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News Editor: Jake Slebodnick – J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu Lead News Writer: Anna Mechling – A.Mechling@iup.edu

(Anna Mechling/The Penn) The Career and Professional Development Center held its annual Career Fair in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex on Wednesday. Greeters included (from left) Eman Soliman (freshman, biology), Angela Martinelli (CPDC Department Coordinator), Lillian Rouss (junior, social studies education) and Jan Shellenbarger (Career Fair Coordinator).

Finding the next step: CPDC holds career fair in Ed Fry Arena ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Anna Mechling/The Penn) Director of graduate admissions Amber Dworek and graduate assistant Jason Olivares (top) offered advice to students for finding a good career, while Jill Thomas, the talent acquisition manager for Enterprise, gave insight for working with them.

News

The Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) hosted its annual spring career fair Wednesday at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. There were close to 90 companies and organizations at the event. The spring career fair allows students to network and explore internships, part-time, full-time and other employment positions. There is a career expo and graduate school fair in the fall. Wednesday’s event was a career fair and didn’t have as many graduate program representatives as the fall does. Employees represented a variety of industries at the career fair that were hiring for a variety of different jobs, positions and internships. “It’s always a good opportunity for students to get in front of employers and recruiters and learn about opportunities that they have for part-time, full-time jobs as well as internships,” said Kelsey Thompson, associate director of CPDC. IUP’s graduate admissions tabled at the career fair. “Graduate admissions are here

February 28, 2020

to help promote the opportunities of graduate programs to undergraduate students,” Amber Dworek, director of graduate admissions, said. “We offer an opportunity called ‘early admission’ that allows students to take graduate classes at the undergraduate level but at the undergraduate rate, saving roughly $6,000. “We have 60 graduate programs at IUP. Students can take courses as undergraduate students, and we also are there to help assist them with any questions or concerns they have, which might include assistantships, funding or financial aid. “Having these graduate programs here at IUP allows students to have an opportunity to make graduate school happen.” Enterprise was one of the many companies and organizations at the event hoping to recruit IUP students for internships, part-time and full-time jobs and in other areas. “We recruit at IUP often, and students are very successful at Enterprise,” said Jill Thomas, talent acquisition manager. “We have a great partnership with IUP and their students. “We are actively hiring locally and nationally and will be conducting on-campus interviews on Tuesday, March 24. If students are interested, they can reach out to

the CPDC to schedule.” Many students came to the event in their business professional attire seeking to better their futures. Many were looking for jobs post-graduation. “I’m looking to better my career and hopefully find something that is long-term,” Jordan Bieber (senior, economics) said. “I’m a senior, and the ride’s almost over, so I’m looking for a full-time job.” Others went to the career fair for a class requirement but were still looking for positions. “I’m here for a class,” Samantha Antal (junior, sociology) said. “I am looking for internships for sociology. “I think the career fair is more geared toward business, and it’s a bit harder to find things, but I’m actively looking and trying to talk to employers.” Career fairs can be intimidating, especially for soon-to-be-graduating seniors, but they are meant for students to consider new opportunities and hear what different companies and organizations offer. “I’m excited to walk around, see what places are here and what kind of jobs they’re offering,” Amy Daube (senior, sociology) said, “but I’m a little nervous since I’m not graduating this semester. I feel like my options are very limited.”

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Sexual violence activist, athlete Richard speaks at IUP

(Rob Hinkal/The Penn) Sexual and positive manhood activist Kyle Richard spoke to IUP students Thursday evening. Richard, a former athlete, focused on bystander intervention and incorporating positive masculinity following his experience intervening a sexual assault, where he was shot twice.

Police Blotter ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS

• Vernon Embry, 58, of Indiana was charged with DUI after borough police conducted a traffic stop at 3:53 p.m. Feb. 3 in the 400 block of Philadelphia Street. During the investigation, Embry was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and was taken into custody, according to Indiana Borough Police.


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Writing Center teaches graduate writing skills through Zoom call HALEY BROWN

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

IUP hosted a plagiarism avoidance workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The lecture was run by an English composition doctoral student, one of the many tutors at the Writing Center, named Nouf Alshrief. She shared a power point presentation with watchers of the lecture on a video chat/ screen-share website called Zoom, a website that is used for video-chats for business calls, lectures and even business conferences or meetings. She gave a one-hour lecture on the ins and outs of plagiarism, and her presentation included definitions of plagiarism, different types of plagiarism, how plagiarism can be accidental, IUP’s policies involving plagiarism and even offered some online/digital tools and options that can be used to avoid it. The purpose of the presentation was to clearly state and define plagiarism and help the viewers of the presentation to better understand IUP’s policies surrounding plagiarism and academic integrity. The plagiarism workshop involved some ways graduate and undergrad students alike can avoid plagiarism when engaged in writing that involves utilizing different sources, and she stressed the importance of properly citing those sources to avoid accidental plagiarism. She included some examples of plagiarism as well and asked the watchers in the video chat to explain some of their viewpoints when it came to how they personally defined terms such as plagiarism, research and when it becomes imperative to cite something when writing a thesis, dissertation or any sort of professional paper. Alshrief emphasized the idea that many grad students and even undergrads believe that their writing is not in any need or peer revision, but she explained that, despite this common opinion, it is always encouraged that a student takes whatever sort of paper they are writing into the Writing Center. She explained that the tutors at the Writing Center would be more than happy to take in any grad students looking for some writing guidance and would review their

(IUP Website) The Writing Center, located in Eicher Hall, taught graduate students how to write professionally through a Zoom conference call.

writing for free, just like any other IUP student has the opportunity to do. The editors must have a specific idea about what you want their editing to be focused on, such as grammar, vocab or the flow of your piece. Editors are expected to take four to seven days to get back to a student with feedback for a paper. Alshrief mentioned that the Writing Center does accept walkins, but, by making an appointment with a tutor, you can be sure that there will be no conflicting schedules and that you’ll receive any help or support needed. She also went over the idea that IUP also offers online tutoring. For this type of tutoring, only appointments are being accepted, and a later-access link that your assigned tutor will offer you can be utilized to “meet” online with a tutor for further question answering and assistance with your paper. Many doctoral students are available in the Writing Center and through online to review of your thesis or dissertation to help write any kind of professional papers. Before submitting a final dissertation or defense, a graduate student’s adviser may give any final remarks and feedback on the work, and then the final draft can be submitted to the editors at the Writing Center for a final review and further analysis of whatever topics you would like to be focused on. The limit of submissions for editing by the Writing Center is two submissions for graduate student reviews. During her lecture, Alshrief

included examples from scientific writing as well as more literature-based research examples. This sort of distinction is necessary because, in the fields of scientific writing and argumentative or literature-based writing, there are genres of research that demand specific conventions that some students may need help to understand. The reason that IUP stresses the importance of educating students on plagiarism stems from the diverse student body, which may have different perceptions of plagiarism due to different cultural and educational backgrounds. Plagiarism was defined as “borrowing someone’s ideas, information, or language without documenting the source and documenting the source but paraphrasing the source’s language too closely, without using quotation marks to indicate that words and phrases have been borrowed,” (Hacker, 1991, p. 507) which was used in the presentation. Plagiarism is not only about using someone else’s work without citing the original but also using language extremely close to the original source’s language. Quotation marks must always be used if directly quoting a source. Even if the source is cited, unless you decide to use direct quotations, words must be changed or paraphrased in your own words. Using art without citations and such is also considered plagiarism, and copyright policies were discussed in the lecture as well. It was shared that unless you get explicit permission from the owner to use the copyrighted material, even with a citation, it is illegal to

use that information or media in your own works. Being ignorant about plagiarism can cause academic issues, especially if you are a student who is required to perform a lot of research. Some plagiarism occurs without students even knowing they are committing plagiarism. Alshrief offered tips on avoiding accidental plagiarism, like the concept that any knowledge that is not common knowledge requires a citation and how if you are paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or words, you are required to change the structure of the writing as well as the words of the original text. In order to make the paraphrasing of someone else’s work safe from accidental plagiarism, she suggested that you should take notes as your read the original text and be sure that you write the notes in your own “voice” or tone. When writing your paper, instead of looking back at the original text to compose your work, it would be wiser to use your notes so that you can present the information through your own lens

and avoid the plagiarism called patchwork paraphrasing, which is when a writer uses words or sentence structure too similar to the original work. Using a technical word that is very specific to context also requires the use of quotation marks in order to refer to something like a little-known scientific term. Using quotation marks lets the reader know that it is not your own knowledge and has come from another source. At the end of her presentation, Alshrief shared a post-workshop worksheet for the participants to talk through with her, to ensure that the information was clear and that the participants were absorbing the information that she shared. The worksheet contained examples that the participants had to identify as different kinds of potential plagiarism including patchwork paraphrasing, wordfor-word plagiarism and legitimate paraphrasing and then to provide reasons for why it was expected that each example fit the above categories.


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(Flickr) Philadelphians show once again that nothing stops them from fulfilling their desires, not even a soda tax.

Soda tax not affecting consumption among Philadelphians, study says LAURA MCCRYSTAL TNS Philadelphia Inquirer Philadelphia's tax on soda and other sweetened beverages did not reduce residents' consumption of such drinks, according to a new study. Philadelphians reported a slight but not statistically significant decrease in sugary beverage consumption compared with residents of nearby cities without a tax, Drexel University researchers found in surveys before and after the tax took effect. "We have ample evidence that sugary beverages are connected to type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues, but we're seeing that raising the price of sugary beverages may not impact consumers who don't drink a lot of soda," Amy Auchincloss, an associate professor at Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health, said in a statement about the research. Philadelphia became the first large U.S. city to pass a tax on soda in 2016. Mayor Jim Kenney championed the tax as a means of funding pre-K, community

schools and improvements to parks, recreation centers and libraries. Public health advocates praised Philadelphia's levy and have pointed to taxes on soda as a means of reducing consumption and improving residents' health. Drexel researchers surveyed Philadelphia residents during a 30-day period when the tax was first implemented, and followed up again a year later. They also included residents of Camden, Trenton and Wilmington in the random telephone survey of 515 adults. A year after the 1.5-centsper-ounce tax took effect, researchers said 39 percent of Philadelphians reported drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, compared with 34 percent of adults in other cities. But the researchers said that difference was not statistically significant. The Drexel study was published this month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Several other studies of Philadelphia's tax have focused on the tax's impact on beverage sales and overall store sales. The City Council voted to complete

its own economic study of the tax last year. It has not yet been released. A previous study published in September – by researchers at Cornell University, the University of Iowa, and Mathematica Policy Research – found that the tax had reduced adult consumption of soda by 31 percent, and that Philadelphians drank about 10 fewer taxed beverages per month compared with residents outside the city. But Drexel researchers noted that the previous study focused on lower-income residents who lived with children and drank an average of one sweetened beverage per day. The researchers said their study was more reflective of typical adults; 25 percent of participants reported drinking sugary beverages every day. Doctoral student Yichen Zhong, the lead author on the study, said the lack of reduction in consumption found among residents could be explained by "the availability of untaxed beverages outside the city limits, the still relatively lower price of these drinks compared to healthier ones and marketing and advertising."


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Digital Tax possibility depends on who sits in the Oval Office LAURA DAVISON TNS Bloomburg News A brewing fight about which country has the right to tax some of the world's most profitable companies, including Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google, could devolve into a multi-front trade war, regardless of whether President Donald Trump is still in the White House. Even if a Democrat wins the presidency in November, it could be tempting to continue the Trump administration's policy of using trade sanctions to retaliate against new taxes on U.S. tech companies. A tit-for-tat trade war is already building with France, which passed a 3 percent tax on large tech companies that went into effect at the start of 2019. The U.S. responded with the threat of tariffs on $2.4 billion worth of French cheese, sparkling wine, and makeup, prompting the European Union to consider tariffs on U.S. goods. All sides have agreed to a tax cease-fire until the end of the year to see if a broader global agreement can be worked out at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. "Democrats have been as opposed to the digital services taxes as Republicans," Brian Jenn, a former Treasury official during the Obama and Trump administrations, said. "While very few Democrats are a fan of tariffs, it looks like the tariff approach at least bought a temporary victory in the case of France." The U.S., along with more than 130 counties, is currently negotiating at the OECD about a new international tax system that would redefine which countries can tax which corporate profits. A revamped global tax code could apply not just to tech companies, but also to other multinational firms that have customers in countries where they don't currently record profits. Worst Case Scenario Negotiators need to reach an agreement this year before several countries – including France, Canada and Italy – plan to move forward with their own taxes on tech giants. A retaliatory tariff fight with the U.K could begin even sooner. That country's version of the tax is set to go into effect in April, and U.S. officials have suggested respond-

(TNS) A tariff war between France and U.S. could lead to a new digital tax in a few years.

ing with tariffs on car exports. That could be the worst case scenario for companies such as Amazon.com Inc. that could end up paying taxes to several countries on the same income. And they have reason to worry – it's far from certain that there will be an deal this year. "I'm very skeptical that the U.S. will agree to this proposal by the end of this year – or ever," said Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "It'll been a long period of friction until we get a true settlement." One of the main challenges of the ongoing talks is to reach a consensus by December that is sufficiently robust to halt the proliferation and imposition of digital services taxes, said Manal Corwin, the principal in charge of international tax policy at accounting firm KPMG. Without enough of a deal to keep the parties at the negotiating table, U.S. companies could face taxes from the approximately dozen countries that have proposed the idea, causing either a Republican or a Democratic administration to fend off levies on income that the U.S. views as within its right to tax. "There aren't a lot of other tools in the toolbox to address unilateral taxes in a meaningful way," Jenn, who has also served as a U.S. delegate to the OECD and is now a partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery. Seeking Consensus A progressive candidate, such as Senator Bernie Sanders, with a history of opposing free trade measures, could be inclined to use trade sanctions as a way to fight back, said Jeff VanderWolk, a former OECD official who is now a partner at law firm Squire Patton

Boggs. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has traditionally supported trade agreements, may be less inclined to take that approach, he said. The negotiations are centered around two main points: establishing a global minimum tax so companies can't avoid taxes entirely, as well as reallocating taxing rights, meaning some countries with many customers or users of a digital service could tax some of the profits even if the company doesn't have business operations there. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said after a G-20 Finance Ministers meeting in Saudi Arabia that there's "pretty much consensus" about the minimum tax. The point of contention is reallocating taxing rights, which the U.S. wants

to be optional for companies. The OECD estimates that its approach – revamping taxing rights and a minimum levy – would result in countries collecting $100 billion more a year in tax revenue. Such an agreement could end up hampering the proposals from some Democratic presidential candidates to raise taxes on corporations. If other countries have the right to tax some of Google and Facebook's profits, that means the U.S. won't get a cut of that money. That could mean they'd need to find revenue from other sources to fund their policy priorities. 'Reliable System' The OECD plan "is structured so that those companies would pay more tax abroad, regardless of U.S. tax policy," Daniel Bunn, vice president of global projects at the Tax Foundation, said. "The potential U.S. tax take from highly profitable companies based in the U.S. would shrink whether we have a policy of higher taxes on businesses or not." It's still not clear how the U.S. would fare under the global approach. The U.S. would lose the right to tax some profits from highly profitable technology and pharmaceutical companies, but could gain some of that back from foreign companies that have lots of U.S. customers, including French luxury brand conglomerate LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE or German carmaker

Mercedes-Benz AG. Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said this month he approves of the OECD efforts, even though it would increase his company's overall tax bill, because it would create a "stable and reliable system going forward." The OECD digital tax talks have created strange bedfellows. In Congress, the response has been unusually bipartisan with key Republicans and Democrats both supporting the administration's efforts to come up with a global deal. And the Trump administration is coming to the defense of Amazon and Facebook, two companies the president frequently criticizes. There's skepticism however that Congress would actually be able to pass the legislation required to implement any deal reached at the OECD. Lawmakers have been publicly supportive of participating in the negotiations, but they might not ultimately like the outcome, said Sam Maruca, a former IRS official who has represented the U.S. at the OECD. "The U.S. is paying lip service to the process. Treasury is convinced that they're not going to be able to get it through Congress," Maruca, now a partner at law firm Covington & Burling, said. "When push comes to shove there's likely to be a lot of gnashing of teeth."

Facebook to ban ads for COVID-19 cure REX CRUM TNS Mercury News As concerns about the coronavirus epidemic increase, and some patients suffering from the disease are being treated at hospitals in the Bay Area, Facebook is taking some new steps to prevent misinformation about the virus spreading across the social network. Facebook said it will not accept advertisements for products or services that claim to either cure the disease, or can curtail the spread of the virus. The move comes as the disease has spread from China, and new pockets of coronavirus cases have been reported in South Korea, Iran and Italy. Federal health authorities have also said

(Facebook) As the coronavirus makes its way into the U.S., advertisements claim to have the cure, but they don’t.

that American school districts, businesses and families should take steps to prepare for a possible coronanvirus outbreak in the United States. A Facebook spokesperson said the company has implemented its new ad guidelines in

order to clamp down on effort to prey upon individuals’ fears about coronavirus. “We recently implemented a policy to prohibit ads that refer to the coronavirus and create a sense of urgency, like implying a limited supply, or guaranteeing a cure or prevention,” said the Facebook spokesperson, in a statement given to this news organization. An example of an ad that would be banned would be one for face masks that claimed using a mask would be a 100 percent guarantee against contracting coronavirus. Since the coronavirus outbreak began around the city of Wuhan, China, nearly 80,000 cases of the disease have been reported around the world, with more than 2,600 dying from the disease.


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(TNS) Ashes used for Ash Wednesday are made from burning the previous year’s Palm Sunday palm branches. They are spread into the shape of a cross on foreheads of followers, and they are meant to stay on throughout the day. It is considered wrong to remove them.

Holy observance period begins across the globe JAKE SLEBODNICK

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

The Lenten season officially began Wednesday with Ash Wednesday and will continue for six weeks through Holy Thursday, which is slated for April 9. Lent, which is the solemn period of Christianity in which practitioners replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, following his baptism in the Jordan River and his 40-day fast and journey into the Judaen Desert. During this time, Satan tempted Jesus repeatedly. This period acts as a time of preparation for the Easter celebration, which is when Jesus resurrected from the dead following his crucifixion. The ashes symbolizes followers that are marked to repent and believe in the gospel, according to USA Today. They also represent a person’s grief and mourning for their sins, as Christians believe Jesus died on the cross to save them from

(TNS) Ash Wednesday is the official kick-off to Lent.

sin, which is why ashes are marked in the form of a cross. When they are applied, priests or church leaders say the phrase, “You rose from dust, and you shall return to dust. Repent and believe

in the gospel.” In addition to attending the church celebration of Ash Wednesday, it is considered inappropriate for those who practice to either dine out or shop

for non-essential items, and they must also wear the ashes for the remainder of the day. Preceeding Ash Wednesday is Fat Tuesday when gluttony is encouraged and practiced before

the fasting period. In addition, Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Ash Wednesday and eat fish as a customary meal. Some denominations don’t follow this rule, but they can if they choose to do so. The week before Easter is Palm Sunday. Churches hand out palm branches to the congregation to represent the welcome Jesus received when he rode into Galilee on a donkey. The reason this occurs is that citizens laid palm branches on the path to prevent the donkey’s hooves, along with Jesus’s feet from getting dusty. The palms from the previous year are then burned to create the ashes for Ash Wednesday. Good Friday symbolizes the day of Jesus’s death and is often celebrated with church services and the continuation of fasting. Finally, Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus’s resurrection from the tomb, as he said he would in scripture. Celebrations occur with church services, special dinners and other forms.


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Students think IUP would benefit from holding a THON ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Every college has something it’s recognized for. Whether it be having a great sports team, a great nursing program or a great campus environment, colleges always have something to brag about. Penn State University (PSU) is well-known for its THON event that occurs every February. PSU hosted the annual event last Friday. According to thon.org, THON is a student-run philanthropy that raises money and awareness for children and families impacted by childhood cancer. It’s known as a celebration of life, and for 46 hours, students stay dancing and on their feet while standing up for children with cancer. Their mission is to “provide emotional and financial support, spread awareness and ensure funding for critical research – all in pursuit of a cure.” THON is wellknown for its philanthropic efforts but also for its unique approach to raising

and dedicate their time and energy in raising awareness for various causes on campus and in the Indiana community. A number of students agreed that having an event like THON at IUP would be beneficial in raising awareness and money to help causes like The Four Diamonds Fund. “I would say IUP should host its own THON event because of seeing the outcome of Penn State and how much money they raised in general,” Shannon Stopa (senior, sociology) said. “I think the money can be beneficial for specific research and (Facebook) for a specific cause, and it can be a With Penn State’s THON raising more than $11 million this year, it could be possible for IUP to social event, and people can have benefit from hosting one of its own. fun doing so.” families, raised $157 million and money and awareness. Along with IUP students have held minihad 16,500 student the 46-hour dance marathon, the THONS in the volunteers. organization raises money and “I think there would be a lot past. IUP has its own awareness throughout Students at of energy and participation philanthropy dethe year in support of IUP participate partment and raises from IUP, Indiana residents in a major event The Four Diamonds awareness and Fund. in the spring and others who would The Four Diamonds money for many and march causes on campus want to be a part of Fund supports chilwith the Haven and in the Indiana something like THON.” dren with cancer by Project for Take community. providing them emoBack the Night, However, IUP tional and financial - Tessa Nelen, which raises has never held an support. Junior, Nursing awareness and event as big and as According to the shows support impactful as an event like THON. website, THON is the for survivors of sexual violence. Many students on campus are largest student-run philanthropy Many believe fundraising events part of organizations and clubs in the world and has helped 4,000 like these not only raise awareness,

but positively bring people together to an event everyone can be a part of. “I think that would be a good idea,” Autumn Forsythe (freshman, criminology) said. “I think it would be successful event that everyone can participate in, and it would bring people together.” Because THON is such a major event, it’s held at PSU’s Bryce Jordan Center, which is like IUP’s Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex. “I think it would be cool if we did,” Caitlyn Galinac (junior, natural science/pre-physician) said. “I’m not sure if a lot of people would attend, but I think it would be interesting if we did, and I would assume they would hold it at the KCAC or at the HUB (Hadley Union Building).” A lot of students are looking for ways to get involved on campus and help the community and organizations and believe an event like PSU’s THON would greatly benefit IUP causes like The Four Diamonds Fund. “I think IUP should, because it would probably be really successful,” Tessa Nelen (junior, nursing) said. “I think there would be a lot of energy and participation from IUP, Indiana residents and others who would want to be a part of something like THON.”

Buttigieg seeks end to cap on state, local tax deductions after proposals SEEMA MEHTA TNS Los Angeles Times Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg released a tax reform package Monday that would roll back the Trump administration's cap on the state and local tax deduction, which disproportionately affects residents of high-tax states such as California. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., also calls for expanding the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit. "As president, I will rebalance our economy so it works for all Americans, hold Wall Street and corporations accountable and bring fairness to our tax system so we can lift millions out of poverty and into greater opportunity," Buttigieg said. Buttigieg announced his tax proposals as the presidential

(TNS) Candidate Pete Buttigieg not only wants to end the cap on various tax deductions but also wants to end both the child and income tax credit. He says it would bring fairness to the tax system and hold major corporations accountable.

campaign turns toward Super Tuesday, when California and 13 other states will vote. The tax proposal appears designed to appeal to voters here because of the impact the cap

on state and local tax deductions – part of President Trump's 2017 tax reform – had on Californians as well as residents of other costly states such as New Jersey and New York. Under the law, the total

amount of state and local taxes that can be deducted from federal taxable income is $10,000. The state's Franchise Tax Board reported that roughly 1 million Californians paid more in federal taxes because of this cap. Under Buttigieg's proposal, the cap would be eliminated for households that earn less than $400,000. The state and local tax deduction cap has not been a subject of discussion during the 2020 presidential campaign, and it is a tricky subject for Democrats who are focused on increasing taxes on the wealthy and reducing the tax burden of the poor. The cap most greatly affects high-income households. Former Vice President Joe Biden has also proposed eliminating the cap. Former New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's plan would maintain it.

In October, the Senate voted against repealing a Treasury rule that quashed states' attempts to work around the cap. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar voted to repeal the rule; Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts were not present for the vote. Buttigieg also proposes providing families that earn less than $400,000 with a $2,000 child tax credit, and an additional $1,000 credit for children younger than 6, in an effort to reduce childhood poverty. The total effective tax rate on millionaires would grow from 31 percent to 49 percent under a Buttigieg administration. He also proposes a 0.1 percent tax on all stock and securities trades and raising taxes on American companies' foreign profits from 10.5 percent to between 28 percent and 35 percent.


Opinion (TNS) Bernie Sanders (left) and Elizabeth Warren (right) are much more alike than they are different.

Liking Bernie doesn’t automatically make you a good person This article contains references to anti-LGBTQ remarks that some readers may find upsetting. I’d like to start off by saying that I’ve been a huge supporter of Bernie Sanders, both now and in 2016. I really wish he would address the horrific behavior of some of his biggest supporters, though. A Daily Beast article by Scott Bixby uncovered a Sanders campaign staffer’s private Twitter account, on which he espoused truly disgusting things about other candidates and their supporters. The now-jobless Ben Mora tweeted that Pete Buttigieg “is what happens when the therapist botches the conversion,” referencing “gay-conversion therapy” that has been outlawed in several states for being tantamount to torture. You can read the article in its entirety here: www.thedailybeast.com/bernie-sanders-staffer-mocked-elizabeth-warrens-looks-pete-buttigiegs-sexuality-on-private-twitter-account?ref=wrap. That’s not the only instance of extreme homophobia tweeted by Mora. Jonathan Van Ness, the openly HIV-positive grooming

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specialist on Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” was made fun of for “trying to look hot while Daddy Ronald Reagan watches him die of AIDS.” Van Ness was targeted for being an avid supporter of Elizabeth Warren. You could argue that every campaign is bound to have some asses here and there, but I’d like to counter that Mora’s actions are not out of line considering some recent activity in Sanders’ campaign. In late January, noted talk-show host Joe Rogan endorsed Sanders. The campaign responded by accepting the endorsement with a video posted to Sanders’ social media accounts. Rogan, host of the podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience,” is notorious for being openly trans- and Islamophobic in front of his millions of listeners. Being a transgender person (and a human being with a conscience), I was incredibly disappointed with the Sanders campaign for that move. I couldn’t care less about straight people who think that it’s important to “appeal to all kinds of people;” when you wholeheartedly accept and even brag about an endorsement from someone that awful, that leaves a real bad taste in my mouth. I can hear the nay-sayers now.

“So what if some of Bernie’s supporters are jerks; no other candidate is as progressive on the issues!” To that, I’d like to say one name: Elizabeth Warren. Not only are she and Sanders running on essentially the same platform, but she actually has detailed plans for how she’s going to enact legislation. Sanders doesn’t. Universal childcare? Warren has a detailed plan for that. Affordable higher education? Warren has a plan for that, complete with numbers. Ensuring that indigenous peoples are treated fairly and with respect? She’s got a plan, baby. So why do Sanders supporters seem to hate Warren so much? A possible answer is blatant misogyny. Think about it. Warren is tough, not afraid to go after bullies and obviously knows her stuff. She’s extremely progressive but realistic enough to know that baby steps work much better in the long run. Despite polling far better than many other candidates, NBC News and The Wall Street Journal didn’t even include her in a nationwide survey about the top candidates. You can read about that here: thehill.com/homenews/campaign/483609-pollster-defends-

February 28, 2020

dropping-warren-from-nationalmatch-ups-against-trump Now, I’m not going to tell you to support one candidate or another; I ain’t your estranged family members. I just want some diehard Sanders fans to see where I’m coming from. Warren has made a concentrated effort to reach out to the LGBTQ+ community. Many trans activists, including Gavin Grimm and Jeffery Marsh, have fully endorsed her for that. She’s not afraid to stand up to Bloomberg concerning his treatment of women. She’s passionate, fiery and everything I want in a president. It’s more than a little annoying, then, when Sanders supporters act like I don’t know what’s best for me. He’s not the only candidate that supports Medicare for All or affordable college. There’s already a candidate that does all that and hasn’t gleefully accepted the support of a racist homophobe. I saw with my own eyes Sanders supporters skip the LGBTQ Town Hall that CNN hosted Oct. 10. Their reason? Sanders wasn’t there. Do you know how awful that felt? These supposed progressives didn’t even want to hear about the issues plaguing the queer community just

because their favorite candidate was not in attendance (Sanders had a heart attack the week before). Sorry that my civil rights aren’t important enough for you. For the good of everyone, please try to see what supporters of other candidates have to say. Putting up blinders to all other candidates is exactly what happened in 2016, and we all know how that went. No single candidate is perfect, so stop acting like supporters of others are evil or inferior. Get it through your head that humans, by nature, are imperfect. Just do your research and decide which candidate most aligns with your values. That’s the whole reason for the primaries, ya dinguses. Then, after the primaries are over, you’re all going to support whoever the nominee is, right? We don’t want another four years of Dirtbag in Chief, so you’re all gonna register to vote, right? And you’re gonna vote for the Democratic nominee, right? Good. Now if y’all will excuse me, I’m gonna watch some cat videos and play “Stardew Valley.”

Brought to you By Marty Weaver

Opinion


Culture

Culture Editor: Heather Bair – zzzx@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Haley Brown– ydmx@iup.edu

Queer Conversations discusses drag culture takeover

(Rob Hinkal/ The Penn) Wednesday night’s Queer Conversations discussed the impact that drag culture has had and created in society, as well as paid honor and tribute to the “kings and queens” of the culture. The meeting was held in 111 Elkin Hall. Sasha Aquino, Jacob Bish, Ty McGregor and Tori Swartz were in attendance and discussed drag culture takeover. It is important to acknowledge the difference between doing drag and being transgender. “Drag” is usually (but not always) part of a performance, and has little to do with gender identity and/or sexuality. Being transgender, however, is not a performance. There are trans women drag queens (like Gia Gunn), but the two do not have to overlap at all.

Culture

February 28, 2020

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February 28, 2020

Culture

(Twitter/Facebook) Our Station House in Ebensburg (left) and St. Bernard Regional School (right) are two places to get fish fries for Lenten season, and they offer a variety of options on their menus.

Editor shares best places to get fish fries in time for Lenten season JAKE SLEBODNICK

cials that feature prime seafood collections like crab cakes, grilled salmon and more. A full look of the Lenten specials are on its website, ourstationhouse.com. With this selection, Our Station House brings local residents in for a high-quality dinner at a very inexpensive rate.

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

This article contains opinion. As the Lenten season gets underway, one major draw for it is local fish fries. While the main draw to these is uncommon, I would like to think that it’s a good way to bring families closer to enjoy a home-cooked meal, even if it’s at a different location than your dining room. Some fries are hosted in casual restaurants, fire halls, VFW’s or schools, but that shouldn’t limit what you or your family and friends label as a fish fry. If you don’t know where to find some good fish on Fridays this season, here are a few worth trying.

Craig Mazz’s Pizza - Portage As a personal favorite of mine and my family, Mazz’s does fish fries right. You walk into a perfectly set Italian bistro, sit down and auto-

St. Bernard Regional School Indiana

(Facebook) One of the best places to get fish fry is Craig Mazz’s Pizza in Portage.

matically feel like you’re at home. Personnel are very caring for your dining experience and want nothing more than to serve you the best dinner you can find. The fish itself is cooked to perfection. Breaded and fried thoroughly, Mazz’s fish is served with healthy sides, and, as a bonus, it is not served in a heaping vat of grease. Served from 5 p.m. to close, this family-owned eatery leaves plenty of time for families to go home, change and enjoy a

relaxed evening out.

Our Station House Ebensburg While Our Station House may not have a formal fish fry, its diverse seafood options on the menu quench the fish fry craving you may have. Speaking from personal experience, the fried fish sandwiches are simple yet very tasty and at a low cost. Moreover, it offers Lenten spe-

This traditional fish fry is located just 7 minutes away from campus and offers various choices of Lenten dinners to try. Four dinners are priced at $10 and feature fried fish, baked cod, six-piece extra-large shrimp and a fish sandwich where the selected filet is either fried or baked. Not feeling up to eat fish? They offer alternative choices as well. Guests can order from six different entrees that range from $5 to $6. Those include macaroni and cheese (both small and large portions), cheese pizza (two slices), four pierogies and threepiece, extra-large shrimp. Meals also include between

three to five sides per dish. Guests can even order a la carte if they are not looking to order a full meal. With the amount of variety in a local setting, this fish fry is one to take advantage of.

Conemaugh Township VFD Station 610 - Tire Hill While this fire hall is 50 minutes away from campus, the fish fry goes back to the original roots: a simple menu at a reasonable price. Guests can choose from either baked or fried haddock or a shrimp dinner that is piled with shrimp, fries and coleslaw. Adults eat for $10 while children eat for $6. Additional sides are available that feature macaroni and cheese, applesauce and the polish favorite, haluski. Two pierogies are also available for $1. If you are a fan of traditional values, this fry is for you. By the time you read this, I’ll be stuffing my gullet with delicious fried fish.


Culture

February 28, 2020

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February 28, 2020

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Netflix & Chill movie tells new story of Harriet Tubman

(Facebook) “Friends” first aired in 1994 and followed a group of six friends navigating life in New York.

Iconic show reunites friends, family with reboot LEVI DONALDSON

Staff Writer L.Donaldson@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion.

(Autumn Dorsey/ The Penn) STATIC (The Student Activity Committee) hosts “Netflix & Chill” every month with a new movie. February’s was “Harriet,” the story of Harriet Tubman and how she became the leader of the Underground Railroad and changed history as we know it. The film offers insight to her life and tells a new story of the brave woman she was by touching on her unknown backstory as the runaway slave to the freed African-American woman who changed the course of history.

“I’ll Be There For You” may be your first thought about friends. Many fans will rewatch the seasons over and over, enjoying the same episodes and jokes time and time again. The lighthearted sitcom has sparked a number of famous references and projected several of its main cast into pop culture stardom. The show itself has been criticized for its quality, and it has been debated whether or not it deserves all of the attention it has got. Regardless, merchandising is huge, and when “Friends” left Netflix, a lot of people had opinions about it. HBO has announced that, to kick off its streaming service, HBO Max, it will have the entire “Friends” catalogue along with a reunion episode. Fans have been speculating about a reunion for the past 15 years, ever since the show ended. The reunion is set to be unscripted, but it is still in the early stages. “I think ‘Friends’ is good, but it’s not worth the cult following,” Drew Booth (junior, marketing) said. “I think the unscripted idea is cool. They all have really great chemistry. I think it’s a good move for HBO, but I still don’t want to purchase their services just because of ‘Friends.’” Not everyone has enjoyed the

iconic show. “I hate ‘Friends,’” Will Luetkehans, (sophomore, communications media) said. “I've only seen one episode, and I do not understand why it’s so popular. It's like every basic white girl’s go-to show, and I just can’t relate to the humor or the all-white cast.” “I have no money for another streaming service,” Rhea Simon (sophomore, political science) said. Simon explained how she personally hates “Friends” and feels it is an underwhelming and outdated show. The reunion sparks no interest for her, and HBO Max can’t compete with what services she’s already subscribed to. “A lot of people I know have watched the show and really enjoy it and were devastated for its removal off of Netflix,” Hailey Hulsinger (sophomore, biology) said. “The concept of having an unscripted reunion is really interesting, and I believe those who were involved in the show will appreciate it. The streaming doesn't affect my interest in the service of [HBO] at all, but I guarantee it would interest my friends in signing up so they could watch their favorite show.” All in all, this new streaming service and reunion episode will make waves. Whether it bombs or does very well, people will talk about it. There has been talk about streaming fatigue and so we’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out and if HBO Max has what it takes to be a contender.


Culture

February 28, 2020

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February 28, 2020

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Culture

(Facebook) Ozzy Osbourne, who fronted the infamous metal band Black Sabbath (left), released his new album, “Ordinary Man” (right) Feb. 21, a decade after his last album release.

Ozzy Osbourne is no ‘Ordinary Man’ with new album LEVI DONALDSON

Staff Writer L.Donaldson@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. The bat-killing Ozzy Osbourne is back in the music scene. He fronted the infamous metal band Black Sabbath, which helped popularize the genre and created a ton of musical influence. Ozzy’s solo career has also been vastly popular and influential with such hits as “Crazy Train,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and, more recently, “Take What You Want” with singer/rapper Post Malone. Osbourne was also the focus of a hit reality show that centered on him and his family. He has maintained his iconic status throughout the years and has returned to the music scene with his latest album “Ordinary Man,” which debuted a decade after his past feature album, on Feb. 21.

I was interested to see what Ozzy had to say with his album and why he chose to come back after so long. As such a famous, polarizing and impactful figure, Ozzy is good at drumming up intrigue. The record starts with “Straight To Hell,” a generic idea of a metal song with some punchy guitars that are pretty fun but ultimately underwhelming. The lyrical ability is also sorely wanting. The title track, “Ordinary Man,” features Elton John and focuses on Ozzy’s musings on life and death. He says he wasn’t prepared for fame, and, despite the mistakes he made during his life, he doesn’t want to die as an ordinary man. It’s simple and effective but overall somewhat boring, and it doesn’t have much replay value. It also is something of a tell for this album. Ozzy’s return is because he doesn’t want to be forgotten, and he wants to keep his reputation.

However, I definitely will forget this song.

"Despite the mistakes he made during his life, he doesn't want to die an ordinary man."

~Levi Donaldson Osbourne has a very unique voice, and it can be really fun at times, but it can definitely be a weakness. Listening through this whole album shows how autonomous and somewhat droning he can get. His individuality gets tiring because he doesn’t do very interesting things with his voice,

despite the outlier quality it has. A big problem with this album is the faux philosophy. The album was very quickly made, and yet it feels very edgy and melodramatic. It has a lot of very generic and simplistic biblical references that don’t feel emotionally charged or approached with an interesting perspective. Rather, it seems as if religious and sacrilegious imagery have just become par for the course when it comes to Osbourne and the genre he functions in. The song “Holy For Tonight” is especially noteworthy on the basis of how serious he seems to take a very threadbare, cliché idea that he does no justice. None of the emotional ground he covers on this record connects very well. The track “Under the Graveyard” shows Ozzy tackling his loneliness. The music video for this song features Jessica Barden of the hit show “The End of the

F***ing World” as Sharon Osbourne. The video takes place in the ‘70s and shows her caring for Ozzy through his drug relapse. It does a great job of contextualizing the song, and while the track itself doesn’t stand out to me as anything special, the video brings up some very good things and ends on a picture at Ozzy and Sharon’s wedding. One of my favorite songs from the album is definitely “It’s A Raid,” which has a really complementary feature from Post Malone. It’s a really fun and energetic track that stands out from the rest of the album and doesn’t take itself too seriously. I also enjoyed “Scary Little Green Men” for its interesting imagery and good delivery. Overall, I feel as if this album is passable but nothing special, and, except for a few great moments, it is lackluster and derivative of grounds that have long been covered.


Culture

February 28, 2020

‘Better Call Saul’: Why this is still the best show on TV VERNE GAY TNS Newsday

This article contains opinion. As Season 5 begins, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) has legally become Saul Goodman, while Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) must process the conversion. Meanwhile, Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) has attempted to absorb the enormity of his crime – the murder of German engineer Werner Ziegler (Rainer Bock) who left the construction of Gus Fring's (Giancarlo Esposito) meth superlab – but there's no time for soul-searching. Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton), ruthless nephew of Gus' nemesis Don Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis), wants to know what that lab is for. That would be catastrophic for Gus, who persuades Lalo's henchman, Nacho (Michael Mando)/ to find out what he can about his boss. DEA agents "Gomie" (Steven Michael Quezada) and Hank (Dean Norris) are back for a two-episode arc. Nearly 10 years and a whole other series ("Breaking Bad") ago, Mike explained the problem with something he called "half-measures." When he had been a cop in Philly, he had taken pity on an abusive husband who ended up killing his wife. That pity was the "half-measure." A full-measure – offing the husband first – would have saved her life, ergo "full" is better than "half." Which brings us to Jimmy, now Saul. No more halfsies for Jimmy either. He's not even Jimmy anymore, but the Saul of glorious marmalade shirts, Technicolor ties, and lines that only Saul could get away with. He hands out drop phones to skels with just one number – his own. He works his cons. He gets results. Kim is appalled. She is also awed. This new Saul also brings us closer to the "Breaking Bad" universe, so close we can now taste it, smell it, feel it. A pair of beloved characters return by the third episode, as if they'd never been gone. There's a joy to their arc, but also a deep sadness. Certainly one of the many pleasures of this season is that we have almost returned back to where we started from. Saul being Saul, he's never too far

(Facebook) “Better Call Saul” is on Season 5 and is available on every streaming service.

from his comic-relief roots. As a result, there is a lightness to this new season – which makes the shades of darkness all the bleaker and more menacing. By going full-measure, Saul sees himself as "friend to the friendless their last line of defense." But we as viewers are better positioned to see who he really is. Jimmy changed his name so as not to soil the legacy of his beloved brother, Chuck (Michael McKean). He's become a 1-800 bottom feeder because those at the top of the feeding chain, represented by Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), will never allow him at the trough with them. "Breaking Bad," now "Saul," were always about the problem of full-measures. Nacho puts it concisely when he says "when you're in, you're in." There's no backing away from full-measures, ever. Most people here – Kim, Nacho, Jimmy, even big, bad Mike – live by half-measures, checked by a love for someone that exceeds their own self-love. Full measures are for either psychos or bank presidents. The greatness of these two series lies in their mutual ambition. With roots as deep as the Bible, they explore fundamental human drives, the fundamental human struggle to figure out inner strife, inner division, under the cool gaze of an Old Testament God. A full-measure God. The best show on TV remains – emphatically – the best.

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February 28, 2020

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(Facebook) “Corpse Bride” (left) arrives on Netflix Sunday and “Leap Year” (right) arrives to Hulu on Sunday. Both are romance movies that you can spend spring break viewing.

Fan-favorites, mysteries, rom-coms arriving to streaming services in March HALEY BROWN

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

With the coming of March, so come countless new additions to all our favorite streaming platforms. If going out for IUPatty’s isn’t your cup of tea, you can curl up on the couch and explore your marathon-watching options that are newly available to stream.

Netflix “Corpse Bride” Released March 1 Your favorite spooky Tim Burton claymation film (that doesn’t involve Christmas) is coming to Netflix on Sunday. This eerie and twisted love story features the voice acting of famous actors and actresses like Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Christopher Lee to name a few. The macabre tale revolves around the marriage vows that main character Victor (Depp) accidentally makes to the Corpse Bride, Emily (Carter), when he mistakes her skeletal hand for a twig as he practices his wedding vows for his upcoming marriage to the very much alive Victoria. The story ends with a beautiful yet bitter twist that leaves many audiences teary-eyed and wistful.

“He’s Just Not That into You” Released March 1 This dramatic romance boasts

a cast full of famous actors and actresses including Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Ginnifer Goodwin and Drew Barrymore, among others. The movie came out in 2009 and revolves around a friend group trying to find meaning in the confusing world of relationships. The characters struggle with commitment issues, unrequited love, trust issues and infidelity.

“The Interview” Released March 1 Actors James Franco and Seth Rogan star in this 2014 action comedy film. The plot revolves around the assassination of North Korea’s infamous dictator, Kim Jong Un. Dave Skylark (Franco) and his producer, Aaron Rapoport (Rogan), run “Skylark Tonight,” a popular talk show. When they discover that Kim Jong Un likes their show, they arrange an interview in hopes that people will take them more seriously as journalists.

Disney + “Black Panther” Released March 1 One of the most popular superhero movies released in 2018 tells the story of T’Challa (played by Chadwick Boseman), who travels back to his African home in the nation of Wakanda to take his place as rightful king after his father’s death. An enemy of his late father reappears and threatens his kingdom. T’Challa is pulled into an age-old conflict that risks

his nation and endangers the fate of the entire world.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” This final season to the popular Star Wars series is to be slowly released to Disney + members throughout the month of March. The first set of episodes revolves around a group of enhanced clone troopers. A second plot reveals the fate of the character Ahsoka through flashbacks, and a third ties the entire series into the other new “Star Wars” series, “The Mandalorian.” Plot three will showcase the events that transpired at the siege of Mandalore.

“Ice Age” Released March 1 This animated comedy, released in 2002, features the voice acting of celebrities such as Ray Romano, Jack Black and John Leguizamo. The story is set 20,000 years in the past at the beginning of the Ice Age and follows the migration of the main characters a wooly mammoth named Manfred, endearingly nicknamed Manny, a saber-toothed tiger named Diego, Sid the sloth and a prehistoric squirrel-rat named Scrat. The three main companions traverse the dangerous conditions of their changing world and find friendship where it is least expected.

Hulu: “Good Will Hunting” released March 1 Matt Damon stars as Will

Hunting, a poverty-stricken genius who chooses to work at MIT as the janitor. A professor discovers his talents and decides to help the young man to reach his full potential. Through various trials, Dr. Lambeau looks out for Will and even makes sure he gets professional psychological help after he attacks a police officer and ends up in jail.

“Leap Year” Released March 1 This sweet love story follows the desperate journey Anna (Amy Adams) who takes to Ireland for the special event that takes place during the extra day in a Leap Year in which women propose to their man. Through different obstacles in her journey and her happenstance upon an unlikely traveling companion, Anna comes to realize that her personal journey for love is much more complicated and simultaneously much simpler than she could have ever imagined.

“The Butterfly Effect” Released March 1 Ashton Kutcher plays Evan Treborn, a college student who discovers that, when he blacks out from his intense migraines, he has the ability to travel back in time to his childhood. He finds out that his ability extends to being able to alter his friends’ fates as well as his own but finds that his actions can have far more drastic consequences than he could ever predict.

Amazon Prime: “The Pale Horse” Released March 13 The first season of this show involves a list of names of mysterious origin and a string of brutal killings follows the names on the list. An antiques dealer named Mark Easterbrook, played by Rufus Sewell, knows his name is on the list and vows to find out why. His research of the events leads him to a clue about The Pale Horse, which is the rumored home of three witches. As more people on the list turn up dead, he feels the pressure to find answers and worries about his own wellbeing.

“Man On a Ledge” Released March 1 This movie revolves around an ex-cop who steps onto a ledge of the tallest floor of the fames Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan and threatens to expose secrets of many of the city’s leaders. All the while, the biggest diamond heist in history is transpiring.

“Blow The Man Down” Released March 20 Two sisters struggling with the grief of the loss of their mother cover up an unfortunate meeting with a threatening stranger. To hide their criminal actions, the two girls dig into their Maine-based town’s past to uncover some of its deepest and darkest secrets.


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February 28, 2020

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(Facebook) BTS, the popular K-Pop group is comprised of seven members, (from left to right), Jungkook, Jin, RM, SUGA, V, Jimin and J-Hope and has been performing since 2013.

K-Pop band releases new album about journey together as popular band ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. Don’t call me a hypocrite, but freshman and sophomore year, my roommate was really into K-Pop and listened to the Bangtan Boys, or, as they’re better known, BTS. According to ET online, “Bangtan Boys” is an acronym for the Korean expression, “Bangtan Sonyeondan,” or the Bulletproof Boy Scouts. I was never into them and often disliked when she would play K-Pop when she was showering. Like taste and likes and dislikes, things change. Now, I do really like BTS. I am definitely not an official “A.R.M.Y” fan or member, but I do like a few of their popular hits. According to HelloKPop.com, BTS’s fans are known as “A.R.M.Y” because in English, “army” means military, and the body armor and military are always together as one, meaning the fans will always be together with BTS. They are a seven-member boy band from Seoul, South Korea. The members include V, Jungkook, Jimin, Suga, Jin, J-Hope and RM. V, Jungkook, Jimin and Jin sing. Suga, J-Hope and RM rap. Although K-Pop has been popular during the past few years in the American and Western culture,

it seems that no band has truly amounted to BTS’ success. Some of their hits with American musicians include “Boy with Luv,” in which they sang with Halsey. And on this new album, they have Lauv and Sia. Their new album is called “Map of the Soul: 7.” There are 20 tracks on the album. According to Billboard.com, this recently released album expands on the themes introduced last year and takes us through the band’s journey, life experiences and perspectives in their seven years together. There are five songs from their album “Map of the Soul: Persona,” including the catchy bop “Boy with Luv” featuring Halsey. In this album, there are six solo songs: Jungkook’s “My Time,” Suga’s “Interlude: Shadow,” V’s “Inner Child,” Jin’s “Moon,” J-Hope’s “Outro: Ego” and Jimin’s “Filter.” I liked “Filter.” It had a very catchy beat to it. It was also very Latin-pop-like. I was dancing throughout the track. The meaning in “Filter” is deeper than it seems. In the beginning, Jimin sings, “That uninterested face of yours, the bored tip of your toes. Please look at me now. Put your phone down, don’t even think of turning your head away. Let me know your type.”

I think this says a lot about the lack of face-to-face interaction and communication that occurs throughout society. People are often too busy to look up from their phones, and in any awkward or uncomfortable situation, a cell phone is an easy way to go into a world that is safe, especially when that world can be altered to fit the likings and needs of an individual. With face filters or filters in general, it’s a different reality that many people like going into. Although it’s not realistic, it’s a world where anything can happen when the person in charge changes things. I think Jimin is alluding to the idea that today, people’s perspectives and prejudices are presented in many ways. There is no one way, and people know that. Like everything in today’s world, things change rapidly, and if you’re not accepted, it can be hard reality to face. I first heard “Make It Right” when BTS performed at “New Year’s Rockin Eve.” It’s so catchy.” This is probably my favorite song on the album. From the lyrics, it seems that this song is talking about making things right with that special someone. “I could make it better. I could hold you tighter. On that long road. Oh you’re the light. Uninvited. Unwelcome. The only

one who knew me.” “Intro: Persona” is sung by RM and is a very catchy song as well. This song seems like it’s all about RM reflecting on himself and his qualities and experiences as a person. He raps, “Who am I? The question I had my whole life. The question which I probably won’t find an answer to my whole life.” “UGH!” is another song on the album. I really like the beat of it, and they rap really fast in this song. Just as the title implies, this song is about rage and emotional expression. “Rage? Of course you need it. When it burns up there’s always a reason.” J-Hope takes verse three and raps, “This world, it is taken over by rage. It seems that nobody can live without rage. Raging, again raging, and raging. Going insane like UGH! UGH! UGH! UGH! There are tens of thousands of reasons to be raging.” Besides the catchiness of the song, I do really like the message. It seems that people are quick to jump to conclusions no matter what the situation is, and anger is often an emotion that is widely expressed when things go wrong. For what I could understand, “ON” featuring Sia is about fighting for the person you love. Jungkook and Jimin sing, “My everythin’. My blood and tears.

Got no fears. I’m singin’ ohhhhh. Oh I’m takin’ over. You should know yeah. Can’t hold me down ‘cuz you know I’m a fighter.” All the members of BTS are very beautiful looking. Have you not seen their perfect skin and faces? However, my favorite is Jin. Jin sings, “Moon,” which is a beautiful love song. “You are my planet. I’m just a moon to you. Your little star that lights up your heart. You are my Earth. And all I see is you. Just staring at you like this way.” This song is sung by my favorite member of BTS, but it’s also again, very catchy. This entire album has amazing beats, lyrics and meaning. I especially liked how this album featured a lot of solo songs. As a group, they usually sing together, so it is definitely different than what they’re used to, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album. I am still no die-hard “A.R.M.Y” member or fan, but I do like them a lot more after listening to their album and writing this review. I also want to know what their daily skin care routine is because, like I mentioned before, they have amazing skin. And with that, I’ll leave you thinking about their beautiful, glowing skin.


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Simon Cowell, son sign seven-book deal together LEVI DONALDSON

Staff Writer L.Donaldson@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Simon Cowell, and son, Eric Cowell have signed a new book deal for a children’s series called “Wishfits” Music and television producer Simon Cowell is a very marked and memorable television personality and skilled businessman. He is known as a judge on high profile talent shows and has helped put together musical supergroups like One Direction. His impact on pop culture is undeniable, but 60-year-old Cowell is going in a new direction of influence with his 3-year-old son helping him along the way. The series has been signed on for seven books as of now, and they promise to celebrate individuality and positivity. Currently some of the announced characters include “Snog” who is a mixture of a snail and a dog. Another character who will appear is

(Facebook) Simon Cowell, with three-year-old son, Eric, signed a seven-book deal together about the fantasy world known as “Wishfit” where hybrid animals live and thrive. The books promote positivity and individuality.

“Crocopuss,” a crocodile and cat blend. The plot will follow these creative critters as they go on adventures. The concept is original and jointly formed between both Cowells. Cowell has stated the importance of imagination, especially within children and how beautiful

it is to work on this series with his son. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Shooting Star Children’s Hospice. One of Cowell’s good friends works with this organization and he’s been working on this idea for several years. “I hope these books will be

fun for kids to read, and we will encourage them to come up with new animals for the books,” Cowell said. Eric is also very vocally hyped for the series to kick off next year. “My favourite Wishfits right now are probably the Snog and Dat and Cog and the Chimpan-

poo,” he said. “I really hope that one day I can meet them all!” As one of the creative directors behind this project it is really exciting to see his faith in the book series. “That’s adorable; I love it,” Gabe Esehlman (sophomore criminology) said after reading the premise for the series. He went on to say that it is really good to see celebrities try and give back to people, especially in such a wholesome and uplifting way. “I love cute dumb animals so I’d definately want to see it,” he said. Eshelman also commented on how Cowell is often seen as a negative figure due to his sometimes harsh judgements on the reality shows he’s a part of, however, it is good to see him put his energy into something so great. The series is set to come out in spring 2021, and the father and son writing duo is excited to see how people react and what the children of the world think of their wonderfully strange new hybrid animals.

Taylor Swift directs Swift to be ‘sexier,’ ‘more likable’ in ‘The Man’ video CHRISTI CARRAS TNS Los Angeles Times Rise and shine, patriarchy. Taylor Swift would like a word. On Thursday morning, the pop star debuted her new video for "The Man," a standout from her recent "Lover" album that doubles as a musical middle finger to the male establishment. Directed by Swift, the video expands on the song's feminist themes and defiant lyrics. "I'm so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man," she sings in the chorus, the camera focusing on a generic-looking guy in a suit (later revealed to be Swift under prosthetics) inconsiderately man-spreading his legs on the train. "And I'm so sick of them coming at me again / 'Cause if I was a man, then I'd be the man." Since the "Me!" hitmaker released her seventh studio album in August, Swifties have embraced "The Man" as a social justice anthem calling out the double standards to which women are often subjected – especially those who are ambitious

(Facebook) Taylor Swift released the music video for “The Man” Thursday morning and portrays the man in the video itself.

and high-achieving like Swift. After rising to fame in her teens as America's country-pop sweetheart, Swift has often spoken out about her struggles navigating the male-dominated music industry as a young woman. In the song, she alludes to

several injustices she's encountered in her career, including the sexist ways in which the media has covered her many romances and breakups over the years. "They'd say I played the field before I found someone to commit to / And that would be OK

for me to do," she speculates in the first verse as her unrecognizable masculine alter ego barks orders at smiling employees. "Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you." Later, she ponders, "When everyone believes you, what's

that like?" which could apply to anything from the artist's heated catalog war with her former record label to her legal battle with a radio DJ found guilty of groping her in 2013. Both cases involved men who challenged her credibility on a public stage. "They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve," Swift sings, the video's "Man" now taking a phone call on his yacht, surrounded by several bikini-clad, model-type women. "What I was wearing / If I was rude / Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves." The remainder of the video illustrates various perks of male privilege, featuring a disguised Swift receiving high-fives and applause for doing the bare minimum or escaping criticism no matter how poorly she treats the people around her. At the end, the camera zooms out to reveal a prosthetics-free Swift in the director's chair, giving notes to her male star – who is voiced by the famously macho Dwayne Johnson. "Pretty good," she tells him, before echoing a familiar line. "Could you try to be sexier, maybe more likable this time?"


Sports

Sports Editor: Elliot Hicks – E.Hicks@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu

(IUP Athletics) Rajah Fink (sophomore, mamagement) has been an impact player off the bench for IUP this season.

Top-seeded women head into finale following four straight wins JEFF HART

Lead Sports Writer J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Let the good times roll, Indiana. Your IUP Crimson Hawks are victorious yet again. The No. 8 Hawks defeated Clarion in a 71–44 blowout that marked their fourth consecutive win. The box score is deceptive in telling the story of this matchup between two competitors in the PSAC. The Golden Eagles came out of the gates hot in the first quarter and gave the Crimson Hawks a run for their money. Turnovers were an issue early for the Hawks, with six in the first quarter alone. Poor shooting did not help the Hawks, either, as they shot

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a disappointing 28 percent from the field in the first quarter. Going into the second quarter of play, the Golden Eagles were up 18–10. The Hawks turned up the heat in the second quarter and went on a 13–4 run that would give them the lead. The Hawks continued their hot second quarter and put up 24 points to give themselves a 34–29 lead going into halftime. IUP would never allow Clarion to come back. The Hawks locked the court down in the second half and forced the Golden Eagles to shoot 1-12 coming out of halftime. The Hawks flexed their muscles in the second half of the game in almost every way possible. After their rocky first quarter, the

Hawks outscored Clarion 67–28. IUP shot a fantastic 53 percent from the field and outrebounded the Golden Eagles 40–32. Natalie Myers (senior, education), Maura D’Anna (junior, physical education) and Lexi Griggs (senior, nursing) all had solid outings as they put up double digit scoring and combined for 38 of the Hawks’ 77 points. Rajah Fink (sophomore, management) made headlines as she put up her career-high 24 points coming off the bench for IUP. Fink was crucial in this victory for the Crimson Hawks and led a couple of crucial runs in the game. Fink and Griggs put up 16 of the Hawks’ 21 third-quarter points by themselves. Fink has stepped up

February 28, 2020

in a big way for the Hawks during the past month with her big performances off the bench. After this stunning performance, Fink is now the fourth leading scorer on the team with 8.8 points per game this season. Even though she is putting up big numbers, Rajah Fink has remained humble. “Personally, I’m not playing for myself,” Fink said. “I’m more playing for my team now.” The Hawks have only one more regular season game left, and it will be Saturday against the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. Even with the No. 1 seed in the playoffs locked up and the PSAC West title secure, coach Tom McConnell is still pushing his squad to become better players.

“No, because we struggled early to guard them and to finish,” McConnel said in regard to the game against Clarion being a complete game. “For it to be complete, I think it would just have to be four quarters. I felt last Saturday was more of a complete win.” After their last regular season game, the Hawks will go on to play the PSAC playoffs next week firmly atop the rankings. IUP will have a first-round bye following Saturday’s game and will host a quarterfinal Wednesday. This squad has played above expectations all season long. With one more game against a solid 16– 11 Mountain Cat squad, this team will be salivating for a big victory to close their historic regular season.

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MEN’S BASKETBALL STANDINGS * - clinched postseason spot

East

Conf. record

Shippensburg

17–4

E. Stroudsburg

14–7

West Chester

13–8

Millersville

10–11

Shepherd

9–12

Lock Haven

9–12

Kutztown

9–12

Bloomsburg

8–14

Mansfield

5–16

West

IUP

19–2

Mercyhurst

16–5

pitt-johnstown

15–6

california (pa)

14–7

gannon

12–9

slippery rock

(IUP Athletics)

11–10

clarion

4–18

seton hill

3–18

edinboro

2–19

Malik Miller (senior, communicationa media) is one of two active seniors on the current IUP men’s basketball team.

Men clobber Clarion, break 100 points for 2nd time TYLER COMO

Staff Writer T.D.Como@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The IUP men’s basketball team will return home after beating Clarion 101–49 Wednesday. With the last away game of the regular season and last matchup against Clarion, the Crimson Hawks were pulling out all the stops in order to keep themselves placed in a comfortable spot going into the playoffs. IUP managed to break through the triple-digit barrier a few times through the season and once again was able to do just that. By the midway point of the first half, IUP’s lead against Clarion was

a little more than 20 points, and the margin only continued to grow throughout the game. By the end of the first 20 minutes, the Hawks had a commanding 35-point lead against the Golden Eagles. The Eagles did not have a game like they did in the last matchup versus IUP, in which the point differential was much smaller, keeping it within 5–10 points up until the final few minutes. The Golden Eagles’ top scorer was not in the starting five lineup. Kass Taylor tallied for a total of 12 points. Taylor helped toward keeping their FT percentage at 100 percent during the first half, getting the most attempts on the team, and making four of six.

Clarion came into the game against IUP off a three-game losing skid. They were able to tally a scoring total in each game of only 50 or so points. Against IUP, they did not break through that threshold. It was the fourth game in which they could not push past a minimum of 50 points. Whereas, IUP’s lowest scoring game this season was just under 65, and the lowest after that is still above 70. A majority of the starting five rallied to each get 10 or more points, except Chucky Humphries (senior, communications media). However, having a low shot count, he still provided a solid percentage on his scoresheet. Humphries went 2–2 on 3-pointers and 3–4 in FGs. He

helped give IUP a little extra bump, not to say any other player would have a low scoring affair. Top point getters once again are a sort of “Fab 3” of the Hawks: Malik Miller (senior, communications media), Armoni Foster (redshirt sophomore, criminal justice) and Ethan Porterfield (freshman, kinesiology) have once again asserted their strength on the court. Each player came out on top, scoring more than 15 points and pushing IUP to keep its top 10 ranking. Though this team has seen much success over the season, it’s important to remember that just because you may be a front runner for the regular season, gives no assurances that playoffs will be any

easier once we get there. With a team that IUP has and the season they’ve had, it can be hard not to get a little confidence. This year has proven to be a record-breaking season on many fronts. From beating the previous all-time win streak in a single season to tallying multiple 100-point games, then adding individual accomplishments, the Hawks have kept themselves in promising standings and are taking an eager look ahead towards playoffs. The Crimson Hawks have one game left on the season before the PSAC tournament begins. They’ll wrap up their impressive season against Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday night at the KCAC.


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February 28, 2020

HOT TAKE JAKE

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(TNS) The Pittsburgh Penguins have won five Stanley Cups, most recently in 2017.

Penguins have become epitome of sports teams over the years JAKE TAYLOR

Staff Writer J.M.Taylor8@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. In a city proclaimed as the “City of Champions,” Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams have a lot to live up to. Despite many Yinzers priding themselves on six Lombardi trophies, a Steelers fan 40 years or younger witnessed only two. The success of Pittsburgh sports came well before my lifetime. Between the three primary franchises – Penguins, Pirates and Steelers – a writer my age has experienced five out of 18 titles. This doesn’t take away from my pride in Pittsburgh sports;

however, it makes me appreciate a successful team more. Yinzers are blissfully ignorant in regard to their blind passion toward their home teams. However, there is one team in Pittsburgh that is the only reason I can call my hometown the City of Champions: the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins organization is the best ran American sports franchise. Not the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers or New York Yankees. From ownership to management, coaching, on-ice production, training staff, even the farm system is run to maximum efficiency. There is no wonder why the organization is the fastest NHL team to win five Stanley Cups. To put this in perspective, the defending champion, St. Louis

Blues, who joined the league in 1967, the same year as the Penguins, took 52 years to win its first title. The success of Pittsburgh is relatively recent since its first championship came in ’91, but that is the most impressive part. In fewer than 30 years, the Penguins have made the postseason 25 times, winning five Stanley Cups. Not to mention, in that time frame the Penguins have produced the greatest players in the history of the sport: 13 scoring titles, six MVPs, six Hall of Famers and five to seven future inductees. A casual viewer or fan of another team may not see the intricate detail that the Penguins organization goes into to ensure success. For instance, their media program is top-notch.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-access “In The Room” video series received an Emmy Award for the fifth straight year for the “best sports series program.” Hell, even Sidney Crosby won an Emmy for his “No Place Like Home” documentary. A recent episode of “In The Room” showcased the Penguins’ cooking staff and yet again proved that details matter when being world champions. A man who knows a lot about winning championships, general manager and 2019 Hall of Fame inductee Jim Rutherford, makes sure the team is equipped to win the Cup. This point was made prevalent in the last two weeks before the NHL trade deadline when GMJR traded for Jason Zucker, Conor Sheary, Evan Rodriguez and

grizzled veteran Patrick Marleau. The recently acquired Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker had this to say when he found out he was coming to Pittsburgh. “But you know what, it was awesome. This is such an amazing franchise. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things prior to being here about the entire organization.” I know I call my analysis “all things right, no things wrong,” but I sure as hell will admit a professional NHL player knows a lot more about the league than us common folk. All in all, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the epitome of sports franchises. Sit down, shut up, drink an IC Light (or your choice of beer, responsibly) and watch the Penguins win another Stanley Cup.


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(TNS) Conor Sheary (left) and Patrick Marleau (right) were traded to Pittsburgh just before the trade deadline Monday.

Trade deadline acquisitions hoping to lift Pens from recent skid TYLER COMO

Staff Writer T.D.Como@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Looking back at the past week, the atmosphere of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ locker room is not a positive one. Despite picking up a few wellknown names around the league and a familiar face, the Penguins look to take a quick day break and hope to get back on the saddle this coming weekend. The Penguins (37–19–6) sit in sixth place and are tied with the Dallas Stars (37–19–6) at 80 points with reference to the rest of the league. Of the past five games, Pittsburgh has won only one and finds itself on a four-game losing streak. Through those four games, the Pens have scored six goals, which is slightly less than the teams they played with combined to a goal total of 16 compared to that of the out-of-sorts Pittsburgh team. Not so long ago, Pittsburgh was sitting in first place, but that was

a quick shot at the top spot. They soon dropped back to second after losing to the Capitals. There is a small window where Pittsburgh must keep winning concerning their second-place spot in their division. The Philadelphia Flyers (36–20– 7) are one point behind Pittsburgh and are placed in third in the Metro and eighth in the League. Pittsburgh has recently dropped after its four-game losing streak. The Pens may be having one of the worst weeks of the season, considering this is their highest losing streak since being swept in the first round of playoffs last season. But it’s not all upset and loss on the Penguin’s landscape. Quite the opposite, in fact. GM Jim Rutherford has made some moves around the trade deadline that could offer some talent in place of some injured players that the club has suffered recently. In addition to bringing in Jason Zucker from the Minnesota Wild, the Penguins welcomed to the

team Patrick Marleau. Early Monday, Pittsburgh gave up one of their draft picks to attain Marleau from the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks sit outside of playoff contention, and Marleau expressed some interest in playing for Pittsburgh. He felt he’d be a good fit and add a little extra excitement with the likelihood of heading into the playoffs with a worthy team around him. Marleau left the Sharks with an impressive stat line. He leads San Jose in points (1,102), goals (518) and games played (1,551), which isn’t surprising considering he’s been with them for 20 years. He has become a veteran presence with the Sharks and the short time he was with Toronto. The Penguins welcomed new faces like Marleau, Zucker and Evan Rodrigues in hopes to bring fair substitutions along their final tirade before the playoffs, but they’ve welcomed back a familiar face to the lineup. Conor Sheary was a prominent

member of the Penguins’ back-toback Stanley Cups and is even more well known for his work with Guentzel and Crosby, referring to the top line as “Sid and the kids.” In return for getting Sheary and Rodrigues, Penguins’ GM sent Dominik Kahun to the Buffalo Sabres. Kahun was hit by the injury bug after suffering a concussion, missing eight games for Pittsburgh and then went through a knee injury as well after coming back to the lineup, only to be traded shortly after his return. Kahun had no malice toward the trade, more so shock. Being injured as often as he was offered the Penguins little support towards their push for playoffs. Since the beginning of the month, the Pens have seen three of their players end up sitting out for an extended period of time. Zach Aston-Reese and Jared McCann are both day-to-day concerning their return to the lineup. Fortunately, medical staff offered some positive concerning defensemen John Marino and Bri-

an Dumoulin. These two have been cleared to join the team on its most recent road trip, have been practicing with the team over the last few days, and are looking to hop back in the lineups through the few games in the west coast, before returning home for the first game in March. Pittsburgh currently sits behind the Colorado Avalanche (37–18–7) by one point. With a close race between these four teams: Avs, Dallas, Pens and Philly; three of the four don’t play until Friday. But if the Dallas Stars do lose Thursday night, it could give a boost for Pittsburgh to pull ahead in the standings and ahead of Colorado. This day off could offer a short moment for Pittsburgh to practice, or rest and prepare to take on the Anaheim Ducks, who themselves look to create a better record for themselves, going 3–4–3 in the past 10, are in the same boat as the two other Cali teams, looking outwards in concerning a playoff spot with not much time left.


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(TNS) Philadelphia has moved into the top three in the Metropolitan Division.

Top of Metro suddenly in reach for surging Flyers AUSTIN SMITH

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

Earlier in the season, I did not think the first two spots in the Metropolitan Division would be up for grabs because of how stellar the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders were. There is a whole new perspective now for who could win the Metropolitan Division and who will finish second and third place. Even the Eastern Conference wild card spots are the same way and still far from who may be in. The playoff race has got a lot tighter and currently stands with the Capitals in first with 84 points,

the Penguins in second with 80 points and the Flyers right behind the tails of the Penguins in third with 79 points. The Islanders hold the top wildcard spot with 77 points, and the Bluejackets are one point behind the Islanders with 76 points, holding that second spot currently. So many teams could leapfrog each other if a certain team loses a few games in a row, and the other team goes on a winning streak. This is also really the only other division that the wild card teams could even climb into the Top 3. Personally, I do see the Flyers putting on a lot of pressure on the Penguins and Capitals for the rest of the season.

The Orange and Black are on a four-game winning streak and have played some pretty good games during the stretch so far. The Flyers also have some great things going on for them for the rest of the season as they have 10 home and nine away games left. Even if the difference is only one more home game, the Flyers will take it. The Flyers are now the best team at home with the highest point percentage and don’t look like they are slowing down. So, to have more home games is beneficial. Not to mention just what the Flyers are doing overall right now and makes me think that the Flyers could pass the Penguins if they keep doing what they are doing.

The Flyers’ penalty kill has been solid most of the season killing off a lot of their opponents’ powerplays. It just got more elite and scarier for the Orange and Black. We did see a lot of moves at the trade deadline. The Flyers did pick up two very underrated players. These players are far from rookies. Veterans Derek Grant and Nate Thompson are players that are strong penalty killers. We saw that in their first game where the Flyers took care of the Sharks at the Wells Fargo Center 4–2. Thompson and Grant will be valuable pieces for penalty kills as well even adding more depth to the already solid roster as the play-

offs approach. So, ninth-ranked penalty doesn’t sound too bad, right? Not only a top-10 penalty kill but the best shots against per game team in the NHL. The Flyers allow the least amount of shots per game, which is huge. This shows the defense is one of the best for the Flyers out of the whole NHL. Their neutral zone play is beyond good as well, which is going to be a big help to this playoff run for the Flyers. I do see the Flyers taking over the second spot by a little bit because of all the smart and great things the Flyers are doing in their games. Philly looks to continue its great push toward the playoffs.


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NFL still searching for answers regarding new CBA SAM FARMER Los Angeles Times TNS NFL owners and player representatives met for nearly four hours Tuesday night in an effort to reach an accord on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). They ended the meeting for the night with a league spokesman telling waiting media that “out of respect for the process” neither the owners nor players would be commenting. The meeting took place at a downtown hotel, a few blocks from the site of the annual scouting combine taking place this week. On Thursday, owners approved a proposal for a 10-year collective bargaining agreement that includes a 17-game regular season, expanded playoffs, fewer exhibition games, a more player-friendly marijuana policy and a bigger slice of the revenue pie for players. Players on minimum salaries would get an immediate bump under the proposed deal, with the minimum salary increasing by

(TNS) Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is part of the barganing committee for the NFL’s CBA negotiations.

at least $90,000. Vision coverage would be added to the health care plan, somewhat remarkable that players don’t have such a plan now.

The proposal also features increased benefits for retired players. The NFL Players Association plans to put that proposal to a

vote of the 32 player representatives, one per team. The union sent an email Monday to the league’s 1,800-plus players in an effort to

clarify the situation. If a majority of the player reps vote in favor of the offer, the proposed deal will be sent to all players for a ratification vote. If at least two-thirds of the player reps vote to approve the offer, the deal will be sent to the players with a recommendation that they vote in favor of it. To be accepted, the CBA would require a simple majority from all current players who cast a vote. The bargaining committee of owners is composed of New England’s Robert Kraft, Dallas’ Jerry Jones, Pittsburgh’s Art Rooney II, Kansas City’s Clark Hunt, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Dean Spanos, Cincinnati’s Mike Brown and the New York Giants’ John Mara. The current CBA expires after this season, so the clock is ticking to avoid a work stoppage. But already players have indicated there are significant concerns with the proposal, most centered on the wear and tear of an additional regular-season game.

2028 LA Olympics bring in Delta Airlines as new sponsor DAVID WHARTON Los Angeles Times TNS The LA 2028 organizing committee has added a major corporate sponsor, signing a $400 million deal that will make Delta Airlines the official airline of the 2028 Summer Olympics and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. The agreement, confirmed by a source not authorized to speak publicly, represents the next step in a long-term effort by organizers who need to attract big-money partnerships as they seek to cover the estimated $7 billion required to stage the Games. “It sends a message that they are getting deals,” said George Belch, a professor in the Sports MBA program at San Diego State. “That keeps some of the pressure off them.” Neither LA 2028 nor Delta would comment on the sponsorship, which was first reported by Sports Business Journal and includes

(TNS) Los Angeles is slated to host the 2028 Olympic Games.

Olympic broadcaster NBCUniversal. Organizers have vowed to cover all expenses through sponsorships, ticket sales and other revenue sources. If LA 2028 cannot generate enough dollars, taxpayers would be left to pay the bill.

The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to serve as a financial backstop, and California legislators have similarly pledged up to $270 million in state tax dollars to cover any potential deficit. It was almost a year ago that LA 2028 announced it would be-

gin working with NBCUniversal to sell media and sponsorship deals in tandem. The arrangement was seen as unusual if only because organizers and broadcasters often work separately, and sometimes at odds with each other. NBCUniversal made an undis-

closed financial commitment to LA 2028, a pledge that could further ease concerns about the host committee’s ability to reach its goal of $2.5 billion in domestic sponsorships. Wednesday’s deal was possible because the International Olympic Committee does not have an airline among its most-important sponsors, leaving the door open for L.A. officials to exploit that category. “You would think the airlines would be a good category (for the IOC),” Belch said. “That surprises me they are not dealing with one.” Delta will assume its new role next year, after the 2020 Tokyo Games, replacing United, which had a lengthy association with the USOPC and Team USA. The terms run through 2028. Another deal with Nike is expected to become public soon. An official announcement for the Delta partnership has been planned at Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles on Monday.


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February 28, 2020

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February 28, 2020

Sports

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(TNS) Tom Brady has spent his entire career to date with the New England Patriots.

Chargers constantly answering questions about Brady JEFF MILLER Los Angeles Times TNS In three weeks, Tom Brady can become a free agent. He’s already a burning topic. And the Los Angeles Chargers are one of the teams singed by the rumors surrounding Brady, who widely is labeled the greatest of all time and definitely is considered the most-discussed of these times. No NFL player’s future holds more intrigue than Brady’s, the sixtime Super Bowl winner perhaps about to leave his longtime home of New England to finish his Hall of Fame quarterbacking career elsewhere. Maybe in Los Angeles? “I’ve been asked the question I can’t tell you how many different ways and different times,” Chargers general manager Tom Telesco said. “The way I’ve kind of answered it is this: We’re early in the process, way too early to eliminate

anything right now. “Like, we’re more in a wide-lens evaluation process to see what fits, what doesn’t fit. We’ll narrow things down later on. But we’ll see.” Asked a more specific question regarding Brady’s ability, Telesco refused to answer before offering some generic, innocent praise for a player whose presence alone would bring the Chargers a new degree of relevance. Besides, Brady isn’t free until March 18, and the possibility remains he could resign with the Patriots. So Telesco sees no value in publicly addressing a situation that might never develop. Yet, Brady and his teetering fate tower over the early portion of the NFL’s offseason, the quarterback-needing Chargers reported to be one of his preferred alternate destinations. Moving into the new SoFi Stadium in 2020, the Chargers already have parted ways with 14-year starter Philip Rivers. Brady could

become the main selling point for a relocated franchise desperately peddling itself to a new market. At the moment, the Chargers have veteran Tyrod Taylor as their lone option to start in place of Rivers. They could always draft a quarterback in April, the early work on that endeavor taking place this week at the NFL combine. The Chargers pick sixth overall, a position lofty enough to secure one of the best available college quarterbacks, even if Cincinnati at No. 1 and Miami at No. 5 pick quarterbacks, as expected. In the meantime, the stories linking Brady and the Chargers figure to percolate until he finally signs with someone. One of the issues that could keep Brady from joining the Chargers is the team’s offensive line. At 42, Brady’s best-case situation would involve him dropping back behind a fortress. The Chargers offer something much more shaky, a group that

played inconsistently in 2019 and still has no guarantee of seeing center Mike Pouncey return. The veteran sat out the final 11 games last season after having neck surgery. He has expressed a desire to continue playing, but Telesco said Pouncey has yet to receive medical clearance. Coach Anthony Lynn said he spoke with Pouncey last week, calling him “fired up” about playing again. But Lynn conceded that the Chargers are unsure when Pouncey will be available. “We’re going to take care of Mike,” he said. “When Mike’s ready we’ll put him back on the field.” The Chargers also played 10 games in 2019 without left tackle Russell Okung because of health problems. Okung is 32, entering the final year of his contract and privately has expressed concerns about the direction of the franchise. Beyond Okung and Pouncey, the Chargers have an offensive line that is largely unproven or underwhelm-

ing. Taking a tackle or guard early in April’s draft is another option. “It’s a little bit of a work in progress,” Telesco said. “Obviously, it’s a priority in the offseason, to look at it and see who the best fit is, the best five, see who’s healthy and see who isn’t.” One member of the offensive front who almost certainly will return is pending free agent Hunter Henry. Telesco said the Chargers are in negotiations with the veteran tight end on a contract extension. If a deal can’t be worked out first, Telesco indicated Henry could be franchise tagged, a move that would assure him a base salary of about $11 million in 2020 and still leave the possibility to sign a longterm deal before the season. Who will be throwing passes to Henry is a question very much undecided in late February. For now, Telesco and the Chargers are leaving open every option from their perspective as welcoming as the widest of lenses.


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February 28, 2020

IUP BASKETBALL

VS FEBRUARY 29 VS. PITT-JOHNSTOWN 5:30 PM/7:30 PM RESCHINI BOYSCOUT NIGHT HERR’S CHIP NIGHT FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT

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