04/02/2019 by The Penn

NEWS | PAGE 3

TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019

CULTURE | PAGE 8

VOL. 111 NO. 15

08.

PAGE

The Penn

INDIANA ARTS SCENE THRIVES OVER THE WEEKEND

SPORTS | PAGE 12

WWW.THEPENN.ORG

The Penn // INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

News

Cover Photo By John Vasas III

Culture

SPORTS

The Penn S P R I N G

2 0 1 9

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Seth Woolcock Managing Editor Katie Mest News Editor Jessica Truby

04.

08.

BUSINESS COLLEGE ENCOURAGES FOUR-PLUSONE MBA PROGRAM

T U E S D A Y

52 HI |33 LO

STUDENTS PERFORM STORY OF CINDERELLA WITH A TWIST IN ‘CINDI’

12.

BASEBALL TAKES VICTORY IN FINAL GAME OF UPJ SERIES

F O R E C A S T

W E D N E S D A Y

T H U R S D A Y

F R I D A Y

54 HI |40 LO

57 HI |38 LO

53 HI |44 LO

Culture Editor Steven Langdon Jr. Sports Editor Elliot Hicks Digital Media Editors Katie Williams Lily Whorl Photo Editor Autumn Dorsey Video Editors Sean Seaman Taylor Jones Audio Editors Kyle Scott Dorian Carter

The Penn

CHECK OUT ONLINE FOR EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

TWITTER.COM/THEPENNIUP

Robert S. Dougherty 724-349-8588

In the General Practice of Law 737 Water St., Indiana PA For over 28 years; Helping students in matters such as: - Underage Drinking - Simple and Aggravated Assault

- DUI - Drug Violations

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION Think you have the best playlist? Email The-Penn@iup.edu for a chance to be featured.

The Penn’# SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

This issue is brought to you by:

THEPENN.ORG

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

FACEBOOK.COM/THEPENNIUP

PARANOID Black Sabbath HIGHWAY TO HELL AC/DC NITRO CELL FT. SOSMULA Zilakami OFF DA ZOINKYS J.I.D. CALLING MY SPIRIT Kodak Black

BUSINESS STAFF Secretaries Nicole Evangelist Tessa Matulis Jenn Jaskolka

ADVERTISING STAFF Trace Gordon Jack Kocjancic Emily Kostelnik

PRODUCTION STAFF Production Manager Jake Slebodnick

BLUE HUNNIDS FT. JIMMY WOPO Wiz Khalifa SHENANIGANS Jasiah BATTLE CRY Polo G PUT A DATE ON IT FT. LIL BABY Yo Gotti BOUNCIN’ Chief Keef

FOLLOW THEPENNIUP ON SPOTIFY FOR ACCESS TO THIS PLAYLIST

BROUGHT TO YOU BY SEAN SEAMAN

NEWS

This way

Inspiration &

Motivation

News Editor: Jessica Truby – J.L.Truby@iup.edu Lead News Writer: Emily Loose – E.D.Loose@iup.edu

Student Story

Where one dream ends, another begins NATHAN ZISK Staff Writer N.Zisk@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Dreams don’t always come true, even if you chase them. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For 22-year-old Kayla Williams the end of one dream meant the beginning of another. Kayla is set to graduate in August from IUP with a bachelor’s in journalism and public relations. For Kayla, the chance to pursue PR is a dream come true. But she had to abandon another dream to get to where she is today. Kayla had been a competitive hip-hop dancer since she was 11 years old. She was a dancer in Legacy Dance, a dance team and studio in Bridgeville, about 8 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. Even before her teenage years, Kayla fell in love with the idea of becoming a professional dancer. “I would watch award shows and different music videos, and I thought ‘Wow, I would love to do that every day,’” she said. “I guess that’s what brought me to move to Los Angeles after high school.” Despite her initial plan to attend George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Kayla, who lived in Pittsburgh with her mom all her life, decided to move to the City of Dreams on a whim. She moved in with her father, who had lived in LA since 2010 and apart

(Submitted by Kayla Williams) Kayla Williams is pursing her new dream of being a public relations professional.

from Kayla since he and Kayla’s mom divorced in 2000. Kayla was chasing her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Her father disapproved of dancing as a career, but Kayla wanted to see what it was like for herself. “My dad would say, ‘Who actually makes it as a dancer?’” she said. “He didn’t support it. He didn’t think dancing was a career.” Kayla’s new life as a profession-

~Kayla Williams Senior, Journalism & Public Relations

News

al dancer was filled with intense training regimens combined with the everyday struggles that came with living in the big city. “When I first got there, I was training,” she said. “I took dance classes all day. That’s all I did. “LA was just so expensive. There’re so many people … It was just too big of a move too quickly.” Kayla said she would look on social media and see her friends from Pittsburgh making new friends in college. She started to question whether dancing was really what she wanted to do. Kayla, who was 18 at this point, decided to give up her life as a dancer – to give up her life in the City of Dreams. She ended up going to school for communications at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, W.Va.

April 2, 2019

“I had no idea what I wanted to major in or anything I wanted to do,” Kayla said. She stayed at WVU for only the spring 2016 semester and transferred to IUP as a communications media major for the fall 2016 semester. Despite not knowing what she wanted to do, Kayla idolized Olivia Pope, a fictional character played by Kerry Washington in the American-thriller TV series “Scandal.” Pope, the main character in the series, is a former media consultant to the president who runs her own crisis management firm in Washington, D.C. Kayla said she had been watching “Scandal” since high school but never understood what Pope did in the series or what crisis management even was. Even though Kayla didn’t understand, she admired Pope and wanted to be like her. Eventually, after one dream lost and a few semesters of uncertainty, Kayla decided to do the research and find out how she could become more like Pope. “I Googled ‘jobs like Olivia Pope,’” Kayla said. “PR came up, so I started researching it. I realized that’s what I wanted to do.” After her adviser told her there was a PR department at IUP, Kayla switched majors from communications media to journalism and public relations in fall 2017. And through an unexpected

series of switching majors, moving to different states, transferring schools and watching TV shows, Kayla discovered her new dream – PR. “I like PR because I feel like it’s very hands-on and fast-paced,” she said. “Since I started learning it and getting into it, I realized I really do like it.” Kayla joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) in 2018 and now serves as treasurer for IUP’s PRSSA chapter. “I like educating and explaining to others about how PR works,” she said. In the summer of 2018, Kayla took her new-found passion to the field and interned at Hosanna House, a multi-purpose community center in Pittsburgh. She ran the social media for Hosanna House and took pictures for marketing. The experience Kayla gained from her internship and the experience she has gained at IUP has her excited for the future. Kayla said she wants to live in D.C. and get a job in sports PR since she has always enjoyed watching sports. “I love sports in general,” she said. “Doing sports PR would be great. That’s kind of ideally where I would want to end up.” Kayla’s experiences leading up to majoring in journalism and PR at IUP helped her find her passion – her new dream to pursue. And although the future is full of endless possibilities, even if Kayla isn’t in LA, the “City of Dreams” is where she makes it.

April 2, 2019

News

Business college encourages four-plus-one MBA program KATIE MEST

Managing Editor K.A.Mest@iup.edu @katiemest

College can be hard enough without considering the financial burden debt leaves you in post-graduation. That burden is multiplied if you choose to go on to graduate school. The Eberly College of Business and Information Technology offers a Master of Business Administration program that you can begin before you even finish your undergraduate degree. The MBA four-plus-one program is available to any student with 90 credits and a grade point average of 3.25 or higher. Students can take up to 12 credits in their final year at IUP that count toward both undergraduate requirements and master’s credits. By the time they finish with undergraduate classes, they will already be one-third of the way

(IUP Website) John Lipinski is the new coordinator for the MBA four-plus-one program.

through their MBA, and they will have had to pay the undergrad-

uate prices for the courses that count toward both. Based on the

2018-19 tuition rates, this method saves students $8,325. And the credits earned can be applied to an IUP MBA degree for up to five years and can potentially transfer to other MBA programs. “Early admission is one of the best-kept secrets on campus,” MBA program coordinator John Lipinski said. About 20 students are currently taking advantage of the fourplus-one program in the business college, whereas 200 are eligible. Students accepted to the program can apply for graduate assistantships that provide a partial tuition waiver and a stipend. MBA student Liana Muia argued that there was no reason not to take part in the program if you’re considering pursuing an MBA. “It just made a lot of sense,” she said. “And it’s only an extra year.” One MBA student, Sean Corriere, is finishing the four-plus-

one program in three and a half years. IUP offers MBA classes around Western Pennsylvania, so students can pursue their careers while also working toward advancing their degrees during the nights the weekends. “A lot of people say, ‘oh, well, I don’t want to spend my fifth year here on campus. I want to go and work,’” Lipinksi said. “Awesome. Go and work. I wish you would go and work and then come to our part-time program.” An MBA is a standard credential in the management field, according to Lipinksi. In order to advance in your career, many employers require an MBA. And the MBA is not just for those pursuing a management or business degree. “If you go into any field, there is some business aspect of it,” he said. That business experience gives you the opportunity to be a manager in those areas.”

Police Blotter Drug Violations

Robert S. Dougherty 724-349-8588

In the General Practice of Law 737 Water St., Indiana PA For over 28 years; Helping students in matters such as: - Underage Drinking - Simple and Aggravated Assault

- DUI - Drug Violations

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

• Donald Bender Jr., 24, of Erie was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia at 10:32 p.m. March 24 in the 700 block of Philadelphia Street, according to Indiana Borough Police.

Theft • Tyler Gelles, 19, of Indiana was charged with burglary and theft after an employee observed Gelles inside Subs N Suds after business hours attempting to steal cases of beer at 2:18 a.m. March 30 at 470 Philadelphia St., according to borough police.

Alcohol Violations • Chase Carpenter, 20, of Williamsburg was charged with underage drinking at 12:26 a.m. March 22, in the 200 block of Rice Avenue, according to borough police.

• Jammier Jeffries, 20, of Germantown, M.d., was charged with underage drinking after police

observed Jeffries drinking an open bottle of alcohol at 1:19 a.m. March 24, in the 700 block of Grant Street, according to borough police.

• Nicholas Harold Beers, 20, of Rilton was charged with retail theft and underage drinking at 12:55 a.m. March 24 at the 768 Wayne Ave. Sheetz, according to borough police.

• Paul Morris Aereo III, 23, of Bethlehem was arrested for DUI at 2:49 a.m. March 2, in the 600 block of School Street, according to borough police.

Criminal Trespass • Damon Isaiah Rudolph, of Sharon was charged with criminal trespass, resisting arrest, False ID to law enforcement and disorderly conduct after Rudolph refused to leave the 768 Wayne Ave. Sheetz and used profanities at the officers. He then resisted arrest and was taken into custody where he then provided a fake name to officers at 12:55 a.m. March 24, according to borough police.

April 2, 2019

News

Professor’s work shows how social media can falter a career EMILY LOOSE

Lead News Writer E.D.Loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

How people act online can make or break their professional careers. Research on this topic was published in the December 2018 version of “Teaching and Learning in Medicine” and had been explored by a professor at IUP along with a former student. Christina Wissinger, an IUP alumna who now works at Penn State University, when deciding to conduct research about being professional on social media, came back to her alma mater to get help from Dr. Zachary Stiegler. Stiegler is a communications media professor, and as the coordinator for communications media and instructional technology, Stiegler has known Wissinger for a while and said he was happy to work with her. Their study was about e-professionalism – attitudes and behaviors that reflect professionalism through social media – in the medical world, specifically nursing. It was to show the importance of incorporating this topic into students’ educations.

(IUP Website/ Penn State Website) Dr. Zachary Stiegler (left), worked with IUP alumna Christina Wissinger (right) on how social media affects a person’s career.

Because Stiegler did not know much about health services, Wissinger focused on the health services part of the project, and Stiegler worked with the theory of e-professionalism. Stiegler explained why this was important for the nursing and medical field to learn in particular. “There’s a more delicate relationship in the sense of health practitioners and patients,” he

said. “When you are seeking professionals or go to get checkups, there is a level of trust that’s really important.” Posting negatively can ruin that trust. To conduct this research, the pair looked at a model called the extended parallel process model that is used to look at fear appeals, which shows how messages are received and what steps are taken

in dealing with them. Though usually used in advertising and PSAs, Wissinger and Stiegler found it helpful for their work. They used it to predict what behaviors were most effective at achieving outcomes. There were cases of nurses posting online that have been issues and have caused their professional work to be compromised. Some examples of social media posts made by nurses that had negative impact include one nurse’s photo of a patient’s x-ray. “As nurses and health professionals are trained, e-professionalism should be a part of it also because so much of their success is tied up in trust,” Steigler said. Though he was not surprised by any of the information he learned, Stiegler said he learned a lot and was taken out of his comfort zone.

He also said he hopes that those who read the article will start to take how they present themselves on social media more seriously. E-professionalism should be a concern for all fields of work, according to Stiegler, especially in the current generation. “It’s easy to just engage with it and not think too seriously or too critically about how you conduct yourself,” he said. It is not his plan to work more on this particular study, but Stiegler has other research projects in process. One project is with another alumnus on musical intimacy, in which they are looking for a book proposal over the summer. He is also working on revising a presentation on Creedence Clearwater Revival discussing how they turned into Southern rock despite hailing from California.

~Dr. Zachary Stiegler

Prosecutors move to clear marijuana convictions in California ALENE TCHEKMEDYIAN Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties announced plans Monday to automatically clear about 54,000 marijuana-related convictions, part of a growing movement to offer a clean slate to Californians hamstrung by their past now that pot is legal. The effort is part of a partnership with Code for America, a nonprofit that developed an algorithm to quickly analyze county data to find out which cases are eligible to be cleared under Proposition 64. Prosecutors estimate there are 50,000 eligible convictions in Los Angeles County and 4,000 more in San Joaquin County. It’s unclear how far back those convictions go. “This collaboration will improve people’s lives by erasing the mistakes of their past and hopefully lead them on a path to a better future,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement. “Helping to clear that path by reducing or dismissing

(TNS) Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles.

cannabis convictions can result in someone securing a job or benefiting from other programs that may have been unavailable to them in the past.” Studies have shown that people of color are more likely to be arrested and punished in connection with the drug, which critics say perpetuates a cycle of poverty and incar-

ceration by holding them back from getting jobs or finding housing. A 2016 study found that although African Americans make up just 6 percent of California’s population, they account for almost a quarter of those serving time in jail exclusively for marijuana offenses. “Those past harms were passed from generation to generation,”

said San Joaquin District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar. “This allows us to go back and correct those mistakes.” San Francisco was the first to take on such an initiative, pledging to clear 9,300 convictions dating back decades as part of a sweeping effort to rethink “the war on drugs.” Proposition 64 legalized, among other things, the possession and purchase of up to an ounce of marijuana and allowed people to grow up to six plants for personal use. Under the measure, people convicted of marijuana possession can petition the courts to have those convictions expunged if they don’t pose a risk to public safety. People also can petition to have some crimes reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor, including possession of more than an ounce of marijuana by a person who is 18 or older. Nearly 60 percent of voters in Los Angeles County supported the measure. Lacey, who is up for reelection next year, said in the past that her office would not automatically dismiss or reduce marijuana convictions and that people seeking

to clear their records should do so using the courts. Critics say the petition system is a cumbersome process that’s difficult to navigate. “Very few folks have been able to get through this process,” said Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America. A bill signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown last year mandates the state build a list of all Californians eligible to have crimes expunged under Proposition 64 by July 1, with the goal of having all past marijuana-related convictions reduced or cleared in the state by 2020. Code for America has its own goal – to expand the pilot program to more California counties and clear 250,000 convictions by the end of this year. The organization has previously delved into the realm of criminal justice. In 2016, it created Clear My Record, an online application that connects people with lawyers to clear criminal records across California. “We never intended to punish people for life for crimes that are this minor, or that we no longer view as crimes,” Pahlka said.

April 2, 2019

News

Student-veterans and faculty share their stories

(TNS) Yale University is among those under investigation in the college admissions scandal.

Yale voids student’s admission amid scandal NICHOLAS RONDINONE The Hartford Courant (TNS)

(Ashley Lutz/ The Penn) The IUP Student Veterans Organization hosted its second “Ask a Veteran” Forum Thursday in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) Allegheny Room. The event gave student-veterans and faculty a platform to voice their comments and concerns and to hear their stories.

CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TOUR (724) 465-9040

Conveniently located within walking distance of IUP

Fall & Spring Leasing We offer 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7 Bedrooms Houses/Apartments

• • • • • • • •

Newly Remodeled New Furniture New Kitchens New Bathrooms Individual Rooms Daily Housekeeping Management On Site All Utilities Included

934 Oakland Avenue (724) 465-9049 crimsonhawkrentals.com staff@crimsonhawkrentals.com

Yale University has rescinded the admission of one student in connection with a sweeping scandal revealed this month that also implicated the university’s former soccer coach. Thomas Conroy, a spokesman for the university, said Monday morning that the unnamed student’s admission was revoked in connection with the scandal, but did not elaborate how the student was associated with the university. It’s not immediately clear if the university believes any other students were involved in the scandal that led to the indictment of dozens of people paying fortunes to get their children into elite colleges. The former Yale women’s soccer coach, Rudy Meredith, was among those indicted in the admission scandal that prosecutors say was orchestrated by California businessman William “Rick” Singer. According to court documents, Singer took a $1.2 million bribe from a parent to get a student into Yale. At the time the indictments were announced in mid-March, Conroy said: “As the indictment makes clear, the Department of Justice believes that Yale has been the victim of a crime perpetrated by its former women’s soccer coach. The university has cooperated fully in the investigation and will continue to cooperate as the case moves forward.” Meredith, who resigned in November after serving 24 years

as the Yale women’s soccer coach, was accused of taking a $400,000 check from the family of a Yale applicant he ensured would be put on the team, federal court documents show. Meredith, who has agreed to plead guilty to charges including wire fraud, worked with Singer, prosecutors said. “Beginning in or about 2015, Meredith agreed with Singer and others known and unknown to the United States Attorney to accept bribes in exchange for designating applicants to Yale as recruits for the Yale women’s soccer team, and thereby facilitating their admission to the university, in violation of the duty of honest services he owed to Yale as his employer,” authorities wrote in charging documents. The applicant, authorities said, did not play competitive soccer and Singer created a falsified athletic profile that showed the student was the co-captain of a prominent Southern California soccer team. Authorities also accused Meredith of agreeing to take another $450,000 bribe from the father of student attempting to get into Yale. In a letter to the community, Yale President Peter Salovey said he was “committed to making certain the integrity of the admissions and athletic recruitment processes is not undermined again.” Salovey said at the time that Yale may take addition actions and said he was working with athletic director and dean of undergraduate admissions to make changes needed to protect Yale from criminal behavior of this kind.

OPINION

Slow down; enjoy the spectacular now of semester Spring Break? Check. Midterms? Check. IUPatty’s? Check. As discussed on the latest episode of The PennCast, what else is there to look forward to now that the only thing standing in between you and those summer rays of freedom is five more weeks of classes and the dreaded finals week? One of the show’s co-hosts argued that there really isn’t anything to look forward to, while the other argued that simply wasn’t true. For some of you, graduation is not very far away, and then it’s off to the real world or the popular alternative of graduate school. And in six months following graduation, you’ll have to begin paying back all the debt you’ve probably acquired in your time at IUP. For others, it still seems like an eternity

before you’re walking up to get your diploma and joining the IUP alumni Listserv. Whether you’re about to spread your wings and fly from the Crimson Hawk nest or still have a lot left to learn at IUP, here’s some advice: Slow down, live in the now and enjoy the time you have left at one of Pennsylvania’s finest universities. And we know it’s ironic that a group of collegiate journal-

ists is telling you to stop looking so far ahead, as we’re always looking into the future trying to tell students and faculty of upcoming events. But for college students in general today, living in the now and taking in every day seems difficult. You’re looking ahead for assignments, projects and tests, all while trying to prepare for the future by chasing that dream intern-

ship you’ve always wanted. Or you might be like a lot of people, caught up in the glory days from when you were the captain of your high school sports team and everyone knew your name. But either way, even if last week it seemed like everything in the world was spinning in the opposite direction as you, don’t worry. Be present in every day and don’t wish away the rest of the semester away, even if it means salty air and the beginning of a new adventure. As Semisonic’s “Closing Time” says, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” Make the end of this beginning count.

Brought to you By THE PENN STAFF

CARTOONs

(TNS)

Opinion

April 2, 2019

(Chandler Bouton)

Culture

Culture Editor: Steven Langdon Jr. - S.Langdon@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Heather Bair - H.Bair@iup.edu

Students perform story of Cinderella with a twist in ‘Cindi’

(Facebook) IUP Fine Arts presented “Cindi” Saturday in the Fisher Auditorium.

JESS TRUBY

News Editor J.L.Truby@iup.edu @jesstruby

Imagine a classic tale with a modern twist and you have the production “Cindi.”

The IUP theater and dance and music departments presented an evening of dance and percussion. The production is a new spin on the original “Cinderella.” In this production, “Cindi” is a new fashion designer, and she works in the office of Giovanni Designs.

The company is owned by Christian Giovanni’s father, and Christian is hoping to become the new CEO and replace his father in the family business. Christian’s father wanted him to have a life partner, so he sets him up on dates that go terribly and when that did not work hosts a ball where Christian meets Cindi. He doesn’t know it’s her because it’s a masquerade ball. When midnight hits, everyone is supposed to remove their masks, but Cindi is terrified of being fired from her dream job and runs out of the ball, but she trips and loses her shoe in her frantic dash. Christian picks up the shoe and is determined to find the girl it belongs to. He goes through all of the women in the office to find the perfect fit, and the shoe perfectly fits Cindi and they get married, have a baby and live happily ever after. “I think the fact that there was no speaking or singing was a big challenge for them to convey

actions and feelings,” Nick Blatt (junior, criminology) said. “But they did a wonderful job.” The live music brought the show to life, Blatt said. The music was performed live by the IUP percussion band, which was right in front of the stage. “My favorite thing about the show is that we get to work with the percussionists,” said Breana Wojnar (senior, dance), who plays Cindi. “They are amazing and super fun to work with.” Performing to live music is not always easy because it is not exactly the same as the recording, and there are little differences between the two, Wojnar said. Playing a character is another challenge that Wojnar experienced. Sometimes she caught herself slipping from Cindi back to her own personality. Junior designer and one of Christian’s bad dates, Gabriella Harley (freshman, dance) said that she likes having a character.

“I think my favorite thing is transforming into someone else,” Harley said. The auditorium was full, and the audience was engaged through the show, laughing at comical pieces and clapping along to the music. Leach Natushko (junior, communications media) said that she was engrossed throughout the whole performance, and she liked any time Christian was dancing. “He was such a good dancer,” Natushko said. “I loved watching his clean, precise movements.” Rachel Caler (sophomore, early childhood/special education) said she enjoyed the show and that the balcony scene was her favorite because she is a hopeless romantic. “It was good choreography and showed how they were both hung up on meeting each other earlier that night,” Caler said. “It also gave the lead dancers a chance to show their talent.”

Indiana arts scene thrives over the weekend

(John Vasas III/ The Penn) IUP welcomed for KING & COUNTRY (left) at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex Friday. The band is on its burn the ships World Tour.

(Ashley Lutz/The Penn) The Artists Hand Gallery held its Lit Night (right) on Friday. The event was open to everyone, and they invited people to read their own shorts stories and/or poems.

April 2, 2019

Culture

April 2, 2019

Culture

IUP’s Martial Arts Club continues grappling throughout semester CODY S. MINICH Staff Writer the-penn@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The doors of Zink Hall’s Gym B stand propped open. Inside, the usual sounds of dribbling basketballs and screeching shoes against the hardwood floor are absent. A large, yellow mat is stretched out across the court, still curled at one end from being rolled up and stored away since the last meeting. Members of IUP’s Martial Arts Club (IUP MAC) scatter their belongings along the walls and remove their shoes. They do not wear shoes on the mat. Sean Young, secretary member of IUP MAC, stands among the attending members of the meeting as they form a circle on the mat. Young leads the attendees in a group stretch while a speaker behind them fills the gym with fast-tempo pop music. After the warm up, Young demonstrates and explains some basics of Brazilian jiu-jitsu to newcomers. “Before we get started, I want to teach you this,” Young says. “1, 2! 1, 2!” he shouts. The members familiar with this practice clap their hands twice after his call. He explains to the new attendees that when he exclaims these numbers, the group bows slightly and claps twice together. He tries again, but there is a lack of unity in their beat. The club does not focus solely on jiu-jitsu or any singular type of self-defense. In joining a boxing gym or a karate dojo, a person could practice one type of martial art with other members to hone those skills. What separates IUP’s MAC from other local resources is that there is no focus on a particular art or skill. The members practice self-defense both in striking and submissions, stand-up fighting and wrestling on the ground. They have a variety of members with various training in different martial arts who are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge and practicing with others. Mike Soto, a sophomore studying computer science at IUP, is the treasurer of the club. “I started with aikido, a peaceful martial art, but it wasn’t really my style,” Soto said. “Then I started going to a jiu-jitsu gym. I’m more of a ground guy.” He partners with Young to demonstrate techniques. As Soto lays his back down on the ground, knees pointed

(Autumn Dorsey/ The Penn) The IUP Martial Arts Club (MAC) meets in Zink Hall every Thursday at 4 p.m. Pictured above are some of the students during the club, and on the left are Drew Daniel (computer science), left, and Bransyn Luther (computer science), right.

up, Young gets overtop of him in full-mount position. Young is on his knees over Soto’s chest, back straight up in the air. He grabs Soto’s arm and pushes his elbow down against his throat to apply pressure on Soto’s neck. “This is a trap,” Young says about this position. In slow, deliberate motions, Young extends one leg forward, planting his right foot on the ground. As his opponent attempts to push his own arm away from his throat, Young grabs the arm with both hands, rotates his hips and throws his legs over Soto’s chest. He is now perpendicular to his opponent, arching his back and hyperextending his opponent’s arm in an armbar. Young is a sophomore marketing student at IUP. During weekends, Young follows his desire to help people as an EMT. “I started wrestling in middle school into high school,” Young said. “I stopped to pursue my EMT career, but I saw that there was a martial arts club on campus and decided to check it out. I saw other students who practiced various disciplines of martial arts, from beginners to decorated fighters.” As Young releases his opponent from the armbar and they both get back to their feet, he encourages the members to partner up and begin to practice rolling with each other. “1, 2! 1, 2!” Young shouts.

The pause is less evident this time; the claps are closer to being harmonious. Young watches over the beginners carefully, tweaking their movements and guiding them along. He explains why the techniques are effective while reminding the sparring partners to be gentle with each other. After all, this is just practice. When the sparring sessions end, the members once again gather into a circle. Young leads them in practicing movement while standing up and facing an opponent. As they shuffle to their right, they keep their hands up in a defensive position. While moving, they are careful to never cross their feet behind one another. This would compromise their balance. Young and other members of IUP’s martial arts club have participated in different tournaments, such as the Grappling Universe Tournament Series, where Young took first place in novice-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Soto, treasurer for the club, took first place in the beginner division. At the North American Grappling Association, Soto and Young took second place in beginners jiu-jitsu, and another member of the club, Matthew Soloman, took first place. “I never did jiu-jitsu, and the kids I went against went to paid gyms,” Young said with a smile. “They were p*ssed that the

school club team defeated the professional gyms.” As the group that formed on the yellow mat continued their drills, one student sat alone near the mat on his knees. Phillip Dittman is the president of IUP MAC. A martial artist who prefers striking, Dittman reached his black-belt in Tae Kwon Do at the age of 12. “Everyone could use self-defense at least once in their life,” Dittman said. “You learn to hone your instincts about fighting and reflexes when you spar.” In the same room, aspects of Greco/Roman wrestling, jiu-jitsu and Tae Kwon Do are present. As students of each discipline mix with one another, their individual skillsets can be sharpened and examined when they spar. Someone with experience in jiu-jitsu might be able to identify a way out of being pinned down in a way that just is not in a wrestler’s wheelhouse. A kickboxer might be able to stuff a takedown attempt that a wrestler typically has success landing against other grapplers. “As a student organization, we all kind of teach each other,” Young said. The members of IUP’s Martial Arts Club have a unique experience sparring and training together that is different from what one would find at a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) gym or at a boxing gym. The members of IUP MAC have the privilege of training

with each other. Their meetings are not primarily focused on any one discipline of self-defense or martial arts but is a culmination of the variety of all the members’ individual strengths. If a student has no experience with self defense and is interested in watching a boxer spar, they could accomplish that goal at IUP MAC. If someone on campus wants to learn how to defend themselves without striking, they could watch IUP MAC members roll with each other and start learning the basics of jiu-jitsu, wrestling or other forms of grappling. While the group primarily focuses on self-defense, they’re currently grappling with low attendance as well. “It’s a little rough right now,” Dittman said about his role in the club. “I enjoy being president; there’s just not as many members as we would like.” As the clock continues marching forward to the end of their meeting, upon finishing their drills, Young shouts quickly, “1, 2! 1, 2!” Members of the group all lean forward and clap their hands twice. The sound of the claps ring in unison, a simile for the club itself. Just as the members clapping together strengthens the volume of their percussion, the students sparring together strengthens their abilities in martial arts.

April 2, 2019

Culture

Wallwork hosts IUP billiards tournament

(Facebook) Movies to come out in April include “Pet Sematary” (left) on April 4 and “Avengers: Endgame” (right) on April 24.

‘Pet Sematary,’ ‘Avengers: Endgame’ among anticipated movies of April HEATHER BAIR

Lead Culture Writer H.Bair@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring new movies to wash away the rainy blues. April 4 brings another adaptation of one of Stephen King’s books. With the adaptation of books like “Gerald’s Game,” “IT” and the remake of “IT” in 2017, fans are looking forward to the release of “Pet Sematary,” based on the book of the same name. In “Pet Sematary,” a group of children have created a cemetery for dogs and cats who are killed by the busy highway near where they live. After a new family moves in near the burial ground, they realize that “sometimes, dead is better,” after the family cat, who was hit and killed, returns from the grave, “looking a little dead,” as one of the characters states. The novel, which was written in 1983, was adapted into a film in 1989. Now, the newest film has released a teaser in its trailers, hinting at a plot twist nobody saw coming. Another movie to keep an eye out for as far as horror movies go is “The Curse of La Llorona,” released April 17. The movie is based on the Mexican legend of La Llorona, otherwise called the Weeping Wom-

an, the ghost of a woman who drowned her young children. She is said to be looking for them in the river she drowned them in and is usually seen or heard weeping. Those who hear her crying are to run the other way, unless they want to experience “great misfortune.” La Llorona is known for taking children at night, thinking they are her own. She begs for forgiveness as she drowns them. She’s usually seen wearing a white or black gown with a veil. In the upcoming movie however, she takes a much different approach to her usual methods. “The Curse of La Llorona” is said to be the sixth movie in “The Conjuring” series. When a social worker and widow finds signs of foul play during one of her cases, she finds eerie similarities between the events and those of the supernatural that are occurring in her family. She finds out that La Llorona herself has “latched onto” her and her family and will stop at nothing to take the children. If horror movies aren’t your thing, on April 5, the untold story of a black activist and a member of the Ku Klux Klan, will unfold in the form of “The Best of Enemies,” based on the book “The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South” by Osha Gray Davidson. The movie centers around Ann Atwater, played by Taraji P. Henson, who battles KKK leader C. P. Ellis, played by Sam Rockwell. The two agree to co-chair a meeting

that will deal with a school desegregation decree. Upon working together, their lives are changed, and they realize not everything is black and white. On the lighter note, a new comedy will be released April 11 called “Little,” starring Regina Hall. In “Little,” overbearing boss Jordan Sanders offends a little girl, who in turn wishes Sanders to be little again. The morning before a big presentation at Sanders’ job, she wakes up in the body of her former 13-yearold self, who’s not quite as put together as her adult version. Dealing with having to go back to school, not being listened to and not being big anymore, she and her overworked assistant try to find a cure to get her back to normal before it’s too late. The end of April also brings a much-awaited installment to the Marvel Universe. On April 24, “Avengers: Endgame” will be released to the public. The anticipated sequel to “Avengers: Infinity War” follows those left behind after Thanos destroyed half the population. While some of the public’s favorite superheroes try to find ways to bring back their fallen allies, Thanos prepares for the “epic showdown” promised by directors. So whether you’re a horror buff, prefer documentaries or can’t wait to break out your Marvel gear, April promises something for everyone to help forget the gloomy weather.

(John Vasas III /The Penn) IUP’s Office of Housing, Residential Living and Dining hosted its own billiards tournament Thursday on the first floor of Wallwork Hall. Travis Huff (criminology), left, and Scott Huff (criminology), right, were two of the winners during the event.

April 2, 2019

Culture

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? REVIEWS

ANYDECENTMUSIC?

7.6/1o

METACRITIC

8O/1OO

ROLLING STONE

3.5/5

(Facebook) Billie Eilish released Frida her first full-length album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?”

Billie Eilish’s debut album creates a unique music experience MEGAN DONNY Staff Writer M.Donny@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. When you think of a typical teenage pop star, you probably don’t picture a grungy girl in androgynous clothing performing songs about drugs and lucid dreaming. Billie Eilish is redefining the stereotypical definition of “teenage pop sensation.” Eilish’s new album, “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?,” released Thursday, is a creative mixture of edgy, bass-filled bops, quirky interludes and chilling ballads. The 17-year-old gothic pop star has quickly rocketed to the top of the charts within the past three years. Her rule-breaking, uncaring demeanor is what has drawn many in younger generations to her music. She has 15 million Instagram followers, sold out shows with outrageously expensive ticket prices and a haute couture modeling contract. Her EP “don’t smile at me,” released in 2017, gave the first glimpse into who Eilish was. Songs like “bellyache” and “party favor” portrayed Eilish’s ideals of defiance and honesty. Her music is admired because she isn’t afraid to speak her mind and be genuine. Her debut album, which contains 14 songs, begins with an interesting, 14-second ASMR-style interlude in which Eilish takes out her Invisalign, a clear form of dental braces.

“The contrast between having 14 songs that sound completely different but all make sense with each other that sound like one body of work, I feel like I'm most proud of that,” Eilish said to Billboard. The first song on the album, “bad guy,” is a bass-filled composition about how Eilish is the “bad guy” in relationships. The song is an accurate portrayal of Eilish’s signature musical style. Her song “xanny” contains moments of bone-rattling bass and heavy messages about how teenagers are being partially informed. One song, “my strange addiction,” includes riffs from an episode of “The Office” in which Michael Scott and some of his employees boast about Scott’s own creativity. Songs like “i love you” and “listen before i go” show off Eilish’s melodic voice and a softer, less sharp side of herself. Eilish released “you should see me in a crown,” “when the party’s over,” “bury a friend” and “wish you were gay” as singles before the album release. “Bury a friend” quickly moved to the top of the charts as soon as Eilish released it. The cover of the new album is quite jarring and unsettling. Eilish is dressed in all white and sitting on a bed with all-white sheets and a black background. What makes the image especially creepy is that she has no pupils or eye color; they are completely white. It is not uncommon for Eilish to create unsettling images of

videos of herself. In her music video for “when the party’s over,” she cries long black streams after drinking a glass of dark liquid. In the “you should see me in a crown” music video, she simply stood and let spiders crawl all over her body, including out of her mouth. Each song on the album either

has its own animated graphic art or a playlist video of Eilish on Spotify. The graphic art is created specifically for each song and adds to the musical experience Eilish wants us to go on when we listen to the album. The album has already generated a lot of buzz in the music world and will probably continue to.

Famous female musicians like Avril Lavigne, Tove Lo and Paramore lead singer Hayley Williams have already praised Eilish’s new album. While good reviews from Billboard and Rolling Stone are important, the support and acclamations from other poppunk icons shows how impactful Eilish’s album is.

RUNCO RENTALS STUDENT HOUSING

(724) 349-0152 WWW.RUNCORENTAL.COM

Sports

Sports Editor: Elliot Hicks – E.Hicks@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Brad O’Hara – B.L.Ohara@iup.edu

(IUP Athletics) Austin Mueller (sophomore, business) provided the go-ahead three-run double in IUP’s victory Saturday.

(Twitter/@IUPBaseball) Alex Thornberry (freshman, graphic design) bats during a scrimmage at Peoples Natural Gas Field in Altoona.

Baseball takes victory in final game of UPJ series JAKE SLEBODNICK

Production Manager J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu @slebby24

Not even a week removed from being swept by the California (Pa.) Vulcans, the IUP baseball team hit the field this past weekend for its second PSAC series against the UPJ Mountain Cats, with the Crimson Hawks taking the victory in the series’ final game. All four games were played in Johnstown due to inclement weather. UPJ had home-field advantage Friday, while IUP would act as the home team Saturday. Friday did not go in favor for the Crimson Hawks, as the Mountain Cats pounced early, putting up five runs in the first three innings of play. However, IUP collected its only two runs of the game after capitalizing on UPJ’s three errors. That would be IUP’s only successful inning, dropping the series’

first game 5-2. Luke Hollander (junior, marketing) collected a pair of hits while crossing home plate once in the first game. The Friday matinee featured a more competitive contest as both teams took a 3-3 tie into the bottom of the fifth. Jeff Allen (senior, criminology), IUP’s best pitcher so far this season, struck out seven Mountain Cats through six innings, and Ben Teplin (sophomore, business) went a perfect 3-for-3 in the hitting column. What hindered a Crimson Hawk comeback was the amount of times that runners were left on base in scoring position. This occurred twice in game two, which prevented four runs from scoring and a win. UPJ capitalized on IUP in the sixth inning as Scott Thompson hit a go-ahead solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, leading to a

4-3 victory for UPJ. As the Mountain Cats took Friday’s series, the Crimson Hawks sought retribution on Saturday. IUP acted as the home team at Johnstown’s historic Point Stadium. In game three, UPJ started strong and gained a 2-1 lead through five innings played. Matt Swartz (redshirt senior, business administration) continued his dominance in the hitting column, as he went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the seventh frame. IUP ultimately came up short as UPJ tallied two runs in the seventh to put them over the Crimson Hawks 6-4. The Crimson Hawks looked like a completely different team in the final game at Johnstown, taking a 3-2 win against the Mountain Cats. After IUP loaded the bases in the seventh inning, catcher Austin Mueller (sophomore, business) delivered a go-ahead three-run

April 2, 2019

double to put the Crimson Hawks ahead. Prior to this at-bat, IUP trailed 2-0 throughout the game. Mueller finished the game with 2-4 at the plate, three RBIs and two walks. Tyler Adams (junior, criminology) did not give up a single run through five innings of work. Additionally, he struck out eight batters, a season high, while only allowing five hits. Mike Klingensmith (graduate, exercise science) came in for the final two frames to seal the victory for the Crimson Hawks, giving them their first conference win of the season. “It’s good to end the series with a win,” Klingensmith said. “We need to build off that coming into next weekend and play relaxed, ‘non-pressure’ baseball like I know this team can.” The Crimson Hawks also participated in a scrimmage Monday,

which was unscored, at Altoona’s Peoples Natural Gas Field against members of the Altoona Curve, Pittsburgh’s minor league affiliate at the AA level. Curve manager Michael Ryan is an Indiana native, and the scrimmage finally went on this year after being postponed in the two years prior. Next up for IUP is a pair of games Tuesday against the Walsh Cavaliers at Dougherty Field. IUP will enter the home doubleheader with a 7-14 record overall, a 1-7 record in the PSAC. The Cavaliers will enter the game with an 11-12 record while riding a four-game winning streak. One game that was part of this streak was their 24-1 victory against Ohio Valley last Friday. IUP looks to ride the wave of momentum and not only end Walsh’s winning streak, but also start their own before jumping back into conference play.

Sports

April 2, 2019

Sports

(TNS) Auburn, Michigan State, Texas Tech and Virginia make up the 2019 Final Four.

Final Four features just one No. 1 seed left fighting JAKE ROUSE

Staff Writer J.A.Rouse3@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

And then there were four – the Final Four. The National Championship is within grasp of just four remaining NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball programs: Auburn, Michigan State, Texas Tech and Virginia. Here’s how they got through the Sweet 16: Auburn is the lowest-remaining seed in the national tournament who made it out of the Midwest region of the bracket as the No. 5 seed. The Tigers’ Sweet 16 matchup was against No. 1 North Carolina, who many had winning their brackets. Auburn was not intimidated

by the matchup, handling the Tar Heels by 17 points in a 97-80 outcome, allowing them to move onto the Elite Eight. That is where Auburn faced off with one-and-done powerhouse Kentucky. Kentucky and Auburn went back and forth fighting for a spot in the Final Four and forced overtime in the process. Auburn was able to take the early lead in overtime and manage the game until the 77-71 finish. Virginia also made its way to the Final Four through overtime. It was able to hold off No. 12 seed Oregon in the Sweet 16 in a low-scoring 53-49 game. Then it had to matchup with Purdue, who beat Tennessee in overtime to make the Elite Eight. The Virginia/Purdue game went

back and forth through the overtime period of its own. Purdue had a chance late in overtime but had to take the ball the full length of the court with time winding down. Purdue’s point guard made a half court pass ahead to a teammate who was unable to catch the long pass and force a turnover, ultimately, handing the game and a ticket to the Final Four over to Virginia. Texas Tech was the first of the Final Four to secure their spot in Minneapolis. They handled Michigan in the Sweet 16, holding Michigan to record lows in scoring in the first half. The Red Raiders won 63-44. Texas Tech then became the underdogs in their Elite Eight matchup with the No. 1 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs. Although March Madness always sees a myriad of upsets

no matter what the bracket looks like, Texas Tech defeated Gonzaga 75-69 with rapper Nipsey Hussle watching from the stands in Anaheim, mere hours before his unexpected death. Michigan State slayed the goliath that had been the Duke Blue Devils this season. Duke lucked its way into the Sweet 16, escaping a missed bucket by UCF. Then it happened again in the Sweet 16 when Duke played Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech had a chance to tie the game on an inbounds play. They executed the baseline out of bounds play to perfection, at least until the shot attempt. On the alley-oop in the final seconds, the Virginia Tech player simply did not get the ball close enough to the rim

to tie the game, finishing with Duke escaping again in the final seconds to move onto the Elite Eight. Michigan State was happily waiting for a matchup with the Blue Devils after smacking LSU in the Sweet 16, 80-63. Once again, Duke’s game went down to the final seconds. Although it seems like Duke’s luck had run out in the Elite Eight. R.J. Barrett missed a late 3-point attempt off the front of the rim and the first of two free throws that could’ve tied the game. In the final few seconds, Michigan State was able to escape Duke’s defense with the ball and run out the clock, eliminating the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. The fight for a national championship rolls on.

April 2, 2019

Sports

5JDLFUT TUBSU BU XIFO ZPV QSFTFOU ZPVS * $BSE BU UIF ,$"$ #PY 0GGJDF

April 2, 2019

Sports

STAT STORIES #5

Who’s the favorite to take home the national championship? ANDREW PIERSON Staff Writer A.W.Pierson@iup.edu @AndrewPierson23

This article contains opinion. Now that the Final Four is set in this year’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, it’s time to take a look at the four teams who have made it here and how they have performed along the way. The only No. 1 seed to make the Final Four this year is the Virginia Cavaliers, who were bounced from the tournament last year by a 16 seed. The Cavaliers defeated a sharpshooting Purdue team in the Elite Eight, but it took overtime to do it. The Cavaliers are averaging almost 67 points per game so far in the tournament but are only allow-

ing their opponents to score an average of fewer than 58 points per game so far. Virginia likes to play at a slow and controlled pace, which is the opposite of their Final Four matchup, Auburn. The Auburn Tigers beat the No. 1-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 by 17 points. Although they came out with a win, they lost their best player to a torn ACL but were still able to fend off the Kentucky Wildcats in overtime to advance. The Tigers are averaging more than 85 points per game while giving up just fewer than 76 points per game. This one will come down to which team can force the game into its pace and play comfortably. On the other side of the Final Four sits Michigan State who defeated the No. one overall seeded

Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight. The Spartans are averaging 73 points per contest while giving up only just more than 61. They are led by point guard Cassius Winston, who will look to find a way through the Texas Tech defense to give the Spartans a shot at another NCAA title. Texas Tech has been an amazing defensive team all year and has shown that they might be the best defensive team in the country by their play throughout the tournament. As a team in the tournament, they are only allowing 57 points per game while putting up 72 per contest. They held an elite team in Michigan to only 44 points and held Gonzaga to fewer than 70 points in their Elite Eight matchup. This should be yet another amazing Final Four.

Betting Lines/Odds

3-2

4-1

7-4 -3 Total: 133

-5.5 total: 131

7-1

April 2, 2019

Sports

(TNS) Championship belts in sports are nothing new, but awarding one for paying players the least amount possible places MLB in a dark spot.

MLB celebrates low arbitration; now we know about it SARAH VALENZUELA New York Daily News TNS What do MLB owners truly care about? It’s a dangerous game guessing at the priorities of billionaires. Better to let them demonstrate on their own. Each year, one of the 30 MLB teams is awarded a replica championship belt. For what, you ask? According to a report by The Athletic’s Marc Carig, the belt is the award for the team that did the most to suppress player salaries in arbitration. The league puts it a little more politely, saying it’s to “achieve the goals set by the industry.” Owners and representatives from every team attend this annual meeting, and are encouraged to contribute best practices, which will then be used against the play-

ers in arbitration. Arbitration is the process by which players who have not been in the majors long enough to freely enter free agency, but are also not signed by their team, are forced to make the case that they deserve their salaries. The two sides, management and players, come up with a number (no prize for guessing whose is lower), and if they cannot reach an agreement, a group of arbitrators hears cases from the two sides and picks one of the numbers. If the player loses, his salary can actually decrease by as much as 20 percent. It can get ugly, as things did with Cleveland’s Trevor Bauer, who claimed the club was using “character assassination” in its hearings. Or with the Yankees’ Dellin Betances, who lost his arbitration with the Yankees in 2017 – he was paid $3

million instead of $5 million – and was ripped by team president Randy Levine. “It’s like me saying, ‘I’m not the president of the Yankees; I’m an astronaut,’ “ Levine said. “No, I’m not an astronaut, and Dellin Betances is not a closer.” All that is to say that the teams’ obsession with the process is understandable, because they can share best practices with one another, unlike in the open market, where that would be collusion. The MLBPA took notice. Executive Director Tony Clark issued a statement saying, “That clubs make sport of trying to suppress salaries in a process designed to produce fair settlements shows a blatant lack of respect for our Players, the game and the arbitration process itself.” Players responded as well.

Royals utility man Whit Merrifield tweeted, “This is embarrassing and a huge reason we continue to fight for our rights and fair compensation as players.” This is all prelude to the coming labor war in baseball. Two straight offseasons of stagnant free-agent markets are not offset by the recent flurry of extensions and a handful of big ticket signings – an AP study finds that MLB salaries are expected to drop for the second straight season, even taking the big contracts into account. Players have adjusted to the teams’ heavy-handed tactics in arbitration. This spring, Luis Severino agreed to a team-friendly fouryear, $40 million extension rather than enter arbitration. Aaron Hicks agreed to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, before signing another steal for the Yanks, a seven-year,

$70 million extension. The truly amazing thing about arbitration, though, is how low the dollar amounts are compared to how fierce the battles can become. Severino’s near-arbitration was over just $850,000 – pocket change for the Yankees. Betances’ arbitration was over just $2 million. And Jacob deGrom’s arbitration, which was valued only at $17 million, a historic arbitration figure for the reigning NL Cy Young award winner, but far below the $27.5 average annual value of deGrom’s eventual fiveyear, $137.5 contract. Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that management is willing to squeeze every rock in arbitration, though. After all, it even pinches pennies on its salary suppressing championship hardware: The belt cost just $20.