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NEWS

News Editor: Heather Bair – zzzx@iup.edu

(Facebook)

APSCUF discussed plans for the future of the PASSHE schools at a Zoom event Thursday.

APSCUF discusses plans, future for PASSHE schools BENJAMIN BRUMBAUGH

Staff Writer msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Association of Pennsylvania State Colleges & University Faculties (APSCUF) held an event via Zoom on Thursday.

The event answered student questions and addressed their concerns about the proposed consolidation of various schools within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

The proposed plan would affect six schools in total. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven University and Mansfield University of Pennsylvania would become one university. California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Edinboro University would also be consolidated into a single university.

“We have six universities that are going to be consolidated into two,” Sean Crampsie, APSCUF’s government-relations director, said.

Despite the consolidation of these universities, all six campuses

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will be maintained. This will, in theory, allow students to remain at their original campuses.

There has been a lot of concern expressed by students and faculty about these plans and about how students may be affected. Details from PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein and the PASSHE Board of Governors have been vague and scarce.

“What we’re hearing from some of our faculty members in the classroom is that a lot of our students are freaked out,” Jamie Martin, APSCUF president, said.

“A lot of them are really worried about what’s happening and want more details.”

Concerns include how the proposed changes will affect academics, athletics, faculty, student life and student enrollment at the universities that are going to be involved in this proposed consolidation plan.

“Our understanding is that if you were at Clarion, you could remain at Clarion and continue on,” Martin said. “What’s not clear is if you would be able to take all of your coursework to complete your degree at that university, or if

you may have to take classes from either Edinboro or California, most likely online, to complete your degree.”

Despite the consolidation of the universities, PASSHE would like to see athletics remain at all six campuses and have asked the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to allow them to do so.

The NCAA has not responded to this request.

A big reason for this concern and uncertainty is the fact that

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Greenstein will not announce his formal plan to the PASSHE Board of Governors until April 15 or 16.

“Within that plan, there has to be information on the impact of consolidation to you, as students, the impact on the local economy and the local communities that house our universities, also the impact on faculty members and staff and the impact on the academic programs,” Crampsie said.

“So, there’s a pretty defined list of about 10 items that the chancellor has to include in his plan.”

After the plan is proposed before the board of governors, the plan will be voted on. If most of the 20-person board of governors votes to move forward with the plan, then a 60-day public comment period will commence.

During these 60 days, the public, including students and faculty, can voice their concerns and ask questions about the plan. After this period, the board of governors will again vote on this proposal.

This second vote, which is set to occur sometime in July, requires that two-thirds of the board votes to move forward with the plan.

If the board votes to move for-

ward, this plan will be enacted, and these six universities would be consolidated into two universities. If the board votes not to proceed, then PASSHE will have to propose a new, more agreeable plan or scrap it altogether.

“As a faculty member, we don’t like to say, ‘I don’t know,’ but right now, until we get more clarification on all these questions, we’re just waiting to be able to answer them for you and hope that they will be answered in that plan,” Martin said.

If you would like to learn more about consolidation or act against or in favor of these changes, you can.

“Some things that you can do are follow APSCUF on social media,” Kathryn Morton, APSCUF’s communications director, said.

“There’s also a page on our students page, where we list what we know about consolidation so far and we update that page, and we will update it in April whenever the plan comes out.”

You can access APSCUF’s page by going to www.apscuf.org/students.

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March 17, 2021

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The times, they are a’ changin’

Panel to discuss diversity, equity, inclusion in workplace GABRIELLA BYRNE Staff Writer bmwx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP is holding the “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in a Professional Workplace” panel discussion Wednesday starting at 1:30 p.m.

Previously postponed, the online Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) panel allows the opportunity for attendees to participate virtually with these successful professionals about diversity and inclusion in the workplace with a capacity limit of 300 participants.

The discussion will break for a peer breakout session from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., ending at 4 p.m.

While the event is unlikely to go over time, panelists may stay after for any additional questions or comments.

DEI programs and initiatives seek to explain the purpose of having these programs in a workplace in their advantages or disadvantages equally while learning to embrace perspectives of others. This panel in particular will allow minority groups to speak

(IUP) The speakers for the panel include Debra Evans-Smith (left), Dr. James E. Taylor (middle) and Mauro Wolfe (right), graduates from IUP. to students directly about their experiences and challenges that they had to overcome.

With backgrounds of law enforcement, healthcare and law/business, the guest speakers will come with their thoughts on systemic and institutional racism in their workplaces and how they are working to eliminate these biases and discrimination with their employers in their environments.

Debra Evans-Smith graduated from IUP in the criminology department and will be discussing her experience as a Black female

FBI agent.

Another panelist, Mauro Wolf, is an Eberly College of Business and Information Technology alumnus and active speaker and member in IUP groups and class presentations.

The third panelist, Dr. James Taylor, is a corporate partner with IUP that is known for speaking about diversity in the healthcare profession.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer/Title IX Coordinator Elise Glenn, the moderator for this event, spoke about the importance of having this discussion.

“I believe the panel discussion can make a difference for IUP students and faculty who will see that successful professionals work to improve cultural competency in their workplaces to improve their product or service,” Glenn said. “And bring their skills to impact those they serve to mitigate racism.”

There are several IUP organizations that have DEI programs and work toward its ultimate goal: The President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, GLBT Commission, Women’s Commission, Native American Awareness Council and

Hispanic Heritage Council.

Groups including Coalition for Racial Justice, Elephant in the Room and Difficult Dialogues Project also work toward engaging in the conversation and creating an environment that includes creating an environment of diversity, inclusion and equality.

There are several student organizations in athletics, Greek Life and the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE) that take on this topic to start the conversation with other students.

IUP includes a form through the Incident of Concern Reporting at the bottom of every webpage for reform ideas regarding reports of discrimination on campus.

Regarding other universities, IUP is one of the 14 PASSHE universities that support each other in improving DEI issues through training, education, programming and incident response as well as sharing information and resources to help all better themselves in this area.

“I hope that everyone will consider attending this event,” Glenn said. “I know it will be of great value.”

Daylight Saving time trades hour of sleep for sunlight MARIAH MAUSER Staff Writer lmvbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Every spring and winter there are many changes, and one of the most noticeable ones is when daylight saving time happens.

The origins of daylight saving time are muddled with many historians debating when it was started and who really came up with the idea. Many notable historical figures had the idea throughout history, including Benjamin Franklin.

However, according to National Geographic, a British builder thought of the idea as a way for Britain to utilize more sunlight hours. He proposed and fought for it in parliament with the help of Winston Churchill and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle until his death in 1915.

What prompted other nations to use daylight saving time was when Germany, in WWI, started using it so that people could save

Cutline energy. Many other countries soon followed suit, and it was adapted in 1918 in the U.S. But with current inventions and movement in technology, daylight saving doesn’t save energy or money, nor do we need to utilize sunlight with how well artificial lighting works. So, the question that plagues the modern day is why countries still move the clock back and forth an hour every win-

(Credit) ter and spring?

For the average student, time saving sounds like a blessing when there is an extra hour of sleep before school but a curse when they lose an hour of sleep in the spring.

“I’m very indifferent towards it, honestly, because it is so routine for me,” Jenna Painter (freshman, English) said.

And this seems to be echoed

by other students.

“I’m for it even though we lose an hour of sleep,” Amanda Haman (freshman, English) said. “By this time of year [March], I need more daytime sunlight to be in a good mood.”

According to National Geographic, there are many positives and negatives to keeping daylight saving time.

The benefit is more sunshine during the warmer months. Many people use this so that they can enjoy more time outside after working all day inside.

The disadvantages, though, are very great in turn. Higher risks of heart attacks, car crashes and other bad consequences.

Many of these happen because of an increase in sleep deprivation, fatigue and a change in circadian rhythm. While these negative effects are temporary, they are still extreme and need to be considered.

So, what would the students of IUP think about getting rid of daylight saving time altogether?

“I don’t know if it would make much of a difference or if anyone would notice if it was gotten rid of,” Haman said. “I don’t think it’s necessary at all.”

One student in partiular has a very strong opinion about daylight saving.

“Well, my circadian rhythm is already fragile enough; I don’t need more stress on it,” Gabe Sikora (freshman, vocal performance) said.

“Many studies have shown a 5 to 15 percent increased risk of having a heart attack during this shift. I am a college freshman in the midst of a global pandemic,” Sikora said. “I have more than enough of my fair share of stress and anxiety… we all deserve to just enjoy that extra hour of sleep.”

So in general, it would appear that IUP students are both for or against it, but can generally agree that getting rid of daylight saving time would not be to much upset.

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May the luck o’ the Irish be with ye Writer shares how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day safely ISABELLA BENSON Contributing Writer hpjy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there are multiple ways to celebrate the annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

Raid your closet for a green shirt, find a stick-on orange beard, kiss an Irish friend and more to celebrate the day. The possibilities are endless.

Add green food coloring to everything Food coloring is essentially tasteless, so you can add it to any food or drink to make it more festive. You can make add it to beer to make green beer, add it to vanilla ice cream to make it green – or just buy mint chocolate chip ice cream, and more.

Keep in mind that the color will change depending on what the original food or drink item is. If you put green food coloring in something purple or blue, the result may not look as green as you’d like.

For breakfast, you can also make green pancakes, and, for dessert, you can find green chocolate chips in the baking aisle at grocery stores to make green chocolate chip cookies.

color and relax If you are looking for a more relaxing St. Patrick’s Day this year, you can spend the day coloring. There are printable Irish coloring pages online, and some stores sell coloring books specifically for St. Patrick’s Day that have leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, pots of gold at the end of rainbows, etc.

Cook an authentic Irish recipe Get in touch with your Irish roots and cook something that is normally only made in Ireland.

Google is an easy way to find some, as well as Pinterest where you can find many recipes in one spot.

Another thing you can do is make a traditional Irish feast for the holiday.

(Facebook) St. Patrick’s Day is all about going green. Enjoy the day with green-themed food and drinks and Irish dishes such as Shepherd’s Pie. Some popular Irish dishes includes shepherd’s pie, a meal of meat and potatoes cooked in a thick crust, cabbage soup, corned beef hash, fried cabbage and corned beef brisket.

Most of the ingredients for the dishes can be found at local stores, and substitutes can be traded out if there is a particular ingredient you’re allergic to or do not like.

Most stores also sell cakes, cookies, cupcakes and more decorated with either green icing, four-leaf clovers, green and gold sparkles and others. You can also make your own desserts and decorate them as well.

Create a St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt With warmer weather coming, it is tempting to get outside and get some fresh air. One of the best ways is to create your own scavenger hunt. If you need some ideas as to what to search for, Pinterest offers already-made lists, but if you are looking to make your own, you can get inspiration from there. You could include anything easy from “someone wearing green” to “finding a four-leaf clover.”

Decorate for the Holiday A lot of people enjoy decorating for the holidays, and St. Patrick’s Day is not any different.

Dollar Store has a ton of cheap

decorations covered in green and gold. You can hang up four-leaf clovers, pots of gold and more things to show your Irish pride.

You can decorate yourself for the holiday as well. You can wear green- and gold-themed makeup, jewelery and clothing and more. Some stores even sell small clothing and costuming pieces, like glue-on orange beards, tutus, suspenders, glasses and more.

Drink a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s The popular fast-food chain also gets in on the celebration by offering the limited-time Shamrock Shake: a green-colored vanilla-flavored milkshake that they sell for the month of March. The shake has great reviews and is a way to celebrate the day subtly.

Learn the history of St. Patrick’s Day Something that is uncommon with the holiday is its very origins.

While there are multiple discussions and theories as to how exactly the day was started, it is something celebrated annually in the U.S. The best way to celebrate is to do some research and learn something about the day you never knew before. You can also do St. Patrick’s Day trivia to see just how much you truly do know or learned.

Trivia Night Everybody loves a good trivia game and one of the best ways to pass the time is by playing trivia.

For St. Patrick’s Day, why not throw a trivia night? You can look up trivia about the holiday – like how, in Ireland, they actually get the whole day off to celebrate.

Watch a St. Patrick’s Day Movie The best way to end a holiday is to watch a themed movie.

There are a few out there on streaming services to check out.

If you are in the mood for horror, “The Leprechaun” is about a leprechaun who wants his gold back after a man stole it on a trip to Ireland, and, until he gets it back, he will hurt anyone who gets in his way. The story follows in the next seven films.

“Luck of the Irish” is about a 15-year-old boy who steals a gold charm for luck only to find out it is being controlled by an evil leprechaun who previously stole the coin. The film is a Disney Channel original movie but can be found on Disney+.

For a romantic comedy, “The Matchmaker” features a woman sent to a small village in Ireland for a job. While there, she arrives just in time for the annual matchmaking festival and two professional matchmakers try to match her with eligible bache-

lors of the village.

If you would prefer something more serious, “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” is a war drama film set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–21) and the Irish Civil War (1922–23).

If you are looking for an older movie, “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” from 1959 centers around an Irishman who goes head-to-head in a battle of wits with leprechauns in order to matchmake the two main characters. The film also introduces another Irish legend, that of the Banshee.

work on a st. patrick’s day puzzle One of the ways people were passing time during the pandemic was puzzles, which made a comeback in the last year.

Puzzles can be anywhere from 500 to 2000 pieces and can easily pass the time during a holiday normally filled with parties.

Amazon has some St. Patrick’s Day-themed puzzles that feature rainbows, pots of gold, leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, sayings and more.

While St. Patrick’s Day is something that IUP students celebrate almost religiously, here are some different ways to celebrate instead of the crowds and parties of IUPatty’s.

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March 17, 2021

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Learn healthful, helpful habits for National Nutrition Month AMARI WALKER Staff Writer jqtbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP During the month of March, an annual campaign helps people learn healthful and helpful habits to better their lives.

March is National Nutrition Month, which is an annual campaign that was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Diabetics in 1973. In 1980, the week-long celebration became a month-long celebration of delivering educational messages about nutrition to the public.

Annually, the campaign celebrates the importance of living and developing healthy habits during March. This month also brings awareness to the academy and its members to the public as an informative source of scientifically based food and nutrition. In addition to National Nutrition Month, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is celebrated on the second Wednesday of March.

(Facebook) IUP’s food and nutrition programs help students have healthy habits while in college.

At IUP, the department of food and nutrition has programs dedicated to spreading awareness about nutritional education. Students majoring under this department are taught how to translate food and nutrition science infor-

mation. They also discuss topics related to food consumption patterns, nutrition and disease and many more.

Madeline West (senior, food and nutrition) is the president of the Student Association of Nutri-

tion and Dietetics (SAND). West’s definition of National Nutrition Month is the recognition of the importance of nutrition.

“Nutrition is part of everyone’s life whether they realize it or not,” she said. “I think nutrition is important because it impacts everyone.”

West is aware that everyone wants healthy long lives, and she advices to make sure we feed our bodies the best we can.

Her decision to major in food and nutrition is because she wants to heal with food.

“I’ve had many family members and family friends who have passed away due to cancer,” West said.

This motivates her to become a registered dietitian, and hopefully to someday get a certification in oncology nutrition.

Emily Crusan (senior, food and nutrition) is the vice president of SAND. Crusan agrees that this month is the time to spread awareness of the importance of nutrition and show appreciation for professionals in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

“This month is significant to me as I have a strong passion for teaching others about nutrition and how it can contribute to a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

Nutrition is important because it affects many aspects of one’s wellbeing.

“Wholesome eating habits can positively affect physical and mental health,” Crusan said.

She believes that nutrition is important for maintaining a favorable lifestyle.

When a family member of her suffered from an ailment affected by their diet, Crusan became interested in the nutrition/dietetic field of study.

“I learned of this field when a registered dietitian assisted my relative in altering his diet and lifestyle,” Crusan said. “Observing the positive change in my relative’s physical and mental wellbeing was truly astonishing.”

This experience inspired her choice to major in nutrition and dietetic. She hopes to one day help others to achieve a positive state of wellbeing through diet.

Saige Karastury (senior, food and nutrition) believes that National Nutrition Month is a month for all current, past and upcoming nutrition professionals to share their passion for nutrition to the rest of the population.

“Nutrition is often overlooked,

but it is so important to disease prevention and healing which increases your quality of life,” Karastury said.

Karastury’s decision to major in food and nutrition was influenced by her witnessing how important adequate nutrition is and want to advocate that nutrition is different for everyone. “There is no ‘one fits all,’” she said.

In addition to these students’ perspective on the importance of National Nutrition Month, they also have some advice for those interested in developing a healthier lifestyle.

“My nutrition advice is to follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) MyPlate nutrition guide,” Karastury said. “If needed, find a registered dietitian or other nutrition professional for advice specific to you.”

“An important motto for a healthy diet is ‘everything in moderation,’” Crusan said. “Restricting delicious foods is not fair to you or your body.”

Although she believes that moderation is key, she mentions that consuming a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and many additional nutritious foods is also important for a healthy lifestyle.

West suggests that you consume nutrient-dense foods.

“Nutrient-dense or nutrient-rich foods mean that they contain many nutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants,” she said.

She wants to inform students that the body needs vitamins and minerals to function, and antioxidants help reduce free radicals which can cause cancer.

“Some nutrient-dense foods I recommend are blueberries, kale and salmon,” West said. “It is always better to consume whole foods rather than processed foods to get the most nutrients and to feel fuller longer.”

If you are interested in learning more about how to develop healthier food and nutrition habits, please feel free to ask IUP’s SAND. Its goal is to help mentor and tutor students who are interested in becoming more involved in food and nutrition activities through educational and community experiences. To learn more, feel free to go to the SAND’s blog, or contact Associate Professor Dr. Pao Ying Hsaio at pyshsaio@iup.edu.

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Psychology graduate awarded by IUP JULIA ROBINS Staff Writer spxbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Young Alumni Achievement Awards, sponsored by the IUP Office of Alumni Relations and IUP Ambassadors, is presented to IUP graduates from the last 15 years who have significant accomplishments in their professions.

Each college selects an alumna who is a graduate of their college for the award. For the department of Educational and School Psychology, Dr. Jessica Dirsmith was awarded.

Dirsmith initially graduated from Penn State in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in biobehavioral health. After graduation, she started working with a Child and Adolescent psychologist at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. Currently she is an assistant professor at Duquesne University.

“It was then that I became more interested in psychology and understood, perhaps a bit better that it truly is [a] health profession and you are providing services to individuals in need of treatment,” Dirsmith said. “I also became very dedicated to the idea of early identification, early detection, early treatment and the impact that that can have on the lives of kids.”

Prior to working at the hospital, she had not known that school psychology existed. After speaking with many professionals, she became interested in the impact she could have working out of a school system and applied to IUP in the spring of 2005.

Dr. Lynanne Black, chairperson for the educational and school psychology department, recognized Dirsmith for this award and asked if she could submit her as an applicant. “[Black] was a very strong professor and someone who cared deeply about her students,” Dirsmith said. “She was always very warm and supportive and worked hard to establish a collaborative relationship between herself and the students.”

In addition to this award, she was also the 2017 recipient of the School Psychologist of the Year Award in Pennsylvania for her work as a school psychologist for the State College Area School District.

Dr. Jessica Dirsmith is a graduate of Duquesne University and won the 2021 IUP Young Alumni Achievement Award.

As part of the award, Dirsmith was invited to be a guest speaker to students in her department’s classes.

“It was fun to talk with undergraduates, particularly because I primarily teach graduate students,” Dirsmith said. “The students that I work with already know they want to be school psychologists and are already in a training program. So it is fun to chat with undergraduates who might have an interest in school psychology or who might be in education.”

One of those speaking positions was with Dr. Jeffrey Morris.

“The Chair of my department reached out to me and asked if I would like to have her as a guest speaker in my education in school psychology (EDSP) 102 class,” Morris said. “I think she did a great job.”

Dirsmith worked with IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and Section 504 laws to provide students accommodations as well.

Under the 13 categories that qualify a student for special education and other accommodative services, Emotional Disturbance covers depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and other emotional diagnosis or issues that impact a student’s education.

“In the school setting we are operating with our IDEA hats on and not our Clinical diagnostic

hat,” Dirsmith said. “So while it's imperative that a school psychologist understands clinical diagnoses and symptom presentation, we are not diagnosing [but rather] what we are doing is we are looking at whether or not the child has a disability recognized under IDEA that's impacting their educational performance.”

Students who externalize their pain or stress onto others in aggressive ways are easier to identify than students who internalize.

Dirsmith is passionate about the overidentification of students in minority groups. For a variety of reasons, there are racial, ethnic and gender differences in coping.

“We have certain sub-groups of kids who have been historically overidentified for this disability category,” Dirsmith said. “Not all minorities, but Black students, Latinx students and … males, of course, are over identified. We have to be cognizant of that.”

In addition to her work as a professor and in schools, she also co-owns the consulting firm PREVAIL (Preventative Resources in Education and Viable Assessment, Intervention, and Law) Education Solutions with Dr. Rebecca Heaton Hall. They met in December 2017 when Dirsmith discovered Hall’s research while working on a difficult case.

“I was working with a tricky case where we were questioning whether or not the child will qualify

under the IDEA category of emotional disturbance, and there is this interesting caveat called social knowledge assessment,” Dirsmith said. “[But] as a school psychologist, [or any] other human being, it is very difficult for us to get into someone's mind.”

Social Maladjustment, also known as conduct disorders, oppositional disorders or antisocial disorders, are mainly differentiated from emotional disturbance by the motivation behind the externalizing behavior, if it was willful and meant to cause harm.

Where the line also gets confusing is considering why they had that motivation, if emotional issues and insecurities led them to make that choice. “[Social maladjustment vs emotional disturbance] is confusing,” Dirsmith said. “And the impact is significant because if you do not have the correct information, again based on updated research and legal precedent, you could be making poor decisions for kids that could have significant life outcomes for them.”

After she discovered Hall’s research on the legal interpretations of the Emotional Disturbance disability category, she reached out.

“Shortly after we talked on the phone, we met for lunch and found out quickly that our beliefs and career goals aligned,” Hall said. “We decided to collaborate on research that would combine

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an interdisciplinary approach, legal and psychological, to help practitioners interpret the somewhat amorphous disability category referred to as Emotional Disturbance.”

Within just a few months of collaborating to clarify Emotional Disturbance eligibility and working to reduce the bias and overidentification of those minority groups, they were invited to present at Seitoku University in Japan for the International School Psychology Association, and again in 2019 at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

In 2019 they published a book together, “Assessment and Identification of Students with Emotional Disturbance and Behavioral Needs.” It discusses not only how to simplify the process of evaluating students, but also how to consider cultural and racial biases to avoid overidentification.

“Jessica is an intelligent, kind, and hardworking person who prioritizes the well-being of children,” Hall said. “It is a pleasure to work with her and call her my business partner and friend”, Hall said. “I cannot say enough kind things about Jessica, and I am looking forward to many more years of working with her and being her friend. I am grateful that IUP recognizes the significant contribution she has made to the field of school psychology.”

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March 17, 2021

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‘Workin’ 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin’’ Seniors share best jobs they had while in school MEGAN DONNY

(IUP) Exploratory studies help undecided students discover where their passions lie.

Staff writer bbcx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

With graduation approaching, seniors reflect on their job experiences, what they have gained from them and how they have helped them for the future.

Working a part-time position during college can be key to discovering your interests and passions. It can also help you determine positions you might not fit well in.

Part-time jobs give students the chance to build their resumes and learn traits they may not have previously had. In job interviews, they sometimes ask you to speak on a challenge you overcame or difficult decision you have had to make. Part-time jobs help provide you those experiences to speak about in interviews.

These jobs are helpful for students who may not know what they want to major or minor in during their time at college.

“I worked in a restaurant in high school, and while I believe it steered me toward choosing hospitality management as my major, I ended up changing my major to marketing,” Olivia Tavoletti (senior, marketing) said.

She said that for some people, work experiences can help you find the direction you want to go in, but people’s preferences tend to change.

Tavoletti said she learned a lot about customer service through working both in high school and summer jobs.

“My experiences have allowed me to work with people from all around the world,” Tavoletti said.

She plans to complete an internship this summer for content marketing or customer relations management.

Thea McCollough (senior, fashion merchandising) works during the summer and on breaks at a clothing consignment shop in the

Undecided majors common, students change majors AMARI WALKER Staff Writer jqtbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

College jobs can lead to better jobs in the future.

Lancaster area. After she graduates at the end of the semester, she will be completing a summer fashion curator internship at a museum near her home.

“I personally didn’t decide on my major because of the job I had,” McCollough said. “That could be the case for some people, though, if they have a certain internship.”

Many internships are another way, besides part-time jobs, to try out different jobs and industries. Companies offer internships during the semester, as well as during the summer.

While some majors require you to complete an internship, most do not. Though, most departments will give you up to 15 credits for a completed internship.

“For fashion majors, it’s always good to get a job in retail before going out into the real world,” McCollough said.

“It helps with customer service and working with the public. It also can help establish a position at a company so you could work your way up to be a head of a department or even a visual merchandiser.”

(New Life PCA)

For a lot of professions, learning customer service, written and verbal communications and teamwork are crucial to landing a job.

“Just learning to be friendly and patient goes a long way and will help you prepare for future jobs,” McCollough said.

Danielle Zdrale (senior, marketing) is looking for a fall internship after finishing school.

She has worked both in food service and in retail at Altr’d State, a women’s retail clothing chain.

“I believe that working retail has helped steer me in the right direction I’d like to work in,” Zdrale said.

She also said that a few things she learned from working retail are how to work both independently and as a team. Zdrale also said that she is learned the differences between working in a fast-paced and slow-paced environment.

These are important things to learn before you enter the job force, as they can help determine what type of career you’d like in the future.

As students in college, we get to pick a field of study that interests us; however, that interest can change over time.

At IUP, students tend to choose their major based on their interests and what career fascinates them.

Halie Maracle (freshman, business education) previously majored in criminology.

“I changed my major because my interests changed,” Maracle said.

Travis Daniels (freshman, history) switched from social studies to history. He also participates in the Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) program, which requires him to serve time in the military after graduation. If he were to remain a social studies education major, it would have required Daniels to recertify after only three years.

Daniels realized that he would, more than likely, have to come back to obtain his certification in teaching.

“It didn’t make sense to continue pursuing a social studies major, due to being a part of the ROTC program,” Daniels said.

Kendall Gomez (sophomore, international studies and Spanish) changed majors because she wanted to graduate on time with a second major in Spanish. She decided to switch from her major in psychology because it would have made it difficult for her to graduate on time.

Despite these previous changes, Gomez has decided to keep her current majors.

Although there are students who know what they want to major in, there are also some students who are undecided.

For students who are undecided about what they want to major in, they are classified as an exploratory studies major. The exploratory studies program provides students the opportunity to explore and learn more in multiple areas.

You may be interested in learning about business. With exploratory business, you can learn about financing, managing, marketing and more.

Exploratory students have the chance to expand their horizons and keep their options open. The program is for students that have yet to narrow down their talents and interests to a specific major that best suits them.

As an exploratory student, there will be advisers and faculty mentors to help you develop your strengths and interests. You will be able to confide in them about any concerns, decisions or just to simply ask them for help.

The more you live, the more you explore. Exploring your options is a part of life because we are constantly changing our minds and trying to make sure we are making the right decisions.

As a student, we change our minds about a lot of things. Majors are chosen based on what a student believes best defines their interests and the type of person they want to be. Changing your major can give you the chance to say, “I tried something new.”

If you are unsure of your current choice of major or are considering a change, you can speak to your academic adviser if that course of action is right for you.

News

March 17, 2021

9

Opinion

Firsthand experience of family memebers with COVID-19 COVID-19 is dangerous and can affect anyone. Sometimes, this reality is not realized until a family member gets COVID-19.

Some people are doing everything they can to protect their families and friends. They are avoiding attending events in person, only come in contact with immediate family and double masking.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends people using a face covering to help protect the wearer and those around them. The CDC also recommends social distancing, which means people should be six feet apart, especially if exposure to others will be prolonged.

At IUP, in addition to following to CDC guidelines, students are required to wear a mask indoors (both residence halls and academic buildings) when in common areas and in hallways, and it is recommended when you have a guest within your own dorm. In the dorms, suites are allowed to have only one guest as well.

These measure where put in place to protect students, professors and staff.

You may think my family will be safe because we are taking all necessary and recommended precautions to stay safe.

You may think it will not happen to you and have a sense of invincibility.

However, some family members may have to work or go to school in-person, and it is unavoidable. You and your family can be doing everything that you are supposed to but when you are surrounded by others that may not care or be taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, chances of being completely safe from the spread of COVID-19 is not entirely guaranteed.

If you know you are going

10

(Flickr) New relief plan will all everyone in U.S. to be eligible for vaccination by summer. to be in a situation where you will be in contact with other people, the least you can do consider other people’s safety.

There is no excuse for anyone not to do this.

This is the devastating part about the pandemic: Some people are careless. It is a truth that is hard to acknowledge.

Everyone hopes that the people around them are taking it just as seriously as they are, but some are not.

For the people that want to hang out with others and are doing or even traveling or doing something that they know they should not be, it is time to wake up and hold yourself accountable for what you are doing. You are not invincible, and neither is your family.

This is not the time to be inconsiderate. During these times, people need to “come together” by staying six feet apart or by not having any contact at all.

“We realized that my mom had COVID-19 when she was picking me up for Thanksgiving

break,” Sydney Greitz (freshman, exploratory) said.

When a family member gets COVID-19, it does not affect only that person, but instead, it affects the whole family.

The family must adapt and temporarily change how they are living to spot the spread of COVID-19. This means that the family has to quarantine indoors for a set amount of time until they go 10 days without showing symptoms.

Greitz said that her mom’s first COVID-19 symptom was when she lost her sense of smell.

“She was feeling fine but when we drove past a farm, she realized she couldn’t smell the manure since I was complaining about the strong smell. She got tested that day, and so did the rest of my family who had been home with her. Luckily, everyone else tested negative.

I am still not sure how she was the only one who tested positive, but I am so thankful that no one else caught it.”

Greitz said that during the

March 17, 2021

two weeks her mom had to quarantine was a very stressful and scary time for her and her family. The reality of being in that kind of situation is unlike something so many have ever experienced. It is a reality that one should never have to be a part of, but it is one that so many have already had to endure. Thankfully, Greitz’s mom was fine, but this is not the case for every family.

Some have been devastated by the pandemic. People have lost loved ones and have been forced to say “goodbye” to family and friends too early.

This reality still has not set in for people. Some people continue to disregard others safety by going out and doing this that they should not doing like attending parties or traveling.

“I really don’t understand how now, almost exactly a year into the pandemic, people cannot be concerned about COVID-19,” Greitz said. “It has killed thousands, and people are still not taking the proper precautions. I know many people who are still partying and hanging out in large groups. I understand that we are young and are not at as much of a risk than others are, but we are not invincible.”

Younger people can still contact COVID-19 and be seriously affected. Older people and those with preexisting conditions are at an even higher risk of being harmed.

“I know people who are still traveling for fun during the pandemic. I have even heard of a few people, here at IUP, who have recently used their COVID-19 relief money to travel to Florida.”

This careless behavior is dangerous and could potentially be putting so many lives in danger. Travelling at this time is not a good idea and should be avoided. The smart

thing to do is to wait until the pandemic is under control and it is truly safe to travel, and you know that infection will not be spread.

Realizing that people are still making unwise decisions is frustrating and upsetting considering how simple not engaging in those decisions is.

Wearing a mask, social distancing and respecting those around you is not challenging.

“I do feel angry with the way people are behaving during a global pandemic,” Greitz said.

“They need to understand that even if they might be okay if they get infected, the people around them might not be.

Millions have been infected and had a terrible recovery or died.”

Greitz said that one of her biggest worries is her grandparents getting COVID-19.

Although her grandparents have gotten the vaccination, so many still have not.

“If people had been following the rules from the start, this pandemic would not have continued for the past year.

Knowing that COVID-91 could be at least partially gone by now and that we could’ve had a semi-normal college experience makes me both mad and upset about the way others have disregarded that rules set in place to protect them.”

You and your family are not invincible. Protect yourself, your family and friends and those around you for the virus.

So, wear a mask. It works.

Stop travelling. Finally, stop being ignorant and recognize how serious this pandemic is because nothing will change if actions do not change.

Brought to you

By THE PENN STAFF

Opinion

Culture

Culture Editor: Eva Tillich – jxsbc@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Haley Brown – tbfx@iup.edu

Attendance for IUPatty’s is expected to drop due to COVID-19. This year, students will mostly be celebrating at home with close friends.

(The Penn Achrives)

T h e p a t t y d o e s n ’t s t a r t u n t i l C O V I D -1 9 i s o v e r S t u d e n t s d e c id e n o t t o t e s t t h e ir lu c k t h is IU P a t t y ’s AMBER URANKER Staff Writer kyhy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The weather is getting warmer, midterms have passed and the end of the semester seems to be right around the corner. Around this time every year, students across campus wait in anticipation for this one special weekend in March.

IUPatty’s is finally here. Students look forward to this celebration all year long. IUPatty’s is known for its large parties around campus, police on horseback and an abundance of St. Patrick’s Day shirts.

However, IUP student’s’ plans for IUPatty’s are unclear this year due to COVID-19. This year’s celebration faces a variety of positive ones because of the tradition and fun and negative reactions because of safety issues.

This year, the event is allegedly scheduled for Saturday.

Despite students being discouraged from celebrating last year due to COVID-19, there were still

Culture

(The Penn Achrives) In previous years, IUPatty’s had a large turn out. many gatherings around campus.

It seems that many students still plan to celebrate IUPatty’s this Saturday as well.

“I usually go to outdoor parties, and it’s a different spot every year,” Matthew Heinichen (junior, safety science) said. “If you’re a real IUP student, you’d go out regardless of the conditions.”

COVID-19 does not seem to

be a concern for some students, and this could affect the number of cases at IUP and within the community.

As of Thursday, there have been 69 total COVID-19 cases during this spring semester.

“I believe that COVID-19 cases will increase after the weekend of IUPatty’s,” Hanna Nicholson (freshman, human development and family science) said.

March 17, 2021

Nicholson expresses that she believes students will still be gathering in large groups during IUPatty’s weekend. Students have been itching to see their friends and feel some type of normalcy again.

In comparison, other students have decided to take a different route this upcoming weekend.

Instead of going to house parties or fraternities, students will be staying in the comfort of their homes or celebrating safely in different ways.

“This year, with everything going around, I will probably not do the usual celebration because I have people in mind to protect and think of,” Skylar Spencer (senior, psychology) said. “Going out for a little bit on one night to a bar would probably be the most I will partake in.”

In previous years, students from other colleges have come to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at IUP. Spencer explains that she believes this will increase cases around campus because not

everyone follows guidelines.

Normally, IUPatty’s is a celebration that lets students spend time with friends and put their books aside for a few hours, but with COVID-19 still affecting our lives, it will be very different this year. Very much like last semester, the attendance will be lower, and some students will not celebrate at all.

Safety has been made a priority at IUP and that includes wearing masks and social distancing.

This weekend could drastically change the number of cases around the community if crowds get too large or students are not adhering to guidelines. This is something to keep in mind when making your plans for the weekend.

It is suggested by the PA Department of Health that face masks or coverings should continue to be worn while in public. Hand washing and social distancing is also encouraged.

For more information about COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, visit https://tinyurl.com/utv9j4cn.

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March 17, 2021

Culture

Welcome to March Madness

The Penn welcomes back IUP’s Favorite Bite Best Restaurant Steven Langdon Jr. pbyw@iup.edu I am Steven and love to eat local food. Join me to determine the best restaurant in Indiana.

March Madness is here. The brackets are set and every team now knows what they need to win it all.

The craze and phenomena got us thinking about bring back our own bracket. For the first time since 2018, The Penn will be hav-

ing a competition to decide what is IUP’s Favorite Bite.

Our reason for the creation of the bracket is to help students decide what restaurant to choose when you need a night out. The power is now in the hands of everyone following our social media pages.

You do not need to be a student to vote in this competition. It is open to everyone.

Since the last bracket, there are eight different restaurants added this

year compared to others.

In order to qualify for the bracket, the location must be open.

Locations that are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic were not included because of the uncertainty of when they will operate again.

They also need to be located in Indiana or the immediate surrounding area.

For example, a restaurant in Pittsburgh cannot be part of it.

There will not be any chain or fast food either. Carry-out options do count

as long as they also have a dine-in area.

The dine-in does not need to be open to the public right now if it wants to qualify due to COVID-19.

Each location will an even chance of winning. There are zero seeds because food choice is based off opinion. One person may love eating from a deli, but another might dislike eating sandwiches.

The restaurants are split into four categories: bars, international, other and pizza. After they were put into groups, the location received a random number.

Finally, the restaurant was placed into its bracket position based on the number.

Each winning location in the respective category will move onto the Final Four.

Voting for the restaurants will begin Wednesday. Results will be done on a week-by-week basis with the winner announced April 21.

The winners of each match-up will be shown in each edition of The Penn leading up to the final during the week of April 14.

If you want to be a part of the voting process, make sure to follow our Twitter, @ThePennIUP, and Instagram, thepenniup, pages.

This is made for the students.

With that said, make sure to stay tuned to see who will be crowned IUP’s Favorite Bite.

Culture

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March 17, 2021

T a k e a p it c h e r, it ’ll la s t lo n g e r

C r e a t e y o u r o w n f e s t iv e d r in k t o c e le b r a t e S t . P a t r ic k ’s D a y HALEY BROWN Lead Culture Writer tbfx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

3 ounces of either half and half or milk and 1 cup of ice. You can also add some green food coloring for an added St. Patty’s Day effect.

*The Penn does not condone underage drinking.

This St. Patrick’s Day will likely be less public than previous years, so the best way to celebrate is by inviting some close friends to craft and taste some adventurous mixed drinks.

For your celebrating pleasure, below is a list of the 10 best St. Patty’s Day mixed drinks for you and yours to try on Wednesday. Although most of the recipes do include green food coloring, these drink recipes are guaranteed to help you and your partygoers have a festive time.

Fuzzy Leprechaun To craft this drink, combine ½ cup of orange juice, ½ cup of peach schnapps and a splash of seltzer water to make it fizz. You can also add 4 to 5 drops of green food coloring.

Irish Mudslide This recipe makes a single-serving cocktail. Combine 1.5 ounces of Jameson, Bailey’s and Kahlua. Add

Luck of the Irish For this shaken mixed drink, combine 3 ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey, 2 ounces peach schnapps,

Irish Sour Cocktail For one of the simplest drink recipes for St. Patrick’s Day drinks, combine 2 ounces of Jameson Irish Whiskey, 1 ounce of McGuiness Melon and 3 ounces of club soda along with ice. Shake or stir and garnish with a slice of fresh lime to be extra fancy.

2 ounces pineapple juice, 3 ounces lime-flavored soda and some green food coloring to top it of.

schnapps and shake to combine.

To garnish, cut a green apple into thin slices and drop them in or place them on the side of the glass.

The Irish Maid For this cocktail, drop 2 slices of cucumber into a shaking tin and muddle them. Add 2 ounces of Jameson Irish Whiskey ½ ounce of elderflower liqueur, ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice and ¾ ounce honey simple syrup. Shake vigorously and then strain into a glass full of ice.

Garnish with the extra cucumber.

(Facebook) Luck of the Irish is a mixed drink.

Green Dublin Cocktail For this drink, fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 4 ounces of Irish Whiskey, 4 ounces of white cranberry juice, 2 ounces of sour apple

Shamrock Juice Cocktail To start preparing this cocktail fill your glass with ice. Add ½ ounces each of gin, tequila, light rum and vodka. Add 1 ounce of Blue Curaçao and top off the rest of your glass with orange juice. Garnish with cherries or an orange slice.

Dublin Kiss shot To craft three Dublin Kiss shots, fill a shaker with ice and combine 3 ounces Irish Whiskey, 1.5 ounces Irish cream liqueur, such as Bailey’s, and 3 splashes of crème de menthe liqueur. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into three shot glasses.

Emerald Sunrise Cocktail For one serving of this drink, fill half of a 10-ounce glass with ice.

Add 1.5 ounces Blue Curaçao and 1.5-ounces of tequila and mix. Stir in 4 to 6 ounces of orange juice and garnish with mint or a mandarin orange slice.

Wicked Little Leprechaun For this mixed drink, fill a 12-ounce glass ¾ of the way with ice. Add two 1-ounce shots of vodka, 1 shot blue Maui schnapps, a splash of lemon-lime soda and fill the rest of the glass with orange juice. Stir to mix.

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March 17, 2021

Culture

STATIC, ‘Queer Eye’s’ Antoni Porowski have the recipe for success STATIC HALEY BROWN tbfx@iup.edu

I am Haley and will be writing weekly about the upcoming events for STATIC. Stay tuned.

Another promising week of Student Activity Committee (STATIC) events is coming our way. This week includes a cooking class taught by Antoni Porowski, a scavenger hunt and the IUP Masked Singer competition.

On Thursday, STATIC’s graduate assistant, Ali Walker, will be hosting and moderating a virtual cooking class with “Queer Eye’s” Antoni Porowski.

The event will take place on Zoom and will begin promptly at 8 p.m. with the waiting room opening at 7:45 p.m. There is no need to preregister, and attendance is open to the entire IUP community and not limited.

The recipe that Porowski has decided on teaching to the audience will be posted in advance on STATIC’s web page so that viewers can also participate.

“Antoni selected a recipe for us, and it is a carrot ribbon salad with ginger, parsley and dates,” Cassidy Krug, STATIC’s executive chair, said.

This may sound like it would be an intimidating event for people who have never cooked before, but STATIC was sure to help Porowski choose a recipe that would be friendly to every participant, from IUP community members who have never cooked anything before, to the most seasoned food aficionado.

“All are always welcome at STATIC events, and Porowski has made it clear that even novices can cook along,” Walker said.

The event was brought about when STATIC decided that it wanted to offer the IUP community more than questions and answer events that they have had with other well-known celebrities and influencers in the past.

“STATIC searched high and

(Facebook) On “Queer Eye,” Antoni Porowski (left) is considered the resident food and wine guy. “The Masked Singer” (right) has just began its fifth season of the show, and viewers are anxious to see who is under the costumes. low to find a popular personality that was doing something beyond just a regular moderated discussion event like the others we’ve hosted virtually during the pandemic,” Walker said.

“When we saw Antoni’s event pitch through a few of the college programming listservs and professional organizations that we’re a part of, we knew it was the right fit for IUP.” STATIC went about securing the planning for this event with Porowski to provide a more entertaining and interactive event for all IUP community members, especially the ones who love to try new activities and enjoy new foods.

“Not many other touring artists have a novelty component to their presentation, and having a chef and culinary expert from Netflix’s “Queer Eye” perform a cooking class with IUP students seemed super fun and interesting,” Walker said.

“I think we’re all excited to learn a new recipe from an awesome chef with the best techniques. We definitely love the entire crew from ‘Queer Eye,’ evidenced by our Karamo Brown

event last year in Fisher Auditorium, pre-pandemic, of course.”

The event will also feature a Q&A session with Porowski, led by Walker which will include questions formulated by STATIC staff and questions from some of the audience members. Three lucky audience members will also be randomly chosen and be invited to join the Zoom call with their video and audio and have a chance to speak with Porowski and ask him some questions.

“We’ve got a list of questions that we want to ask Antoni,” Krug said.

“Ali will be doing that as they cook together and then we will have some students ask some questions as well, so they can submit their questions to us on Instagram, Twitter or our email and we’ll be randomly selecting three different people so they can talk to Antoni.”

On Saturday, STATIC is organizing the second scavenger hunt of the semester. The event will run from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will take place across the IUP campus and possibly beyond.

Participants must utilize STATIC’s Instagram and social media

pages to find the hints and use the hints to find the prize vouchers hidden in various areas.

“So, we’re expanding this event [compared to the first scavenger hunt]. Usually, we would only do three different prizes and different clues in different areas,” Krug said.

“Our clues will be found on Instagram and our other social medias for that either on campus, or possibly expanding it to the surrounding Indiana area. There’s going to be a lot more prizes this time and a lot more chances for people to win stuff.”

There is no preregistration for this event and all you need to play is to keep checking STATIC’s social media and following the clues. To redeem your prize voucher if you figure out the hints and find the prize, take it to the STATIC office in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) and claim your prize there.

On Wednesday, STATIC is continuing its IUP game show series and once again hosting the IUP Masked Singer competition. The event will take place via Zoom and will run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is no pre-

registration required.

“We did [this event for the first time] last semester, and it ended up being the funniest thing in the entire world. We had a bunch of different professors and advisors and stuff from IUP. They dress up in costume, and they sing a song. You just have to vote and guess who the professors, or ‘IUP celebrities’ are.”

During this event, the participants in the Zoom call must vote on who they think each masked singer might be. The best guesser will win $50, and the second-best guesser will win $30.

On Tuesday, STATIC is hosting a recruitment event in which students will have the opportunity to join the STATIC staff.

“We’re hosting the recruitment event at 8 p.m. on Zoom,” Krug said.

“We’re hiring for pretty much all of our positions for next year, so if you’re interested in the music side of things or the marketing side of things or anything [let STATIC know].”

More information about the recruitment event will be posted on the STATIC website for any who are interested.

Culture

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March 17, 2021

W e ’ll n e v e r b e r o y a ls H a r r y a n d M e g h a n t a lk M e g e x it in t e ll-a ll in t e r v ie w CAIO GOMES Staff Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP On March 7, CBS aired a bombshell interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (colloquially referred to as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle).

The interview was conducted

by Oprah Winfrey, who has been a longtime friend of the couple.

They were the first ever to step down from their duty as senior members of the British royal family.

The tell-all interview has generated both political scandals and discussions surrounding social issues such as mental health, racism and families. These discussions have been sparked not only the U.K. and Commonwealth countries, but other countries in the Western World as well. Many of the issues brought up by the Duchess are present in American culture as well, as “Elle” writer Lauren Puckett pointed out. “[The] interview was about so much of what America itself has operated on for centuries: racism, misogynoir, toxic media, a fundamental disinterest and even distrust in mental health, a chokehold on the reins of systemic change,” Puckett said.

The discussion surrounding Meghan’s ethnical background and the way it influenced how British media depicted her is not new.

Last year, BBC host Danny Baker was fired after tweeting a polemic picture of a couple holding hands with a chimpanzee and captioning “Royal Baby leaves the hospital.”

Baker later claimed it did not occur to him that people would interpret his tweet as racial because he did not have a “twisted mind.”

However, it was attacks like this that generated conflict between the couple and the royal family.

Another source of conflict between the couple and the family was the way they have dealt with Meghan’s mental health deterioration. During the interview, Meghan spoke up about the issue for the first time. According to her, the “Institution” (meaning senior-most members of the royal family) did not allow her to seek help claiming, “it wouldn’t be good for optics,” even after she told them that she was dealing with

(Facebook) Meghan and Harry discuss their mental health with Oprah. suicidal thoughts.

Harry added that he too dealt with dark thoughts, especially after his own father, Prince Charles, stopped taking his calls.

“I didn’t know who to turn to,” Harry said. “I had no idea what to do. I was terrified, I was not prepared for that, I went to a dark place as well.”

The couple’s openness regarding mental health was well-received in the U.S. In a year in which the number of Americans seeking help increased dramatically because of the ingoing COVID-19 pandemic, it felt appropriate to have in the limelight normalizing those sorts of conversation.

“When a beautiful or famous or successful person says, ‘I, too, have been there,’ that creates an opportunity for some people to say, ‘if she can be in this club, I can be in this club,’” Dr. Ken Duckworth, chief medical officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, told CNN. “Meaning it may be okay for me to talk about it, share it with someone or even seek help,” he added.

At IUP, students experiencing struggles with mental illness or have been experiencing suicidal thoughts can seek help at the Counseling Center. There is no extra cost; counseling services are included in the Wellness Fee. Throughout the interview, Harry also added that while they are doing much better now, he feared that Diana’s death would repeat itself. Similar to Meghan, Diana not only dealt with mental illness issues but was also unprotected from the media by the royal family.

The media’s obsession with her led to her death in 1997 when she was killed being chased by

the paparazzi.

“My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” he said. “For me, I’m just really relieved and happy to be sitting here, talking to you with my wife by my side.

Because I can’t begin to imagine what it must have been like for her

[Diana] going through this process by herself all those years ago.”

Mental health was not the only issue in which the couple felt as though the Crown did not do enough to protect them. During the interview, the Sussexes pointed out that while the royals did not want Meghan to seek help because it would look bad on media, they also did not do a lot to stop what already was in the media.

During the interview, Meghan claimed that the family did not seem to understand that there is a difference between the sensationalism all celebrities face and the racism she was facing by the media outlets.

“Kate was called Waity Katie, waiting to marry William,” Markle said. “While I imagine that was really hard and I do... this is not the same. And if a member of his family will comfortably say: ‘we’ve

all had to deal with things that are rude’, rude and racist are not the same.’”

The couple also noted that the royals reacted differently on both occasions. Kate had a press team constantly going on record to clear misunderstandings out and fact-checking stories, while Meghan did not.

They have also noted that some of the racial aggressions came from the family itself. Harry recounted a time in which a senior member of the royal family expressed concerns of “how dark” Archie’s skin tone would be.

Students who feel as though they have been a victim of discrimination, whether racial or not, can submit a Discrimination Report to IUP’s Social Equity and Title IX Office. The form is available online on IUP’s website.

March 17, 2021

16

Culture

‘A n i m a l C r o s s i n g ’ c r o s s e s t h e o n e -y e a r m a r k MARTY WEAVER Copy Editor zglz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of a true cultural reset: the release of Nintendo’s much-anticipated “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”

Following the announcement of lockdown and the spring break that never ended due to COVID-19, countless students were stuck wondering how they could possibly keep occupied while stuck inside. Lucky for them, Tom Nook came to their rescue by trapping them on a deserted island with massive debt.

“New Horizons” is quite different to its predecessors in the series, and the addition of outdoor decorating and terraforming was, forgive the pun, a real game-changer. That, combined with the Nintendo Switch’s ability to (somewhat) easily post screen recordings to social media, led to a near frenzy of island tours,

(The Penn/Marty Weaver) Pinky (left) is one of the many villagers you can have living on your island. Players can also plant and cross-breed flowers (right) to add a variety of color to an area of their island. decorating tips and genuinely charged Twitter discourse about whether Tom Nook was a dirty capitalist or an anarcho-communist icon. You know, the racoon dude from a children’s video game.

Some IUP students really enjoy “New Horizons” and credit it with keeping their spirits up during the

past year. “‘Animal Crossing’ really kept me sane during the pandemic,” Matt Gulish (junior, English education) said. “The only bad thing is that I was so jealous for the longest time about everyone playing it that I went out and bought a Switch and ‘Animal Crossing’ just to be able to play it.

“But it’s such a fun and relaxing game. It’s so hard to believe that it’s been a year since it came out because it kind of forces you to believe that the pandemic has been going on for a whole year.”

While “New Horizons” served as an emotional balm for some people, for others, it could cause stress. The pressure of having

a fully decorated and themed island with dramatic terraforming is somewhat antithetical to the “Animal Crossing” series: You play the game how you want to play. There is no right or wrong in “Animal Crossing,” so just do what makes you happy.

Oh, and be sure to check your turnip prices.

S tu d e n ts , O x fo rd s tu d y h a v e s h o w n b e n e fi t s o f v id e o g a m e s LANE LANNAN Staff Writer ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Stressed out? Try video games.

Video games are a way for people all over the world to cope with the stresses of life.

With many people being forced to stay home because of COVID-19, many have started to turn to video games as a way to maintain some form of social life and contact with friends. Games like “Fall Guys” and “Among Us” exploded in popularity over the course of 2020, while old co-op standards like “Super Smash Bros.

Ultimate” and first-person shooters like “Overwatch” maintained their player base.

“I have been playing ‘Call of Duty: Cold War,’ ‘NHL 21’ and ‘Rocket League,’” Joey Semetkoskey (freshman, accounting) said.

“They give me a chance to interact

(Facebook) “Among Us” was one of the most popular games of 2020. with my friends.”

Semetkoskey also explained some other reasons why games have been positive in his life. He said that they gave him more motivation to do work and complete assignments. Semetkoskey also said that he believes the reason video games became more and

more prevalent during the past year was due to one simple fact: They are fun.

With the emergence of COVID-19, many social events like concerts and conventions had to be shut down or switched to an online format. Such conventions are like the famous Electronic

Entertainment Expo (E3) which shows off new games and technology from video game companies like Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

Many people’s hopes were dashed when the Entertainment Software Association announced that E3 would be canceled, making it the first time since 1995 that the annual expo was canceled.

“Playing games is a great substitute for other social activities that are not currently happening,” Riley Hays (freshman, software engineering) said. “I have been mainly playing ‘Call of Duty’ personally.”

Hays went on to say that video games are a great way for people to manage stress. According to Hays, since video games are a vehicle to connect with friends in a fun, virtual way, it enables people to feel less stressed about events in everyday life and just have fun.

According to a study from Oxford University, Hays has a good

point. The study, which was one of the first to incorporate actual playtime and gameplay data, suggests that there is a direct correlation between playing video games and an improved mental health.

“This lets us explain and understand games as a leisure activity,” Andrew Przybylski, the lead researcher for the study, said.

If you play a game like Nintendo’s “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” for four hours, then you “would be a happier person,” Pryzybylski said.

“The main game I play is ‘Madden,’” Isaac Ryer (freshman, nursing) said. “It helps me calm down during a stressful day.”

Ryer went on to explain why he thinks that many people turned to games. According to him, video games can be a way that people can escape to other worlds and forget about the one they are in.

This can be a way to deal with the issues of daily life.

Sports

Sports Editor: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu

Lead Sportswriter: Austin Smith – A.S.Smith7@iup.edu

A dream come true: the Mikesells make IUP history Jeffery Hart

Sports Editor J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP It has been officially a year and three months since the release of The Penn’s documentary on three of IUP’s best, the Mikesells, an amazingly gifted group of siblings, who wanted to compete for a swimming championship.

More than that, they wanted to compete for a championship as a family. In a year during which there has been so much uncertainty, one thing is for sure: the Mikesells are competing for a championship.

Today, Claire (redshirt senior, kinesiology), Paige (junior, kinesiology) and Luke (freshman, criminology), will be representing IUP in Birmingham, Alabama for the 2021 NCAA Division II National Swimming Championships.

Claire earned first team All-American honors two years ago. She will compete in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke. Claire is seeded fourth in the 200-meter breast, where she finished eighth in the final back in 2019 and has the eighth-best time in DII in the 100-meter breast.

Paige qualified for the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle, and 100-meter and 200-meter butterfly. She is the top-seeded swimmer in the 200-meter fly with a season-best time of 1:59.65 and seeded third in the 100-meter fly at 54.45.

Luke was selected to compete in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 500-meter freestyle. He is one of the fastest swimmers in the in the 200-meter, ranking third in the nation coming into the championships. He is seeded 12th in the 500-meter free.

This is not the Mikesells’ first rodeo in the NCAA championships.

This will be Paige’s third consec-

Sports

(IUP Athletics) Claire (left), Paige (middle) and Luke (right) will represent IUP at the highest level. utive NCAA championship. This will also be Claire’s second NCAA championship appearance after redshirting last season.

Even though this may not be their first time competing for a championship, the road traveled to this one has not made it easy.

“At the time of making the documentary and not even knowing what we would be facing, it feels amazing that we were still able to get here,” Claire said. “We all worked really hard this season,

still not even being sure that the national championship would happen. Even though this season was anything but ordinary, and we had to work really hard from August to February, the time has finally come.”

“It has definitely been a crazy past year,” Paige said. “From NCAA’s getting canceled before I had the opportunity to compete for a spot on the podium, going into lockdown with no pools open to train, being unsure if we would even have a season, let alone NCAA’s in 2021, it has been a hard and stressful year.”

Competing for a national championship is a momentous occasion for any athlete. They have a chance to make history and be rewarded for the years of hard work and dedication to their craft.

This triple-threat of siblings has

March 17, 2021

a chance to do more than that.

This is the only time that IUP has had three siblings competing for a championship in the same sport.

“It definitely is a cool thing to know we were the first, but I hope there are other siblings that get to share this experience because it will be a memory they will never forget,” Luke said.

“It means a lot, and hopefully, we are doing a great job at representing IUP,” Claire said.

“We know it’s very rare for three siblings to be able to compete at this level together. It’s a whole

new experience for us as well.

“It has been a blast being able to train beside my siblings over this past year and qualify for the national championship. We have been talking about this meet ever since we found out Luke was coming to IUP, so to finally be here all together is amazing. It’s another great memory that we are able to make together that we will be able to talk about for years to come.”

Rachel Johnson (junior, hospitality management) and Iliana Oikonomou (senior, sociology) will be representing IUP in Birmingham along with the Mikesells.

In a year of a never-ending series of unfortunate events, this gifted group of siblings has found the light at the end of the tunnel.

“From redshirting last year, to being at the 2020 championship meet when they shut it down and seeing all the emotions along the way, all I can say is we are very blessed to be here and to be able to keep doing what we love,” Claire said. “So many seniors last year were not able to finish their season the way many of us dream of doing. If I had not redshirted last year, I would not even be here today to have this opportunity to compete again.

“I think it makes this year so much more important because I know what is at stake.”

“This journey has shown me that I can train just about through any obstacles and still show improvement,” Luke said, “that, with hard work and determination, you can achieve just about anything.

I have put in the hours and the hard work; now it’s time to just get up and race this week.”

This championship is the culmination of all the lessons that the Mikesells have learned on the road to Birmingham. They learned perhaps the most important lesson of all: It is not about the destination, but rather the journey.

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March 17, 2021

18

Sports

IUP lacrosse thankful to be on field again, splitting opening weekend games Jeffery Hart

Sports Editor J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP “Appreciate every practice and every game,” IUP lacrosse head coach Brenna Gallagher said.

After more than a year, the IUP lacrosse team opened its 2021 season last week with a promising start.

After playing only four games in the 2020 spring season, IUP lacrosse was forced to end its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like the rest of the world, the team had to adapt and overcome hardships.

“We all saw a year ago that all the lights went out,” Gallagher said. “It seemed unimaginable with the whole world. We are tested every week going into practice.

It’s about accountability more than ever.”

Despite all the hardships and unforeseen circumstances, this team has found a way to remain positive and take advantage of the situation.

“Getting back on the field was an amazing feeling,” midfielder Kayte Zeiler (senior, exercise science) said. “It was like everything was right again in the world. It was definitely a day we were all looking forward too.

“If anything, losing a season taught us that you always have to play with excitement, intensity and heart because you never know when it can be taken away.”

This team took advantage of the extra time off to try to prepare for the game mentally.

“There are days where you are really tested with your patience,” Gallagher said. “Having that time off made me sit back and think how much I wanted to get back with the team and compete. It made us must get creative with how we coached. We had to do pods for practice; it is hard to do that in a contact sport. We have had to focus on the film and nuances of the game to help prepare them mentally.”

“I think the time off refocused us and made us appreciate the game more,” attacker Jordan Kulp (sophomore, nursing) said. “We know what it feels like to have a season cut short, so now we are going to go out and play every game like it could be our last.”

The Hawks opened their season against No. 11 Grand Valley State on Friday. IUP rebounded from a slow start early but could not rally past and ultimately fell to the Lakers, 14–8.

(Natalie Stanton/The Penn) IUP lacrosse has used the extra time off to get focused for this season.

On Sunday, the Hawks took their first PSAC victory against conference rival Slippery Rock, 12–8.

It was a low-scoring affair first half as Slippery Rock grabbed a 3–2 lead early. The Crimson Hawks responded quickly with three straight goals and gave IUP a 5–3 lead at the break.

The teams traded second half goals as The Rock kept it close.

SRU cut IUP's lead to 8–7 with just under 16 minutes to play.

The Hawks came back with two quick goals by Zeiler and Kulp and added another by Leah Hunter (junior, speech pathology) a few minutes later to open an 11–7 lead.

Each team scored once more with the IUP defense shutting out The

Rock in the final minutes.

Kulp stood out by putting up four goals and three assists to help lead her team to victory. This performance is even more impressive considering she played only three games last season.

“Jordan is truly an athlete,” Gallagher said. “She is tough and works super hard. As a freshman, she did not get the start. We put her in after we lost our starter; she got involved and got the experience.

“She has really come along and taken a big role. Jordan really had to step up and orchestrate our offense. I think it really comes down to mentality and coachability.

She gets better every game.

Eyes are going to be on her

against Seton Hill. She does not get shaken up by the extra attention. She is never complacent.

She only cares about winning and helping her team get better.”

Even after the game, Kulp remained true to her team and her coaches, and did not try to take any credit away from the team effort it took to win.

“With Slippery Rock being our conference opener, there was a lot of energy going into the game,” Kulp said. “Once the game started, it was close. As we continued to play, I could just tell we were having fun, and when we are having fun, we do well. The game was the definition of a team win.”

Opening the season against a nationally ranked opponent and

a tough conference rival is hitting the ground running. This team would not have it any other way.

“I believe the only way we will get better is going to be by playing the best,” Gallagher said. “It is always nice to have a feel-good game, but is blowing out bad competition going to make us better? Going into Slippery Rock, which is a solid conference opponent, it gave us the chance to play tough and teach the freshman that this is college lacrosse and to let us build on it.”

IUP’s next match will be today at 4 p.m. against Seton Hill at Indiana. It is truly amazing to be able to have sports back again.

Hawk Nation, show up and support your IUP lacrosse team.

March 17, 2021

Sports

19

IUP softball splits weekend doubleheader with Cal U ‘I am pleased with the grit and fight that these young women have’ AUSTIN SMITH

Lead Sportswriter A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Crimson Hawks softball team went 2–2 in the weekend series against rivals California University of Pennsylvania.

In Game 1 of the doubleheader Saturday, Hope Jones (sophomore, psychology) got the start on the mound.

Jones played seven innings and threw a career-high 12 strikeouts.

“Hope is starting to find her groove,” head coach Shauna Bellaud said.

“She came into this season after having a wrist injury that she was working through in the summer and fall. She is giving her all on

every pitch that she throws. She has worked hard this off-season to get to where she is right now.

“She is a fantastic leader to our young pitching staff, and I couldn’t be prouder of how she is doing.”

Renee Wall (senior, criminology) and Kaitlyn Beers (graduate, criminology) started the offensive spark with back-to-back base hits. Cal U would eventually tie it back up.

Haleigh Zimmerman (sophomore, safety science) would knock an RBI single to help the Hawks regain the lead. The game went back and forth until Beers hit a shot down center field to bring one of her teammates around for what happened to be the game-winning run to give the Hawks a 6–5 victory in Game 1.

“The grit and fight that the team had for each other showed in those innings,” Bellaud said. “The offense also executed the plan that we had for them when they stepped into the box.”

Game 2 of the doubleheader was high-scoring game. The Vulcans

got off to a quicker start, but that did not stop Beers, who went 5–8 in both games, tallying two home runs, three runs and five RBI’s.

Beers cut the lead in half with a home run, but Cal U would tally four runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take the victory by the score of 14–5 in Game 2.

“Game 2 of our doubleheader from Saturday is a game that, as a team, we have put behind us,” Bellaud said. “With a young team, we must bounce back and move forward. Kaitlyn’s [experienced] and a leader of this team; she did what she could to keep us in the game.”

The Hawks would have little time for rest. On Sunday, they had for another doubleheader against Cal U. In game one of the, Jones got the start on the mound again for the Hawks.

They found themselves down by four runs earlier on in the fifth inning. Catcher Jenna Rhue (junior, criminology) had an RBI single to start off the offensive mojo.

Rene Wall (senior, criminology)

and Rhue were a huge reason why the Hawks were able to produce four runs in the seventh and five runs in the eighth to clinch a 10–6 victory.

“From my standpoint, in these big rivalry games, I continuously tell my younger teammates to just keep it simple and play within themselves to always play at our level and not our competitors,” Beers said. “It truly does not matter who we play, but as long as we play to our strengths and together, we can handle any situation. My teammates know we have each other's back, and we have already proven that to each other, so in the end, we just need to stick to playing our game.”

The Hawks finished their big weekend on a lower note. This game was the lowest scoring out of all the games and was more of a tight battle losing 4-2.

Although Cal U was up 4–0 going into the seventh inning, the Hawks were not done. Bella Bucy (freshman, undecided) doubled right

down left field in which she brought runner Rachael Rodriguez (senior, dietetics) to home.

Ashley Renzi (sophomore) would score a run as she was left on base, but the comeback would fall short.

“Our team is a young team,” Bellaud said. “I am pleased with the grit and fight that these young women have.

We have work to do both on offense and defense, but we continuously are striving to get better every day.”

The Hawks' next big weekend matchup will be against Mercyhurst for a four-game weekend series starting Friday, during which the Hawks look to continue to build and grow after each game.

IUP baseball drops weekend matchups, looking to rebound against the Vulcans AUSTIN SMITH

Lead Sportswriter A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Warm weather is arising, and baseball fans know what that means: the Hawks are starting to see a lot of action right now.

They played two sets of doubleheaders this past weekend against the division rivals Slippery Rock and got to square off against Frostburg State.

The action started with a tight Game 1 loss to Slippery Rock, 7–5. They got off to a 1–0 start earlier on through the first four innings then IUP responded themselves. In the fifth inning, Harrison Pontoli (sophomore, finance) helped the Hawks take the lead with an RBI single.

The Hawks found themselves down again until Austin Mueller (senior, business) stepped up to the plate to produce some offense in the sixth inning to tie the game. IUP would then take a 5–3 lead after Slippery Rock’s pitcher threw a wild pitch.

They would eventually tally four more runs to take the 7–5 final.

“We had some defensive miscues that allowed extra runners

and gave their hitters new life,” head coach Anthony Rebyanski said. “Most of the time in baseball, if you give a good hitter another chance, you get burned.

That is exactly what happened in a couple of instances in Game 1.

The most important thing is that we learn from these mistakes and limit them from happening in the future.”

Ben Hudock (senior, software engineering) got the start on the mound and had a solid performance.

“We had a great outing on the mound from Ben Hudock in his first start of the year,” Rebyanski said. “As I mentioned before, we want our starting pitchers to give us a chance to win a ball game, and he did just that. He did a good job of keeping their hitters off balance and getting important outs when we needed them.”

“Our starting pitcher, Ben Hudock, pitched incredibly well in game one,” Nick Hess (senior, marketing) said. “He did a phenomenal job of executing pitches and keeping their hitters off-balance.”

The nightcap game was shortly after Game 1. During Game 2, Nick Kuhn (senior, psychology) got the start on the mound. Kuhn managed to throw four strikeouts in a little over three innings.

“Nick pitched well enough for us to win. He also did a good job of keeping their hitters off-balance all day,” Rebyanski said.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t back him up defensively. If we play sound defense and make the plays behind him, we have a legitimate chance of hanging on and winning both of those baseball games today [Friday].”

The Hawks started great against Slippery Rock in Game

2 with a Chris Eisel (senior, pre-physical therapy) homerun in the first. They would add plenty of offense themselves to climb ahead, though, to a score of 6–1.

Hess did stand out in Game 2 for the Hawks, going 2–3 with two doubles and an RBI to try to spark the Hawks in the right direction again, but the Hawks would eventually fall to the score of 9–2.

“I think our offense came out firing and was ready to be competitive,” Hess said. “I have the utmost confidence in our pitching staff and our lineup to win ballgames in the future.”

The pitching was great, but in the end, Slippery Rock just had a bit more offense in Game 2 to get the edge on the Hawks.

“Kuhn is always a great competitor,” Hess said. “He mixes speeds well and knows how to grind to get outs. I have a lot of faith in our team when he is on the mound.”

The Hawks also had a doubleheader against Frostburg State at Dougherty Field on Saturday. The Hawks just fell short to a score of 10–8. Frostburg State had a 10–1 lead earlier on in the game.

The Hawks flew right back to offensive mode when Hess start-

ed with an RBI single, and more Hawks followed. Austin Vigliotti (junior, sports administration) and catcher Ty Diehl (junior, exercise science) would both add singles with runners on bases throughout the whole rally back.

“Being down 10–1 with one out in the last half of the game is a difficult feat to come back and win by,” Rebyanski said. “We stress to our guys daily to not quit until that final out is made. We battled and made it close, but we don’t want to have to play catch up in the last frame of games.”

The Hawks had one more game on the four-game weekend, the night cap game against Frostburg State. The game was deadlocked at 1–1 in the first inning, but Frostburg State would power against the Hawks throughout the rest of the game.

Frostburg State would add four runs in both the third and fourth innings and then eight runs in the fifth inning, which put the game out of reach. The final score of Game 2 resulted in a 20–3 loss.

The Hawks look to rebound on the diamond today with a non-conference doubleheader against California University of Pennslyvania at Dougherty Field.

March 17, 2021

20

Sports

Men’s basketball return to KCAC without audience

(Steven Langdon Jr, The Penn) Armoni Foster (left) and Ethan Porterfield (right) combined for 35 points during the game Friday.

STEVEN LANGDON JR

Editor-in-Chief PBYW@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Crimson Hawk basketball returned to the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC) for the first time in over a year Friday night against Clarion University. An 80-63 victory of the California University of Pennsylvania Vulcans on March 4 last year was the last opponent the men’s team faced at their home arena.

Although it was a scrimmage, the fans were surely missed in an entertaining come from behind 7774 victory. There is no telling what the crowd would have done if they were there.

Maybe they would have been jumping up and down causing an earthquake in the KCAC, or even stormed the court. Unfortunately no one will ever know.

You could hear a pin drop even after Dave Morris (redshirt junior, kinesiology health and sport science) hit the go ahead shot with around a minute left.

The story was not the game, however, but the eeriness of the KCAC without fans. Head coach Joe Lombardi also shared the same sensation. “[It was] strange because it was an official game,” he said. “It was a different atmosphere without anyone in the building.

“It was different but I am also very grateful for the opportunity to do it.”

Morris also touched on the

feeling of not having fans cheering the team throughout.

“Being there without the crowd was definitely off, especially having the best fans in the PSAC,” Morris said. “We knew they were there in spirit though, and we had to give it our all to defend our home territory.”

The team started off cold going down 13 at halftime. Matters were worse, given that Clarion was on fire converting on 11 shots from beyond the arch.

The hot streak carried into the second half as the lead got as high as 15 for the Golden Eagles.

About halfway through the second half, the Crimson Hawks flipped a switch.

Coach Lombardi said he did not change anything in the second half and that it was a team effort, as they kept chipping away at the deficit leading to the clutch shot

by Morris who had all eight of his points in the second half.

Leading the team in scoring was Armoni Foster (redshirt junior, criminal justice) with 22 points and seven assists.

“I thought Armoni played well,” Lombardi said. “He scored the ball, but also had a lot of good passes.

“Dave Morris playing in the second half also gave us a big lift, especially on the defensive side of the ball.”

Tommy Demogerontas (redshirt senior, Eberly College of Business) was second with 14 points. He was a big part of the scoring last season before a knee injury sidelined him the rest of the year after the

third game.

Ethan Porterfield (sophomore, kinesiology health and sport science), PSAC West Freshman of the Year last season, was a big part of the run near the end of the game.

He converted the shot that tied the game at 74. On top of that, he had 13 points.

Tomiwa Sulaiman (freshman, kinesiology health and sport science) was the standout freshman for the Hawks. Originally from London, he had seven points and 11 rebounds to his name. Sulaiman was also a rim protector, collecting three blocks.

“Coming back from down 15, we knew at halftime that we have been here before and we can’t let it break us,” Morris said. “We stick to our coaches principles, take that and add our drive and togetherness to rally us back.

“We never get too worried.

That’s our culture, we strive to be resilient.”

Most will never remember this game or even know it happened.

But for those who were there, it is a game that will never be forgotten.

Not just because it was a Crimson Hawk come from behind win.

Not because there were less than 15 fans and media in attendance.

The reason is because, despite everything that has happened in the last year from a No. 1 seed in the national tournament and entire season taken away because of COVID-19, it was a return to some normalcy.

Crimson Hawk basketball doing what they do best: defy the odds.

(Steven Langdon Jr, The Penn) Dave Morris (center) had a big second half scoring eight points.