09/13/19

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The Penn

EIGHTEEN YEARS LATER: IUP HOLDS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR 9/11

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NEWS

News Editor: Jake Slebodnick – J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu Lead News Writer: Emily Loose – E.D.Loose@iup.edu

Power outage leaves campus a ghost town for hours

(Jake Slebodnick/The Penn)

(Autumn Dorsey/The Penn) Tuesday’s power outage on campus brought classes and organizations to a halt. It lasted from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. During this time, WIUP-FM (top, right) cut transmission while the Hadley Union Building food court was forced to close early.

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Students perplexed by Tuesday’s power outage LIAM NOBLE

Contributing Writer L.R.Noble@iup.edu @noble_solas

With all the buzz and confusion on campus because of the recent power outage, it seems only few have shed light for the students here at IUP about the blackout that occurred in Indiana Tuesday. According to 101.1 FM, WCCS Radio – The Voice of Indiana County, “Indiana Fire Association was called out to the corner of Water Street and Jimmy Avenue at 12:04 p.m. for a report of lines down.” However, despite the power being turned back on since Tuesday night, students still feel irked

by the impact the blackout had on them. For some students, the power outage was extremely bothersome, especially because IUP had not kept any of them updated during the situation. For Patrick Cone (senior, communications media), a radio host on the school station, the power outage was a big deal. “The power outage really impacted my show since the first power surge took our transmitter off the airwaves,” Cone said. “This means my show wasn't going out to the radio listeners. When the power completely went out, my show completely got cut and meant that no one could listen to the playlist I had ready

Police Blotter THEFT •

An unknown person stole a PS4 game console and related items from an IUP student’s apartment in the 100 block of S. Eighth Street between 9 a.m. and noon Sept. 9. This incident is related to two other incidents in the same area, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to call Indiana Borough Police at (724) 349-2121.

• An unknown person stole a package of a doorstep in the 300

block of Douglas Avenue between 12:15 and 3 p.m. Sept. 9, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to call borough police.

An unknown person or persons broke into an apartment and stole a PS4 and damaged property inside the apartment in the 200 block of West Avenue between 11:30 a.m. and 12:38 p.m. Sept. 9, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to call borough police.

An unknown person stole a black wallet from a parked car in the 400 block of Elm Street between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to call borough police.

Miscellaneous Violations •

An unknown person or persons damaged a door in the 600 block of Locust Street between 9 a.m. and 1:12 p.m. Sept. 9, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to call borough police.

A resident in the 300 block of S. 13th Street received a spam phone call, in which he was told that he was under investigation for a crime in another state. The caller then tried to get the resident’s social security number, according to borough police. Residents are reminded that scams come in all forms and personal information should not be given to unknown people.

for my show. Not only did my playlist not go out to the listeners, but also, my mom, as she always does, made sure to catch my show, but the power outage meant she made her work schedule work around my radio show all for nothing. So I'm a little miffed that the student body wasn't even informed about the reason for this or updates on the power outage.” Some students got lucky from the power outage because certain classes were canceled. Jess Powell (sophomore, psychology), stated the blackout “got [her] out of math class, so [she isn't] complaining.” Other students were not so lucky and found the power outage to be extremely annoying.

Some students still even had to attend classes despite the darkness. “I was at North Dining Hall when the blackout started, and the power just randomly went out while I was eating,” Mike Hall (junior, computer science) said. “I had first thought it was just a North Dining Hall problem, but some friends were messaging me saying the whole campus had lost power as well. When I got back to my apartment after eating, I had also lost power there as well. So it seemed to me like most of Indiana was out of power. “Then, in class [Tuesday], we had to literally use the flashlights on our phones to see during a lecture because class still re-

sumed even though it was pitch black in the classroom. And, with full honesty, I couldn't see anything at all the whole class. I was just so confused as to why the power even went out in the first place. It was a nice day out today, too.” Overall, no matter what the individual situation was for each student, the lack of updates from the university and certain classes and programs being hugely impacted in a negative way during the whole ordeal, the blackout in Indiana was a very disappointing time for everybody. “It just really killed the vibe for the whole day,” Leah Natushko (senior, communications media) said.

Warm weather means open farmers’ markets KATIE MEST

Editor-In-Chief K.A.Mest@iup.edu @katiemest

The recent warm weather has reminded me that we still have a couple more weeks before fall officially shows up and brings cooler weather. While I am personally ready for hoodie weather when walking to class, the good news of warmer temperatures is that it presents a way to shop sustainably while also supporting the local economy. Farmers’ markets not only support local farmers and business owners, but they severely cut down production costs and the environmental impact of transporting materials from their place of origin. Lucky for us, the Indiana Farmers’ Market is will be open through October. On Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings, you can stock up on all your veggies and goodies at decent prices, and they’ll be handed to you by the same people that grew or made them. Fall produce is in full swing, too, so if you’re in the market for squash and pumpkins, you know where to go. The Indiana Farmers’ Market website explains to its patrons just how much better shopping locally is, the first reason being that the food tastes so much better. A simple tomato, for instance, is much more flavorful from your own

(Flickr) Produce grown on local farms is not only cost-efficient but benefits farmers more financially than purchasing mass-produced produce.

garden than the grocery store. But if you don’t want to go through the hassle of growing your own produce, your friendly neighborhood farmers already take care of that for you. And the quicker it gets to your plate, the better the fruits and veggies are for you, since they have less time to lose nutrients. Most produce loses a large percentage of its nutrients in only a few days after it’s harvested. According to CUESA, the average meal travels around 1,500 miles to get from the farm to your plate. I doubt it’s making it to the Indiana, Pennsylvania, stores before most, if not all, of its nutrients have been depleted. Another reason to visit the farmers’ market is that the vendors are part of your community. You know the work they put

into their harvests, and they appreciate your service much more than a national produce company. At the market, you can talk one on one with farmers about what they grow, how they grow it, if it’s organic, and you can even see where they’re located. Those are some things you just can’t get from the grocery store. Sept. 21 at the Indiana Farmers’ Market is Harvest for the Hungry. They will be collecting donations for the local food pantry, and patrons are encouraged to purchase extra food with their normal haul and donate it at the market information booth. The farmers’ market is Wednesdays 3 – 5:30 p.m. on Wayne Ave., across from the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, and Saturdays 9 a.m. – noon at Eighth and Church Streets.


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Putt-Delaney quad hosts Suicide Prevention Day program STEVEN LANGDON JR. Managing Editor S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

There was one message that resonated throughout the Suicide Prevention Day event Tuesday night in the quad on IUP’s campus. “You are not alone,” Dr. Ralph May said. Those are words that everyone has heard in their life for better or for worse. The event was conducted by IUP’s Center for Health and Well-Being. The two-hour event started with May, a psychologist with 42 years of experience, explaining why it is important to talk about mental illness and the effects it has on loved ones. “Don’t be afraid to talk... encourage your friends to seek help,” May said. After he was done, students and adults were encouraged to tell their stories. May explained how it is important to not keep emotions to yourself. The event finished with a moment of silence. Members of the IUP community joined together throughout

(Steven Langdon Jr./The Penn) Luminaries lined the walkway in the Putt-Delaney quad during a suicide prevention program, presented by the IUP Center for Health and Well-Being.

the night to light candles for those who have passed. People in attendance were also encouraged to write messages to help people who are suffering through mental illness. “Mental illness affects college students every day,” May said. “If you see a friend who is dealing with a mental illness… seek help for that friend.” “There's not an easy answer

to the question of what the vigil meant to those at IUP, as I suspect it touched everyone in unique ways,” said Emily Jackson, a worker at the counseling center on campus. “For some, a time to honor the memory of loved ones perhaps for others, a moving experience that showed them they are not alone, that people care, that there is hope and help available. Ultimately, it's my hope that those

in attendance experienced a sense of solidarity, while also reflecting on the unique significance of suicide in each of their lives.” The volunteers for the event talked about QPR training. QPR stands for question, persuade and refer. Anyone could sign up to take the training by calling Brandy King at (724)-463-8200, extension 2. They also announced that the seventh annual Walk for a Won-

derful Life will take place Sept. 22. The event will occur at the Mack Park Fairgrounds track in Indiana. People can register at stf32.com. If you or someone you know needs help, contact the counseling center at (724)-357-2621. They also have walk-in appointments in G-31 Suites on Maple East Monday through Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. Appointments are free for all students.


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University College offers opportunity for undecided students HEATHER BAIR

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

IUP opened the University College to new students who are “explorers,” rather than “undecided students.” The University College is designed to help students who are ready for college but not sure what they want to major in. It is designed to give them “the best possible start” for freshmen who need some support in choosing their majors and career path. The ribbon-cutting ceremony Aug. 27 had more than 200 people attend, including university support specialists Chartice Wyatt and Jeremy Risinger, President Michael Driscoll and Michele Norwood, associate vice provost and director of the University College. Norwood opened the event by saying, “The University College is built on collaboration and a renewed focus to support all of our students.” “The goal is to help you make this important life decision, in an informed way, by the end of your first year,” Michelle Fryling said.

(IUP Website) President Michael Driscoll cuts the ceremonial ribbon to the new University College.

“Other colleges may offer you one ‘undecided’ major; we offer you seven. They are subject-based, exploratory options. You’ll pick one, which will be your starting point for finding the major that inspires you.” The seven exploratory majors range anywhere from science to English, from the arts to business management and marketing, from fashion to nursing. First-year classes are designed

to count toward graduation and to help keep you on track. When students select a major their first year, there’s a good chance they’ll end up changing their minds or doubt that the path is the one they want to follow. This leads to being behind in classes, college taking longer and more money being spent. With the University College, it won’t necessarily be the case. “New students are able to try

out classes in the majors they are considering,” Fryling said. “They’re able to get specialized advising and learn about career paths in a way that is academically safe.” The University College, called “North Star” by Driscoll, is open to not only incoming freshmen but also to continuing students who are still trying to find their place at IUP. “The college is our ‘North

Star,’”Driscoll said. “Our hope is that it will help students navigate the planet that is IUP.” “Be open minded and be willing to accept the help that IUP has to offer,” Angaziya Malenge (sophomore, sociology/human services) said. “Don’t be afraid of failure; it’s a part of learning. Enjoy the college moments, try new things and don’t let anyone keep you from pursuing your dream.” Peer mentorship plays a big part in the University College. Linked classes are also offered by professors from different departments. “The University College is the physical home of wayfinding for all of IUP,” said Timothy Moerland, provost and vice president for academic affairs. The University College is located on the ground floors of the IUP libraries. Places that are affiliated with or part of the University College consist of the new student orientation office, walk-in tutoring center, Academic Success Resource Room, Kathleen Jones White Writing Center, Office of the Student Advocate and Major and Career Exploration Center.

Pharmaceutical companies under fire in new bid approved by judge JEF FEELEY

Bloomberg News TNS

A judge approved a bid by U.S. cities and counties suing opioid makers such as Johnson & Johnson and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to negotiate a settlement as a group, in an effort to resolve the sweeping litigation over the addictive painkillers. U.S. District Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland, overseeing more than 2,000 lawsuits by municipalities, concluded that the negotiation class was necessary to reach a resolution acceptable to plaintiffs and opioid makers and distributors. The class is meant to bring together more than 30,000 U.S. municipalities, most of which haven't yet filed suit. In a 40-page ruling, Polster said he was willing to back the "novel" idea of establishing a class before a negotiating framework is in place in order to speed a settlement that expedites "relief to communities so they can better address this devastating national health crisis." The ruling comes as Purdue

(TNS) A new bid would oversee opioid companies to prevent litigation.

Pharma LP is nearing a $12 billion deal to settle claims it illegally marketed opioid painkillers, according to people familiar with the talks. Twenty-three states and three territories told the court Wednesday they'd support a plan under which the billionaire Sackler family, which owns Purdue, would file for bankruptcy protection and hand over the drugmaker to a trust controlled by the states, cities and counties that have sued. The $12 billion deal would cover only Purdue. But the two

parallel sets of talks going on – one set including 48 states and the other the municipalities – are global, including opioid distributors such as McKesson Corp. and Cardinal Health Inc. as well as manufacturers. More than 30 states opposed the local governments' push to set up the negotiating class, saying it was too early for such a move and would interfere with their efforts to reach an overarching resolution of all suits. The class is a "novel procedure that could result in a grave miscar-

riage of justice and do significant harm to the ability of states to protect their own people," Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas said in a letter to Polster. The judge tapped plaintiffs' lawyers including Jayne Conroy and Christopher Seeger as the class's lead attorneys for the negotiations. Joe Rice, Paul Hanly and Paul Farrell are overseeing the cities and counties' case as a whole. The approval of the class will let plaintiffs "use their joint bargaining power to secure the resources they need to fund addiction, recovery and prevention efforts in their own neighborhoods," Conroy and Seeger said in a statement. They said it would empower the plaintiffs "without inhibiting other ongoing litigation and settlements at the state, county or local levels." Jessica Castles-Smith, a J&J spokeswoman, didn't immediately return a call and email seeking comment on the class's approval. Kristin Hunter-Chasen, a McKesson spokeswoman, and Brandi Martin, a Cardinal Health spokeswoman, didn't immediately return emails seeking comment. Kelly Dougherty, a Teva spokeswoman,

declined to comment. The class, which cities and counties can escape only by filing an opt-out notice, will negotiate with more than a dozen opioid distributors and makers, along with some pharmacy chains, Polster said. The plaintiffs accuse the industry of conducting illegal marketing campaigns, failing to adequately oversee orders and ignoring red flags about unusually frequent retail sales. Almost 400,000 people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. from 1999 to 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some defendants involved in the talks have already agreed to settle claims rather than face a Cleveland jury next month in the first federal trial over responsibility for the U.S. opioid epidemic. Mallinckrodt Plc, a generic-opioid maker, agreed this month to pay $30 million to settle allegations it helped fuel the opioid epidemic and to resolve claims it faced in the Oct. 21 Cleveland trial. Last month, Endo International Plc agreed to an $11 million settlement, while Allergan Plc signed off on a $5 million deal.


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Eighteen years later: IUP holds memorial service for 9/11 OLIVIA CARBONE

Contributing Writer O.C.Carbone@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Eighteen years ago Wednesday, one of the most horrific terrorist attacks in history happened. Some students may be able to remember what they were doing on that day, while some others may not have even been born yet. This day continues to have an impact on every American citizen, whether you have memories from that day or not. Wednesday morning IUP held a memorial service in the Oak Grove that has happened every year since the 9/11 attacks. As President Driscoll, speakers, students, professors, first responders, military personnel and bystanders filtered in, the band played patriotic music. “Eighteen years ago on this day, we vowed that we would remember,” the first speaker, Laurie Frisina Kuzneski of Indiana, a 1983 IUP graduate and member of the IUP Council of Trustees started out by saying. She talked about how she was supposed to be with her best friend in New York City that morning while she worked in the fashion district. But, at the last minute, she decided to stay home with her 2-year-old daughter, and her best friend chose to still go. Her friend’s flight ended up delayed in Ohio; thus, she

(Robert Hinkal/The Penn) IUP held a memorial service for those who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks. Chris Noah, Kevin Thelen and President Michael Driscoll were a few notable speakers during the event.

was safe. Concluding her speech, there were four chimes to symbolize the planes that crashed into the Pentagon, the Twin Towers and Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. “The sky was bright blue, and the morning air was cool while the leaves began to dry. Nothing was different here at IUP until 8:46 a.m., which is when the

first tower was hit,” Driscoll said. Unfortunately, three IUP alumni were killed during the attacks: William Moskal, a 1979 graduate; Donald Jones, a 1980 graduate; and William Sugra, a 1993 graduate. Both Jones and Sugra worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, while Moskal was a risk consul-

tant for Marsh and McLennan in Cleveland, specializing in heavy construction. He was in New York City that morning to attend a meeting. IUP’s marketing director, Chris Noah, began to share his story about that horrific day. Noah is from Middletown, New Jersey, and was working in New York City during the time of the attacks. He reflected on that he was lucky enough to make it home to his family that day, but 37 other Middletown residences were not. That day taught him to “let go of the small things, love your friends and love your family,” he said. Following his speech, Kevin

Thelen, director of IUP police, reflected on what 9/11 has taught him and how it has affected him as a first responder. “What do we really mean when we say never forget?” Thelen said, and he then elaborated that we can live our lives by this saying every day. He thanked all the young people for being there and encouraged them to talk to the younger generations about the importance of 9/11. To conclude the memorial, the band began to play “Amazing Grace” as people began to leave or pause for a moment of reflection.

IUP Green Dot program offers resources to prevent sexual assault EMILEE HOWELLS

Staff Writer E.M.Howells@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

August through November is considered a “red zone” for sexual assaults on U.S. college campuses, according to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). Around these months, 50 percent of college sexual assaults occur, and first-year students are the most vulnerable. At IUP, The Haven Project has a program called “Green Dot,” which is a bystander intervention program to make students, faculty, staff and administrators educated on how to intervene in high-risk situations and to know the signs of when to step in. A “green dot” is any action that reduces the risk of vio-

lence in the moment, supports survivors or creates a culture less tolerant of violence. This includes sexual assault, dating and domestic violence and stalking Green Dot coordinator and clinical case manager, Susan Graham, explained how the “red zone” months were most vulnerable to first-year students because they come to IUP and are new to the area, and sometimes have no support systems established yet. “It’s not just that it’s new people, new relationships; it’s that there are also perpetrators that are looking for vulnerable

people,” Graham said. The Green Dot program’s end goal is to change the overall campus culture to one that is not accepting of violence. “I think that this program will help keep a safe environment for new, incoming freshmen, like myself,” Tarrina Christy (freshman, speech-language pathology) said, “A new environment and location is scary to all freshmen. This program helps relieve worries of the dangers that can happen on and off campus.” “Freshmen don’t create a culture; they step into one,” Graham said. “Being involved in the Green Dot program is a single choice to

make our campus safer.” The Green Dot program is evidence-based and is said to decrease violence on campuses by 17 percent according to Graham. When people are trained, they become more aware of situations, notice others intervening and are more likely to intervene. Matthew Himes (freshman, accounting) said he had no idea that the Green Dot program was available to him and wished it would have been more talked about at orientation because it would make more freshman and students have a better awareness of what was going on. “No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do some-

thing,” Graham said. While it is an unsaid rule, it is always important to be aware of your surroundings at all times and to make smart, safe choices. It is just as important to watch out for your friends and make sure they get home safely as well. Most importantly, if you see something, say something. The Green Dot student organization plans to have their first meetings of the semester Tuesday from 5–6 p.m. in the Center for Health and Well-Being, Room G-60. It plans on hosting events and doing tabling events later on in the semester. Anyone that is interested is encouraged to attend. To see how you or your organization can become trained on Green Dot visit https://www.iup. edu/haven/green-dot/ or email green-dot@iup.edu.


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Goal in the Grove introduces students to Career Development resources ANNA MECHLING Staff Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Students gathered in the Oak Grove Thursday for the Career and Professional Development Center’s (CPDC) annual Goal in the Grove event. Each fall, IUP’s CPDC hosts Goal in the Grove to get students to learn more about the CPDC’s programs and services and know more about certain IUP-ran organizations on campus. This event is held to benefit students so they can get more information on all the resources, organizations and events that the CPDC, Student Philanthropy Council (SPC), peer mentors and the Ambassadors have to offer. “This event is a great way for us, the CPDC, to reach out to students about our office and what resources we can offer to them,” said Kelsey Thompson, assistant director of the CPDC. “It’s also a fun way to kick off the fall semester with great giveaways and food to enjoy.” The CPDC is in 302 Pratt Hall by the Hadley Union Building and Whitmyre Hall. “The CPDC has amazing opportunities and services,” said Bill Carney, a CPDC worker, “so please stop by and see us.” The CPDC has resources to help build your professional development and agenda. They have services and professionals to that help with resumes, interviews and graduate school and career opportunities. “I am a senior, and I didn’t know how to start a resume until I started working at the CPDC,” Mia Santucci (senior, marketing) said. “The CPDC helps with finding opportunities in the workforce and helps you better prepare for the professional future. I’ve started to really utilize LinkedIn this semester.” Booths were set up in the Oak Grove under a tent to help interested students explore different options of services, resources, programs and organizations they could join. A booth for IUP National Student Exchange was there promoting a program in which students can go and earn the minimum of 13 credits, which transfer to IUP before they go. It’s a domestic exchange program throughout North America with about 200 universities participating.

(Ashley Lutz/The Penn) Goal in the Grove introduces students to more organizations and resources around campus.

For more information about this program, contact Jan Shellenbarger at jans@iup.edu or visit the National Student Exchange website nse.org. Another program the CPDC was promoting is the Disney College Program, which is a program in which students can go to Disney and work for a summer. It’s a way to get real-life experience and meet and live with people from different places. It’s also a leadership and communication program. Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) was also at the event promoting its club and its new project, Pick Your Passion. Pick Your Passion is a project

in which students can donate money to a college of their choice. So if they’re in Eberly College of Business as a marketing major, they can have their money go to that specific college. “New members are welcome and encouraged to join this club,” said Rachel Poffenburger (SPC president and senior, general management/human resource management). “It’s a great resume-builder and a great way to get involved on campus.” IUP’s Ambassadors had a table and were promoting their upcoming events, Young Alumni Achievement Awards (YAAA) and the Alumni and Student

Networking and Business Card Exchange event. YAAA is an event the Ambassadors host at which one alumni from each college attends a networking dinner and recognizes IUP graduates who are outstanding in their fields. This event is a great way to meet former IUP students who have had success and achievement after graduation. The event is open to any IUP student. The application process is www.alumni.iup.edu/events. The Alumni and Student Networking and Business Card Exchange is an event that is hosted in Pittsburgh where alumni come from all over and

talk to students. “I highly recommend it,” said Colleen Jarvis (senior, human development and family science). “It’s a great way to network.” The event seemed to be a success, with students showing interest in the services, programs and organizations that were offered. “We do this event annually because we want students to be aware of the CPDC and the programs and services we offer to help them find their professional success,” said Tammy Manko, director of the CPDC. “We want to literally meet students where they are, and that’s why we do it in the Oak Grove.”


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Kopchick College holds ice cream social for first-year students KATELIN POMPA

Contributing Writer K.G.Pompa@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Kopchick College of Natural Science encouraged all students to come to the ice cream event that it has held annually in the fall semester for the past few years in the Weyandt Hall lobby. This ice cream social received a lot of attendance from both the faculty and the students, who were both enjoying free ice cream and a speech from Bill Madia, an IUP Distinguished Alumnus, expressing his gratitude toward IUP. This year's Ice Cream Social was an important one. Justin Fair, the Department of Chemistry associate professor, said that the department will be renamed Madia Department of Chemistry. The department is being renamed in honor of the ways Bill and Audrey Madia give back to the IUP community. Fair said the department is truly grateful for everything the Madia’s have done. Madia earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1969 and his masters degree through the IUP physics department graduating in 1971. He later earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in nuclear chemistry at Virginia Tech. According to Dr. Deanne Snavely, Dean of the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, this event gives the students a sense of community and a great way to meet faculty and their peers and join organizations that are involved with the college. Not only does this event help students better integrate into their first years, it also helps organization reach out to first year students as well. The Alpha Chi Sigma President Courtney Smith and Susan Stevenson, a member, said that this is their first year holding a table to advertise their fraternity in hope of gaining new members. Alpha Chi Sigma is a professional fraternity in the chemical sciences field. Students left the event filled with ice cream and new knowledge of their college and its opportunities. (Tyler Whitfield/The Penn) As a way to bring first-year students closer, the Kopchick College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics hosted an ice cream social in the Weyandt Hall lobby.


Opinion

CARTOONS

(TNS) NFL announced that wide receiver Antonio Brown is under investigation for sexual assault against his former trainer.

Antonio Brown joins long list of NFL players commended for bad behavior Over the last few seasons, one thing has become apparent in professional sports: athletes are becoming way too spoiled with their massive contracts. But instead of disciplining said athletes, for some reason, teams seem to be rewarding bad behavior with contracts that carry handsome financial incentives. The most recent example of this would be Antonio Brown in the NFL. All summer Brown, while with the Oakland Raiders, made issues regarding his helmet, childishly refusing to practice or even partake in team exercises unless he was permitted to use his own style helmet, which didn’t meet league safety protocol. The Raiders made the rational decision to cut Brown prior to the start of the 2019 regular season within one day, and he didn’t shed one tear at the news. Brown, at the news of his release from Oakland, jumped

Opinion

for joy on a video on his Instagram ecstatic knowing he was going to get his way one way or another. Sure enough, he did. Not even 24 hours after his release, Brown was signed to the New England Patriots to a oneyear deal. Once news broke of the signing, it really drove home the point that morals don’t matter in professional sports. Brown broke apart two franchises (Pittsburgh and Oakland) over selfish, irrelevant issues and was rewarded with a contract? How is that even possible? It would be like rewarding small children with a candy bar after they threw a hissy fit about cleaning their room. It just makes no sense. Then you have the players who hold out until they get a massive extension. Now, I understand these guys put their mental and physical health on the line each and ev-

ery day, but making upper management cave in so you can rake in the money is not the correct way to get your point across. It not only looks bad on you as a player, but it looks bad on the organization since you pretty much gave the ultimatum that you’ll throw your team to the dogs if you don’t get your desired money. Pathetic. Now I bet you’re asking, “Well what can they do if issues like this happen?” Answer: leave them to destroy their own careers. Don’t settle by giving them what they want and, in turn, making your organization look completely weak. Hard discipline and morals are solid trade-offs than winning a championship ring.

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Culture

Culture Editor: Megan Donny – M.J.Donny@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Heather Bair – H.Bair@iup.edu

Students’ favorite movies for Friday the 13th HEATHER BAIR

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

Friday the 13th is coming this week, and while it may be an unlucky or even cursed day, the best way to enjoy it is with scary movies galore. From the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise to the latest “IT” movie, students have their favorite scary movies to pay honor to a dark day. “My favorite scary movies are all the ‘Halloween’ movies, except the second one,” Mackenzie Barr (sophomore, psychology) said. “They’re classics. My dad and I watched them all last year, so they have some special memories for me. They’re the perfect way to get in the spooky mood.” The “Halloween” slasher films center around Michael Myers, who, when he was a child, murdered his own sister. He was convicted, and 15 years later, he escaped prison, returning to his hometown to look

for his next victims. In 2018, a direct sequel to the first film was released. The film ignores all other movies in the franchise. However, the original cast returned, with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode, the protagonist who appears throughout all 11 films. “I will never watch ‘Halloween II’ again,” Barr said. It was not scary and didn’t relate to any The Insidious movies are one student’s favorite. “Insidious.” Since then, three more of the other ‘Hallowfilms have been released: “Insidious: een’ movies.” Chapter 2,” “Insidious: Chapter 3” “My favorite scary movies are and “Insidious: The Last Key.” the ‘Insidious’ movies, Isabelle The films focus on a couple Jabbour (sophomore, geology) whose son, soon after entering a said. “I love the series and how they incorporate paranormal expe- comatose state, acts as a vessel for ghosts and demons. The family riences into dreams.” is eventually invaded by demons The “Insidious” franchise first from a realm of Hell known as premiered in 2010 with the film

“The Further,” and torments ensue. The most recent “IT” movie, “IT: Chapter 2” was released Sept. 6 and already has fans pulling the covers over their heads at night. “I will never watch ‘IT: Chapter 2’ again,” Jabbour said. “It made me uncomfortable. I don’t like graphic beatings, and I hate clowns anyway.” “My favorite scary movie is ‘Get Out,’” Zarabeth Cook (senior, (Facebook) psychology) said. “It’s very psychologically scary, and I think that’s what makes it interesting.” From director Jordan Peele, “Get Out” is about an interracial couple. When Rose invites him to her parent’s home in upstate New York, Chris notices that odd behaviors happen with the other African-American people around the estate and finds out he’s in over his

head with no way to get out. “I’ll never watch ‘The Grudge’ again,” Cook said. “My sister watched it when she was younger, and she couldn’t sleep alone for two weeks.” “The Grudge,” a 2004 American remake of the Japanese film, “Ju-on: The Grudge,” centers around an entity born from a curse, known as a “grudge.” The curse is born when someone dies in a powerful rage or extreme sorrow and passes from victim to victim, creating more horror with each person. A sequel and third movie, “The Grudge 2” and “The Grudge 3,” were made. The sequel was released Friday the 13th in 2006. A remake of the first movie is said to be released in 2020. With Friday the 13th just around the corner, the best way to make an unlucky day eventful is to fill it with scares and nail-biting suspense. With Halloween coming soon, it’s the perfect time to add some new horror to any movie collection.

Students discuss the prices of Apple’s upcoming products MARAN DAVIS

Contributing Writer M.Davis@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

As many college students surely know, Apple finally unveiled its new gadgets for this upcoming year. Included in the new release are new versions of iPhone, Watches, Apple TV+, News+ and the all-new Arcade. With all the new fun features of these new products come a not-too fun price tag. The new iPhones are priced at $999 for the 11 Pro and $1,099 for the 11 Pro Max. The new iPhone 11 is priced starting at $699, which is more affordable than the other models. The Apple Watch 5 is priced at $399 or $499 for the cellular version. Many are wondering if the hefty price tag is worth all the new technological goodness. “If it comes with better updated features and improved camera quality, I think it will be worth it,” Maclay Mathias (junior, fashion

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merchandising) said. The iPhone 11 got upgraded to a dual rear camera along with some new colors: aqua, lilac, yellow, red and, of course, the standard iPhone colors. Unfortunately, these fun colors are only available in the 11 model and not the Pro or the Pro Max, although the Pros are available in a new army green color. “I like that they are coming out with various shades; I like the fresh variety of colors,” Mathias said. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max will be equipped with not two, but three cameras (yes, you heard right, three). The rear triple cameras will allow for wider camera angles and for the new so-called “slofie,” which is a selfie but in slow motion. Also, the new cameras will have a “night mode” feature for photos. Apple also launched all-new Apple Arcade, which is a subscription-based service in which people can play all different kinds of arcade games on their phones.

(Facebook) Apple’s IPhone 11 will have a rear triple camera for wider angles and better photos.

The service is $4.99 a month. Many think that this new feature is cool but not quite worth the hype. Students are turned off by the fact that it’s a subscription service and isn’t free. “It would be cool for people

September 13, 2019

with kids, but I know I don’t have the time to play all these games, Ashley Borger (senior, fashion merchandising) said. “The price isn’t too expensive, but then again, it adds up.” One original Apple product

that wasn’t released yesterday, but rather a month or so ago that is brand-new to the public is Apple Card. The card goes through Apple instead of your usual bank, and everything is online. The premise of this product is to be able to do everything through your phone without the hassle of having to go to a bank. “I think it’s cool because they’re branching out into a new market,” Borger said. This is all new for Apple, so consumers are excited to see where it goes. Based on the announcement unveiling the new iPhones, it is speculated that the iPhone 7, X and XS will no longer be available from Apple. We might be saying goodbye to the older models, which will only urge people to buy the new generations of iPhones. All three models of iPhones will be available for pre-order Sept. 13 and will be released to the public Sept. 20, so now’s your chance.

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Culture

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New, returning TV shows this fall HEATHER BAIR

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

The best time of the year to rewatch old favorites and find new ones is right around the corner with the arrival of fall. The new school year brings new shows to watch, as well as cult classics.

New Fall Shows: “A Little Late with Lilly Singh” premieres Sept. 16 on NBC. The iconic YouTuber known as “iiSuperwomanii” has become a household name with her sarcastic humor and quick-witted responses. The program will follow the flow of late-night television with celebrity interviews, skits, performances, games and more. Another “-ish” show from Anthony Anderson premieres Sept. 24 on ABC. “Mixed-ish” follows Rainbow Johnson, a girl in a mixed-race family. When her family decides to move from their hippie commune to the suburbs, Bow and her siblings navigate high school, in which they’re considered neither African-American nor white. The saying “sister from another mister” takes a new spin in FOX’s new show, “Almost Family.” Julia Bechley, an only child, discovers she may have dozens of siblings when it comes to light that her father, a fertility doctor, used his own genetic material to conceive children. Fans of the DC Universe can expect to see new show “Batwoman” premiere Oct. 6 on The CW. In this spin, Batman has been missing for three years, and Kate Kane, his cousin, arrives in Gotham to continue Batman’s legacy in his absence. Fans that grew up with “Nancy Drew” can expect to see a new twist on the classic teen detective. The show follows an almost-collegeready Nancy as she plans to take a break from sleuthing to apply for college. In the first episode, a socialite is murdered, and Nancy and the gang – with a slight twist – is back on the case Oct. 9 on The CW. Streaming services are expecting new shows to premiere, too. Netflix’s “The Politician” is set to release Sept. 27, which follows a high school boy as he works his way toward President of the United States. Hulu’s premiere of John Green’s bestselling novel “Looking for Alaska,” which centers around teens trying to make sense of a tragic event, comes out Oct. 18. Amazon Prime’s new show,

(Facebook) John Travolta stars in Redbox’s movie “The Fanatic.”

(Facebook) “Grey’s Anatomy” is one of the many shows returning this fall.

“Modern Love,” also Oct. 18, is based on The New York Times’ weekly column made into a romantic comedy. Not only are some shows premiering their first episode, some are returning and ending this fall.

Returning TV shows: “American Horror Story” has eight seasons under its belt, and the ninth will premiere Sept. 18 on FX. The new season is taking cues from classic slasher films like “Friday the 13th” and “Halloween,” and it is said to be the goriest of them all. “This Is Us,” a show centering around two parents and their three children in different timelines, has season four premiering Sept. 24 on NBC. With different seasonings of comedy, drama and a dash of occasional tragedy, the show was a hit in 2016 when it first premiered, and it continues to attract fans. Fans of Shonda Rhimes’ shows “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How to Get Away with Murder” will have plenty to watch this September. Both series return Sept. 26 on ABC, and “How to Get Away with Murder” is entering its final season. “Grey’s Anatomy” is in season 17, and fans who were glad to see season 16 back-to-basics, ending on

a cliffhanger much like the first few seasons, are hoping the same can be said for season 17. The CW is also expecting some old favorites to return. Archie Andrews and the gang are back in “Riverdale” season four. This time around, the season is more focused on high school life, not cults and serial killers. The premiere episode on Oct. 9 will also pay special tribute to star Luke Perry. In 2006, the public was introduced to Sam and Dean Winchester, Dean’s iconic ’67 Chevy Impala and a few seasons later, the angel Castiel. Thirteen years later, we say goodbye to the demon-hunters of “Supernatural” and their adventures. The first episode of the final season premieres Oct. 10 on The CW. On Netflix, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” releases its third season Dec. 6. The series follows wealthy Midge Maisel as she discovers a hidden talent and how it changes her idyllic lifestyle for one of nightclubs and cafes. With fall coming soon, and winter at its heels, it’s the perfect time of year to watch old favorites, discover new favorites and say goodbye to some of the characters that have changed lives for the better.

‘The Fanatic’ leaves viewers dissatisfied JEREMY STOUT

Staff Writer J.W.Stout2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion “The Fanatic” starts with some of the wonkiest hardboiled narration (“Los Angeles…I call it a city of bulls****ers.”), and it’s all downhill from there. “The Fanatic,” directed by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit fame and starring John Travolta, is a movie that can’t really be described qualitatively. It transcends any reasonable metric of good or bad. This weirdly is not Durst’s directorial debut. It’s his third feature. We live in a world where a man who belted out the lyrics “I did all for the nookie” has directed three feature films. Wild! Yes, the film is poorly made. The script, which was co-written by Durst with Dave Bekerman, has some incredibly stilted dialogue. By any meaningful metric, the film is an utter disaster, but it’s also one of the best times I’ve had watching a movie this year. The film follows autistic street performer Moose (Travolta) as he goes from weirdo film fan at a signing to full-on stalker of his favorite action hero, Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa, yes, the guy being stalked is the guy who played the most famous obsessed fan of them all). We’re introduced to Travolta in this film, sporting one of the greatest cinematic mullets, with the line “I can’t talk long. I gotta poo.”

Travolta is fully committed to this and whatever insane thing Durst has planned for him after. Dress him up like an old-timey London cop? Yup. Getting bullied by fellow street performers and bad vape boys? You bet. Burning film memorabilia in effigy? Check, check and check. It’s certainly not a good performance, but Travolta commits hard to the bit of Moose’s descent into madness. He takes any chance to snarl, scream and chew as much scenery as possible. There’s a certain level of pleasure to watching Travolta’s descent from respected leading man to second-rate Nic Cage. The only performance that might be considered good in this car crash is Sawa’s. He understands the trashy Lifetime original vibe that this movie deserves to have, so where as everyone around him takes this dumpster fire seriously, he seems in on the joke. He even sells lines like, “You OK with some music? A little Limp Bizkit…this is hot,” with ease. So, if you ever wanted to see Casper the Friendly Ghost out-act John Travolta, this is the film for you. The film might have more crazy logic leaps than anything I’ve seen this year, awful dialogue, a wild Travolta performance and truly inept filmmaking, but it’s such a good time that it’s hard not to recommend. The lower Travolta’s career sinks, the more I enjoy the trash he puts into this world.


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Culture

‘The Goldfinch’ movie adaption doesn’t live up to book KATIE WALSH Tribune News Service TNS

This article contains opinion. Donna Tartt’s Pulizter Prize-winning tome “The Goldfinch” was a blockbuster bestseller and the toast of book clubs in 2013. The film adaptation should have been slam dunk, with director John Crowley, fresh off the acclaimed “Brooklyn,” legendary cinematographer Roger Deakins and screenwriter Peter Straughan adapting Tartt’s novel. And yet, the movie is simpering and dull, devoid of tension, an overwrought and uninvolving film that is both a personal drama and a crime mystery, but also neither of those things and nearly nothing at all. The non-linear and twisty script is wrapped up with coincidence and reveals, though there is precious little in the way of emotional connection or character building. Absolutely none of the assump-

(Facebook) Ansel Elgort plays Theo Decker in the movie adaption of ”The Goldfinch.”

tions that we, as the audience, are supposed to make about our main character are earned. Straughan’s script is endless rug-pulling simply for the sake of it, which is ultimately irritating and distancing from the char-

acters, whom we are able to appraise with only mild interest. They’re fine to spend two-and-ahalf hours with, but not particularly interesting company either. It’s the story of the tragic life of Theo Decker, played by Oakes

Fegley and Ansel Elgort. When he’s 13 (Fegley), Theo survives a bombing at The Met that kills his mother. This is the event to which we return again and again, searching for answers, as Theo blames himself. It’s also the source of his dark secret. In the aftermath of the bombing, he has come into possession of a famous Dutch painting, The Goldfinch by Carel Fabritius. Theo stashes it away, hiding it from his ad hoc foster family and from his degenerate addict father (Luke Wilson), who whisks him away from New York City to a Las Vegas suburb on the edge of the desert. Crowley and Deakins create a warm and richly-rendered world. New York is crisp and cozy, filled with tweed coats, glowing wood, candlelight and fine art. But the story there is frustratingly coy, the scenes flabby with excess time, air, and heft. There’s a good movie in the middle of “The Goldfinch,” in Vegas, where the danger feels real, and Fegley gets to dig in and

show his chops. Finn Wolfhard shows up as teenage Ukrainian delinquent Boris, and no one shoots the desert like Deakins. Compared to the darkness on display in this part of the film, and the edginess that Fegley gets to demonstrate while Theo learns the rough stuff about life from his father and father’s girlfriend, Xandra (Sarah Paulson), Elgort’s stuffy and utterly soft portrayal of grown Theo, pulling mild antique scams back in New York, is a snooze. “The Goldfinch” is both too long and too short; dull to watch but scanty on the details about logistics, character, and just how anything of note actually occurs. The mystery of the film is something to be endured, rather than solved. But the real mystery is our leading man. We never know who Theo is as an adult, or if we’re on his side, or why we should care. If the end is a redemption, how are we supposed to offer forgiveness if we never faulted, or even knew him at all in the first place?

Green Day announces new music, tour with Weezer, Fall Out Boy JAKE SLEBODNICK

News Editor J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu @slebby24

This article contains opinion. After a three-year-hiatus, Green Day hit the music scene with a bang Wednesday following the confirmation that they will be touring and releasing more music in 2020. Rumors circulated early last week regarding these matters, but Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong proved these rumors true after releasing a new single “Father of All…” around noon and posting the tour poster to the band’s Instagram account. This tour is named the “Hella Mega Tour presented by Harley-Davidson” and, alongside Green Day, will include rock groups Fall Out Boy, Weezer and The Interruptors, who will open each show. This collaborative tour will focus on promoting new music produced by each group, as well as bring back the days of unstructured rock concerts. Along with the announce-

ment of the tour, Armstrong announced a new album will be released in 2020, also titled “Father of All…” In the post’s caption, Armstrong heavily emphasizes that the album is not meant to be a political stand, following the heavily critiqued Revolution Radio – released in 2016 – which mocked Donald Trump’s run for president, but rather a take on surviving the chaos of today. “Rock has lost its balls,” Armstrong said. “’Glorious’ or ‘glorious anarchy’ seems to be the word that keeps coming up that reflects dancing, tribalism, anxiety, joy, violence, drugs and booze. Dangerous songs for dangerous kids!” In an interview with Billboard magazine, Armstrong explains that his main influence for the tour and motivation behind it was Woodstock ’94, where a downpour turned the ground into a mud pit, which allowed chaos to ensue. Fans threw mud balls, rocks and whatever else they could find at the stage, leading to one of the most iconic memories in

(Facebook) Green Day’s upcoming album “Father of All...” will be released in 2020.

Woodstock’s long history. Recalling the mud fight, Armstrong told Billboard “’This is only the beginning,’ I thought, so I just started throwing it back.” “Father of All…” appears to

be an album that focuses solely on Green Day getting back to their punk roots and not written to be a rock opera or political label. Since “American Idiot,” released in 2005, the majority

of their albums have taken a more political view, whether intentional or sparked from fans. “American Idiot” was the first rock opera written by them and implicitly focused on the events and results of the Iraq War, while “21st Century Breakdown” (2009) takes listeners on a journey through a post-9/11 dystopia where media, government and war shape the country, leaving citizens vulnerable to the manipulation. They tried to restructure their image through their trilogy “Uno!,” “Dos!” and “Tre!,” which were released in 2012; however they didn’t live up to the hype. And as mentioned previously, “Revolution Radio” (2016) criticized Donald Trump’s presidential race and his ability to lead the country. This is definitely refreshing to more original fans to see Green Day return to their 1994 image. Pure hard rock is meant to bring rock fans together, rather than separate them through political views and take them through a story.


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(Facebook) “Bachelor in Paradise” is a spin-off show of ABC’s “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor.”

‘Bachelor in Paradise’ has first LGBTQ couple Character updates in your favorite video game

(Facebook)

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” has many characters, including Hero, who has caused much controversy.

MEGAN DONNY Culture Editor M.Donny@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Season six of “Bachelor in Paradise” started out like every other season. An uneven number of men and women joined the show’s host Chris Harrison on a secluded beach in Mexico. All of these contestants are “Bachelor”/”Bachelorette” rejects. This means that these people went on these shows for their chance at true love, only to be rejected by their season’s “Bachelor”/”Bachelorette.” This season has quickly become one of the most popular and groundbreaking seasons of the spin-off show. Unlike any other season of a “Bachelor” franchise show previously, this season features an LGBTQ couple. It started out with a contestant from season 23 of “The Bachelor,” Demi Burnett, explaining to viewers and good friend former bachelorette Hannah Brown, that during her time before coming on “Paradise,” that she had been exploring her sexuality with another woman. She did not know exactly how she felt about that women and decided to go on this season of “Paradise” to see if she could find someone she was sure about. Right off the bat, Burnett hit it off with Derek Peth who appeared on season 12 of “The Bachelorette” and season four of “Bachelor in Paradise.” For the first few episodes of the show, which aires Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC, the couple grew very close and became one of the most established and exclusive couples. In one of the beginning episodes of the season, Burnett explained to Peth that prior to the show she was seeing a woman. She told him that she wanted to explore her relationship with him, and he accepted her truths and decided to continue dating her. In her private interviews, Burnett

began to express her confusion about her relationship with Peth while she was still having thoughts about the woman she dated before the show, Kristian Haggerty. While the show is completely comprised of heterosexual couples, this season decided to forgo these standards, and its previous rule that if someone wanted to date a person who is not on the show, they had to leave “Paradise” and brought Burnett’s love interest. Producers decided to bring Haggerty on the show, despite how the previous seasons were run because they wanted Burnett to explore her relationship and feelings with Haggerty as well as with Peth. Demi ended up deciding to be with Haggerty, leaving Peth without a solid connection in “Paradise.” Other relationships in “Paradise” were already solidified and strong when Burnett chose Haggerty. While many fans assumed Burnett and Haggerty would get together and leave the show, they ended up deciding to continue dating while in “Paradise.” During rose ceremonies, which occur once a week, Burnett gives her rose to Haggerty. This has never seen before, since every week they alternate between men giving women roses and women giving men roses. “The Bachelorette,” which has had 15 seasons so far, only just had its first African-American bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay, during season 13. There has yet to be a male, African-American bachelor even though the show is on its 24th season. Fans are hoping that previous “Bachelorette” contestant, Mike Johnson, will be season 24’s Bachelor and the first African-American bachelor. Hopefully, these changes are a start to a future for the show that is more inclusive. Maybe Burnett and Haggerty are just a start to the beginning of a “Bachelor”/”Bachelorette” where the contestants feel free to explore their sexuality.

ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

“Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” has gone through several major updates and changes, focusing on the rapid introduction of several new characters. July 30, a character simply referred to as “The Hero” was made available to play in “Ultimate,” representing the long-running fantasy roleplaying game series “Dragon Quest.” For the first time in the series since the infamous banning of “Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s” Meta Knight, a major tournament banned a playable fighter from competitive tournaments. The banned fighter was the newly-added Hero, who has been the cause of conversation since he was revealed. Competitive players such as Leffen campaigned for his pre-emptive banning, afraid of the high damage potential the Hero’s diverse and powerful move set allows for, with some spells such as Magic Burst or Kamikaze, or even his neutral special attack, able to knock out low weight-class characters at less than 50 percent. Others presented the language barrier in the Hero’s down-special, choosing a spell. Players of different languages will not be able to read the spells the Hero is selecting and will only have the spell itself activating as any signal to react to it in time to protect themselves. The Australian tournament banned the “Dragon Quest” repre-

sentative for being “too random,” as they were uncomfortable with the potential for Hero players to defeat opponents due to critical hits and getting a specific spell at the perfect time. Sept. 4, Banjo and Kazooie (of the “Banjo-Kazooie” series of games) were made playable. Banjo, who stores his partner Kazooie in his backpack so that the two characters can act as one playable fighter, was a highly requested character for years and was met with immediate hype upon being revealed. “Smash” players have enjoyed Banjo’s playstyle, boasting a balance of slow, heavy attacks, ranged projectiles and diverse movement options. Some players, like YouTuber Alpharad, originally feared Banjo’s weight and speed would hold him back, but the raw power of his smash attacks and the knockout and movement potential of his fast-moving, powerful and armored side-special have changed most player’s perspective into that of excitement at Banjo ascending the tier list into a competitively viable played character. Another character that was highly requested and “meme’d” on made an appearance in the Nintendo Direct, the joke-making and time-traveling skeleton brother hailing from “Undertale,” Sans. Sans did not appear as a downloadable fighter, but instead as a Mii Gunner costume, along with other Mii costumes such as Team Rocket for Mii Brawler and Protoman for Mii Gunner. Sans’ inclusion is unique, however, as he is the only

Mii Fighter costume to come paired with his own music, his boss fight theme song, “Megalovania.” Despite his role as just a costume for the Mii Gunner, Sans has amassed equal or at times greater reaction and appreciation from players, fans and memers alike and has led the Mii Gunner from being a fighter with a low play rate into one of the most popular fighters online. The final character to make a “Smash” appearance in the Nintendo Direct presentation was “Fatal Fury’s” blond-haired protagonist, Terry Bogard. Terry’s release date has not been revealed yet, and sparse gameplay has been shown, but fans and players are already making predictions and expressing hopes for his moves, costumes and presence in the competitive scene. This has reignited the “Smash” community’s open-minded and investigative desire to correctly predict, or express their personal hopes for, the final downloadable fighter… for now. The final revelation in the Nintendo Direct was the announcement that future DLC (downloadable content) Fighter’s Passes, the sets of characters that players can purchase separate from “Ultimate’s” base game, will be made, confirming that the current set of five fighters will not be the only new fighters added to “Smash,” giving hope to players everywhere that their dream characters have a second chance to make it into the most popular crossover game in the world.


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Culture

‘Fire Emblem: Three Houses’ exceeds players’ expectations ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

This article contains opinion. “Fire Emblem” is a popular series of tactical turn-based roleplaying games, with players utilizing a variety of weapons, spells and abilities to defeat their opponents with as few casualties as possible. After fans and critics were generally disappointed with the last new entry in the fantasy series’ large franchise, “Fire Emblem Fates,” fans were equally excited and anxious when the next entry in the series, the Nintendo Switch exclusive, “Fire Emblem: Three Houses,” was announced. “Three Houses” seemed to hint at both a return to form for those who felt a lack of depth to the story and combat found in “Fates” and an introduction of new and game-changing mechanics and situations to give players a new experience, making the game a wholly unique experience for even series veterans. “Three Houses’” main feature that differentiates it from the rest of the franchise is its unique setting, an academy for training the young leaders of three different nations within the continent of Fodlan. The Officer’s Academy acts as the base for the game’s core content, structuring the story, gameplay, out-of-battle gameplay and character interaction. The player, whose avatar’s default name is Byleth, finds themselves going from the role of a silent, emotionally stunted mercenary to that of a professor at the prestigious Officer’s Academy. The academy is owned and operated by the head of the church, Archbishop Rhea. On your first day as a professor, you must choose between three “Harry Potter”-esque houses, which will be the group of students your story and battles focus on. The three available houses are the Blue Lions, which has students hailing from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, a kingdom built around nobility, a loyalty to the church and following the code of chivalry; the Yellow Deer, which has its students coming from the Leicester Alliance, a rebellious group of dukes and lords that formed a council-governed nation after breaking away from the Kingdom; and the Black Eagles, which houses students from the Adrestian Empire, an ancient Empire that once conquered all of Fodlan and gave the Kingdom its

(Facebook) “Fire Emblem: Three Houses” has many new characters and exciting activities.

territory at the end of a revolutionary war. Each house has its own strengths and weaknesses, in terms of story, character and gameplay. The Blue Lions feel the closest to a classic “Fire Emblem” title, focusing on a blue-clad lord and his journey to save his kingdom from disaster. Due to the knightly nature of the kingdom, most members of the Blue Lions excel in using lances, and swords, but many Blue Lion students struggle with dark magic or archery. The Blue Lions is my favorite house, personally, for its role in the story as the defending kingdom against an invading enemy, but also as a uniting force that forms ties with both the Alliance and the church that the academy is built by. Liking or disliking a character is subjective, but most players tend to admire the interesting and compellingly written balance

of darkness and honor found in Dmitri, the house’s leader, while his allies are hit-or-miss. Characters like Dedue or Annie come off as boring and one-note, and characters like Felix and Ingrid come off as abrasive or jerk-ish, but characters like Ashe, Mercedes and Sylvain have been loved for either their kindness, honesty or depth. The Yellow Deer naturally excel in the use of bows but lack multiple options for roles in the group, with units easily falling into the role of “the tank,” “the healer” or “the high damage-dealing unit” and leaving one vulnerable if they lose that key member of their team composition. The Yellow Deer are generally liked for their personalities, except for Lorenz, who is hated by everyone, and their cool, collected and at times lazy leader, Claude. The Black Eagles, which is currently the most popular house,

boasts a strong team of mages, dark mages,and skilled warriors but lack many users of healing magic or bows. The Black Eagles’ enigmatic leader, Edelgard, has captured the hearts and minds of many players but turned off many would-be allies with her choice to wage war on the Church, sacrificing any Blue Lions or Yellow Deer that would get in her way. The Black Eagles are also quite popular for having a large roster of attractive female characters, which has boosted their popularity in the United States and Japan especially. The major gameplay changes that “Three Houses” bring stem from its setting and core themes, the three houses and the Officer’s Academy. Between battles, which remain as the series’ core tactical turn-based battles, the player can choose from several activities within and around the academy. These activities range from training battles, fishing, cooking, eating lunch/dinner with students and faculty, performing in the choir, taking lessons in certain skills from experienced professors and knights, attending/teaching seminars on skills that the player or an ally excel at and inviting close allies to tea parties. These serve to give the player the ability and choice to aid in the two main forms of growth that units experience, besides leveling up through combat experience. Activities like performing in choir, attending seminars and training in practice battles can help units and the player level up skills and abilities, such as swordsmanship, faith (light magic), or authority and leadership skills. These are important in aiding the unit in combat, as proficiency in different skills allows units access to better equipment and better performance with that type of attack, or can allow better success in passive traits, such as taking less damage from attacks while wearing armor, moving farther and dealing more damage while on horseback or healing more health whenever using white magic on allies. The authority skill is a new addition to the series, as it is the skill required for succeeding and advancing in working with and hiring battalions, a new gameplay feature introduced in “Three Houses.” Battalions, large groups of nameless and generic soldiers coming from some guild, group or organization you have gained the trust of, boost the stats of their equipped unit and give access to exclusive special attacks, such as a ranged attack for knights or a spell to heal multiple

units at the same time. Activities like meeting up for lunch or attending tea parties serve two purposes: motivation and bonding. Motivation is a feature present in some of the previous entries in the “Fire Emblem” series but has had its purpose slightly change throughout. Motivation in “Three Houses” acts as the energy a unit must attend classes, attend seminars, teach seminars and other activities that would aid the unit in leveling up their skills and abilities. Bonding, however, is a recurring feature in the “Fire Emblem” series, which has had its role growing larger since the record-breaking “Fire Emblem: Awakening.” Units, including the player, can form bonds with their allies in the form of Support conversations between two compatible units, which give additional story on the lives and personalities of the characters, a boost in battle prowess whenever two bonded allies are near each other and leads to eventual options of marriage between the player and a potential spouse. “Fire Emblem: Three Houses” is a large, tightly packed game filled to the brim with content and choices for the player to make and characters for the player to love or hate. “Three Houses” brought several great additions to the game, including battalions, sacred weapons with unique special abilities and between-battle seminars and lessons to level up abilities. The game advertises itself as a 40+ hour experience, but at times, several of those hours become a slog to get through. The worst parts of the game are the last few “months,” the in-between periods in which you can explore the academy or participate in activities between battles, where so few new events appear, and the player has acquired so much energy to do activities with, that each individual week takes as long as two months took during the first hour of the game. Overall, the game is a great entry in the “Fire Emblem” series, succeeding in matching (and exceeding) the quality of gameplay mechanics in the previous entries in the series, and contributed great new additions to the gameplay, which can hopefully be tuned to be more efficient and enjoyable in future games. The game stands as my second favorite “Fire Emblem” game and earns a 9/10 from me.


Culture

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Twenty years later, Blink-182 is having their last laugh STEVE APPLEFORD Los Angeles Times TNS Hours before showtime, Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus is in the VIP lounge of the Forum in Inglewood, surrounded by generations of popular music. On the walls are vivid pictures of headliners from the past and present, from Led Zeppelin to Madonna, Neil Diamond to Guns N’ Roses, and Hoppus is contemplating how his pop-punk trio fits into that company. In the normal arc of a pop music career, an artist might enjoy a season or three of major chart success and arena concerts. Only a small number survive decades at that altitude. Blink is still here, a full 20 years after their multiplatinum, career-defining “Enema of the State” album. “Somehow Blink has had several do-over tokens,” said Hoppus, still bouncy but grown up at 47, his auburn hair standing up into a youthful, tousled Bazooka Joe spike. “We always try and write the best songs we can and put on the best shows that we can, but there’s lots of bands that do and don’t get the chance to continue to play the Forum. I don’t know what we owe our longevity to.” The night before, Blink-182 – Hoppus, drummer Travis Barker and guitarist/singer Matt Skiba – were at an amphitheater in Chula Vista, close to the band’s San Diego birthplace, and near the end of a Southern California tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Enema.” The record contains several of Blink’s many radio hits and is the foundation to a seemingly open-ended longevity few might have predicted when they emerged from a garage as a trio of leaping, snarling, foulmouthed goofballs. “I used to drink before I walked on stage,” said Hoppus with a grin. “Now, an hour before we start, I take a couple of Advil.” Founded by Hoppus, former singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge and original drummer Scott Raynor, Blink-182 arrived in the mid-’90s as pop-punk pranksters with irreverent tunes of adolescent frustration, delivering an avalanche of sex jokes and soaring pop choruses. Alongside Green Day, Blink’s takeover of MTV and

(TNS) Blink-182 has a fan base that ranges in age.

pop radio helped introduce a suburban version of punk to a new wave of restless young fans. Their songs and accompanying videos –“All The Small Things” and “What’s My Age Again?” most indelibly – were angsty, juvenile, endearingly cute and loaded with irresistible hooks. “We would go to New York and they’d put us on ‘TRL,’” Hoppus recalls. “I’d look out that window and Times Square would be packed with fans. Or we’d show up for some MTV interview in Italy and there’d be thousands of people outside. We’re like, ‘Is Puffy coming by today?’ ‘No, that’s for you guys.’” Blink also took note of real life, with Hoppus writing of suicide and loneliness on “Adam’s Song.” It was another hit single in 2000, but connected in a more profound way than the goofier tunes ever could. “Those are the songs that personally mean the most,” says Hoppus. “It’s not just, ‘Let’s write a catchy song about falling in love with a girl in the summertime.’ Those songs are great, but when you write about something that is meaningful to you, upsetting to you – it means a lot more.” With Blink’s newest album, “Nine,” set for a Sept. 20 release, the trio – now featuring Skiba, 43, who replaced DeLonge in 2015 – is looking to reach beyond nostalgia by adding elements of hip-hop, electronics and modern recording techniques into an oth-

erwise intact punk-rock mix. “Making sure Blink isn’t different than modern music – rather than being something of the past – is a big achievement for me,” said Barker. Tattooed and athletic at 43, Barker’s schedule outside of Blink-182 is dependably packed with collaborations with of-the-moment DJs and hiphop artists, including the rappers 03 Greedo and Lil Nas X. Reality asserted itself in the making of the band’s new album on “Heaven,” a song initiated by Barker after a 2018 mass shooting barely two miles from his home, at the Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks, where 12 people were killed. (The hooded shooter also died by suicide.) One of the victims at the Borderline had survived the shooting massacre at a country music festival in Las Vegas the year before. On “Nine,” the sound is tense with postmodern effects and accelerated beats mingling with Blink-style vocal harmonies, as Hoppus sings, “Make a wish that you’ll get a chance to say goodbye / Before the shots ring out in the dead of night.” The song’s message had even more resonance for the band this summer, long after it was recorded, when Blink had a day off in El Paso Aug. 3. Hoppus had just finished breakfast at a coffee shop with his wife and son, with tickets to see a movie nearby at the Cielo Vista Mall, when he was contacted by the band’s security. “We were walking out of the

restaurant to head over there and our security texted saying, ‘Hey, there’s an active shooter in the area. You should probably come back to the hotel,’” Hoppus said of the attack that killed 22 at the mall’s Walmart. Blink canceled the next night’s El Paso show “in solidarity with the community,” the band announced via Twitter. “It’s ridiculous that we all collectively are like, wait, which one was that?” said Hoppus. “Was that the nightclub shooting or the school shooting or the movie theater shooting or the food festival shooting or the mall shooting? You can’t even keep track of it. You’re at a level of outrage about gun violence that is unhealthy to sustain.” The new album is the second since the departure of DeLonge, whose interests in UFO research and his other band, Angels & Airwaves, became his central focus, leaving much less time for a frustrated Blink. Their breakup was public and acrimonious. After resolving legal issues with DeLonge, Barker and Hoppus continued with the band. In recent interviews, DeLonge has said he’d like to return to the trio at some point. Hoppus doesn’t rule anything out. “I’ll never say never. But we don’t have plans to do that,” says Hoppus, who talked to DeLonge for the first time in two years just before the tour began. They met as teens in 1992. “It was a phone call saying ev-

erything’s cool. No hard feelings. How’s your family? How’s life?” Hoppus said. To fill DeLonge’s position, Blink turned to the Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba, who first met the band through producer Jerry Finn. All three live in the Los Angeles area, including Hoppus in Beverly Hills with his wife and son, after several years residing in the U.K. For Barker, whose domestic life with ex-wife Shanna Moakler was famously documented a decade ago on MTV’s “Meet the Barkers,” his two kids are usually nearby. After surviving a 2008 private plane crash with his friend and EDM partner, Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein, Barker faced a series of health issues, but is now fully recovered. He keeps a full schedule on the road, including a daily 3-mile run and work on multiple recording projects off stage. After Blink concerts, Barker often follows with a DJ gig across town. “Travis keeps himself busy all day long,” Hoppus said. “I’m cool to just sitting in a room and looking at my phone for an hour.” After establishing his bona fides with Blink-182, Barker branched out into other projects and genres, collaborating as drummer, songwriter, producer and impresario. The Fader recently called him “rap’s favorite drummer,” with credits alongside the likes of Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar. Based on his experiences in that company, Barker insists rock remains a vibrant, influential form. “A lot of the rappers and artists outside of rock I work with, they’re talking about rock music and are inspired by rock music,” he insists. “If there’s cool melodies and cool sounds within the track, that’s what really inspires people.” For Hoppus, the struggle to create songs that are melodic and meaningful is the same as it ever was, as Blink faces an audience that now includes original Blink fanatics hitting their 40s and another generation discovering pop-punk for themselves. “I wake up every day like, ‘I’m never going to write another good song,’” he said. “Then sometimes I’ll write a song, drive home, play it for my wife and go, ‘Look what we did today. Look at this awesome song.’ And then I wake up the next day and go through the whole thing all over again.”


Sports

Sports Editor: Elliot Hicks – E.Hicks@iup.edu

No. 24 IUP ready to take on Millersville JEFF HART

Staff Writer J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Saturday, Hawk Nation is going on the road to Millersville as the IUP football team takes on the Marauders. Both teams are undefeated this season, as they both won their season opener. The Crimson Hawks are looking to continue climbing the rankings as they come into Week 2 ranked No. 24 in the nation. Last week, IUP played smart and tough defense and ended the game with three interceptions and four sacks to limit New Haven to only 13 points. The Hawks displayed moments of brilliance on offense last week but had some hiccups late in the game. IUP is looking to cut down

(Ishaaq Muhammad/The Penn) The IUP Crimson Hawks will play the Millersville Mauraders Saturday.

on the turnovers this week after throwing three interceptions and giving up a fumble, all of which could have been very costly. This squad showcased its potential offensively, and it is hoping

to build on that performance and continue to build chemistry with its new quarterback. If last game was any indicator, look for the Hawks to air it out on offense and unapologetically play

all out. This game will be no walk in the park for the Crimson Hawks, though. Millersville is coming off a tight win against Pace. The Marauders came from behind in the fourth to overcome the odds and take down Pace 21-20. They seemed to put it all together at the right time in that matchup. Millersville has a solid rushing attack, and it fully utilized this in its first game when it rushed for more than 160 yards. With such a potent backfield, the Hawks need to be careful as the Marauders could dictate the time of possession and own the clock. IUP will most likely look to take advantage of Millersville’s lapses on offense. The Marauders turned over the ball three times against

Pace, and the Hawks will likely try to wreak havoc on Millersville’s offense. If they can disrupt the Marauders’ offensive flow, IUP should be able to come away undefeated going into Week 3. Going into this matchup, the Hawks have history on their side as they have beat Millersville in their last six matchups. In more recent history, IUP blew the Marauders out of the water last season with a 41-7 win at home. IUP is 32-8 against PSAC East opponents, and the Marauders are going to try to add another loss to the Hawks’ stat sheet. It is truly going to be an interesting matchup between these two programs as each will look for a 2-0 start to the season.

Crimson Hawks Roundup ELLIOT HICKS

tion in two weeks’ time when they will compete in the Mercyhurst Fall Invitational starting Sept. 22.

Sports Editor E.Hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

FIELD HOCKEY: The IUP field hockey team remains unbeaten following a 1-0 victory Wednesday against Mansfield. The lone goal was scored by Brianna Lubrarsky (senior, biology) in the game’s 10th minute. Blaise Cugini (freshman, education) is now on a two-game point streak to open her career as she assisted on the Crimson Hawks’ goal. Mansfield outshot IUP 15-5 and had 10 corners in the contest, but goaltender Lexi Ciano (junior, exercise science) and the Crimson Hawks defense maintained the shutout. IUP will play three of its next four games at home as it looks to build early-season momentum, starting with a matchup against Bloomsburg for its next game Saturday.

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SOCCER:

(Autumn Dorsey/The Penn) IUP soccer defeated California (Pa.) Wednesday 3-1.

GOLF: The men’s golf team was ultimately unable to defend last year’s title at Clarion’s Hal Hansen Invitational, but the Crimson Hawks still finished a respectable fourth

out of eight teams. The team’s 32over 608 was 22 strokes behind the champions, West Chester. The leading Crimson Hawk, Jack Buccigross (sophomore, marketing), shot a 2-over 146 outside of

September 13, 2019

the five-man IUP team. Freshmen Shaun Fedor (marketing) and Richie Kline finished 10th and 11th with scores of 6-over 150 and 7-over 151 respectively. The Crimson Hawks return to ac-

The IUP soccer team earned its first conference win of the season Wednesday as it defeated California (Pa.) 3-1 at South Campus Field. Mahogany Willis (sophomore, communications media) was the star of the show once again, scoring two goals on four shots. She leads the Crimson Hawks with six goals in two games this season. Cal U scored in the 73rd minute to cut the IUP lead in half, but Makenzie Witzel (junior, chemistry) scored late to give the Crimson Hawks a two-goal victory. Madeline Smakulski (junior, communications media) had 10 saves in the win. IUP travels to Edinboro for its next matchup Saturday looking to remain unbeaten.

Sports


Sports

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Start, Sit & Dynasty Football Factory SETH WOOLCOCK

homes. But he might be the next best thing. And if he can continue to find Johnson when he’s scrambling, as he so often does because of the shaky offensive line, the Duke should make himself worthy play.

Sponsorship Coordinator S.M.Woolcock@iup.edu @DFF_SethW

Whether or not you’re a believer in fate, this is one of those stories that’ll make you question it. It was 7:30 a.m. on a muggy July day. I sat in a booth at Crouse’s Cafe in Indiana, waiting to be joined by my professor, friend and mentor – Dr. Erick Lauber. Amongst all the catching up we did that morning, I took a few lessons from our breakfast, as I always do when talking with Dr. Lauber. He explained that now that I am on the market for a full-time job in the media industry, I need to use and expand my network, and roll with my niches, being music reviewing and writing and yep, you probably guessed it, fantasy sports content. Later that night, following work, I scoured the internet in hopes to find somewhere I could contribute fantasy football columns to. Through cover letters, the websites’ threads and everything in-between, I went all-in looking for a site to write for. Fast forward to mid-August and not one site, out of the nearly 20 I applied to, had gotten back to me. It was about 2:30 a.m. when I was lying in bed on my iPhone 5, scrolling through the depths of Google searches to find somewhere that would let me write about freakin’ fantasy football. But just when I was about to lose hope and call it a night, I found it. It was a 3-year-old reddit thread originally posted by Ronnie A. Evans, looking for people interested in writing for his new fantasy football site. And at the end of the original spot was a Twitter handle to direct message. I knew it was still probably a long shot, but I did it anyways. And am I sure glad I did. @RonnieAEvan came through for me like no other. Even though his site is on hiatus for the season as he revamps it, Ronnie pointed me in the direction of Shane Manila

(TNS) Josh Gordon will look for another big week with the Patriots against Miami.

(@DFF_Shane on Twitter), who got me in touch with Dynasty Football Factory’s (DFF) director of both Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) content and talent recruitment, Kalib Drake (@DFF_Guru on Twitter). About a week later, I had a phone interview with Michael Goins (MG), the site’s founder and CEO. After a wonderful talk with MG about ourselves, DFF and the “adult version of Dungeons and Dragons that we play,” I was offered to come aboard the Dynasty Football Factory team as a redraft writer and editor. You wouldn’t believe the Tiger Woods fist pump I did after we ended that call! Later that day, I was put in contact with more than 80 extremely talented writers, editors and producers who are just as obsessed, or maybe even more obsessed, with fantasy football than I am. On such a gratifying and joyous day, I just remember being so happy and thankful that someone was finally willing to give me a chance to show what I can do. So, in addition to this weekly column, that I will contributing for The Penn until I graduate in December, I will also be writing a weekly “In the Scope” column for DFF, highlighting potential waiver wire targets a week in advance. So be sure to check it out, along with some more content at DynastyFootballFactory.com.

Now, plug aside, I can get to the point of this story. Whether it was fate, or my free will that led me to DFF, it doesn’t matter. I’m there. I’m all-in, ready to go, and I couldn’t be more elated. So, even if it was “just fate” that you lost Tyreek Hill, Derrius Guice to injury or Antonio Brown and Melvin Gordon to off-the-field situations or your own free will for drafting them, it doesn’t matter. What matters now is how you come back in Week 2. Whether it’s trading, using the waiver wire and free agency, or just nailing your start/sits – it’s up to you. When it’s 2:30 a.m. and you have to be up in five hours, don’t quit. Find that reddit thread. Find your DFF. The worst thing you can do is nothing. So, like Nike, just do it, and let’s get to it. Quarterback I’d start this week: Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams): Although Goff is coming off a porous Week 1 performance in which he had just 186 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 39 attempts, he should bounce back in a game against the Saints that Vegas has tied for the highest over/ under of the week (53). Only once while playing a full game in 2018 did Goff throw for fewer than 200 yards. That was Week 14 against the Bears, a game

where he played without arguably his favorite wide receiver Cooper Kupp. He rebounded the following week for more than 300 yards against Philadelphia. I think he does the same here in Week 2. Quarterback I’d sit this week: Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings): Not that everyone is rushing to start Kirk Cousins this weekend, but if you’re looking for a streamer and are expecting better numbers than Week 1, I wouldn’t. We know that offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski wants to run the ball. Playing an improved Packers’ defense at Lambeau Field, Minnesota will try and keep the ball out of Rodgers’ hands with both Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. If you’re in need of a desperate streamer, try Andy Dalton against the 49ers or Derek Carr against the Chiefs, where he’ll likely be trailing. Running back I’d start this week: Duke Johnson (Houston Texans): The Duke of Lansbarry, or at least Houston for that matter, has a favorable matchup this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars that should lock him into most lineups. Patrick Mahomes last week set a career record for passing yards in the first half against this once-stifling defensive unit. No, DeSean Watson isn’t Ma-

Running back I’d sit this week: David Montgomery (Chicago Bears): This kid’s coming-out party is coming soon. But I just don’t think it’s this week playing in Denver, a tough environment for any running back to play in due to the elevation, let alone a rookie. Last week, Montgomery saw only 38 percent of the backfields snaps, and the Bears lost. However, I need to see it before I trust it in my lineup. Consider him a middle-ofthe-road flex play in 10-team, PPR leagues. Wide Receiver I’d start this week: Josh Gordon (New England Patriots): To be fair, I could’ve copped out by saying I’ll just start all the New England Patriots this week. But I specifically like Gordon this week. Probably no Antonio Brown (this week or in the future), and playing the Miami Dolphins, the junior-varsity team of the NFL, Gordon has some massive upside here in Week 2. I’m still planning on selling Gordon high in the next few weeks because he hasn’t had a full campaign since his rookie season in 2016. But after last week’s dominating performance, where he was able to rack up 16.3 fantasy points, I’m starting him here in Week 2. Wide receiver I’d sit this week: Christian Kirk (Arizona Cardinals): While Kirk had 12 targets last week, he managed only four receptions for 32 yards, making him the fourth-leading receiver in Arizona after Week 1. With Kyler Murray, his team’s rookie quarterback, playing a tough Ravens defense in Baltimore that gave up just 10 points in Week 1, I’ll take a hard pass on starting Kirk this week.


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Sports

Hart: Steelers have become epitome of insanity JEFF HART

Staff Writer J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. Ah, football season. What a wonderful time of year for fans everywhere. Thrilling games, lazy Sundays, tailgates and more are going to be a common commodity for the next few months. Most importantly, NFL fans are excited at the prospect of a new season. There is something poetic about having a blank slate on the year. Thirty-one teams all ready and waiting to compete and see where their squads are going to take them. Whether or not each squad is going to be competing for a title remains to be seen, but each team promises a new year filled with many trials and tribulations. I’m sure by now most people are wondering why only 31 teams have started their new season. It’s quite strange considering that there are 32 teams that make-up the National Football League. It would be quite strange if the Pittsburgh Steelers were not one of those 32 teams. The Pittsburgh Steelers have become the epitome of insanity. This is a very hot take, and many will disagree. When you take a deeper look at the true nature of the atrocity that has been the Pittsburgh Steelers, then you will truly be able to see that this team and their fanbases have been hoodwinked, led astray and deluded for far too long now. As a resident Steelers fan, I feel that I and all other Steelers fans have earned the right to not only question the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, but to demand change. For the past five years, Pittsburgh has been viewed as one of the top teams in the NFL. It’s hard to refute this as they had Antonio Brown, LeVeon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger all on the same roster. Pittsburgh had a top-five offense for almost four years. From 2014 to 2017, the Steelers had the ability to put up points in a hurry against anyone. It was just for this reason that they never finished worse than 10-6 in the four-year span. Steelers fans and NFL analysts all agreed that Pittsburgh had all

(TNS) Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady have a combined eight Super Bowl victories.

(TNS) Mike Tomlin’s coaching was not good enough to beat the Patriots Sunday night.

the necessary tools to win it all. And they would all be wrong. Steelers fans seemed to have pulled a veil over their eyes and refuse to face the problems that have plagued this franchise going all the way back to the 2014 season. Even in their best seasons, the Steelers have always found a way to lose the big games. In the words of the famous ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith, “What can go wrong will go wrong!” Some may say going to this extreme on a team that’s been one of the most respectable franchises in league history is hyperbole. Whether it be an injury to Bell in the 2015 wild card game, Brown missing the 2016 divisional round matchup against Denver or just simply being out-coached in the 2017 AFC Championship against New England, the Steelers have always found different ways to impede their success. One thing remained constant during this four-year period: hope. Steelers fans every year always convinced themselves with ideas that with another season under their belts, this team would win it all. This belief died hard in the 2018 season when Bell sat out the year over a

contract negotiation with the team. Even with this in mind, many had the Steelers easily making the playoffs and making some noise. They ultimately fell short of attaining this goal when they finished last season 9-7 and lost their playoff spot to the Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers year after year have showcased their own ineptitude toward their ultimate goal of success. The reasons for this internal inadequacy varied depending on who you asked. Some believed it was coaching, some blamed chemistry and locker room issues, others blamed injuries. Many fans came to the consensus that the locker room issues that ravaged the team last season with Bell and Brown were the ultimate reason for the Steelers’ lack-luster season. And Sunday night would have the perfect opportunity to prove this. They were going up against the New England Patriots, who they had beaten just last season. This Patriots squad was without Rob Gronkowski and none other than Brown himself, signed by New England the day prior to the matchup. I, like many, had believed it

would be a competitive game because the Steelers still have some threats on both sides of the ball. We could not have been more wrong. The Steelers were fleeced, humiliated and disgraced on the opening game of the season in prime time. The offense could never quite get going, and the defense couldn’t stop a cold. Pittsburgh failed to put up a singular touchdown in this matchup and allowed 33 points from New England. This loss was the ultimate spitin-the-face to many Steelers fans. No, it was more than that. This was a wake-up call for Steelers fans everywhere. This season was doomed before it was started. Pittsburgh fans now realize that we are going to be subjected to the same questionable coaching decisions, injury issues and internal issues that have plagued this team for years as long as Tomlin is on the job. If anyone needs to be convinced as to why Tomlin will never win another championship with the team, look no further than the Dec. 14 issue of The Penn. In this issue, one can find an entire article devoted to the plethora of evidence that demonstrates Tomlin’s inability to lead a team to a championship. JuJu Smith-Schuster is already injured and questionable for Pittsburgh’s next game against Seattle. Many experts are predicting that Roethlisberger may retire at the end or even before the end of the season.

As per usual, the Steelers have become the talk of the NFL, but for all of the worst reasons. After this disgusting opening night of professional football, I am asking – no, imploring – all Steelers fans to stop immediately. Steelers fans are far too devoted and dedicated to blindly support and subject themselves to this level of incapacity to win a championship. I urge fans to take a critical look at the state of this team from management on down, and do some serious soul searching for this team. For the past six years we have been in an endless limbo of coming short and blinding ourselves with the prospect of “next season.” Pittsburgh’s fans have been expecting a different result from the same behavior from this team. This is the very definition of insanity. Nothing has changed this season, so why would the result be any different? Until Pittsburgh provides us and the rest of the league with solid evidence to make fans believe in this team again, I think Steelers fans have a right to question and be upset with the affairs of this team. Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champions. This team has won six Super Bowl titles, and our fans have come to expect championship-caliber football. That is not what we have been given. Until that day comes again, Steelers are left to question where this team will go.


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(TNS) DeSean Jackson (left) and Carson Wentz celebrated a touchdown Sunday.

(TNS) Eagles running back Darren Sproles ran for 47 yards Sunday in a victory.

Eagles impress in comeback win against Washington AUSTIN SMITH

Contributing Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. Believe it or not, Week 1 for the NFL is already in the books. Sometimes bold predictions are made a little too promising at times, and that’s exactly what happened for Carson Wentz and Philadelphia. No one expected Case Kennum and the Washington squad to play like they did Sunday afternoon. They wasted no time putting points up on the board. It was all Washington in the first half, where they put up 20. Keenum threw some great passes down the field, including one to Terry McLaurin, who had a good game for Washington, putting up a touchdown and 125 receiving yards. Kennum targeted tight end Vernon Davis a few times in the first half, and Davis also had a nice touchdown score, which had him leaping over a player to have a clear path to the endzone.

Wentz could not get anything going for the birds until the end of the first half, when Wentz threw a 51-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson. This made the score 17–7 Washington. Philly was thrilled to see the returning Jackson with a touchdown in his first game back. Washington then added a field goal to make it 20–7 at the half. The tides turned, and it was all Philly in the second half. The Eagles got the ball at the beginning of the second half, and that’s where it went south for Keenum and his team. The Eagles converted on a fourth down and kept the drive going, ending up in the endzone when Wentz found Alshon Jefferey, which then made it 20–14 Washington. Jackson was found deep again, and Wentz hit him right on target for his second touchdown of the game, which gave the birds the lead. Philly would score again and would also get a two-point conversion. Washington did score one more time before the Eagles would move on with a 32–27 win for their home opener. Though the birds had a great comeback against their rivals in the second half, they can’t rely on that every game. Week 2 in the NFL is

here, and the Eagles have a Sunday-night showdown with the Atlanta Falcons. It’s usually a shootout with these two teams. Sometimes it came down to a touchdown or a field goal in the past. Last time in Philly, it came down to a touchdown. There are a couple different things that you have to look at here. The last meeting was in Philadelphia, and this time it’s in Atlanta. We all know how hard it can be for the opponent on the road to come in and play in an indoor stadium. So really, it’s up to who gets the good start this game. Both teams trailed in their past games, even though Philly came back. Atlanta had it even worse as they trailed 28–0 against the Vikings at one point. They did end up putting 12 points up before the game was over. In the end, it’s very important who gets off to a better start because whoever does will have more of the momentum. Both teams have pros and cons, and they will click at certain points of the game. Wentz should look to run the ball a little more this game to open up the passing game. I think the Falcons’ secondary is better than the Eagles’, especially in

the corners. With that being said, the Eagles’ run game must come more alive than it did against Washington. Playing better in the run game will allow Wentz to find Jackson down the field or look to hit his topranked tight end Zach Ertz. Of course, we have to watch out

for Julio Jones as one as Matt Ryan’s top targets as one of the best wide receivers in the game. It will be a close one for sure; it just comes down to who makes the first mistake. I am predicting that the Eagles will get their second win of the season by a score of 24–21.

This Day In Sports: Djokovic wins US Open

(Facebook) On Sept. 13, 2015, Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to win the U.S. Open title. Djokovic made all four of the Grand Slam finals that year, just the third man in tennis history to do so, after Federer himself and Rod Laver. Djokovic has won 16 career Grand Slam titles and holds the all-time record for most Australian Open titles with seven.


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September 13, 2019

Sports

(TNS) The New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night 33-3.

Steelers dismantled by Patriots to open season NICK DADOWSKI

Staff Writer N.J.Dadowski@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. The 2019 NFL season is underway, and the Steelers are 0-1 for the first time since 2015. To nobody’s surprise, the Patriots were the team handing Pittsburgh those L’s both seasons. For those that haven’t heard, the Steelers got absolutely shellacked in their season opener by the New England Patriots, 333. The affair was so embarrassing for the Steelers that broadcasters were laughing aloud at them for much of the fourth quarter. Many issues, internal and external, caused this butt-whooping.

Let’s start with the external issues. For starters, Antonio Brown was released from the Raiders early Saturday afternoon and was soon picked up by the New England Patriots. Some Steelers fans still want to point the finger at him somehow. I’m over it. Get over it. He’s a Patriot. You can whine, complain and moan all you want. Nothing is going to change the fact that Brown did what he did, and he’s a New England Patriot. As long as I’m writing Steelers articles, this will be the last mention of Antonio Brown. He’s not a Steeler and hopefully never will be again. The other external factor here is Bill Belichick. The man is the most brilliant mind this sport has ever seen. No one has put in the time and effort that this man has put into building

the dynasty that resides in Foxborough. He’s a man that is nearly impossible to game plan against, but he’s not invincible. Which brings us straight into our internal chaos that is the Pittsburgh Steelers. As mentioned, Belichick is NOT invincible. But when it comes to Mike Tomlin, Belichick is immortal. Tomlin has had his rear end handed to him by Belichick and Brady on numerous occasions. The worst part about the matter is that Tomlin has had since April 17 to game plan against the Pats. But what did Tomlin do? He got content with his scheme that barely beat the Patriots in December and just kept it for the 2019 season opener. Did Tomlin seriously not think that Belichick was going to come back stronger than ever and dissect the game plan he already knew was coming? We’ve been thinking it for

all too long; now it’s time to say it: fire Tomlin. Regardless of his regular season record, he’s the reason we’ve wasted all of Roethlisberger’s prime and watched numerous superstars walk out of town disgruntled. The secondary was an atrocity, but Keith Butler’s job is one that needs to stay. Although Butler has been exposed very badly on a few occasions, the man has pushed the Steelers to back-to-back seasons of leading the league in sacks. Hopefully the return of Sean Davis, whenever that might be, will boost morale amongst the secondary. Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t look too bad, however. The Steelers QB had a rough stat line, but so many incompletions came from the receivers blatantly dropping balls like it was what they were out there getting paid for. I’m not saying Ben had

a good game; he still overthrew many wideouts deep, one resulting in an interception. Donte Moncrief was an absolute embarrassment for Pittsburgh. The Pats’ secondary did look amazing and were interfering with a lot of passes, but Moncrief couldn’t catch swine flu at the equator. I’m looking for a lot more targets for James Washington against Seattle Sunday. The offense should be in much better shape against one of the worst 2018 secondaries in the league. It will more than likely be a shootout at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Steelers need a big bounce back game, or it could be detrimental to the team’s success. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that 68,000 strong will be on their feet louder than ever for the Steelers 2019 home opener this weekend.


September 13, 2019

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September 13, 2019

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Wide-open groups make up second half of UCL draw STEVEN LANGDON JR. Managing Editor S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. The second and final part of the Champions League draw is here. The second part of groups includes groups E through H. Let’s kick things off. Group E The champions are here. Liverpool looks to defend its title in a rather easy draw. They come into the season with most of the same team from a season ago. The attack is led by Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. Will they focus on the Premier League? Most likely yes, and that is why they will win the group but will not win the title again. The second big team in the group is Napoli. They come in after not having an eventful summer. The addition of Hirving Lozano in the attack is a small step forward. They also have a good defense with Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas, who is from Roma. Napoli should make it to the next round. The attack needs to consistently score in order to go farther than expected. The first of two clubs owned by Red Bull is next. The defending Austrian Bundesliga champion Salzburg once again qualifies for the competition. It is a team that does not have a great player and is better off not talking about to the extent of the others. Gent is the last team in the group. They will be the punching bag of the group. Enough said. Group F One of the best groups in the competition, this group is wideopen. This group has two teams that could win the group and another that could finish in the top two. Barcelona is the defending La Liga champions but has not seen Lionel Messi start a game this season. They are looking to make noise after their exit against Liverpool in the semifinals. They spent serious money over the summer bringing in Antoine Griezmann and Frenkie de Jong. They did fail to resign Neymar after

(Facebook) Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic (left) and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah will look to lead their clubs to Champions League glory.

several attempts. They look set at a championship run as long as Messi stays healthy. Dortmund is next and is possibly the question mark of the group. They have a good team led by rising star Jaden Sancho. The team overpaid to bring back Mats Hummels from Bayern Munich and replaced Christian Pulisic with Thorgan Hazard. Dortmund has yet to make a run to the final in the last 10 years, and that will continue. Inter Milan is possibly being overlooked by people. The big name on campus is Antonio Conte, who returned to his homeland this summer. They loaned out their best two attacking players in Mauro Icardi and Ivan Perisic. The reason of loaning out Icardi was to bring in striker Romelu Lukaku. This team could and will surprise people. I expect them to make it to the semifinals. Slavia Prague is the final team in the group. It is the most successful team from the Czech Republic.

They have no notable names, just like their chances of making it out of the group. Group G The group is average. There isn’t a team that sticks out above the others, and no team from the group will make it far after the group stage. I’ll try to be brief with the group. Benfica will represent Portugal in the Champions League. The loss of João Félix is costly, but they have enough players with experience. Lyon has one of the most exciting forward tandems in the competition. Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembélé are going to score a lot. They also have Anthony Lopes in between the sticks. Red Bull Leipzig is the second club owned by Red Bull. It is the most powerful team apart from Bayern in Germany. The attack will be manned by Timo Werner. There is an extra incentive for United States fans as Tyler Adams is a regular when healthy.

Zenit is the final team and was the first team drawn into the group. The champions of Russia will struggle against these teams. The part that puts them down is the defense. The Russian league thrives on bringing in attackers but not focusing on the back four. Group H The final group is honestly my favorite one. The most wide-open group in my opinion has four teams that could go far in the competition. The biggest surprise in last year’s competition is first in Ajax. The question is did they sell the talent on the team this summer? They did lose De Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, but the team has talent. Quincy Promes joins Dusan Tadic on a team that could make another surprise run. Chelsea is next and has a new manager in club legend Frank Lampard. The key player has to be N’Golo Kante. He is arguably the best midfielder in the world, and

could be the most crucial player for any team. They have a strong attack with American Christian Pulisic. Watch out for newcomer Mason Mount as he is off to a fast start this season. Lille comes after and has had a slow start to the season losing two of its four. The team has one thing in mind: youth. The offseason has brought in four players under 23. The most critical players are Renato Sanches in midfield and another American in Timothy Weah for attack. This team is the underdog of the group. They could be the Ajax of this Champions League. One last team to talk about in Valencia. Another team from Spain, it is most known for doing better in the Europa League, and that is where it will end up again this season. They have players to cause trouble with Maximiliano Gómez and Jasper Cillessen. Anyone could win it, like I said earlier, and Valencia will be tough.


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