not a fan of ‘SCOOP,’ but it was cool he did collabs with so many different people.

Elton John on piano and Jack Harlow rapping was funny.

“But I definitely enjoyed the album. He’s very, like, emotional and open about his struggles with relationships and the ‘baby Montero’ advertisements didn’t even prepare me for it.”

Cassandra Rodriguez (soph-

(Yahoo) Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow took to the Video Music Awards (VMA) stage to perform “INDUSTRY BABY” and “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” on Sept. 12. omore, communications media) said that, with so much hype being built up ahead of the album, some songs fell short.

“With how strong and unique [Lil Nas X’s] singles ‘MONTERO’ and ‘INDUSTRY BABY’ were in their production and lyrics, I think it set the bar high for his first official album,” Rodriquez said.

“While some of the songs did still have those humorous lyrics or showed a more vulnerable side, overall, a lot of the tracks felt like they were just filling space on the album with a lack of significant complexity in the lyrics, track backings that start to blend together and short song lengths.

“But with that being said, it’s still culturally important as a mainstream rap album that highlights the struggles of fame and being gay in a genre that has a history of homophobia. While there has been rap projects that have also tackled this subject, like Kevin Abstract’s solo projects and some of his verses in Brockhampton, this truly is the first time we’ve seen it on a large scale in mainstream rap.”

(Lil Nas X/Twitter) “MONTERO”was full of features. Jack Harlow, Elton John, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion and Miley Cyrus all made an appearance on the album.

In 2019, Lil Nas X, at only 19 years old, released the hit “Old Town Road” which went on to become the longest running No. 1 song of all time. Most assumed he would end up a one-hit wonder eventually fading into obscurity; however, we would find out this could not have been further

from the truth.

Since then, Lil Nas X has caught and held tight to the public’s attention. First with the release of his phenomenon single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” which sparked reactions of shock and outrage from many audiences, and then with last

month’s release, “INDUSTRY BABY,” which proved he had no plans to hold back or tone it down.

There has been controversy and praise, but, despite it all, it looks like Lil Nas X is here to stay, and he does not care what anyone has to say about it.

Culture

September 21, 2021

13

14

September 21, 2021

Culture

Dancing the night away LaSO, MCSLE team up to provide fun night for students CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP’s Latino Student Organization (LaSO) and the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE) partnered up to host a Latin dance night to celebrate the start of Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday.

The event took place in Folger Hall from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.; the same time and place in which MCSLE usually hosts its weekly Friday meet ups.

This time the meet up was a little different with the collaboration of LaSO, and instead of the meet up it became a dance night.

With the presence of DJ LA playing a variety of Latin genres such as bachata, cumbia and salsa, students recall dancing to the music as one of the best events of the night. As the night went on, even the ones who were a little shy to dance ended up joining the group and dancing the night away.

“To me, the best part of the night is that you didn’t even need to know how to dance,” Leslly Lemus-Moreno (freshman, criminology) said.

“We were all just going with the music and having a good time; nobody cares if you are good or not just as long as it’s fun.”

While LaSO members definitely made sure to be present, students of several organizations and backgrounds attended the event.

A glimpse of the dance night was even shared by a group of IUP Crimson Guides on the IUP Admissions Instagram page through the “stories” feature.

Such diverse attendance was one of the main goals LaSO and MCSLE were hoping to see in the event.

The organizations expected that the

Latino turnout would be higher than other demographics as LaSO was hosting the events; however, the organizations did not want the event to be just for LaSO students.

“We wanted everybody to come and have fun with us,” Tatiana Cleffi (sophomore, nursing), LaSO’s vice president, said.

One of the strategies used to ensure that students from multiple organizations and backgrounds would attend the event was the handling of flyers during IUP day by not only just having the flyers at LaSO’s table but also distributing them to other tables.

Such a strategy seemed to work well because, as the night went on, more and more students of many backgrounds showed up to dance.

Many claim that the Latin dance night was a good opportunity to get more in touch with Latino culture on campus, saying it was a good but fun way to learn more about Hispanic culture and heritage. These students also shared that they appreciated how they were welcomed at the event.

“I loved the general warm welcoming feeling of the event,” Julia Vislosky (sophomore, Spanish education) said. “As someone who is not Latina or Hispanic, I originally thought I would be out of place since I didn’t know any of the traditional dances going into it, but everyone was eager to share the culture and help me learn the various dance steps which I appreciated very much.

“It was so fun to meet new people and dance the night away.”

Students interested in attending any LaSO event can keep up with what the organization is doing through Crimson Connect or through LaSO’s Instagram page @ iup_laso. The next LaSO meeting will take place Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. in Leonard Hall (HSS) room 113.

(Contributed by Giovanni Negron-Garcia) Student turnout for the dance was very high.

(Caio Gomes/The Penn) The workshop focused on helping Latino students find their sense of purpose.

LaSO hosts workshop

Giovanni Negron-Garcia shares secrets to passion through life experiences CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP On Sept. 16, IUP’s Latino Student Organization (LaSO) and Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE) partnered to host an interactive workshop.

The workshop, named “Finding Passion, Purpose and the Pursuit of Happiness,” was led by Giovanni “Gio” Negron-Garcia, LaSO’s secondary advisor and a graduate student at IUP. The workshop took place at Elkin Hall.

The main purpose of the workshop was to provide students the opportunity to strengthen or develop their sense of purpose.

According to the event’s description on Crimson Connect, having a sense of passion can help guide a student towards their academic and professional goals. Most importantly, having a sense of purpose can help a student in their pursuit of happiness.

“I hope that [in attending the event] students will gain a better sense of what needs to be done in order to fulfill their goals,” Negron-Garcia, the main presenter of the workshop, said. “[I also hope that students will gain] a great understanding of who they are and recognize [that] what they are doing is enough and that they themselves are enough and will always be.”

Students who attended the event had high expectations of it.

Many did not know exactly what would happen during the work-

shop, but they were interested in attending because of either the presenter or the topic, and some even went there for both.

Many students attended the event while seeing Negron-Garcia as a role-model, but they left the workshop feeling inspired.

Calling the workshop “inspirational,” however, is an understatement. The workshop, that was divided into three sections (passion, purpose and Gio’s story), was beyond inspirational with each part offering the students an opportunity to reflect and evaluate their own lives.

The first part, “passion,” strove to make students ponder what they are passionate about. Passion was described as the fuel to the soul; what makes each person get up each day and feel happy as to why they are up. During this part, students were also offered the chance to discuss how to deal with people who may tell them they are “too passionate” or who try to shut them down.

While some students may already know what they are passionate about, many may not know why it is that they are passionate or what to do with that passion.

For that, “purpose”, the second part of the presentation focused on helping students figure out what is their purpose in life. A question that, although tough, can be easier to know if one looks deeply upon oneself.

A suggestion made during the presentation was to think of the purpose as a “gift,” and that the purpose usually is what the person does best without putting a lot of effort in.

Finally, for those who are a little more skeptical of motivational workshops, Negron-Garcia provided the third part of the presentation: his personal story. Negron-Garcia shared how he was only able to achieve happiness after he stopped focusing on the “gifts” he wanted to have, and instead focused on the ones he had — the ones that he was truly passionate about.

“Overall, I think the best part of the presentation was when Gio shared his story,” Kendall Gomez (sophomore, political science and Spanish) said. “I think that it is good to have an example that having this specific mindset really works.”

While the workshop was taken with the seriousness that it deserved, this did not mean that it had to be a boring workshop.

The mood was quite light with Negron-Garcia even cracking a couple of jokes and telenovela references. Churros were provided as the choice of snack as a way to celebrate Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month.

While this was currently the only workshop scheduled in partnership with LaSO as of right now, MSCLE holds events of similar notion every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Elkin Hall.

Culture

September 21, 2021

15

Sports

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

Field hockey establishing winning culture to start season JEFFERY HART Editor-in-Chief J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP “We are very excited with how our season is going right now,” Gary Agard, IUP’s field hockey head coach, said.

The Crimson Hawks are off to yet another undefeated start to the season, and they don’t have any plans of that changing any time soon.

IUP is sitting at an impeccable 4-0 record after an impressive 5-1 victory over Slippery Rock on Saturday.

The Hawks, led by Blaise Cugini (graduate student, early childhood/special education), put on an offensive show taking 15 shots and converting on five of them.

Cugini had one of the best performances of her career, putting up a collegiate-high four goals.

Not only did IUP have it going on offense, but the team managed to limit The Rock to only one goal on 11 shots. Five goals is the most by the Crimson Hawks since they opened 2019 with a 5-1 victory over Frostburg State.

Along with Cugini’s four goals, Georgiana Chiavacci (graduate student, human resources management) got involved offensively and put up one goal. While Cugini’s performance was impressive, this team is predicated on team play and Cugini was called upon to carry the offensive load that day.

“In every team I have ever had, we have the mindset that it doesn’t matter who scores or produces that day,” Agard said.

“We want all of our players to step up once they get on the field.

We want them to play their role and to do their job.”

16

The Hawks will look to call upon a variety of players as they now head into the part of their season where they will start playing harder programs. With schools like Millersville, Westchester and East Stroudsburg seemingly being nationally ranked every year, IUP will have to bring its A-game when the team plays the others later in the season.

“We have some really quality programs coming up. That is something that we will really call upon going forward. We have the depth and the mindset right now to do your job,” Agard said.

This is something that will be really important in IUP’s next matchup as the team goes up against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) rival Mercyhurst. The Lakers may be sitting at 0-6 right now, but this squad should not be taken lightly. Three out of their six losses have been decided by a point.

IUP has had many tight games with this team over the years, carrying an 11-10 advantage over Mercyhurst in their matchup history. IUP took its last matchup in 2019 winning a 2-1 nail-biter.

Despite Mercyhurst’s lack-luster starting record, Agard is not taking this opponent lightly.

“We just try to focus on playing our game,” Agard said. “We want to establish the way we play and have them make the adjustment. They have to adjust to us and not us adjusting to them.”

The game will take place at Frank Cignetti Field in P. Miller Stadium on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Hawk Nation, show up and support your undefeated Crimson Hawks field hockey team to a perfect 5-0 start.

(IUP Athletics) For the second consecutive year, the Hawks have started off 4-0. They will look to extend this streak against a struggling Lakers squad.

September 21, 2021

Sports

Sports

September 21, 2021

17

Volleyball on the rise, Hawks tie 2019 win total in first month of play JAY McGARY Staff Writer fwtz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The IUP women’s volleyball team crossed a very important milestone this past weekend, reaching seven wins on the season.

The team is 7-6, a winning record, but some may wonder why this recent win is significant.

That was the win total reached by the Crimson Hawks squad of 2019. Many players from that team, such as outside hitter Nicole Peterson (junior, sports administration) and setter Leah Henderson (junior, sports administration), returned this year. Having such success and reaching that milestone relatively early in the season certainly did mean something for the Hawks.

“Surpassing the seven win mark was a goal of ours, and now that we have checked it off the list [it] will not be brought up again,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “It is important for the program to make progress, so it was essential to bypass that mark and keep going forward.”

That win came against a Concord University Mountain Lions team that looked completely outmatched, getting swept by the

Crimson Hawks and only scoring nine points in its last set.

IUP was, at that time, 7-5, but dropped the final game of the invitational to Seton Hill. In a close 3-1 match, Peterson earned a season-high 19 kills against a Griffins team that played fundamentally sound.

“I thought we played very well against Seton Hill,” Torbett said.

“I think we should have run our middles a little bit more. They were scoring very well and not committing errors.”

IUP also played a very tight game against a West Virginia State University team that came into the home invitational 7-2, albeit the Hawks could not take a single set in the match.

Looking forward to this week, there is a very important game Tuesday against Gannon University. Probably being IUP’s toughest competition yet, the Golden Knights come to the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Center (KCAC) boasting a 10-2 record, and Torbett is surely aware of what the game might mean for her team.

“Gannon is a big game for us.

They are the preseason favorite

(IUP Athletics) In one season, Coach Torbett has the program on the right track.

and have been ranked in the spring and receiving votes this fall,” Torbett said.

This is the first weeknight game the Hawks have had since the beginning of the season. Playing on a school night can certainly impact the way a player feels and executes.

“I like the midweek matches for student support, but it is tough to balance missing classes multiple times in a week,” Torbett said. “It is also difficult to play back to back as we did this weekend.”

That is not to say anyone is complaining about getting the chance to play the game they love.

“We are so grateful to be playing after a year off that it is hard to complain about when and where we play volleyball right now,” Torbett said.

It is a very nice perspective to have during these times.

IUP and Gannon face off at the KCAC on Tuesday night. If you would like to be part of that student, parent or community support that the coaches and players appreciate so much, the game starts at 7 p.m.

(IUP Athletics) In their latest games, the Hawks won by a score of 6-1 against Concord and Seton Hill.

18

September 21, 2021

Sports

Cross country hangs in with tough competition Looking to build off of learning experience MATT GLOVER Staff Writer htpcz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The IUP cross country teams proved they can hold their own against Division I (D-I) schools in the Colonial Invitational on Friday at Robert Morris University.

“I feel we were a little nervous going into it because most of the schools were D-I,” Bri Herr (graduate student, nutrition and dietetics), the women’s team captain, said, “but it went pretty well.”

The men placed third out of four teams while the women placed fifth out of five.

“The team competed to the best of their ability,” head coach Joey Zins said. “There were a lot of good things.”

Joel Beckwith (freshman, environmental engineering) continued to impress by placing sixth with a time of 27:09.6.

“He’s been very impressive these first two meets,” Zins said. “He puts himself in the front and battles and doesn’t give in.”

“Beckwith doesn’t say much, but he’s there for business and gets it done,” teammate Ethan Ribelin (sophomore, business management) said. “I’m excited to see how strong he can get and push our team to get better.”

Marco Cardone (sophomore, exercise science) finished 14th, and Kendall Branan (freshman, history) finished 20th.

On the women’s team, Herr was the first IUP runner to finish and placed 19th. “[She] had a pretty good meet and ran aggressively,” Zins said.

“That’s what we needed from her as our senior captain.”

Tori James (sophomore, nursing) followed placing 20th, and Paige Wess (junior, nursing) placed 25th.

IUP was the only Division II school competing against runners from Carnegie Mellon, Duquesne, Pittsburgh, Northern Kentucky, Robert Morris University and Youngstown State.

“Carnegie Mellon consistently has one of the best Division III cross country teams in the country,” Zins said.

The Colonial Invitational was a steppingstone in the teams’ seasons for more reasons than just

racing competitive schools.

“It was their first time running the longer distance,” Zins said. “The women ran the 6k, and the men ran the 8k.

“It was important for them to get a feel for what racing is going to be like the rest of the season and understand what they have to do to be successful racing at those distances. The Cal-U course from the previous meet was shorter, and the meets during their abbreviated spring season were all 5ks.”

“It was the first 6k we’ve done in a long time,” Herr said. “For me it’s been two years, and for most of the freshman it was probably the first 6k they ever raced.

“I know a lot of them are disappointed with how they did, but I don’t think they realize it’s a lot further than a 5k. The course was challenging, and it was pretty hot.”

“Right off the bus, we all thought it was pretty hot,” Ribelin said. “We went on our warmup and came back soaked in sweat.”

Zins attributed tougher course conditions as part of the struggle for newer runners.

“You had the longer distance for the first time on a tough course with a lot of hills,” Zins said.

A harder course and longer distance meant the teams had to work together to push through.

“Paige [Wess], Tori [James] and I are in the front pack,” Herr said. “If I started to fall off, Paige would say ‘come on, Bri, keep up with me,’ and it’s motivating to stay with your teammates and keep pace the best we can.

“I feel like we did pretty well because we all had someone to run with.”

“Our three through seven guys are pretty tight with times and our ability to run,” Ribelin said, “so we feed off our energy and pull each other along.

“If one of us starts moving up, we all push together and try to bring everyone with us.”

The teams are ready to get back to training for the Paul Short Run coming up on Oct. 1 where the men will race their former team captain Sam Lenze who now runs for Duquesne. He was running at Notre Dame during this meet.

Both teams are expected to become much stronger as workouts continue and players come back

from injuries.

“We had Erin McGrath (junior, accounting) back for the first time after missing the outdoor track season due to injury,” Zins said, “so she’s not at 100 percent yet.”

Emma Alexy (junior, pre-physical therapy) has also been out due to injury.

Getting these runners back is something Zins is looking forward to.

“With Erin and Emma returning to form, I think they’ll help our women’s team a great deal,” Zins said. “The biggest area we have to improve on the women’s side is that we had a large gap after our top three.”

“Some of us went out too fast and were hurting the last 2k,” Herr said. “We need to work on going out more conservatively and pacing.”

“On the men’s side, if we can get one or two runners a little closer to Joel [Beckwith], we should have a really good top five and depth,” Zins said.

“You don’t want to run your best at the beginning of the season. In our sport, it is how you run in the championships at the end of the year.”

(IUP Athletics) Despite not taking first place, the cross country teams held their own against Division I programs like Pittsburgh and Robert Morris.

Sports

September 21, 2021

19

20

September 21, 2021

Sports

Football falls to Shepherd, looking to rebound against Mercyhurst AUSTIN SMITH Sports Editor A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP When two top-ranked teams clash with each other, you can always expect a good matchup all around. Unfortunately, the Crimson Hawks fell short of coming up with the victory this past weekend against the No. 11 Shepherd Rams.

The Rams defeated IUP at Miller Stadium by a score of 37-21.

The scoreboard does not tell the whole story about the game.

With Shepherd coming in with a 2-0 record and the Rams also putting up 56 points against Gannon previously the week before, the Hawks had to get their defense on par and ready to go.

IUP did just that and only allowed Shepherd to score 10 points in the first half.

The Hawks had six points themselves which came from field goals courtesy of Tyler Luther (freshman, cyber security). With the score 10-6 at halftime, it was anyone’s game. Out of the second half, Shepherd was the first one to take the game in its favor. The big

arm of Shepherd’s, Tyson Bagent, helped the Rams put up 20 points in the third quarter to give them the 30-13 edge.

“They hit three big pass plays down the field when we got behind and had to gamble on defense to get back in the game,” head coach Paul Tortorella said.

The lead became larger for the Rams as they put up another touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up 37-13. On the side of IUP, quarterback Javon Davis (sophomore, math education and accounting) and the Hawks did what they could to put up points against the Rams.

Davis threw for 251 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not nearly enough to take down the Rams late in the game. The second half was the turning point and really put the game on Davis’ back to try to make a comeback.

The second touchdown thrown in the fourth quarter to Irvin Charles (senior, unclassified) was the biggest touchdown for them in the game as it made the score 37-21.

With the time ticking down, the Hawks attempted an onside kick and almost converted on it, which would have been huge. The ball

took a crazy bounce at the end and landed into the hands of a Rams player which capped off the game.

“I felt we did not quit in the fourth quarter and got within seven scores but could not get the onside kick,” Tortorella said.

The biggest difference from last game was Duane Brown (junior, sports administration) was not used as much in the game. Brown only had 42 yards in the game which did not even come close to the 131 yards and one touchdown he had against Kutztown.

Brown did seem to be injured throughout the game which may have been the reason why he did not see as much as action.

“Not sure on Duane right now; it could be his shoulder,” Tortorella said.

In the end, IUP did what it could against a nationally ranked Shepherd team.

“Offensively, we are moving the ball but not scoring points, especially in the red zone. Defensively, we are giving up way too many big plays,” Tortorella said.

IUP will look to bounce back against Mercyhurst on Saturday in Erie and look to get back into the win column.

(IUP Athletics) Justice Evans (senior, business management) will be looking to get more involved in the offense after only putting up six yards rushing against the Lakers.

Golf takes fifth place at Mercyhurst Invitational, Buccigross ties for sixth place BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(IUP Athletics) The IUP golf team has placed fifth in its last two outings. The team is hoping to quickly turn this around and start winning tournaments like in years past.

IUP men’s golf team wrapped up its second competition of the year on Saturday.

The team is led by head coach Dan Braun.

This will be Braun’s second full season at the helm since taking over in 2018. He has experienced much success already in that short time period.

Braun helped deliver the university’s 29th all-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship in 2019. He also holds a PSAC Coach of The Year Award.

IUP opened the season earlier this month with the Charleston Golden Eagle Invitational at Berry Hills Country Club in West Virginia.

The team finished fifth. Nicholas Ward (senior, marketing) performed well.

Ward shot five-over 145 and finished the tournament in 10th place overall individually.

The team returned to the course this past weekend.

The Hawks competed in the Mercyhurst Fall Invitational, round two, on Saturday at the Lake View Country Club in North East, Pa. IUP did hold one slight advantage entering the match. Some Hawks were already very familiar with the venue.

Lake View Country Club is Isaiah Swan’s (freshman, finance) home course.

Round one took place the day before. IUP finished eighth out of 12 teams.

Jack Buccigross (senior, marketing) led the effort by shooting a team best three-over-par 75.

Other contributions included Swan and Shaun Fedor (junior, marketing) who both shot six-over 78, Richie Kline (junior, finance and economics) with an eight-over 80 and Ward with a 10-over 82.

The team returned to the course on Saturday for round two, bouncing back with an impressive team performance.

Both Fedor and Kline shot evenpar 72. Fedor improved 20 spots to finish the tournament in a tie for 18th. Kline also improved on the second day, climbing 19 spots to finish in a tie for 30th.

IUP shot a tournament high, best even-par 288 to close out the event.

The strong finish vaulted IUP three spots into a final placing of fifth out of 12 teams.

Gannon University went on to win the tournament, Charleston was second and Mercyhurst finished third.

Braun elaborated on his team's performance.

“Fifth place is not where we want to be,” Braun said. “We have the talent to compete for first place in these tournaments, and win, and ultimately that is our goal.”

Buccigross performed at a high level again for the second day in a row, shooting a team best one-under 71. He would go on to finish in a tie for sixth individually.

“He probably has the strongest mental game out of anyone on the team,” Braun said.

The team is a veteran group this year that is looking to compete for another PSAC title. Many on the roster are seniors.

The IUP men’s golf team will return to play at the Davis and Elkins’ Stonewall Invitational. The match will take place on Sept. 27 to 28 in Roanoke, Va.