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LONGTIME FRATERNITY BEING INVESTIGATED FOLLOWING HAZING ALLEGATIONS

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NEWS

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

(Rob Hinkal/The Penn) Phi Kappa Psi is facing possible disciplinary action following video evidence showing new members crawling on a liquid-covered floor and kicking them. The fraternity was suspended in 2010 after an off-campus brawl.

Longtime fraternity being investigated following hazing allegations HEATHER BAIR Culture Editor H.Bair@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

An IUP fraternity is being investigated by the university due to a hazing incident that occurred December 2019.

Phi Kappa Psi, a fraternity founded in 1852 in Indianapolis, has been threatened with suspension over an incident that occurred Dec. 10 in which the university received a video showing new members crawling or doing pushups on a floor covered with liquid, according to the Act 80 Anti-Hazing Final Report.

The video also showed a member kicking a new member on the floor and was captioned “Hell.”

The Penn reached out to Phi Psi members and IUP exectutive director of media relations Michelle Fryling.

No one responded as of Monday night.

This isn’t the first incident of

News

Phi Psi being under report for hazing incidences. The earliest recorded incident at IUP was when Phi Psi was suspended in 2010 due to an off-campus brawl involving fraternity members.

Phi Psi remained quiet for a while until 2016, when the university received a tip of alleged hazing from a non-IUP student.

The behavior was documented on GroupMe, a messaging services for group chats. The behavior included possession, consumption of alcohol by underage new members, verbal abuse and tasks or errands that seemed abnormal to ask of new members to complete.

Phi Psi was found responsible, and it led to five members being suspended while others were sanctioned.

There were multiple incidents in 2017 which resulted in stayed suspension and police involvement. On April 29, 2017, Indiana Borough Police arrived at Phi Psi, issued citations due to a fight between fraternity mem-

bers and football players and Coriano-Nix and Driggs left. However, they had to go pleaded guilty to disorderly back twice that night. conduct, and Cortese’s charges The third time was due to a were withdrawn or treated as violent altercation when four summary defenses, according members, to Indiana Jalen B. CoCounty riano-Nix, court Zachary M. records.

Cortese, Since Nicholas M. that night, Driggs and IUP footGrant R. ball playPalmer beat ers were Boniface banned K. “J.R.” from Stevens. fraternity Acparties. cording to On Oct. eyewitness 12, 2017, a reports, a report was Phi Kappa received Psi member

by IUP - IUP Anti-Hazing Policy Augustus about the L. “Augie” Secrest pulled a gun forced consumption of alcohol during the night and pointed it by underage new members, to the face of one of the victim’s verbal and physical abuse and roommates. the forced cleaning of the frat No arrests were made, but house. citations were given.

The hearing found the chap-

IUP Police or the law enforcement agency with primary jurisdiction will be provided priority access to crime scenes, victims, witnesses or items of evidence, etc., according to criminal procedure.

February 4, 2020

ter not responsible for hazing but was sanctioned for other negative behaviors. The result was stayed suspension, in which the fraternity may operate as a fraternity on probationary terms, and alumni suspension.

Phi Kappa Psi was founded Feb. 19, 1852, by William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore in Indianapolis.

The fraternity consists of more than 300,000 men who are members. Most of them are lifetime members with Phi Psi. Its motto, “United by friendship, sustained by honor, and led by truth, we live and we flourish,” ties into the fraternity’s rule of conduct, which is the “great joy of serving others.” Its colors are cardinal red and hunter green.

However, each chapter has their own motto, and IUP’s is “live ever die never.”

Currently, Phi Psi is awaiting the ruling on its disciplinary consequences yet again due to the events on Dec. 10.

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News

If the flu knocks you down, knock it out with these tips sneeze and cough.

The flu and other serious respiratory illnesses are most commonly spread through coughing, sneezing and unclean hands. By covering your mouth and nose, you can reduce the risk of getting someone else sick.

If you are prone to coughing fits or if sneezes sneak up on you, you could try wearing a disposable surgical mask when out in public.

This could also help prevent you from becoming sick, as the flu is often airborne.

RACHEL FOOR

Staff Writer R.G.Foor@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Illnesses like the flu can spread quickly throughout college campuses due to the close living and eating quarters. However, there are ways to protect yourself and others from coming down with the bug.

Get vaccinated Vaccines work, and they save lives. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, there is still time.

Places like the Center for Health and Well-Being, Rite Aid pharmacy and Walmart pharmacy offer them for free. This preventative step is especially important if you spend time around infants, the elderly and the immunocompromised.

If someone is visibly sick, keep your distance from them Try to avoid coming into contact with anyone that is sick. If you are sick, try not to come into contact with anyone else, as it

(Facebook) Indiana Regional Medical Center offers free flu testing as well as flu shots for those that contracted the virus. If you believe you may have the flu, contact IRMC to get tested.

increases the risk of contagion.

Don’t risk the health of others If you are sick, stay home from work and/or class. This step is harder for students to follow as many professors have strict attendance policies.

However, many professors have a certain number of free “skip” days that you can take for whatever reason.

The best thing to do during flu season is to save these days for when and if you become sick.

Then if you still have those free skip days toward the end of the semester, you can use them to frantically work on final projects or study for final exams.

If you have already used up your free skip days and are truly sick, the health center on campus will provide you with a written excuse for why you were unable to attend class.

Cover your Mouth when you sneeze or cough Remember to cover your mouth and nose when you

Police Blotter ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS

• Robert Wesley Branan, 56, of Greensburg was arrested for DUI after police responded to a report of an unresponsive male in a running car at 8 p.m. Feb. 1 in the 100 block of Water Street.

The suspect was identified as Branan, according to Indiana Borough Police.

• Rebekah Simmet, 19, of Huntingdon was cited for underage drinking after police responded to a report of an intoxicated female at 3:12 a.m.

Feb. 1 in the 200 block of S. Seventh Street. Simmet was identified on the scene and was transported to Indiana Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to borough police.

• Mainza Mweetwa, 25, of Pittsburgh was arrested for disorder-

ly conduct and public drunkenness after police discovered him blocking traffic at 2:13 a.m. Jan. 26 in the 00 block of S. Ninth Street. Upon investigation, it was reported that Mweetwa punched a vehicle and attempted to strike a female at the intersection. The female pepper sprayed Mweeta, according to borough police.

DRUG VIOLATIONS

• Morgann Paulding, 20, of Erie was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and obstruction of justice; Alyssa Lynch, 20, of Middletown was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Borough police responded to a service call at 9:48 p.m. Jan. 30 in the 200 block of West Avenue, and

during the investigation, officers noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from Paulding and Lynch’s apartment.

When the officers were speaking with Paulding, she became uncooperative and refused to leave the apartment so a search warrant could be obtained.

Paulding resisted arrest and was escorted out of the apartment.

A warrant was completed, and police found marijuana and paraphernalia in the apartment, according to borough police.

• Isaac Castro, 20, of Philadelphia was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana after police found marijuana in Castro’s car during a traffic stop at 2:16 a.m. Feb. 1 in the 700 block of Wayne Avenue, according to borough police.

Wash your hands frequently This will kill the germs on your hands and prevent you from spreading them around.

The best way to do this is with soap and warm water. The water does not need to be unbearably hot; in fact, it would actually be counterintuitive.

Especially in the wintertime, when our skin is already drier than normal, using extremely hot water to wash your hands would only exacerbate the problem.

The drier your hands are, the more likely they are to crack and bleed, thus making you more susceptible to germs. If you don’t have access to soap and water,

the next best thing would be to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose. Now that you’ve read that, you’re probably making a conscious effort not to do so. Resist the urge! The easiest way for germs to enter your body is through these places. Think about all the surfaces you touch with your bare hands on a daily basis: doorknobs, keyboards and your cell phone to name a few.

Now imagine those same bare hands coming into contact with your eyes, mouth or nose. Gross.

Practice Habits that Prevent Flu-like symptoms, other viruses It’s a no-brainer that if you are generally unhealthy, you are more likely to get sick. It will also take longer for you to bounce back from that sickness.

Try to get as much sleep as you can, drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, exercise, eat healthy, manage your stress and frequently sanitize the surfaces you often come into contact with.

These things are easier said than done, but at least trying could make a difference.

February 4, 2020

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News

(Emily Loose/The Penn) Areas on campus have low lighting at night which can lead to conflicts with students working late or coming back from late classes. One particular example is the intersection of Suites on Pratt and Folger Hall, where lighting barely reaches beyond the sidewalk.

Light the Night! Students’ concern for more campus lighting grows (Jake Slebodnick/The Penn) The walkway from North Dining to the back entrance of Sutton Hall is the brightest path on campus at night.

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Applicants do not need to be enlisted as a journalism major or minor in order to write for us.

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If you have any questions, please contact Jake Slebodnick J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu (News Editor) or the-penn@iup.edu.

EMILY LOOSE

Staff Writer E.D.Loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The night can be a difficult time for any student.

Whether it is walking from late classes or going to work, there can be struggles. This is especially apparent when there is not enough lighting to help make paths clearer.

Students have shown a growing concern regarding lighting around IUP. Many stated that there are areas that are too dark to walk around during the late night.

These areas can cause a safety concern for students with vision impairments, as they may not be able to see steps. An area with this issue is near the Putt quad.

One mathematics student, who asked to remain anonymous, found this to be a downfall.

“I never feel like I can go anywhere at night,” they said. “I feel like I’m trapped in my dorm because of my impairment. It is so dark in some areas that I am afraid I will end up falling down the steps.”

It is not only those with

visual struggles, however. Some students find that weather can cause problems. Even in the early mornings, students have difficulty with the lack of lighting, specifically in the winter months.

“Both the Oak Grove and the path going in front of Sutton are very dark,” said Jessica Borghise (freshman, criminology), who walks that way for ROTC in the morning. “I worry that I can’t see possible ice on the ground.

I also avoid staying at the library too late because I don’t want to have to walk through there in the dark.”

Aside from visual impairment issues and icy grounds, some students said they have felt uncomfortable for their own safety walking through some areas.

“The lamps that are in the Oak Grove now have very dim lights in them and sometimes can feel uncomfortable walking at night just due to how eerie it seems,” Elizabeth Stash (freshman, kinesiology).

One of the more popular answers among those questioned was a need for more lights around Robertshaw. Isabella Deitle (freshman, human development) was one of these students.

“I think IUP needs more light-

ing leading from Robertshaw,” Deitle said. “It’s kind of scary, honestly, walking that path from the tennis court area.”

Other areas that students have felt were too dark included the passage close to Weyandt.

“I leave Weyandt late at night a lot or have to get there super early in the morning when it’s still dark out,” Claire Shemon (junior, biology) said. “There is hardly any light.”

Though the majority are hoping for lighting, some students do not find it necessary.

“Even if there is light, it’s terrifying walking alone at night,” Peyton Eckard (junior, communications media) said. “If there were to be more lights, it should be in front of buildings, not in the Oak Grove. “Nighttime is supposed to be dark.”

As of now, there is no push being made for extra lighting, but students said that they hope the school will listen to their thoughts when it comes to future extensions and construction on campus.

“I think it is best for the safety of everyone,” the anonymous student said. “Even just a few more lights would show that they are hearing us.”

February 4, 2020

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February 4, 2020

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Segar, Center for Teaching Excellence bring out ‘Elephant in the Room’ ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The women and gender studies department and the Center for Teaching Excellence held their first workshop presentation on “When Saying the Wrong Thing is Okay,” from 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Friday in the Humanities and Social Sciences building (HSS) Room 114.

Dr. Thomas Segar, vice president for student affairs, hosted the first workshop, and roughly 50 students and faculty attended the event.

He started the conversation by addressing the question, “Why are you here today, specifically to learn more about this topic?”

Several people explained they came to the event to learn how to address difficult and unclear situations involving things like racism, power of authority and inclusion.

Some mentioned how there were moments on campus within the last few years when there were controversial comments said or posted online that were unexpected.

However, they did acknowledge that sometimes comments are said without having prior knowledge on a subject and isn’t necessarily always out of pure malice.

Others came to learn how to assess situations as they enter the professional and real world.

“I think considering not only the climate on campus but also the climate in the world, it’s always important to have these kinds of conversation about diversity and inclusion, which is what all the series are about,” Angie Prencipe (graduate, women and gender studies) said. “That’s why this event and series is important.”

Atmospheric conditions for today that need to be focused on include things like listening, speaking, learning and being respectful.

Unless there’s discussion and conversation, learning cannot be in place. Some people can be unknowing that they’re being ignorant because sometimes people don’t know until they’re in the moment or they’re triggered or an anchoring event. Assuming best intentions can allow each party to learn from the mistakes.

Debate tends to focus on

(Flickr) JUULs have become more common in America’s tobacco epidemic.

ATOD to host anti-vaping programs this month ANNA MECHLING (Anna Mechling/The Penn) Dr. Thomas Segar led the conversation that focused on saying the wrong thing on Friday.

The workshop tackled sensitive stituations within the workplace and when it is OK to say the wrong thing.

one-sided arguments, resulting in a winning side. When there’s dialogue present instead of debate, learning and growth occur, which is a positive result. Building blocks of dialogue include things like suspending judgements, deep listening and reflection and inquiry, to name a few.

“Part of the way we learn is where we spend our time, where our environment is,” Segar said.

“Individuals learn and grow when they’re in different or unfamiliar situations, and there’s an underlying obligation to share learning with those who shared those advantaged identities, which takes time and effort.”

An activity during the discussion was filling out a social identity wheel which reflected on dimensions of a person’s social identity including things like race, gender identity and sexual orientation.

During the discussion, people talked about which identities influenced them the most and least and in different situations navigating through perceptions of society.

Society creates and teaches individuals to have certain ways of thought, treatment and identities.

If individuals don’t fit a certain narrowed, unrealistic look, heavy stigmatization and shame is the result.

Another major question during the discussion was “How do you define wrong?”

Segar explained that different people take things differently and that wrong to one person can be right to another. When a person learns and understands the impact and insight, that’s when learning truly occurs.

“I think what makes the wrong

thing wrong is when there’s a lack of a dialogue and the power of authority is strong, especially in classrooms that the students don’t have power, but the professor does,” mathematics professor Dr. Channa Navaratna said. “More authority in positions things can easily be misunderstood. Person in authority has to be very careful.”

“I think we have to be open to learning, and sometimes as part of our process of learning, we may say something that could be the wrong thing to say,” Segar said, “but we shouldn’t allow that to stop us from trying to learn.

“It’s important for us to not allow ourselves to make mistakes, which prevents us to learn. Mistakes keep us from continuing to learn, and it’s important for us to not stop the learning process.”

The Elephant in the Room series will hold more workshops throughout the semester.

“The Elephant in the Room series is explicitly designed to give students, faculty and community members constructive and positive dialogue around race, diversity and privilege to give skillsets to deal with our multicultural world,” Dr. Lynn Botelho, director of women and gender studies, said.

“The women’s and gender studies minor is designed to explore and understand the world through a feminist lens that recognizes how our various genders impact how we experience the world and those around us. It also seeks to make the world a better place.”

For more information about the Elephant in the Room workshop series for this semester visit, iup.edu/womens/workshops/ elephant-in-the-room/.

Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Vaping is continuing to rise throughout the U.S. and is a larger trend with college students.

There have been a lot of stories and cases in the news about the ill effect vaping has on the lungs. The number of people who vape has gone up drastically through the years, and so have the number of hospitalizations and deaths.

It is important that if students are vaping and want to quit, they can get the professional resources and services they need to quit successfully.

Ann Sesti is the director of IUP’s Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs Program (ATOD) on campus. She does outreach education to try to educate students on making healthy lifestyle choices and habits.

ATOD and the Adagio Health location in Indiana have teamed up to provide programs and a series of classes on smoking and vaping, focusing primarily on smoking and vaping cessation.

The smoking and vaping classes are free to IUP students.

These classes will focus on educating students on the dangers of smoking and vaping but will provide them with helpful resources like nicotine replacement therapy and group sessions.

The classes will start Friday at 12:15 p.m. in Suites on Maple East Room G60. The program is a series of six classes and will take place every Friday, ending Friday, March 27.

Registration is required prior to starting the program. To register, Email at AnnSesti@iup.edu, call 724-357-1265 or visit the Center for Health and Well-Being in Maple East, Suite G59, open Monday

through Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 – 4:30 p.m.

Even if students are unable to attend the first class session, still get in touch with Sesti for other options, as she is willing to work with students.

One thing the program’s classes offer is nicotine replacement therapy.

“Sometimes the hardest part of quitting is that withdrawal period,” Sesti said, “and therapy can help ease students off.”

Once students start on nicotine therapy, group sessions can follow that and can help them figure out how to replace their habits with something healthier, like how to help with stress management, having a supportive atmosphere where individuals can get professional support and coaching and getting support from other students who are going through similar experiences and situations is often helpful during the process.

“Many individuals say they use nicotine because of stress, so tools and resources on how to help with stress management is often a very effective step,” Sesti said. “Getting support from other students can help the individual learn from other’s experiences and can be the kind of support they need and seek.”

Adagio Health is providing the resources needed for nicotine replacement therapy, which comes in the form of patches of gum.

Nicotine therapy in and of itself is a medication-assisted treatment.

What helps most individuals become successful is a combination of nicotine replacement therapy and support sessions like group counseling or individual coaching.

“We have had similar programs in the past,” Sesti said. “Any student can come to my office at any point or time if they’re interested in quitting tobacco.”

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February 4, 2020

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News

SIAM invites new members for first meeting Tuesday ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP’s Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) chapter will hold its first meeting at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in Stright Hall Room 201.

During this meeting, there will be free pizza.

The SIAM student chapter at IUP was initiated by the mathematical and computer sciences (MACS) department and then was approved by SIAM’s board of governors in 2019.

The mission of SIAM is to foster the development of applied mathematical and computational methodologies needed in various application areas by building cooperation between mathematics and science and technology.

SIAM has more than 14,500 applied mathematics and computational members internationally and has more than 192 student international chapters.

For more information about SIAM, visit www.siam.org.

Applied mathematics play an

(Jake Slebodnick/The Penn) IUP’s Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics will hold its first meeting of the semester in Stright Hall Room 201 at 4:30 p.m.

essential role in solving many real-world issues, which is a key element and focus of SIAM. Another key area of focus of SIAM is being a safe space where all majors can converge and discuss creative and or innovative ways to solve applied mathematics and the latest research.

IUP’s SIAM chapter’s goals are to bridge the gap between the mathematical and computer

sciences department and other academic departments at IUP, get involved in outreach projects in order to increase interest in applied mathematics and engineering and to engage local businesses by meeting their needs for mathematical and or computational analyses.

They also intend on dispelling the notion among students that mathematics are confined to academia by demonstrating

how it is used to solve practical, real-world problems.

“Our chapter is welcoming all academic majors at IUP because there is virtually no field of practical importance today that can’t be approached from a mathematical perspective,” said Dr. Herve Nganguia, assistant professor of mathematics, who currently serves as the chapter’s faculty adviser. “The only requirement is a truly genuine interest in the quantitative sciences.

“Come join us and see for yourself. Who knows, you may even come up with your own creative way of using mathematics for a problem you’ve been pondering about.”

The role of mathematics continues to grow and develop, even within fields that wouldn’t appear to have connection to mathematics and sciences.

Social media companies often thrive on the data they collect from their users. These data are in turn analyzed by teams of data scientists, or mathematically-inclined professionals, to extract useful information and

make predictions or projections on user’s behaviors, trends and so forth.

Another example stems in the medical field, where data collected from individuals are helping to drive patient-specific treatments, making health care more personalized.

Mathematics are present throughout our everyday lives and matters in everyday life. It connects to daily life with things like managing money, home decorating and remodeling and cooking, just to name a few.

However, math also is an underlying thing in a lot more than just the basics that many people may not think involves math.

Math is a diverse concept that includes many different complex methodologies and can be used anywhere.

“If anyone has ever watched popular animated, full-length movies like ‘Toy Story,’ ‘The Incredibles’ or ‘Finding Nemo,’ it’s all mathematics,” Nganguia said. “Interpolation, which is a mathematical method used to smooth out shape, is an important tool in 3-D animations.”

University College talks efficient studying in Crimson Common Hour ANNA MECHLING Lead News Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The University College hosted its weekly Crimson Common Hour, discussing the topic of studying and study skills Thursday in Stabley Room 210.

The topics discussed during the presentation included roles as students, class expectations and knowing when help is needed and when to ask questions.

Student success specialist Allison Baker from the University College led the Common Hour.

She started by introducing the “Study Cycle,” a five step-by-step guide that distributes helpful tips and learning throughout the semester.

The Study Cycle steps in order are preview, attend class, review, study and check.

Preview includes ensuring preparation before content is discussed in class. When this step is done, students tend to feel less overwhelmed or confused because they’ve looked at and understand the material already.

The next step focuses on attending class, explaining the

importance of being attentive and engaged during class.

Review is the third step, which is taking time after the material is discussed in class to allow the material to be studied.

The fourth step is studying. In this step, by organizing several focused studying sessions each week, information and concepts are more likely to be remembered and understood.

The final step, check, is looking at how each student’s studying is organized and if it’s effective, accurate and learning objectives and goals are met.

Baker also went over topics like making sure students preview material like readings and notes to help strengthen knowledge and retain information covered in class.

Creating a study or assignment plan can be a helpful tool.

By making a daily or weekly list of items intended to complete, students can stay organized by rating the tasks by due date or importance and can check off items as they are completed.

A lot of students study by using notecards. Notecards can help with things like vocabulary or

(The Penn Archives) Crimson Common Hour takes place every week in Stabley Library.

testing knowledge, but notecards become an issue is when students use notecards and put too much information on the cards.

“Don’t overwhelm yourself with a lot of information per card,” Baker said. “Split it up so you can truly know you understand the information and not just bits of pieces of it, because there’s so much information on each card.”

She also told students that she uses an app called “Focus Keeper,” which students can use to break up and space out studying time by creating different times and break increments.

Many students who attended the Common Hours knew a lot about studying already but were pleased to go over helpful tips and tricks for effective studying.

“I came to learn about the dif-

ferent studying tips and ways to study better, and I found it really helpful,” Olivia Poling (junior, nursing) said. “I thought it was also discussed in ways to make studying more manageable and not seem as stressful or forced.”

Some came because it was extra credit for class but acknowledged they found the material helpful and a good refresher.

“I never knew about the study cycle until I came here,” Michelle Lopes (sophomore, business management) said. “I came here because it’s an extra credit for my business management class.

“I felt like a lot of the material on the slides I’ve learned over the years, but it’s good to refresh it and see it again.”

Baker passed out two handouts during the presentation,

allowing students to take home with them the study cycle guide and ways to build effective study habits.

“I am a chronic procrastinator, and I wanted to learn how to study better,” Elissa Ridenour (sophomore, biology) said. “It was nice to have an actual sheet to follow and making a plan to be able to initiate studying; I plan on working on that more.

“I think what was most useful was planning out when to study, because I often find it’s hard to do the review portion.”

Overall, despite many students having prior knowledge and experience with studying, the students who attended felt like they got a lot out of the Common Hour and could take a lot of good and helpful information away.

“The reason why I came here it was an extra credit opportunity for my one class,” Ayano Fukui (sophomore, English) said. “I felt like I learned a lot from this Crimson Common Hour.

“I came to IUP as an exchange student, and I learned a lot while being here at IUP, like organizing my time for studying, which I learned more about today.”

February 4, 2020

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Artificial Intelligence could change how future generations buy homes "consistent with the extraction of monopoly rents in weaker competitive environments and from profiling borrowers on shopping behavior."

In total, Latinx and African-Americans pay some $750 million per year in extra mortgage interest, according to the report. This is where policy, like what IBM proposes, becomes critical moving forward in our dependency on and use of AI.

NATALIE CAMPISI Bankrate TNS

Artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly infiltrating the real estate industry – without looking like a futuristic takeover but rather a boon for buyers and sellers.

Mortgage lenders, realtors, title companies, property appraisers and consumers use AI for a wide variety of purposes, including application automation, expediting processes, chatbots on real estate sites and automated valuations models, or AVMs, to name a few.

"AI can benefit real estate industry participants in many ways. An example is the use of machine learning to link potential buyers with more relevant properties, creating an enhanced real estate transaction (more timely and focused)," says John D'Angelo, managing director at Deloitte Consulting LLP. "This can also make it easier for buyers and sellers to receive more personalized offerings based on their preferences. In addition, AI can reduce the transaction costs for buyers and sellers by shortening the transaction cycle."

Communication between buyers and sellers can be augmented with AI, as well, says Adrian Fisher, CEO at Property Simple. This kind of technology is a useful tool for real estate agents who want to provide fast responses to their clients, without spending resources on more staff. These cost-savings can be passed on to consumers.

"Chatbots can already answer simple queries to help potential buyers find their next home. If they're unable to provide an answer, these bots can notify human agents to take over and offer a better, more customized response," Fisher says. "As machine learning advances, chatbots will become smarter. In the future, they'll be able to answer complex search queries proficiently, including those through voice technology."

HARNESSING THE POWER OF BIG DATA FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS The enormous amount of data available, due in part to the digitization of information – makes AI an increasingly important tool in parsing that data in a way that's meaningful to buyers and sellers.

Ramneek Gupta, managing

WHAT CONSUMERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AI

(TNS) While buying houses from robots would make the homebuying process simple, a communication barrier would erect limiting word-of-mouth sales and limiting human interaction.

director and co-head of venture investing at Citi Ventures, cites two companies that are using AI to dive into big data for a more efficient and results-driven experience.

Reonomy, for instance, uses AI and machine learning to automate the aggregation, clean up and feature extraction from large amounts of alternative data (information used in the investment process) on more than 50 million commercial real estate properties.

"This enables both buyers and sellers to make better sourcing, pricing and buying decisions," says Gupta. "Another example is Homelight, a company that uses AI and machine learning to improve its pricing algorithms.

Homelight leverages historical data and input from homeowners and agents to come up with accurate home price estimates."

COMBINING AI WITH HUMAN INTERACTIONS FOR A MORE HOLISTIC EXPERIENCE There are limitations to AI, says Peggy Zabakolas, Esq., real estate broker for Nest Seekers International. Already, most homebuyers use AI to look for a home online, loading their specifications to filter properties that meet those requirements.

But when it's time to buy, AI is not equipped to understand the nuances of purchasing the

home, which includes a detailed understanding of the market and negotiating, Zabakolas adds.

She also points out that AI might not have information on all the properties available, including those that might be word-ofmouth sales.

"Buyers are becoming more and more knowledgeable, which is wonderful, but when I'm going to spend millions or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a property, I want to work with a human that has expertise in negotiating and getting a deal done," Zabakolas says. "Also, agents may know of properties off-market that AI may not necessarily have access to."

MOST TECHNOLOGISTS AGREE, THIS IS ACT ONE OF WHAT AI CAN DO Although AI is transforming how companies do business, it's still in its infancy. In fact, there are major hurdles technologists and policymakers have to overcome to increase AI security and eradicate bias.

Recently, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, IBM Policy Lab co-directors Ryan Hagemann and Jean-Marc Leclerc urged global regulation of artificial intelligence based on accountability, transparency, fairness and security. Their argument is that technology relies on data with "baked-in" bias, which

includes discrimination against women, minorities, the disabled, older Americans and others.

"I see an abundance of technology but a shortage of actionable policy ideas to ensure we protect people while allowing innovation to thrive," Christopher Padilla, vice president of government & regulatory affairs at IBM, said in a statement. "The IBM Policy Lab will set a new standard for how business can partner with governments and other stakeholders to help serve the interests of society."

A report issued by the FDIC in February last year showed that both face-to-face and FinTech lenders charged Latinx and African-American borrowers 6- to 9-basis points more in interest for purchase mortgages, which is

The bottom line, for consumers, is to do their due diligence when shopping for or selling a home. Leveraging online tools, like rate comparison tables, is a great way to use AI to find the most competitive rates. Although AI is a powerful tool, it can also pose security threats, so practice caution when you're using things like electronic documents, online portals and other AI-powered technology.

Make sure you have a clear understanding of security protocols in place when you send and receive documents via your lender.

For example, some buyers have become victims of escrow wire fraud because they received an email from what looked like their bank asking to wire their escrow money, when in fact it was a scam artist. The unfortunate reality is that most victims of escrow wire fraud won't recover their funds.

Finally, if you're asked to enter personal information online, like your social security number, make sure the request comes directly from your lender. Doubleand triple-check online transactions to ensure you don't fall prey to a scam, virus or security pitfall.

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News

Republicans, Democrats prepare for a hostile Trump at State of the Union GRIFFIN CONNELLY CQ-Roll Call TNS

Democrats and Republican lawmakers are bracing for a whole new level of partisan belligerence from President Donald Trump at the State of the Union on Tuesday, less than 24 hours before the Senate is expected to vote to acquit him of both articles of impeachment he faces.

"I'm expecting the worst," Sen. Chris Murphy told reporters Monday, saying that he would not be surprised if Trump made pointed remarks about the press, Democratic lawmakers and the impeachment managers presenting the case against him over the last 2 { weeks.

It is simply "not in his DNA to do anything more than boast and lie to us," Hawaii Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono said when asked about her expectations for Trump's address. "I would love for him to talk about bringing the country together, but I think that's asking too much of this president."

A senior administration official declined Friday to say whether Trump plans to mention impeachment during his speech.

"It's never safe to assume anything," the official said.

Speechwriters have been preparing for the president to present a "vision of relentless optimism" and a largely upbeat speech focused on a handful of policy victories that, when pieced together, form a narrative of "the great American comeback," the official said.

A significant part of the president's remarks is expected to highlight victories on trade policy with China as well as the new trade pact with Mexico and Canada.

Health care policy goals, including reducing prescription drug prices, will also feature heavily, as will reprises of Trump's support for paid family leave and expanded school choice, the senior official said.

But the president has a wellknown propensity to veer into personal attacks on his political rivals.

And while those diatribes have served him well at campaign rallies before thousands of supporters, they would be certain to meet a frosty response before Congress, at least with hundreds of Demo-

(Facebook) Prince died of an opioid overdose in 2016.

Board of Medicine fines, disciplines Prince’s doctor JEREMY OLSEN Star Tribune TNS

(TNS) President Trump is expected to “bring the worst� to the State of the Union address.

crats in the chamber.

Virginia Democratic Rep. Gerald E. Connolly does not expect any "histrionics" from his House colleagues as long as Trump sticks to boilerplate talking points about the successes of his administration and resists taking political pot shots at his Democratic rivals.

"The president is our guest, and he will be treated with respect as our guest," said Connolly, who sits on two of the House committees, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform, that investigated the president's actions in Ukraine.

But if Trump uses parts of his speech to gloat about his impending acquittal, he could be walking into "a bit of a minefield," Connolly warned.

Republicans advised the president from the Capitol on Monday not to harp on the last two weeks' proceedings or brag about his imminent acquittal. But they acknowledged they do not know if the president will heed their caution.

"Does anybody imagine that they know (what the president is going to say)? Not me!" said GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.

Sen. Kevin Cramer suggested that while he personally could not pull off a State of the Union address riddled with snipes at political rivals over impeachment, the president's pugnacious personal brand could lend itself to such a speech.

"Donald Trump has been very successful being Donald Trump," the North Dakota Republican said.

"Most people that have suggested he be something different have never been president. And he has," Cramer said.

Sen. Marco Rubio likewise advised Trump not mention im-

peachment since that aspect of his speech would dominate headlines the next day and ruin the chief executive's signature annual opportunity to tout the achievements of his presidency.

"There's no way that you talk about that and that not be the takeaway. As opposed to some of the other things that I hope we should focus on," the Florida Republican said.

Rubio would prefer Trump to talk about the current state of affairs on international trade, school choice and relations with countries in the Middle East such as Iran and Iraq, among other issues, he said Monday.

Trump's State of the Union speech is hardly the first to be delivered amid an impeachment investigation or trial.

During his final State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 1974, President Richard Nixon declared that "one year of Watergate is enough" and asked Congress to quickly conclude its investigations into the scandal so that the government could return to the people's business without further distraction.

President Bill Clinton did not mention impeachment during his 1999 State of the Union address, despite White House counsel presenting his opening defense earlier that same day.

Virtually every lawmaker who commented on Capitol Hill Monday wants Trump to eschew attacks on his adversaries over impeachment.

"He has the opportunity to try to bring people together or further divide them," Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana said.

"I'll let you know after the speech is over with which one he did."

A doctor who provided medical care to Prince at the time he died of an opioid drug overdose has been disciplined for surreptitiously providing addictive painkillers to the pop star in someone else's name.

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice issued a $4,648 fine to Dr. Michael Todd Schulenberg for medical ethics and record-keeping violations as well as for hindering its initial inquiry into the doctor's prescribing of drugs to Prince, who was found dead from an opioid overdose in his home in April 2016.

The board order approving the disciplinary action only identifies Prince as "Patient #1" and Kirk Johnson, his longtime friend who obtained prescriptions for him, as "Patient #2." But it describes circumstances that were widely reported following Prince's death and revealed in search warrants and other law enforcement documents regarding his death investigation.

Schulenberg initially told authorities with the state medical board that he didn't know, when prescribing painkillers to Johnson, that they were actually for Prince.

However, his story changed when meeting with board authorities again last August and discussing one clinic visit.

"Patient #2 initially asked for a controlled substance for Patient #1, but (Schulenberg) declined," the records state. "Patient #2 then asked for a controlled substance for Patient #2, and (Schulenberg) issued a prescription for a controlled substance."

Whether Prince took the opioid painkillers prescribed by Schulenberg is unclear. His overdose death was linked to other counterfeit pills that looked like common painkillers but actually contained fentanyl, a far more potent and dangerous synthetic opioid.

Reports revealed that Prince had been taking opioids to manage chronic hip pain, and that he suffered a near-fatal overdose days before his death when flying back from a concert in Atlanta. No criminal charges were filed in his death because authorities were unable after a two-year investigation to identify the source of the counterfeit pills that Prince took.

Schulenberg had provided direct medical care to Prince, including making a house call to his Paisley Park mansion in Chanhassen two weeks before he died.

Prince also went to Schulenberg's clinic the day before he died.

Texts collected as part of the death investigation show that Schulenberg was concerned about Prince, and had recommended that Johnson seek addiction treatment for him from Dr. Howard Kornfeld, a renowned addiction specialist in California. Kornfeld's son flew to Minnesota to provide addiction medication to Prince, but arrived the morning after he had died.

The state licensing investigation started after Schulenberg disclosed to the board, as required, that he had been the subject of a federal court settlement. The doctor paid $30,000 in 2018 to settle a federal case regarding his prescribing to Prince.

A call to the attorney representing Schulenberg in the state board action was not immediately returned on Monday.

Schulenberg, as part of the federal settlement, was required for two years to document and report all of his prescriptions of controlled substances. The doctor received a formal reprimand in addition to the fine from the state medical board, which issued the disciplinary action Jan. 11 and publicly announced it last week.

A wrong deathful lawsuit filed

by Prince's relatives against Schulenberg and other medical providers was recently dismissed, implying that settlements were reached.

News

February 4, 2020

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Oscar Mayer Wienermobile makes pit stop at Indiana Walmart

(Jake Slebodnick/The Penn) Indiana residents felt like big “wieners” on Sunday when the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile parked in front of the Walmart on Oakland Avenue. It was there for most of the afternoon and fans were able to “relish” in its presence and “ketchup” with Cameron Callanan, a representative of the company. To be “frank”, customers and local hot dog enthusiasts enjoyed being able to take a photo with the coveted car.

Opinion

Letter to the Editor Anyone Else Think We Need A Fraternization Policy?

(TNS) Jennifer Lopez performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday.

Super Bowl Monday should be observed as national holiday Nothing like waking up with a hangover and going to work on a Monday morning. This is the reality for many individuals after watching the Super Bowl on Sunday night.

The day should be more widely accepted as an unofficial holiday and as a day of no work, similar to the first day of hunting season in Pennsylvania. Many schools are not in session on that Monday, and many workers take the day off to participate in the tradition of hunting the first Monday after Thanksgiving.

According to a survey done by the Workforce Institute, 17.5 million Americans were expected to miss work Monday.

For a closer look, 11.1 million individuals were pre-approved to have the day off, 4.7 million planned to call in sick and 1.5 million workers plan to just not show up.

Of those individuals partici-

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pating in the survey, 9 percent said they have either witnessed or heard of employees getting in trouble or getting fired for missing work the Monday following the Super Bowl.

Forcing employees to work when they are tired from staying up late or having a night out decreases their productivity. This raises the question of whether it is worth having employees doing subpar work for a day or allowing employees the day off to recover from an exciting weekend.

The same question goes for schools.

Should classes be in session the Monday after the Super Bowl with students’ decrease in productivity?

There is more than one option besides giving Americans the Monday off. The date of the game could be moved to coincide with an existing holiday.

Presidents Day is already a national holiday in February, so the game could be planned to fall on that weekend.

It would be much better for workers and students for there to be a solution to the problem resulting in having the Monday following the Super Bowl off.

Many people agree so much so that a petition has been created on Change.org to make Monday a national holiday and has more than 14,000 signatures.

Even if you’re not a major football fan, you are still probably spending time with friends or family eating a lot of food and pretending to watch the game while you’re actually watching the commercials and waiting for the halftime show.

Being the most televised event in sports history, the Super Bowl is a major part of American culture that millions participate in. This should be taken into serious consideration, and it should be more widely accepted as a holiday and receiving the Monday following the big game as a holiday.

Hi, IUP. I’d like to talk about a touchy subject; faculty sleeping with students. I imagine everyone’s got an opinion about that.

But I also think the majority probably have the same opinion – it’s wrong, and it shouldn’t happen.

I don’t think this is a new revelation. I believe most felt that way before the #MeToo movement. But in this current climate, how come we can’t seem to do anything about it?

I know what when my daughter attended an out-of-state university just a few years ago, at least two faculty she could name were fired for sleeping with students.

She said while she was there the university struggled through some iterations of a fraternization policy, but they got there. They passed it, and there were consequences for faculty who crossed the line.

I think given all of the public attention on power differences and sexual coercion IUP would get out ahead of this. It would/ will be very embarrassing to all of us if a public uproar occurred because, for example, a male

older faculty had a romantic and sexual relationship with a younger, female student.

You might think we already have such a policy, but I asked, and we don’t. There is a clause in the undergrad catalog that says that if you are a student’s instructor it would be a “conflict of interest.” I think it’s worse than that.

And the clause isn’t clear about what the university can/could do about it.

So, here’s my question, IUP. Am I the only one who thinks we need a fraternization policy? Are there any other male faculty in particular who want to co-sign a letter with me asking that we remedy this shortcoming?

Are we going to protect everyone’s daughters the way my kid’s university protected her?

Feel free to email me at elauber@iup.edu

Brought to you

By Erick Lauber

Journalism/Public Relations Professor

Brought to you

By THE PENN STAFF

January 24, 2020

Opinion

Culture

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

(Facebook) Imani Winds, a quintet from New York, performed a concert at IUP Thursday. They also offered a class with students from the IUP Lively Arts Department.

Quintet Imani Winds performs concert for IUP HALEY BROWN

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

This article contains opinion.

The Lively Arts at IUP was proud to host Imani Winds' collection of pieces 8 p.m. Thursday in Gorell Recital Hall on the second floor of Sutton Hall.

Comprised of five skilled musicians, Imani Winds is a band that has been participating in workshops and events with students at IUP for a short time, which culminated with their concert.

Plenty of regional orchestra conference members were in the audience, whom Imani Winds spent some time with and coached during the past few days. About 75 percent of the audience consisted of District Orchestra high school students. Imani Winds also had a small preview concert that same afternoon on campus in the music library before its final show.

The quintet is based in New York City, and the musicians have been playing together for 20 years.

The skill of these musicians is obvious even to the unseasoned ear of someone who doesn't enjoy listening to live music or often indulge in classical compositions.

The flow of each instrument

Culture

into the tonal changes and flow of the others was gorgeous and seamless, encouraging audience members to lean forward in their seats and pay close attention to the lift and current of the songs.

The band includes a flute, played by Brandon Patrick George; an oboe, played by Toyin Spellman-Diaz; a bassoon, played

by Monica Ellis; a clarinet, played

by Mark Dover; and a French horn, played by Jeff Scott, who is also a composer.

Following the first piece, Ellis explained that the ensemble had spent plenty of time hand-picking songs that evoke strong emotions about hard times past and music that held a greater meaning than what was initially expected.

The concert composition was titled “The Beauty of Strife” and was fueled by the concept that political conflicts, world crises and human atrocities inspire incredible art, which is needed to express the difficult emotions that transpire because of disturbing events in human history.

They wanted musical pieces that did not solely contain up-tempo and pieces that were driven by certain moments of hardship and later synthesized into this moving art form.

Since 1997, the members of

Imani Winds have been strong advocates for programs that play more than just “pretty” music.

They encourage the push for music programs to become more thought-provoking while still allowing for enjoyment but also through honoring the struggles that bring about the creation of some of the greatest compositions.

The South African national anthem was the first piece they played, which was exciting and enjoyable for all who heard.

The second piece, written by the French composer Maurice Ravel, was written when Ravel was a nurse in World War I and dedicated his composition to his comrades that died in the war. His piece holds traditional sounds translated brought the lens of the dedication of his fallen friends.

The beginning of the piece almost sounded like flowing water and swept the audience along in a ride on the beautiful melody.

The concert piece called “Fugue,” which fell under the section Le Tombeau de Couperin, reminded listeners of the beginning of spring and sounded like it could have been used in a nature documentary that showed a time lapse of new growth buds springing up from snow to signal the beginning of the winter thaw.

February 4, 2020

The second collection of pieces was written by an incredible Russian composer known as Dmitri Shostakovich. He composed during the reign of Joseph Stalin in the 1930s, and his music has a political overtone that is occasionally more understated but can also be heard without much effort in certain pieces.

In 1960, Shostakovich was supposed to work on the film score in a documentary about the allied bombings of 1945 of World War II. When he came to the small town to film, it was still reeling from the effects of the war despite the fact that it was 16 years prior.

Supposedly, he transcended into a sort of trance and composed the “Quartet No. 8” piece for three days straight.

The initials of his actual name (D, E flat, C and B) pop up throughout the piece. Jeff played the four notes for the audience, and it was said that he acted as the protagonist of his own story surrounding "doom and gloom."

The second movement has a piece that is thought to be a nod to the anti-Semitism during the war. Tim Burton-esque characters are thought of during the third movement, and in the fourth movement, the three jarring notes were thought to represent the

KGB knocking on a door.

The band feels it is an honor to play this transcription and love playing the entire concert but especially the piece transcribed by a bassoonist named Mark Popkin.

This piece was 20 minutes straight through and must have been exhausting to put together, but these musicians did it with grace and gratitude, and it was almost impossible for the audience's eyes to stray from their emotional performance of each movement that made up the piece.

Following a brief intermission, the second half of the performance flew by and consisted of a piece titled “Gift of Life” by Derek Burmel from “Wanderings.” It was inspired by the rocky political history of Israel and was composed to inspire coexistence and the acceptance of all people.

The second half also boasted a section called Traditional Spirituals, which was made up of two different pieces named “Steal Away” and “Ev'ry Time I Feel the Spirit.”

The emotion the musicians felt was evident throughout the performance, and it was fairly apparent that they were enjoying their act of playing immensely, from the first uplifting tune of their beginning song, to the last resounding note in their final piece of the night.

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Culture

(Rob Hinkal/ The Penn) The Suffragist Soiree included music performances, especially a performance of the song “The March of Women,” which was written as the protest song in 1911 by Ethel Smyth.

Suffragist Soiree celebrates women winning the vote KAITLYN CIANCO Staff Writer cjxw@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP celebrated voting rights with A Suffragist Soiree at 3 p.m.

Sunday in Gorell Recital Hall.

IUP’s music department teamed up with The American Association of University Women (AAUW) Indiana County branch to hold an evening full of celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage.

The soiree included music performances, dramatic readings and a tea and reception after the main event.

Curt Scheib, IUP College of Fine Arts Dean, gave the opening speech. IUP opened 45 years prior to the 19th amendment, according to Scheib.

“There is much work yet to be done to ensure women’s voices are heard,” Scheib said.

The soiree was opened and closed by a performance of the song “The March of the Women”

by Ethel Smyth, who wrote the protest song in 1911.

In the past, Smyth conducted the song through a prison window with a toothbrush, which is a detail that was not left out during

this performance. Julianne Laird conducted the song with a toothbrush of her own as the Indiana High School (IHS) A Cappella Choir sang along with the audience and other performers.

Throughout history, the fight for women’s rights have included music of various genres alongside the suffragists, according to Sarah Mantel.

One of the featured composers was Amy Cheney Beach (1867– 1944), who was the first American woman to have her symphony published.

Her music was hidden for 80 years until IUP alumnus Thomas O’Dell “brought them back to life,” an AAUW speaker said.

The words of Jane Leonard were one of the featured dramatic readings spoken by Gretchen Barbor.

Leonard served as the preceptress for the Indiana Normal School, now IUP, and taught English, literature, history and geography. Through her 45 years here, she was often referred to as “Aunt Jane,” according to Barbor.

“Aunt Jane was a woman ahead of her time and in ours,” she said.

One of the dramatic readings that the audience had the strongest response to was Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” read by Patricia Holmes.

“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back and get it right side up again. And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them,” Holmes said, quoting the speech.

Dramatic readings were done

by Barbor, Mary Jo Bowes, Lillian O. Clemons and Holmes.

Music was performed by Evan Engelstad, piano; Susan Wheatly, piano; Mary Logan-Hastings, soprano; Patricia Holmes, vocals; Laird, soprano; Elary Mede, soprano; Stanley Chepaitis, violin; Rob Lawson, percussion; Carl Rahkonen, bass; Chloe Tubbs, clarinet; and the IHS A Cappella Choir.

AAUW is a nonprofit organization that advances equality for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. It has been empowering women since 1881, according to the organization’s information.

Culture

February 4, 2020

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February 4, 2020

Culture

(Facebook) Lil Nas X (left) and Sam Elliott (right) are two stars among many that starred in the Super Bowl ads this year.

Even Lil Nas X, Sam Elliott can't save forgettable year of Super Bowl ads LORRAINE ALI TNS Los Angeles Times

This article contains opinion.

Martin Scorsese. Chance the Rapper. Bill Murray, Chris Rock.

Jason Momoa. Wesley Snipes.

So many celebrities, so many unremarkable ads during Super Bowl LIV. Coke, Budweiser, Facebook and more paid upward of $5 million to run spots Sunday during the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. 100 million viewers were expected to tune in for the Fox broadcast from Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with all expecting sponsors to bring their A-game ads to the bowl.

And the most memorable Super Bowl ad is ... still Apple's "1984." But there were a few standouts that made the 2020 advertising event worth sitting through a football game.

Quicken's Rocket Mortgage ad featured "Aquaman" Momoa on what it means to unwind at home and be himself – shedding his muscle-man facade and wig to reveal a skinny, bald guy who can't lift a 5-pound weight. (Spouse Lisa Bonet helps out). General Motors' spot for a forthcoming battery-powered Hummer pickup truck featured LeBron James.

Amazon shelled out for a 60-second spot starring Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi, who wonder what life was like before Alexa was there to obey our every command. (Ordering a 19th century woman name Alexa to turn down the heat in the house doesn't look quite the same when she's a maid tending the hearth and lowering the thermostat requires throwing flaming firewood out the window.)

The best use of star power was in the 30-second commercial for Mountain Dew's Zero Sugar.

The parody of the 1980s horror film "The Shining" starred "Breaking Bad's" Bryan Cranston as the murderous husband (originally played by Jack Nicholson) and Tracee Ellis Ross of "black-ish" as his terrified wife (the role was formerly Shelley Duvall's). The "Here's Johnny!" moment as he breaks through the bathroom door with an ax? "Here's Mountain Dew Zero!" And just in time, because all that running for her life made her thirsty.

Such throwbacks were all the rage, bringing film and TV's vogue for reboots and revivals to commercials too: "The Shining," "Groundhog Day," "Rocky," "Fargo" and "Mars Attacks" were among the nostalgic titles used to shill new products.

Meanwhile, the biggest duds

on Sunday were the commercials that reminded us of another competition, off the field, in Washington.

The campaign ads for two rich New Yorkers, both running for president, relied on the hardship stories of women of color to sell their bids for the White House.

The links will not be included here.

Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg and President Donald Trump each bought 60 seconds' worth of advertising to convince voters they truly understand what Americans want and need, even if they live in another universe known as the One Percent.

Trump's reelection effort was touted as "the first ever presidential campaign to buy time during the Super Bowl" – by the folks behind the ad. In a spot focused on his record of criminal justice reform and featuring Alice Johnson, whom Trump granted clemency in 2018 after a personal appeal

by Kim Kardashian West, POTUS says, "And ladies and gentlemen, the best is yet to come." Threat or promise? You decide.

Bloomberg's ad doesn't mention Trump, but it does focus on the issue of gun control. It features Calandrian Kemp, whose son was killed in an act of gun violence.

The ad cites the former New York City mayor's record on gun control and promises to continue the fight

into the White House. Bloomberg brought the fight to Trump offscreen, though. A Google search for "donald trump super bowl ad" led to a Bloomberg campaign ad, "Trump's Broken Promises | Enough Is Enough." Clicking on the link redirected users to Bloomberg's campaign website – and Super Bowl ad.

Even the NFL waded into politics, with a compelling PSA in which retired wide receiver Anquan Boldin discusses the 2015 death of a cousin, Corey Jones, at the hands of a plainclothes police officer, and promotes the work of a social justice organization he co-founded, the Players Coalition.

The spot was swiftly criticized on social media as hypocritical in light of the league's handling of Colin Kaepernick's bent-knee protests during the national anthem.

Supporting women's achievements and encouraging new generations of girls were a more successful theme during TV advertising's biggest night.

A Secret deodorant ad that aired before the game featured World Cup champions Carli Lloyd and Crystal Dunn posing as professional football players. 49ers assistant Katie Sowers, the first woman to coach in a Super Bowl, starred in an ad for Microsoft Surface.

Olay paid for "Operation

Make Space for Women" starring Katie Couric, Taraji P. Henson, Lilly Singh, Nicole Scott and Busy Philipps. In the astronaut narrative, they argue that there's tons of space for women in the professional and career world. When viewers tweet #Make SpaceForWomen, Olay promises to donate $1 to an organization called Girls Who Code. It was one of a few charitable efforts advertised: Michelob Ultra Gold claimed that buying a six-pack would help convert 6 square feet into organic farmland, and a wealthy, grateful pet owner paid for an ad to support the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

Many of the ads had already been online for days, "leaked" by advertisers to capitalize on the one time a year that folks are excited about commercials from sponsors.

So who won the big game?

The Cool Ranch Doritos danceoff between Lil Nas X and Sam Elliott showed the rapper and actor as a formidable pair – making a strong case for sharing their own ticket in November. (Word is the country's ready for change.) And hopefully, the charitable efforts receive a boost.

But it was viewers with DVRs who beat the odds: At least they were able to skip over the mostly bland marketing.

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Women’s wrestling reaching true equality DESMOND BROWN Staff Writer vjby@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The year was 1956.

The Fabulous Moolah just won the National Wrestling Alliance championship. Little did she know that she would be the beginning of a change in professional wrestling long after she lost the championship in 1984, a move that has now resulted in women becoming the hottest thing in the industry during the last five years.

A change that resulted in the very first woman to ever win a World Championship title – a title that has been won by only men.

To preface how vital an event such as this is to professional wrestling as a whole, one must understand how women were treated during the last 25 years.

1994: The Attitude Era – The World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling began a rating war to decide which company had the best wrestling show on television. Now famously known as the “Attitude Era,” both companies would produce “edgier” content for the rebellious ‘90s audience.

Swearing, blood and scantily clad women in tights would become commonplace in the male-oriented demographic.

Women’s wrestling was not the main attraction; it was a sideshow to the men on the card. Women were relegated to either short two-minute matches or “sexy” match types.

Of those matches, the most infamous was the Bra and Panties match. That was not a typo. The only way to win a Bra and Panties match was to strip the opponent to their underwear and pin them.

This match was the staple of the Attitude Era. Although these matches were used as a quick way to keep the male audience engaged, they helped to catapult some female wrestlers to stardom, namely two women: Lita and Trish Stratus.

And these two women would go on to do something that would etch their names in the history books forever.

2004: The Main Event – Monday, Dec. 6, 2004. Trish Stratus vs.

Lita for the WWE Women’s Championship. This match wasn’t the first time these two faced off in the ring together. However, it was the first time that women would main event Monday Night Raw.

(Facebook) Liv Morgan and Lana, otherwise known as “The Ravishing Russian,” squared off on Jan. 28th’s match.

Ever. Lita vs. Trish Stratus at the time was one of the hottest feuds (or rivalry) going in the company at the time. It came to a head with Trish and Lita going to battle with Lita winning the Women’s Championship live on Raw. This match was the culmination of the investment from fans and enough pull backstage to allow the women to actually perform.

It was the starting point for the women to see more opportunities outside of being glorified strippers and eye candy. While the next all-womens main event wouldn’t occur for another decade, the writing was already on the wall. People wanted to see women wrestle. Thus the catalyst for many of today’s female wrestlers within the industry started in North Carolina.

2014: The Revolution – The women of WWE had been subjected to short two minute matches, stereotypical storylines and an emphasis on looks rather than ability. Diva’s Champion at the time, AJ Lee, had called out vice president of creative Stephanie McMahon for the limited opportunities women had to wrestle in WWE. She also blasted her co-workers for perpetuating the stereotypes by being a part of the newly created reality show, “Total Divas.”

Fans joined in on social media, starting the #GiveDivasAChance movement on Twitter. A few months later, women were having more engaging, longer matches.

This would lead to one of the most important matches to jumpstart another movement.

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, to many, is the real beginning of the

so-called “Women’s Revolution.”

It was the perfect setting. NXT, once known as a developmental brand for WWE, was (and still is) the hottest thing in pro wrestling at the moment. The Barclays Center, which was initially only going to have 6,000 seats, had a new attendance record set after selling out twice. The excitement in the air was palpable as this was the first time anyone besides Full Sail University’s small arena crowd would see NXT wrestlers.

After an already stellar show, it came down to the last two matches on the card. The main event was the NXT Championship ladder match between Finn Balor and Kevin Owens. However, the most talked-about match was the one that went on before the main event — Sasha Banks vs. Bayley for the NXT Women’s Championship. Banks, the cagey, prideful champion who had elevated the championship in many great matches over the past year, was riding into NXT with an ego the size of the Empire State Building.

Bayley, as described in the video package shown before the match, was the underdog.

Both women were a part of the Four Horsewomen, a nickname for what was considered the best four female wrestlers not only in NXT but all of WWE. But three of the four had just been brought up to the main roster to compete on Raw and Smackdown. The one left behind was Bayley. She came into this match with something to prove not only to Sasha Banks but to everyone that she was just as good as her counterparts.

Even before the bell rang, dueling chants for Sasha Banks

and Bayley rang throughout the arena from the more than 15,000 screaming fans. Every move, every near fall, was met with bated breath and anticipation.

As the match went into the final moments, everyone in the crowd was on their feet. Then it happened. Bayley won the title in the center of the ring. The crowd came unglued. Grown adults were crying after seeing Bayley finally have her moment on the top of the mountain within the division.

After a recap showcasing the highlights of the match, the other two members of the Horsewomen came down to the ring and celebrated with their close friends.

It was a curtain call for the four of them, and the crowd gave a standing ovation to all four in the ring. The match was considered to be Match of the Year throughout all of the wrestling industry.

Media outlets gave high praise of the match and cemented the start of the women’s revolution.

2018: The Evolution – Since the groundbreaking match in Brooklyn, women in WWE have main event Raw, Smackdown and NXT numerous times. A new class of women’s wrestlers has begun to make their mark on the industry, and some of the best storylines in all of wrestling involved women. One of those storylines includes the birth of “The Man” Becky Lynch. Becky had been snubbed time and time again by the daughter of WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair, for opportunities at championships.

That is until SummerSlam of 2018.

Becky snapped on Charlotte after once again losing in a Triple Threat Match for the SmackDown

Women’s Championship. This turn would eventually morph into the creation of “The Man” character for Becky Lynch.

Soon, the entire wrestling world was obsessed with seeing “The Man.” Within a month, Becky was champion. Within a year, she was the face of the company. Outshining the likes of Roman Reigns and John Cena, Becky had shown that not only could she become the best thing going in the women’s wrestling, but she could also be the best thing going period.

WWE changed the Diva’s division back to the Women’s Division. Nearly two decades after main eventing Raw, Lita would introduce the redesigned WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania. The next year, WWE would present a women’s only pay-per-view called Evolution. UFC superstar Ronda Rousey would debut at the event and bring even more eyes on the women of WWE. And then WWE would announce the first-ever main event to be wrestled by women at WrestleMania.

Now it is 2020. Outside of WWE, women have been receiving more opportunities than ever before. Japanese company New Japan Pro Wrestling would buy women’s only promotion, Stardom with the promise of women wrestling in NJPW matches; ROH introduced its first-ever women’s division; and IMPACT on Jan. 16 would crown Tessa Blanchard as IMPACT World Champion.

The evolution of women in wrestling is far from over, but as of right now, there is no better time for women in the industry.

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(Facebook) “Fire Emblem: Three Houses” (left) is a part of the “Super Smash Bros.” (right) universe.

Students weigh in on potential characters for Smash Bros. Ultimate ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

This article contains opinion.

The final character on “Smash Brothers Ultimate’s” downloadable content (DLC) Fighters’ Pass 1, Byleth from “Fire Emblem: Three Houses,” released Jan. 28.

Byleth’s reveal gave three important pieces of information to “Smash Ultimate” fans about DLC Fighters’ Pass 2. Byleth, as a “Fire Emblem” character, shows that future DLC characters can be from series already represented in “Smash Ultimate,” as there are seven other “Fire Emblem” representatives, and that DLC fighters can be from Nintendo-owned first party games.

The previous four DLC fighters had all been from series that were not represented in “Smash” previously and from third-party companies outside of Nintendo. The third major reveal was the number of fighters in DLC Fighters’ Pass 2, which was revealed alongside Byleth in a “Smash” Direct Jan. 16,

as six new characters, one more than last time.

As the community’s attention is pulled away from Byleth, who was originally surrounded in a storm of hype from “Fire Emblem” fans and controversy from those who felt slighted at the inclusion of an eighth “Fire Emblem” representative, fans of “Smash” are now left wondering and speculating on who the six new fighters will be.

“I really don't know anymore,” Tyrone Roberts Jr. (senior, economics) said. “Every time I think I have an idea about what Nintendo will do, they throw something at us from left field.

“I really enjoy fighters that come out of left field like Snake and Cloud.”

“The team has continued to blow our minds, both positively and rather upsettingly negatively, with different reveals of characters with new mechanics and concepts for each character,” Samuel Cunningham (sophomore, English education) said.

Byleth’s inclusion upset other fans, who felt the character was included to promote “Fire Emblem: Three Houses,” a relatively

recent game, in a well-represented series, with upcoming DLC and updates, as opposed to representing the communities interested.

“I really enjoy fighters that come out of left field like Cloud and Snake.”

-Tyrone Roberts Jr. “I do not want to see any more ‘Fire Emblem,’” Roberts said. “I think the character looks cool as a fighter, but I am tired of ‘Fire Emblem’ fighters.

“I feel like the real sad point is that the DLC might be based off of whatever game is coming out at around that time.”

Some fans’ dreampicks and predictions have already been

de-confirmed due to their inclusion as Mii costumes, wearable outfits for the customizable Miibased “Smash” fighters. Some of the most popular requests, currently consisting of Sans and Cuphead, have become “Deluxe” Mii fighters, with more accurate and detailed cosmetics and a music track from their source game that can be played on some of the game’s Mii-related stages.

“The deluxe Mii fighters are a cool idea that make me kind of sad,” Roberts said. “I understand that everyone can't be in the game, but I feel like Sans or Cuphead would be better than seven ‘Fire Emblem’ clones.”

Despite the lack of information on the next six and the many possible de-confirmations from Mii costumes, spirits and more, many fans are vocal about their predictions and dream-picks.

“I think Nintendo needs to add a few more ‘Final Fantasy’ fighters,” Roberts said. “There is an insane amount of potential for diversity of both fighters and music.”

Cunningham said he would like the six DLC fighters to be Sora

from “Kingdom Hearts,” Travis Touchdown from “No More Heroes,” the Dragonborn from “Skyrim,” Madeline from “Celeste,” Yasuo from “League of Legends” and Cinderace from “Pokémon Sword/Shield.”

“Another Pokémon doesn’t sound too far out of reality,” Cunningham said.

He expects a possible “Final Fantasy” representative, such as Squall, new deluxe Mii costumes for “Minecraft’s” Steve and Madeline if she does not make it to the roster.

I do not believe more “Final Fantasy” characters have a good shot of making it into the game, due to Square Enix’s reluctance to give any “Final Fantasy” content in “Smash Ultimate” for Cloud (spirits, stages, songs, etc.), and the fact that “Final Fantasy VII” has not been announced for the Switch yet.

My most wanted, realistic potential DLC characters would be Intelleon from “Pokémon Sword/ Shield,” Travis Touchdown, Dante from “Devil May Cry,” Steve from “Minecraft” and Paper Mario from the “Paper Mario” series.

Culture

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(Facebook) Taylor Swift’s (left) new documentary, “Miss Americana,” and Justin Bieber’s (right) new documentary, “Seasons,” show both artists triumphing over the adversities they’ve faced throughout their careers.

Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber triumph over adversities even greater than fame MIKAEL WOOD TNS Los Angeles Times There's a scene near the beginning of Netflix's new Taylor Swift documentary, "Miss Americana," in which the pop superstar learns that her polarizing "Reputation" album hasn't been nominated for the top-tier Grammy Awards she once collected like coins. Swift is on the phone with her publicist, who's breaking the news gently but with the understanding that something has changed for her client; a camera on Swift's side of the call captures the action from a low angle that allows us to see the tears welling up in her eyes as she shares the realization.

"This is fine," the singer decides after a few seconds, eager to move from disaster to response. "I need to make a better record."

That her plan didn't succeed – Swift's 2019 "Lover" was similarly snubbed at the Grammys – is beside the point (and not just because the legitimacy of the Recording Academy's nominating process has since been called into question). The Grammy problem provides an obstacle, which is the fuel that "Miss Americana" runs on as it depicts a process of overcoming that has quickly become the default narrative in a growing field of pop-star documentaries.

It's the same tale at work in "Justin Bieber: Seasons," a 10-

part reality series currently rolling out on YouTube in which the former teen idol attempts to chart a path out of the spiritual exhaustion that led him to call off his most recent world tour in 2017.

And you can bet that we'll witness struggles of some kind in movies due soon from Rihanna (who's said to have sold her story to Amazon for $25 million) and Billie Eilish (who was reportedly paid the same amount by Apple).

Musicians have been allowing cameras behind the curtain for decades, of course. And any film needs conflict – even if it's just deciding which subsidiary of Warner Music Group to release an album through, as in 2002's "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco." But in more and more of these new pop docs, the animating tension – the thing to survive – is the experience of celebrity in the unforgiving age of social media, when famous people, having effectively cut out the middlemen in the media and taken their message straight to their audience, suddenly receive way more scrutiny than they bargained for. Life in the fishbowl inevitably breeds other troubles – the eating disorder Swift describes, for example, or the anxiety Bieber's ex Selena Gomez sings about on her latest album – that then transform into fresh fodder for the amateur commentariat.

It's a self-reinforcing system in more than one sense: Flush with

cash, streaming platforms are competing fiercely to strike deals with musicians likely to attract young subscribers who might not care enough about "Marriage Story" or "The Morning Show" to pay $9.99 a month; that demand has created a seller's market for ostensibly confessional material that promises to go beyond whatever the seller discloses routinely on Instagram.

The result of this arms race is that we're beginning to narrow the way we think about the reflection music offers of a creator's existence; only rarely now do we seem to frame superstars' work as anything other than a referendum on superstardom.

And let's be clear: As much as they're advertising an inside view – establishing at least the illusion of relatability in an era when cheerleading fan armies prioritize the journey over the destination – these projects are meant above all to promote that work. "Miss Americana," which was directed

by Lana Wilson (of the Emmy-winning abortion documentary "After Tiller") with ample cooperation from Swift and her management, drops in on the singer in the studio as she's recording "Lover"; its premiere Friday on Netflix comes shortly before Swift heads out on tour behind the album.

"Seasons," meanwhile, credits Bieber's managers as executive producers and is part of an elaborate multimedia run-up to the Feb. 14 release of "Changes," his

first solo LP in five years.

In both cases, the various dramas depicted onscreen serve to raise the emotional stakes for each artist, which in turn boosts the perceived value of what they're creating. "I can never remake this album," Bieber says at one point in the studio, echoing Swift as he declares that it has to be perfect to meet the importance of its moment. What true Belieber, after seeing how hard he's (still!) working to live up to his fans' devotion, could hear anything less than a masterpiece?

For all the storytelling limitations of the triumph-over-x format – and despite its encouragement of an increasingly cloistered notion of what pop is about – real moments of insight are there to be had in "Miss Americana" and "Seasons." Both docs spend a lot of time demonstrating their subjects' musical bona fides, as when we see Bieber doing countless vocal takes for his song "Yummy" or we see Swift and her producer Jack Antonoff chipping away at a new tune until the right series of rhymes come tumbling out. All pop stars whine about not being taken seriously as musicians, but here we're shown, rather than told, why that impression is unfair.

It's also fascinating to see how Swift and Bieber lean in different ways on the people around them for support. Bieber's wife, Hailey Baldwin, is a steady presence in "Seasons," curled on a studio couch, looking up from her phone

to nod reassuringly as the singer figures out what he wants to say in his new songs; Swift, on the other hand, refers only vaguely to her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, who's hardly shown at all.

The singers' managers take similarly contrasting roles.

Scooter Braun strikes a paternal (if somewhat infantilizing) tone when he talks about helping a vulnerable Bieber, who this month revealed he was diagnosed with Lyme disease, ease back into public life. Yet Wilson and Swift make a centerpiece in "Miss Americana" of a scene in which the singer pushes back against her handlers, including her father, as they try to persuade her not to wade into politics with her endorsement of two Democratic candidates in Tennessee's 2018 congressional race. (Swift's smallworld battle with Braun over the rights he recently acquired to her old songs isn't covered in the movie.)

Late in the Swift documentary we watch as she discovers that her efforts to sway the election weren't enough to defeat a Republican whose conservative views she says disgust her. Taking in the news, her face darkens briefly as she appears to weigh the considerable investment of her star power against a disappointing return. Then she snaps back to attention, looking almost relieved by defeat.

Phew: Another battle for another day.

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Culture

(Facebook) Shakira and Jennifer Lopez wowed the audience during Sunday’s half-time show with their performance.

(Facebook) “Cheer” follows a competitive cheerleading squad in Navarro Junior College in Texas.

Audience cheers for new Netflix show about cheerleading squad OLIVIA CARBONE

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

This article contains opinion.

Athletic documentaries such as “Last Chance U,” “QB1,” “The Carter Effect” and many others have gained millions of views on the world’s most popular streaming services.

Sports have played a significant part in our culture for many decades and will continue for years to come. But now, there is now a popular show that brings a sport that’s not really discussed in terms of common athletic culture.

The hit Netflix series “Cheer” is a six-part documentary highlighting the competitive cheer squad in Navarro Junior College in Texas.

The series begins with highlighting the squad that is coached by Monica Aldama.

Aldama has been coaching this team for 24 years along with being a guidance counselor at the college. Navarro Cheer has won 14 National Championships at the Daytona Beach competition

in Florida. The show goes on a journey with the squad in hopes to win another title.

One of the athletes that the show highlights is La’Darius Marshall. He often steals the show and offers a lot of attitude, partly because of all the trauma and abuse that he had to deal with as a child.

The next athlete that is introduced is Morgan Simianer. At just 22, she was abandoned by her parents and forced to live in a trailer with her brother. This season, we watch her not only grow as an athlete but as a person. Aldama and her share a special bond do to her troubled past.

Lexi Brumback, 20, grew up being very “anti-cheerleader.”

She talks about how many poor decisions in her life have gotten her in trouble, but cheer has saved her life.

Gabi Butler is referred to as a “cheerlebrity” due to having more than 900,000 followers on Instagram. At 20, her Youtube following has caused her to grow up faster than usual because a lot of younger cheerleaders look up to her. Her family has turned her success into a business due to her strong brand

and following.

The last main squad member is Jerry Harris, 18. Harris grew up in Chicago and unfortunately lost his mother to cancer when he was a younger teen. This caused him to put his cheer dreams on hold, but he remained positive and eventually got back in the game.

The show has been getting compared to “Toddlers & Tiaras” and “Dance Moms.” I would say that the show has similarities with both shows because there are competitions, preparing for them and, of course, drama. But “Cheer” is different because there isn’t any “cheer mom” drama like the other shows have.

On one of the episodes, the athletes actually talk about it being compared to “Toddlers and Tiaras” and express how it isn’t the same. What makes this show different is the fact that competitive cheer is a sport, and for many of these athletes, this is their last chance at doing what they love, unlike beauty pageants and dancing.

I would recommend the show to anyone who enjoys athletics and watching others overcome adversity to reach their dreams.

Jennifer Lopez, Shakira star in Super Bowl halftime show MIKAEL WOOD TNS Los Angeles Times Jennifer Lopez and Shakira fused old-school razzle-dazzle with an of-the-moment sense of Latin American pride as the halftime performers during Sunday's Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

"Latinos!" Lopez cried near the end of the 14-minute show as her song "Let's Get Loud" morphed into a rendition of "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen. That Lopez was wearing a feathered cape in a stars-andstripes design on one side, and the Puerto Rican flag on the other, only rendered unmistakable what the music was making plenty clear: Jammed with as many rhythms and chants and textures as she and Shakira could fit, this was the gloriously polyglot sound of America in 2020.

The production began with Shakira, dressed like her dozens of dancers in fringed red outfits, singing "She Wolf" and "Empire," the latter of which she mashed up with a bit of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" as she led her band on a bedazzled electric guitar. For "Whenever, Wherever," her breakthrough hit from 2001, Shakira bellydanced before bringing out Bad Bunny, the Latin trap superstar, to do his verse from Cardi B's smash "I Like It"; then he

laid some rhymes over Shakira's "Chantaje," which featured a section of horn players possibly more concerned with their dance moves than with their playing.

Indeed, Shakira herself appeared to be lip-syncing for much of her set – at least until she dove into the crowd for "Hips Don't Lie," in which you could hear her exhorting those holding her aloft.

Taking the baton from Shakira, Lopez opened her portion of the halftime show in a sort of black-leather biker's outfit as she did "Jenny from the Block" and "Ain't It Funny." During "Get Right," she riffed on another Springsteen signature – his kneeslide from the 2009 Super Bowl halftime show – then tore off her leather jacket to do an impressive pole-dance routine during "Waiting for Tonight"; the bit couldn't help but feel like a callback to her acclaimed (if Oscar-snubbed) performance in last year's stripper-heist movie "Hustlers."

Lopez's special guest was J Balvin, who combined his throbbing "Mi Gente" with her "Love Don't Cost a Thing." Then she did "On the Floor," with kids in what looked like illuminated bird cages, before the "Let's Get Loud" moment.

The show ended with Lopez and Shakira joining forces to do "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)," Shakira's theme from the 2010 World Cup.

Culture

February 4, 2020

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Culture

Sports

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

(TNS) The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers Sunday night to win Super Bowl LIV 31–20.

Mahomes leads Chiefs’ comeback to win first Lombardi in 50 years JEFF HART

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

It’s been a long time coming, everybody.

It has been 50 years since the Lombardi Trophy made its way to Kansas City.

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions once again. After a grueling 31–20 victory against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs can rest easy.

If you had watched only the first three quarters of this anticipated matchup, it would be shocking to think Kansas City came out with the win.

Both teams had a bit of a slow start to come out of the game. The Chiefs were unsuccessful on their

Sports

first possession of the game, and the Niners were the first on the board with only a field goal.

Patrick Mahomes would strike first and put up the first touchdown of the day with a 1-yard run into the endzone.

The 49ers quickly responded with a touchdown drive of their own and tied things up 10–10 going into halftime. After the break, the Niners came out in force and put up 10 unanswered points against Kansas City.

The Chiefs’ offense, which ranked fifth in the NFL for points, could not seem to get going coming out of the half. Mahomes could not seem to create any of his signature “Mahomes Magic” and hurt his team with his poor style of play.

The former MVP had not thrown

for a single touchdown and thrown two disheartening interceptions to help the Niners.

Then, something amazing happened.

Many fans had hoped to see a memorable Super Bowl, and that’s exactly what they got. Mahomes seemed to wake up and turn into the prolific football player we all know him to be.

Mahomes led the Chiefs offense on a 21–0 run to help put Kansas City over the top. Mahomes threw for two touchdowns to Travis Kelce and Damien Williams that would give them the edge against San Francisco.

With not even two minutes left, Kansas City put the nail in the coffin with a 38-yard rushing touchdown from Damien Williams.

February 4, 2020

This Super Bowl is Kansas City’s second in franchise history and will likely solidify head coach Andy Reid amongst the great coaches in NFL history.

In his post-game interview, Kelce addressed the importance of this victory for his head coach.

“It means the world to me,” Kelce said. “We got that ring for Big Reid. He’s married to us forever.”

Reid had the longest active streak of NFL head coaches of victories without a championship. For 21 seasons, he was unable to get over the hump and was a stain on his resume.

Super Bowl LIV will live forever in Kansas City history as a fond memory for all who were involved in the organization this season.

Contritely for the Niners, this game will go down as a blown chance to tie the Steelers and the Patriots for the most Super Bowl wins by a franchise at six.

For Kyle Shanahan especially, this will serve as a stain on his legacy as this is the second Super Bowl that a Shanahan team has blown a lead in the second half, the first going back to the 2017 Super Bowl where Shanahan was the offensive coordinator for the famed Falcons squad that blew a 28–3 lead.

This Super Bowl was a thriller for all those in attendance and watching on TV. Celebration is already underway for the Chiefs and their fans.

This Super Bowl was full of memorable moments that will be rembered for years to come.

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February 4, 2020

Sports

(IUP Athletics) Armoni Foster (redshirt sophomore, criminal justice) led IUP with 20 points at Mercyhurst.

Win streak snapped as men lose at Mercyhurst TYLER COMO

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

The IUP men’s basketball team faced off against Mercyhurst on Saturday night, losing for the first time in 2020.

The Lakers defeated the Crimson Hawks 68–62.

IUP was sitting in fifth place prior to the matchup. But after the loss suffered during the weekend, Mercyhurst sailed past the defeated Hawks. It was IUP’s first loss in the turn of the new year. The team’s previous loss came from Shippensburg on Dec. 21, losing 66–69.

The difference between the two losses was star players getting or not getting the necessary points to win.

In the loss versus Shippensburg, four players scored 10 points or more, with the two top scorers being Armoni Foster (redshirt soph-

omore, criminal justice) and Malik Miller (senior, communications media) with 16 points.

But this most recent loss came with little success coming from the entire lineup.

Only two players managed to score more than 15 points against the Lakers: Foster and Ethan Porterfield (freshman, kinesiology); the rest of the players tallied fewer than 10 points.

Foster once again found himself thriving on the scoresheet. He managed to tally his 10th game in which he scored 20 points or more.

He was the most successful on the team that night, being the only player to score more than a single 3-pointer.

He ranked first for points, and second came Porterfield. Porterfield rallied himself to tie his season

high with 17 points. Even though his 3’s went in only a quarter of the time, he managed to go perfect 4/4 in free throws.

Though, where these two found their stride, Miller seemingly did not.

He recorded a season low of six points. He’s scored fewer than 10 points only twice throughout the season, scoring seven points in his first game of the season.

Miller went zero percent on 3-pointers, 2–4 in free throws and 2–12 in FG. A star player for the Hawks was having himself an off day, which likely was a large reason for IUP’s nine-game win streak being snapped.

The Hawks were down 23–40 by the end of the first half, a position they were not used to being in. It wasn’t until the second half that the Hawks started closing in on

armoni foster

Mercyhurst. The smallest margin of victory IUP got to taking the lead was five points, but that was with 15 seconds left in the game.

It may have been Mercyhurst’s top point getter of the game, Zach McIntire, that helped push the team to claim victory against IUP. McIntire scored a season high of 28 points, maintaining a positive ratio in his stats. He tallied 75 percent in both 3-pointers and free throws and managed an impressive 11–16 in FG. But the fame came from their defensive play as well. Their points in turnovers against the Hawks was 25 points, despite IUP’s ability to nearly come back in the second half.

IUP’s most recent tirade was not the first time it accomplished such a feat in a single season. This was the second time the Hawks man-

aged to push their win streak to nine games in a single season.

Their next game doesn’t come until Saturday. They will look to take on longtime rival, Slippery Rock. In their last matchup IUP took home the win, beating the Rock 78–74.

Overall, IUP reigns superior against Slippery Rock with a record of 19–4 and hold a home record against the Rock 11–0. But both teams came away with a loss in their most recent games. They’re looking to redeem themselves in this rivalry game of this PSAC matchup.

The Rock are on the edge for a PSAC tournament spot, currently at sixth in the west. IUP’s lead against Pitt-Johnstown is two games in the division. The Mountain Cats and Cal U clinched spots in the tournament over the weekend.

zach mcintire

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Fink’s career game leads women to 20th win JEFF HART

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

The Hawks simply cannot be stopped.

The No. 5 IUP Crimson Hawks women’s basketball team has won yet another game in its historic 18game win streak.

In their latest bout, the Crimson Hawks traveled to Erie and took on PSAC rival Mercyhurst. The Hawks handled their business on the road 73–59.

The Lakers held on early and trailed by only three for a majority of the first quarter. Due to some early foul trouble for IUP, Rajah Fink (sophomore, management) checked into the game.

This would prove to be deadly for the Lakers as Fink would put up six points in her first few minutes into the game. The Lakers had no answer for Fink and the Crimson Hawks, as they would put up 23 points in the second quarter alone.

IUP held a 41–26 lead going into halftime and would never allow the Lakers to come back in this matchup. This was a stark contrast to the first matchup between these two

(IUP Athletics) Rajah Fink (left) and Justina Mascaro (right) led IUP to a 73–59 win at Mercyhurst.

squads this season.

IUP was up only 28–20 going into halftime, and the Lakers almost pulled off the late upset in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we got better from game 1 to game 2 versus Mercyhurst on the defensive end,” Coach McConnell addressed in his postgame interview. “The first time we played them, they really executed

their offense at a high level and had us on our heels a little bit, and we learned.

“We grew from it and were able to do a good job defensively against them today.”

Along with Fink’s 20 career game, Justina Mascaro (junior, finance and legal studies) helped lead the Hawks to victory with her offense putting up 16 points.

In what has become an almost normal occurrence, the Crimson Hawks swept up the glass, outrebounding the Lakers 36–23. Natalie Myers (senior, education) locked down the paint with a team-leading nine rebounds.

“They were really giving me a lot of confidence,” Fink said after the game. “All my teammates were really pushing me to be more than

myself, to do better not just for myself but the team as well.”

This win puts IUP at 20–1 on the season and a staggering 15–0 in the PSAC. The Crimson Hawks will stay home to take on PSAC opponent Slippery Rock on Saturday.

The Rock has struggled this season, going 5–16, and will look to end their rival’s winning streak, still at a program record high.

Swimming honors six seniors in final regular-season match BRAD O’HARA

Staff Writer B.L.Ohara@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Both the IUP men’s and women’s swim teams have had their final meet of the regular season and their Senior Day this past weekend.

Lock Haven University and Bloomsburg University traveled in for the Pidgeon Memorial Invitational.

The invitational was broken up into three sections, with one section on Friday and two on Saturday. The Senior Day festivities took place between the second and third session Saturday.

Six graduating seniors were honored in the ceremony. Gabrielle Gironda (senior, nursing), Nathan Dill (senior, kinesiology), Gerard Morato (senior, kinesiology), Sophia Manges (senior, psychology), Paige McCullough (junior, pre-engineering) and Brian Uhrin (senior, accounting) were all celebrated for their dedication to the sport and

(IUP Athletics) The IUP swim team honored six seniors this past weekend.

their career as a Crimson Hawk.

“I, and all of my fellow teammates, have put our entire lives into this sport,” Manges said. “It was really emotional to have our entire team and families around to watch us swim in our pool for the last meet of our careers.”

However, the seniors were not the only reason to celebrate this weekend. Twelve swimmers combined for a total of 17 PSAC championship qualifying times.

Gironda, McCullough, Olivia Santee (freshman, criminology), Paige Mikesell (sophomore, health and

physical education) and Amber Baldini (freshman, management) each finished with two qualifying times.

IUP also won eight events, seven individual and one relay, during the course of the invitational.

The Crimson Hawks sights are now set on the PSAC champion-

ships. With almost all of the swimmers qualified, IUP will look to make its mark on the conference.

“It is really important as a swimmer to watch your diet; we begin to taper. Which is basically keeping your muscles strong but not fatigued, so we burn calories differently than the rest of the season,” Manges said. “It can be challenging to stay focused, but we practice mentally preparing by a sort of meditation where we imagine swimming our races perfectly.

Along with this, it’s really important that you just stay positive and trust the process.”

West Chester has won the women’s title every year since 2007. IUP has been in close proximity placing in second or third seven times, including a second-place finish last year. In the men’s grouping, West Chester has been even more dominant with their run dating back to 1999. IUP has struggled to keep up with only four top three finishes and one second place finish.

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February 4, 2020

Sports

(TNS) Kansas City’s Andy Reid won his first Super Bowl title, but when (if ever) will Kyle Shanahan win one?

Hicks: Reid’s Super Bowl demons passed on to Shanahan ELLIOT HICKS

Sports Editor E.Hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

As a great deal of people have found out the last 54 years, winning a Super Bowl may be one of the hardest things to do in all of sports.

Some of the NFL’s biggest stars and best coaches never made it happen.

Marty Schottenheimer won 200 games and multiple Coach of the Year awards, but could never win one.

The Buffalo Bills, with head coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly, won four consecutive AFC Championships in the 1980s and brought home zero Lombardi Trophies.

Bud Grant also made four Super Bowls in his 18 seasons in Minne-

sota, but also walked away without a title.

Countless Hall-of-Fame and legendary quarterbacks, from Fran Tarkenton to Ken Anderson, Dan Marino to Warren Moon and plenty of others never got to hoist a Lombardi.

But perhaps the best of those who had never won a league championship was Andy Reid. A head coach for more than 20 years and an assistant for plenty more, he had never led a team to a Super Bowl title – until now.

The sixth winningest coach in league history won game No. 222 Sunday night for all the marbles, taking the win in Super Bowl LIV. And perhaps he passed on his demons keeping him from that title onto the head coach on the opposing sideline, the 49ers’ Kyle

Shanahan.

While Shanahan was not the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach in 2016, his status as the offensive coordinator and lead playcaller for that Falcons team that blew a 25-point lead in the second half of Super Bowl LI gave him much of the blame for that loss to New England.

Just writing, typing or saying the score “28–3” is known by every football fan in America.

That didn’t stop him from getting the Niners head coaching job or being thought of as one of the hottest young coaching prodigies in all of football. And when San Francisco grabbed the top seed in the NFC this year after two seasons under .500, “28–3” was almost all but forgotten.

No one disputes the 49ers were one of the NFL’s best teams all year

and that Shanahan is a good coach.

The same could be said of the 2004 Eagles, whose Super Bowl-losing season draws a lot of parallels to the ‘19 Niners.

San Francisco was the No. 1 NFC seed with a 13–3 record, just like the Eagles were.

Donovan McNabb and Jimmy Garoppolo had each played six seasons in the NFL leading into their first Super Bowl start, though Jimmy G spent multiple years behind Tom Brady and just now started his first full season.

In 2004, Reid lost the Super Bowl to a budding AFC dynasty in New England. In 2019, Reid coached perhaps the next budding AFC dynasty in Kansas City, with one of two quarterbacks not named Tom Brady to win a Super Bowl before the age of 25 in Patrick Mahomes

(Ben Roethlisberger is the third, still the youngest to ever win one at 23.)

And while the 49ers are still one of the favorites to win next year’s Super Bowl, catching fire to make a run all the way is generally few and far between.

The NFC has become much more wide open as of late, with star QBs like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and, if he doesn’t retire, Drew Brees all hungry for a second ring, and young quarterbacks being named starters of rebuilding teams more often than ever before.

Who knows who will be the next to catch fire?

It was the second time that Shanahan came up short offensively, blowing a late lead. It’s not unlikely that it could be his last chance at a championship with the difficulty it takes to make it there at all.

February 4, 2020

Sports

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February 4, 2020

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ODDS TO WIN NL CENTRAL

3/2 3/1 3/1 4/1 100/1 (TNS) Starling Marte hit .287 in eight years with the Pirates.

Pirates nearly unwatchable following Marte deal NICK DADOWSKI

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

This article contains opinion.

This past Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates dealt their star centerfielder Starling Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for two prospects and international pool money.

Marte, 31, has been a part of the Pirates organization since he was signed in 2007. He officially made his debut for the Pirates on July 26, 2012, on what was perhaps my fondest memory of the decade for the Pirates. Of course the Cueto ball drops in that 2013 wildcard game were electric, but Marte’s first

at-bat takes the cake for me.

I hadn’t had a favorite player for the Pirates since Jason Bay got traded in 2008. But when Marte made his debut, I instantly found a new favorite player. It was amazing game for Starling Marte, and it all started on the first pitch of his first at-bat.

Dallas Keuchel, who went on to win a Cy Young award a few years after this at-bat, served him a high heater, and Marte made him pay for it, smashing a dinger run to start off his young career.

I knew instantly that he was, and still is to this day, a “free swinger.”

I loved players like this growing up, such as Vladimir Guerrero and Gary Sheffield. I saw every bit of their potential in him.

For almost an entire decade, Marte went out there and performed for the Pittsburgh faithful.

Another great attribute of Marte’s is his diabolical speed. Even in his 30s now, Marte is still notorious for his acceleration on the base pads.

Although it seems he gets injured (or suspended) just about every year, when he’s healthy, he’s unbelievable to watch.

Of course, as a free swinger, Marte had his fair share of strikeouts. But something to appreciate is that not a lot of them were backwards Ks. It truly was a pleasure to watch Starling Marte play for the Pirates over the last nine seasons, and I wish him nothing but the best for the rest of his career. Although he

wasn’t as iconic his predecessor, Andrew McCutchen, hopefully he finds his way back into a Pirates jersey one day.

Unfortunately this is something I’m going to have to get over, as the Pirates are going to be back in PNC Park this spring.

What does this trade mean for the Pirates? It means their total payroll for the upcoming season is a whopping $43 million. Yes, you read that right, $43 million. Former Pirates ace, Gerrit Cole, is making 80 percent of an entire team’s payroll in the Bronx.

It is embarrassing to be a fan of this organization of this point. It’s been obvious for this entire century so far, that owner Bob Nutting has no regard for the fans whatsoever.

This is usually the part where I’d be optimistic about the prospects on the return end of the deal, but we usually do a good job shipping them off before they reach their potential like with Austin Meadows and Tyler Glasnow. Hopefully new general manager Ben Cherington doesn’t follow in the footsteps of Neal Huntington, trading away the wrong guys and keeping the mediocre ones.

Overall, this deal made the Pirates even lamer than they’ve ever been before. It is going to be hard to even have interest in this team, let alone watch them this season. I Pray for the best, but I give it until June 1 before the fans turn on the organization and start an absolute riot on the North Shore.

Email KMZW@iup.edu to start writing sports stories!

February 4, 2020

Sports

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February 4, 2020

Sports

(TNS) Troy Polamalu will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Steelers safety Polamalu headlines 2020 Hall of Fame class GERRY DULAC Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

TNS Troy Polamalu, whose flowing hair and freelancing style turned him into a two-time Super Bowl-winning safety who made spectacular highlight-film plays, was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first attempt Saturday – becoming the ninth former member of the Steelers to be a first-ballot selection.

However, Polamalu’s former teammate, guard Alan Faneca, was not one of the players selected for induction. It was Faneca’s fifth time as one of 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame.

Polamalu will join his former coach, Bill Cowher, for induction on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio, creating what is expected to be a heavy Steelers presence for the three days of festivities. Cowher is one of two former NFL head coaches selected as part of the Centennial Class of 2020 commemorating the NFL’s 100th birthday.

What’s more, Steelers president

Art Rooney II has said he expects the league to schedule the Steelers for the Hall of Fame game on Aug. 6.

Polamalu becomes the 27th member of the Steelers to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“He was as close to a machine as you’re going to get,” former Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau said.

Former Steelers safety Donnie Shell, who started on two Super Bowl teams in the 1970s and finished his 11-year career with 51 interceptions, is also part of the Centennial Class. However, Shell’s induction ceremony will not take place in Canton until Sept. 16-19 when the Centennial Celebration is held.

Polamalu, the 2010 NFL defensive player of the year who was named to the league’s 2000s All-Decade team, joins Joe Greene, Jack Ham, Mel Blount, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert, Chuck Noll and Rod Woodson as former Steelers who were selected for induction on their first attempt.

In addition to helping the Steelers win Super Bowls after the 2005 and 2008 seasons, Polamalu was also a four-time All-Pro and eighttime Pro Bowl selection. While he had only 32 career interceptions in 12 seasons – 170 players in NFL history had more – it was his disruptive, instinctive style that showcased his special talent and turned him into a defensive phenomenon.

“He would just say he was one of 11 guys on the field,” former Steelers secondary coach Ray Horton said. “Yes he was, but he was probably the most valuable of those 11 guys on the field.”

Polamalu was nicknamed “The Tasmanian Devil” by former teammate Chris Hope because of the frenetic manner in which he bounced around the field, surprising quarterbacks with leaping tackles over the line of scrimmage and making diving one-handed interceptions.

LeBeau, who is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said Polamalu made plays with what he called “diagnostic intuition.”

“I was impressed with how quick

he could react,” LeBeau said. “I had coached Carnell Lake. ... Carnell was a great safety and could do so many things. The first time I saw Troy, I said, ‘Get out the old Carnell Lake stuff. We got another guy who could do it.’ “ But Polamalu is probably best remembered for two plays in particular, both against the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens. The first came in the AFC championship in January 2009 at Heinz Field, when he intercepted quarterback Joe Flacco and returned the pick 40 yards for a touchdown with 4:34 remaining, weaving his way through a host of Ravens players before squeezing into the end zone to secure a 23–14 victory.

The other came in December 2010 at M&T Bank Stadium when, with 3:13 remaining, Polamalu sacked Flacco and forced a fumble that LaMarr Woodley returned 18 yards to the Ravens 10, setting up the winning touchdown. The victory allowed the Steelers to win the division title and eventually send them to the Super Bowl for the third time in six years.

“His movement and his ability to play in traffic was just as good as his ability to play in space,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said. “It did allow Coach LeBeau and Coach Cowher and then Coach Tomlin, when Mike took over, the ability to do some different things because he was so unique. But beyond that, Troy would do some things on his own that weren’t scripted by the defense.”

Since his retirement in 2014, Polamalu has been strangely distant from the Steelers, failing to appear for any of their reunion events or celebrations. His absence has sparked whispers of discontent with the organization, though it has never been determined why he has stayed away.

His popularity with his former teammates and fans, however, has never waned, making him one of the all-time favorite players with a franchise loaded with Hall of Fame stars.

“He’s one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met in my life,” said former safety Ryan Clark, his partner in the Steelers secondary.