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CULTURE
Culture Editor: Katelin Pompa – xzgw@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Haley Brown – tbfx@iup.edu
(Case Marshall/The Penn)
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Stabley Library to receive $135,000 donation from former director.
IUP libraries receives generous donation
EVA TILLICH Contributing Writer jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP
Former Director of Libraries William Lafranchi made a $135,000 donation to Stabley Library to support scholarships and the library.
The donation will benefit the library in numerous ways. It will help provide them with resources and materials.
Additionally, the donation established the William E. and Sylvia P. Martin Lafranchi Sutton Scholarship.
“This investment in our program will allow us to expand and enhance the services and collections we provide in support of IUP’s teaching, learning and research mission,” Dean of the IUP Libraries Dr. Erik Nordberg said.
The IUP libraries are extremely thankful for the gift and support from Lafranchi.
“As a former library leader, Mr. Lafranchi understands the core value of the library to the university, yet he also realizes that libraries continue to evolve, particularly through technology,” Nordberg said.
The William E. and Sylvia P. Martin Lafranchi Sutton Scholarship will help student pursuing degrees in nursing. It also created the William E.and Sylvia P. Martin Lafranchi Library Endowment. In addition, some of the donation will go toward the Dr. Tony Atwater and Dr. Beverly Roberts Atwater Presidential Scholars Fund. This fund provides support for freshmen at IUP.
High achieving students can potentially be awarded the Sutton Scholarship based on an application, GPA and SAT scores.
“Support for scholarships is critical to helping us to continue to recruit and retain academically promising students at IUP,” Vice President for Enrollment Management Patricia McCarthy said. “We see so many deserving students with so much financial need. We are very grateful for gifts that help our students fund their education.”
Lafranchi, a Brookville native, earned a master’s degree from the University of Illinois in Library Science. Afterward, he started his career at Clarion High School as a librarian. He then joined IUP in 1953 where he worked as the director of IUP libraries and media services. He spent 33 years in this role and later retired in 1986.
“The very existence of life demands that certain strategies exist,” Lafranchi said. “Libraries and information systems, plus artificial intelligence, all are the introduction to shared enhancements to the world as learning.”
There are four libraries that collectively make up the IUP Libraries. The branches are the Stapleton/ Stabley building, the Orendorff Music Library, the Punxsutawney Regional Library and the Northpointe Regional Library.
The Stapleton/Stabley building serves as IUP’s central library. Additionally, the Stapleton/Stabley building houses the main book and archive collections, services, resources and more. The services and resources are shared amongst the different branches through a union catalog.
This donation from the Lafranchis is a part of the Imagine Unlimited Campaign.
The Imagine Unlimited Campaign is IUP’s $75 million project that lets IUP advance as a national leader by enhancing students’ experiences through scholarships, new and modern facilities and various programs.
12 November 4, 2020 Culture STATIC plans fun events for next week
HALEY BROWN Lead Culture Writer tbfx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP
STATIC has yet another exciting week of upcoming events for the IUP community to look forward to, and the events they plan for students and the community rarely disappoint.
The first of two events that are planned for the coming week will be one of STATIC’s infamous Netflix Watch Parties. STATIC will virtually present the female standup comedian Taylor Thompson Nov. 11.
The event will occur from 8 to 10 p.m. on the Google Chrome Netflix Watch Party extension. To participate, you need access to a Netflix account, but if you do not have access, you can use a free 30-day trial of Netflix to temporarily gain access.
During the watch party, STATIC will also ask some trivia questions about Taylor Tomlinson and re-
STATIC has adapted to virtual events to keep students together. ward the night’s trivia winner with ‘young.’ some prizes that have yet to be This up-and-coming female announced. The special that will millennial comedian started be streamed is Taylor Tomlinson’s her rise to fame by performing “Quarter Life Crisis!” that came in church basements and cofout on Netflix earlier in the year. fee shops. Tomlinson was even
In the special, Tomlinson takes named one of the top 10 comics a bit of a self-depreciating trip to watch by Variety in 2019. about her life choices thus far. She Tune in with STATIC’s Watch also uses this special to address Party to have a night full of jokes how weird it is to be too young and relatable millennial content to to be an ‘adult’ but not young laugh right along with. enough to be considered truly On Nov. 12, STATIC has a
(STATIC /Twitter)
living room concert planned from 8 to 10 p.m. They will be hosting a virtual concert with the indie-pop band AJR.
The band of three brothers hails from Manhattan and writes, produces and mixes all of their music in their apartment living room. They have released five albums thus far as well as five EP’s.
The three brothers bring their own mix of talents to the table. Each perform a variety of the band’s musical components together. Adam provides vocals and bass, Jack contributes vocals and guitar and Ryan performs on the guitar, piano and vocals. Their most popular songs to date on the popular music streaming site, Spotify, are titled “Bang!” and “Burn the House Down.”
The concert is completely free and requires no kind of preregistration. It will take place on Zoom, and the link can be found on the event’s page on STATIC’s website.
There will also be a live Q&A portion of the night after the concert portion. Watchers can send in any questions they might have for the band to STATIC’s email or send the question in a direct message to STATIC’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.
The waiting room of this event on Zoom will open at 7:30 p.m. and watchers can expect the concert to begin promptly at 8 p.m.
Follow STATIC on Twitter to find more information.
Culture
How students are spending their time
With the pandemic continuing to impact our lives, faculty and students are still looking for ways to go about their lives, and this includes their work environment.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released changes to their guidelines for businesses and returning employees May 6. One of the first reactions of a lot of businesses and schools was to shut down, which caused nonessential workers to stay home.
As of today, businesses are enforcing their employees to wear masks along with conducting daily health checks, implementing social distancing and sanitizing their stations between interactions with each customer.
Zach Krieger (junior, philosophy) said that he does not prefer to work during the semester. However, he works with a self-employed carpet installer between semesters and had to adjust to wearing mask while doing such a labor-intensive job.
Additionally, Reyhan Faizi (freshman, mechanical engineering) is not currently working. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and reading. However, she has added a new hobby of knitting to her schedule to make up for the time she would have spent working.
Not all students, however, have decided prolong to going back to work. Brielle Stephens (junior, communications media) works at Planet Fitness as a front desk representative. She is currently taking online courses this semester from home.
“The new protocols don’t affect my lifestyle that much besides a few minor changes,” she said.
Students are not the only ones who have to adjust to new work environments. This includes faculty as well.
(Monoar_CGI_Artis/Pixabay)
“I’ve been adapting to new protocols as best as I can,” Dr. Anna Ortiz, communications media professor, said.
Ortiz said she tries her best to provide engaging and meaningful experiences for her students. She has been working harder than ever to solve her issues through her email while balancing her role as a mother. She reminds herself that no matter how exhausted she gets; she will work through it and smile.
With everything shutting down, it’s important to stay busy by finding new hobbies to fill free time for those not working. This is also the perfect time to spend with families since there is not much you can do outside of your home.
If you’re having trouble finding something to keep you busy, here are some new things to try.
According to MindFood, baking is known to be beneficial to help with mental health. The preparation of making the batter helps stimulate your senses, specifically smell, taste and touch. Focusing your brain onto something as simple as mixing ingredients can help release stress and anxiety.
Another great advantage of baking is that you can taste your creation after you spent the whole time making it and released any stress from your body.
If you want to try a hobby that is more family oriented, try putting together puzzles. They are known to help the ability to problem solving.
It allows you to take different approaches in order to figure out which pieces go where. Once the puzzle is complete, you have created the picture perfect that you can take apart at any time and put it back together.
Regardless of where you’re at right now, remember, we’re all in this together. There are lots of resources available to students if you are feeling down.
Sometimes going outdoors to take a walk and help when you are feeling cooped up.
November 4, 2020 13
Students laugh out loud with these comedians
EMILY LOOSE and pure.” “She touches on a lot of womStaff Writer For Mary Kate Johnston (soph- en’s issues,” Reed said. e.d.loose@iup.edu omore, nursing), Mulaney’s stories Aside from her comedy spe@ThePennIUP were always entertaining, especially cials, Shlesinger also has a show on when he included his wife and their Netflix titled “The Iliza Shlesinger
During times of uncertainty, dog. Sketch Show.” It premiered in 2019 finding something to laugh about “He makes it so relatable and and has six episodes. can be helpful. jokes about the difference of Other comedians chosen by IUP
As IUP goes through various religion,” she said. “He just has students included Patton Oswalt. changes including its spring break such hilarious stories that wouldn’t Hayden White (sophomore, theater, plans and retrenching faculty, happen to anyone else.” dance and performance) said he students of the school have found Another popular choice was Bert enjoyed his dark humor. comedy was able to keep them at Kreischer. Aside from his stand-up “He goes kinda dark with his ease. specials, Kreischer has also been a wife’s death but that’s life,” White
With so many stand-up specials reality television host and was called said. on various media platforms, there “the top partyer at the Number Students are not the only ones was a wide array of comedians to One Party School in the country” by that have favorite comedians. Noel choose as the best. Some proved to Rolling Stone in 1997 while attend- Paulina, who works in custodial serbe very popular, however. ing Florida State University. vices, said her family loved Sebas-
One comedian that most He has also been known to tian Maniscalco. responding students agreed upon perform his routines without a shirt “I grew up with Italians,” she said. was John Mulaney. He is known for on, something that made him a top “He is old school. He talks about his his work as a writer on “Saturday choice for Martina McKimm (sopho- upbringing and family.” Night Live” along with his Netflix more, interior design). Maniscalco’s special “Stay specials. “He’s hilarious,” she said. “I don’t Hungry” can be found on Netflix.
These specials include “New Kid really know how to explain him, but Some of his other performances are in Town” and “Kid Gorgeous,” both he has a bunch of Netflix specials.” available on YouTube. of which received plenty of positive Kreischer’s Netflix specials For those who do not have acclaim. include “Hey Big Boy” and “Secret Netflix accounts, clips of all of these
Amanda Valinotti (senior, fine Time.” comedians are available on YouTube arts) said his lack of controversy Kaiya Reed (sophomore, anthro- and other social media platforms. made him a great comedian to pology) and Savannah Kyle (junior, Changes as well as learning rewatch. theater) both said they enjoyed the mote can cause high tension within
“He’s incredibly funny and style of comedy by Iliza Shlesinger, students. In order to relax, somecreative without being insensitive to finding it to be both relatable and times the best option is to binge anyone,” she said. “He’s just so silly important. watch something.
Seasonal Depression is approaching
Are you prepared for shorter days?
(kytapal/Pixabay) (Free-photos/Pixabay) Sometimes bleak weather can affect your mental health. Often when suffering with depression, you feel alone. ALEXIS LOYA Copy Editor zphw@iup.edu @ThePennIUP seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) coincidentally as, “a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons.” know, produces serotonin. This is your brain’s “happy chemical” that makes you feel good. As mentioned previously, once you take that away, your mood seems it “mimics sunlight using full spectrum light at up to 10,000 lux to enhance mood, energy, sleep and focus – but without harmful UV rays.” i0HcFcpWJ26NmlnagxiJJg_ tn_7RaMre9waAvAaEALw_wcB&hvadid=241949435891&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9006144&h vnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvra -
For some, the turning of the Most people with SAD experi- to go, too. You use this lamp within 4 nd=5772569776299421252&hleaves means the joys of up- ence their symptoms beginning There are ways to try to hours of waking up to replicate vtargid=kwd-136616897&hycoming holidays, but for others, in the fall and continue into the combat the onslaught of SAD. the “morning sun.” You want to dadcr=24661_10400816&keyworit’s the approaching dread of winter months, draining your To start, let’s take a look at how keep it in close proximity to your ds=dawn+simulaseasonal depression. energy. Symptoms, of course, can to add some light back into our face for about 20 to 60 minutes. tor&qid=1604269034&s-
This is not to say that holidays include feeling depressed, losing lives. Of course, this is not to say you r=8-3&tag=googhydr-20. like Thanksgiving, Christmas, interest in activities, having low You may not have heard of can’t find a set up that works There are more stereotypical Ramadan, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa energy, trouble sleeping, chang- this, but there is such thing as best for you. ways that you can treat SAD, too. aren’t exciting in their own way es in weight, sluggishness or ag- “light therapy” that’s used to If you want something that This can include seeing a doctor for different people. It’s that not itation, difficulty concentrating, help treat SAD. Since the sun is automatically wakes you up as about anti-depressants, using everyone has the luxury of having anxiety or suicidal thoughts. gone, there are certain lights you though the sun would, there are aromatherapy, staying active, a big family to spend these holi- For those with bipolar disor- can buy that try to mimic it. also “dawn simulators.” They sticking to a consistent schedule day’s with. der, the seasonal changes of fall The best light overall is a work similarly to light lamps. The or taking Vitamin-D supplements.
Also, the sun isn’t out as long, and winter are a time of depres- lamp called Verilux HappyLight only difference is that it’s like an Additionally, the counseling which means you aren’t getting sion, and the spring and summer Lucent, which can be found alarm clock, but instead of loud center at IUP is still available that fresh Vitamin D feeling. is a time of mania. on Amazon at: https://www. music or beeping, it produces virtually for students. Their office
While the vibrant hues of red One of the clinically known amazon.com/Verilux-Hap- light that gradually increases in hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and orange are pretty, some causes of SAD includes your pyLight-Lucent-Bright-Therapy/ intensity. Monday through Friday, and you can’t shake that feeling that it’s body’s biological clock or “cir- dp/B079YBGPM5/?tag=dot- The cheapest on Amazon can reach them at (724) 357-2621 almost like things are dying. Fast cadian rhythm.” The changing dashvwm-20&ascsub- can be found at: https://www. to schedule an appointment. forward to winter; the snow is sun patterns interferes with your tag=4172537%7Cn04921b62f- amazon.com/Sunrise-Sleep- SAD affects different people pretty, but everything is officially body’s ability to regulate your c2346aca736703839b2a3a822. ers-Simulation-Nightlight-Day- in different ways. Some things dead. sleep-wake cycle. Proper sleep- This lamp also works well for light/dp/B081CHLF46/ listed may help some, but not
To add to the mix, COVID-19 is ing patterns have a direct effect those on a tight budget, also ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&gclid=C- others. It’s important to see what still here. on your moods. known as most college students. j0KCQjwufn8BRCwARIsAKz- works best for you and strive to
The Mayo Clinic defines Vitamin D, for those who don’t According to the description, P697ODhdQyEAhT7heMwJ0Q- maintain a positive outlook.
IUP students give fall fashion tips
November 4, 2020 Culture How do students feel about Amy Coney Barret?
Fall is officially here, which means the start to the holidays and of course, cute clothes.
Although things are looking different this year, what hasn’t changed is the iconic fall styles that are seen every year. Many fall-fashion trends have come and gone in the last few years, but there are some that will last a lifetime such as vests, boots, sweaters, leggings and more.
“I love chunky booties and scarves,” Hannah McCreary (junior, human resources) said. “They’re my absolute favorite things to wear.”
Booties and scarves are some of the top fashion trends for women and men as well. There are many different types of each for both groups to wear and feel good in.
“My favorite fall fits are probably the tall brown boots and vests,” Alexis Smith (senior, biology) said.
There are many different kinds of vest that everyone likes from fleece, thin, heavy and more. Vests are the go-to for a lot of people until winter coat season hits.
One of the most popular fall trends is probably sweaters. There are many different types such as chunky, casual, thin, large, open and more. Sweaters are good because you can dress them up with heels or wear them with just leggings.
“I love chunky sweaters during fall,” Meghan McCreary (graduate, nutrition) said. “I have so many in a lot of different colors.”
Another popular fall trend is hoodies and sweatshirts. This
(couleur/Pixabay) trend is popular for both females and males no matter the time of year but especially fall. Hoodies come in all colors, styles and sizes. Whether they’re baggy, form fitting, or fit just right, they are the fall go-to.
“Wearing hoodies and sweats all the time is ideal,” Mason Carothers (junior, health and physical education) said. “It’s one of the many reasons why I love fall.”
Another great fall look is the jean jacket. This can be dressed up or down, and it’s personally my favorite thing to wear in the fall.
“Jean jackets are so easy to make a cute outfit with,” Gina Biancarelli (senior, nursing) said. “It can either be super dressy or very casual.”
Jean jackets can be baggy, long, short, plain or patterned. No matter the kind, it’s vital that you have at least one in your fall wardrobe.
Fall is the time for new colors, themes and reflection of the year. Although 2020 has been anything short of traditional, one of the few things that haven’t changed are the seasons and with that comes fashion trends both new and old.
These fashion trends are important because it gives us a sense of warmth and style at the same time during these upcoming months.
Be bold this fall. Wear that sweater or skirt, take a cute picture of yourself and post it.
It’s 2020, we should start enjoying the little things that are around us, even something as small as fashion trends.
Make sure you check out some of these trends this fall and be confident in them. You can always add accessories too.
Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as Supreme Court Justice on Oct. 27. (Facebook)
EVA TILLICH Staff Writer jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP
On Oct. 27, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as the next Supreme Court Justice with a 52 to 48 vote in favor of her nomination from the Senate.
Barrett was appointed by President Donald Trump in September after the sudden passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This appointment and now confirmation of Barrett has left many IUP students with conflicting feelings.
“I think it is embarrassing and concerning that our government has chosen to elect a Supreme Court Justice who could not so much as confidently list the rights included in the first amendment,” Jenna Painter (freshman, English) said. “[Also,] her inability to separate her political views and religious affiliations is a flaw that a member of the Supreme Court should absolutely never exhibit because these types of biases directly contradict the duties a justice is supposed to uphold.”
Other students shared their frustration with this confirmation and mention that they are concerned about their own rights.
Some of the student’s biggest concerns are women’s reproductive rights and LGBT rights.
“Her policies break down all of the gains that women have earned in the past century,” Mariah Mauser (freshman, music education) said. “I would be losing my reproductive rights, right to love whoever I want, right to free speech, amongst many others. She is not for women nor a symbol of women empowerment and I am ashamed … RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) is rolling in her grave. We deserved better.”
Although several students are worried about the future, several other students are very confident in Barrett and look forward to what will come from her in the future.
“I feel like she is very qualified for the position,” Sam Shelenberger (freshman, music education) said. “I don’t think she will let her personal beliefs determine how she will judge cases. I’m interested to see what is going to happen next. She’s confident in her ability, and I think she will remain largely unbiased.”
Barrett’s experience prior to her confirmation includes serving on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She was appointed to the position by Trump in 2017. She was on the Advisory Committee on Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure from 2010 to 2016 after being appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts. She also was rated as “well qualified” by American Bar Association.
“Over the past few weeks, the entire world has seen Justice Barrett’s deep knowledge, tremendous poise and towering intellect,” Trump said. “Justice Barrett earned a full academic scholarship to Notre Dame Law School, graduated first in her class and served as a clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia.
She was a beloved professor at Notre Dame Law School for 15 years before I very proudly appointed her to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017.”
Barrett attended Rhodes College where she majored in English literature and graduated in 1994. She later attended and graduated from Notre Dame Law School 1997 with a summa cum laude academic distinction.
The confirmation of Barrett has left IUP students with mixed feelings of disappointment and anticipation. Her future as a justice is still not clear, and IUP students are not sure what to expect. Follow the news to see how Barrett performs.