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NEWS

News Editor: Heather Bair – zzzx@iup.edu

IUP program ranks among top three across country GABRIELLA BYRNE Staff Writer bmwx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP’s safety science program was ranked third in excellence across the nation by Universities.com.

Dr. Wanda Minnick, certified safety professional, master’s of science program coordinator and associate professor, expressed her thoughts on this ranking.

“As an [alumna] of the program and now a faculty member, I am proud to be part of a program that has helped so many students find a rewarding career path,” Minnick said. “Likewise, our alumni network of over 3,000 graduates is one of our greatest treasures. Many show their endearing support by staying in contact, letting us know of job openings and offering assistance wherever possible.”

Safety, health and environmental applied sciences professionals work to prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities for workers in several different industries that include construction, manufacturing, insurance, healthcare, consulting, government, transportation and the service industry.

The safety science program marked an “A” in the categories career preparation, students and culture, facilities, and activities and groups. The department is known for the hands-on experience it offers to majors and minors alike in this program and the component extends beyond students’ experiences alone.

The hiring process when looking for faculty in the safety science program requires them to have their own experience in the field as it is a critical trait in relating students to the professional field.

Tracey L. Cekada, certified safety professional, professor and chairperson of the safety sciences department, commented on the importance of faculty connection with students.

“We also work in our depart-

News

IUP’s Safety Sciences department offers undergraduate and graduate programs to students. ment to create a ‘safety family’ with our faculty, staff and students, and this is something we pride ourselves on,” Cekada said.

“Students leave here feeling that they are a part of something.

“We are running three programs with just over a handful of faculties, so communication between all of us is critical to ensuring student success.”

Since the demand and inclusion of the environmental aspect in the safety professional’s job, the title of bachelor’s of science degree changed from “Safety Sciences” to “Safety, Health and Environmental Applied Sciences” to better represent the courses in this program.

With around 225 students in the undergraduate program along with more in the master’s and doctoral programs, students have several opportunities to market themselves to the professional world.

There are three student organizations dedicated to helping students in the program: American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), Ladies of Safety and the Safety Sciences Honor Society Rho Sigma Kappa. ASSP selected students have the op-

portunity to attend a nation-wide leadership conference in Chicago.

Co-ops, or summer jobs, are encouraged during students’ sophomore years in order to understand more about a safety professional’s job. During that semester, students take on intensive internships that further encourage real-world experience.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

March 10, 2021

outreach programs are provided to students in a 30-hour card in Safety 111 class and a 10-hour card in Safety 211 construction class. Additionally, a three-day career fair is held just for safety students to meet, on average, 70 companies from around the world to discuss summer co-ops, internships and full-time employment.

Depending on the student’s preference for travel or relocation, the employment rate for students in the program ranges from 75 percent to 95 percent.

On the other hand, COVID-19 has impacted the safety profession in bringing it to a larger audience.

“In addition to this, the outbreak of this pandemic has opened up eyes to the world about our profession,” Cekada said. “Terms that were often only known within our major like PPE and N95 have now become household terms.

“The importance of a safety professional in the midst of a pandemic cannot be understated.”

Minnick spoke about what she tries to have students achieve in this program.

“Students are encouraged to identify a path that meets their

(IUP) personal goals and passions,” Minnick said. “For some, this includes working during the summer to obtain safety experience, for others it is getting involved in research, or possibly it is taking on a leadership role in one of our student organizations.

“My desire for them is to realize their full potential and to understand the significance of their chosen career, influencing all levels of an organization so that employees experience a safe and healthful work environment.”

The department continues to reach out to alumni through LinkedIn and an annual event at the ASSP Professional Development Conference to give IUP prizes and catch up with them.

“Our vision is to be the premier institution for education and research and the program of choice for industry partnerships in the global safety, health, and environmental profession,” Cekada said. “We will continue to strive towards this through our teaching, research, and service to the profession and our commitment to our students.”

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March 10, 2021

News

Students selected for various awards, scholarships OLIVIA CARBONE Staff Writer kxxw@iup.edu @ThePennIUP MARIAH MAUSER Staff Writer lmvbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Multiple IUP students have won awards and scholarships this past month.

At IUP, many students have the opportunity to earn awards and scholarships that can help them advance their academic career, as well as help them achieve goals set for themselves.

Doctoral Student Selected for English Language Specialist Project A doctoral student at IUP has been selected for a teaching project in Central Asia.

Jimalee Sowell of IUP’s composition and applied linguistics program was selected by the U.S. Department of State to participate in a teaching project that focuses on preparing Central Asian teachers to make presentations at international meetings.

The program began in 1991 and now supports 150 projects per year. The specialist program, of which Sowell was selected for, is conducted by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

Sowell is president of the Composition and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Association, as well as a member of Phi Kappa Phi. She works at the writing center and is section editor of IUP’s “Inspiring Pedagogical Connections.”

“I worked as an English language fellow in Bangladesh and the Ivory Coast in the past,” Sowell said. “My experiences in these fellowships and in the PhD program at IUP helped me develop specialized skills.”

These skills are what led her to be selected to take part in the English Language Specialist project.

Sowell needed to write conference abstracts, a standalone piece on what a piece of work is about. She wrote an article, “How to Write an ELT Conference Abstract,” which was published in English Teaching Forum in 2019.

“In the process of writing that article, I developed expertise on the topic of conference abstracts,” Sowell said. “When the U.S. need-

ed someone to help train teachers in the Central Asian region, they reached out to me to see if I could work on this project.”

To qualify for this role, you need to be a specialist. You need to have a master’s or doctoral degree in TESOL or a related field, and some sort of specialized experience or expertise. Sowell will be conducting her role virtually.

“I will be working with English language instructors in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan,” Sowell said.

“I am looking forward to working with these teachers on writing conference abstracts and learning more about their teaching contexts,” Sowell said. “I am also looking forward to learning about the cultures in this region.”

During their projects, the English Language Specialist may be a part of teaching training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences.

Sowell is also currently working on her dissertation, which is focused on teaching writing within large, multi-level English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts.

PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS AWARDED STANLEY W. LORE SCHOLARSHIP Three IUP students have been chosen as recipients of a 2021 psychology scholarship.

Rebecca Ettore (junior, psychology), Dominique Harris and Alexis Tavalsky are three psychology students that have received the 2021 IUP Stanley W. Lore Psychology scholarship.

The scholarship was originally established in 1987 by the psychology department at IUP to honor the original chairperson and one of the founders, Stanley Lore. He was quintessential in what was the development of the psychology major in 1964 and the development of the department in 1967.

Professors like Lore were necessary for the STEM program at IUP to develop and to provide more opportunities to students in more areas than just education majors.

Typically, there are one to three recipients of the scholarship, and there were three students who were able to excel and achieve this goal this year. It is a renowned scholarship within the department and a very high honor to be the

recipient of it.

According to the IUP press release, Ettore is from Pittsburgh.

She is on the dean’s list here at IUP and is also a provost scholar.

She is a member of three fraternities: Phi Sigma Pi honors fraternity, Psi Chi psychology

honors fraternity and Phi Kappa Phi honors society. She is also the social chair of the Phi Sigma Pi honors fraternity.

Being the social chair for the Phi Sigma Pi means that Ettore is responsible for organizing events that highlight the organization and its goals and purposes. This is an important job for any fraternity or group.

“It always feels good to receive a reward and be recognized for your hard work but receiving the Stanley W. Lore Scholarship just brings a whole different realm of emotions to me,” Rebecca Ettore said. “Knowing that the psychology faculty hand-picked me (and the two other recipients) for this scholarship makes me feel like my accomplishments did not go unforeseen.”

Harris is from Jim Thorpe, Pa., and is another recipient of the award.

Harris is a part of the Phi Sigma

Pi honors fraternity and the Psi Chi psychology honors fraternity. In an act of service and community, Harris also volunteers with IUP Food Pantry and Help Center.

Because of Harris’ outstanding work, she is not only the recipient of the Stanley Lore Scholarship, but also the recipient of the Sutton Scholarship and the Albert R. Pechan Award.

The final recipient of the scholarship is Tavalsky. Tavalsky from Johnstown, Pa. “The IUP community has supported me in my aspirations by providing many opportunities on campus to get involved academically and offering various academic resources to support you along the way which has helped me greatly,” Ettore said. “The supportiveness of the IUP community has also made my time and experience here so worthwhile. The people you meet and the connections you make will truly last a lifetime.”

IUP receives highest status for military friendly schools in the nation AMARI WALKER Staff Writer jqtbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP has been selected for a high ranking among military-friendly schools.

Through the past seven years, IUP has been on the Military Friendly Schools list along with 1,200 other colleges and universities that were considered for the ranking. Among the 162 universities in the nation, IUP has earned a spot in the rankings as one of only six in Pennsylvania selected for the 2021 “Gold Award” status.

Annually, around 1,000 veterans or military-affiliated students study at IUP. Since fall 2014, IUP’s enrollment of veterans and military-affiliated students has increased by almost 70 percent.

After opening in 2014, IUP’s Military and Veterans Resource Center (MVRC) has managed to work collaboratively with IUP programs and services as a one-stop information and referral site to help students transition to college life and achieve their academic goals.

In 2016, the Veterans Affairs Benefits Office was moved into the MVRC. Its goal is to increase

campus awareness of student veteran issues and fostering a sense of camaraderie, community and well-being for all veterans, military-affiliated students and their families.

To be selected for the Military Friendly Schools ranking list, institutions are evaluated based on public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey.

Universities are judged in several categories, including graduation, job placement, loan default rates for all students and student veterans, loan repayment, persistence (degree advancement or transfer) and student retention.

To meet the criteria for the list, universities and institutions have to demonstrate efforts to recruit and retain students who are veterans or in the military, success in recruiting those students and academic accreditations.

Since MVRC opened, veteran students and military-affiliated students have learned how to navigate IUP and received help with VA educational benefits that allow them to succeed academically and personally.

The “Gold Award,” which IUP received this year, is a testament to the work that IUP has done to support veterans and military-af-

filiated students.

“This designation not only shows the tremendous work done in the Military and Veterans Resource Center, but across the entire university on both the academic and non-academic side,” Dr. Cory Shay, director of IUP’s MVRC, said. “IUP will continue to work hard to improve our services for our veterans.”

For students involved with MVRC program, they are supported with transition assistance, mental health counseling, study skill workshops and other services. Students are also eligible for additional scholarships and in-state tuition without residency requirements that is specifically military students and veterans.

Since the center opened, veteran and military-affiliated students have been able to obtain degrees in computer science, human resource management, criminal justice and more. Receiving this award has acknowledged the center’s hard work and represents the appreciation of the work they’ve done over the years.

“Once again, it is an honor to be recognized by Victory Media as a military-friendly school,” Shay said on behalf of the MVRC.

March 10, 2021

News

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Breathe in, breathe out

Kittanning student selected for respiratory award at IUP OLIVIA CARBONE Staff Writer kxxw@iup.edu @ThePennIUP A Kittanning student at IUP has been selected for respiratory care excellence award.

Each year, the respiratory care faculty at IUP nominates strong candidates for the Ann and Daniel McCauley Memorial Award for Respiratory Care, and this year’s recipient is Lindsey Scherf (senior, respiratory care).

The faculty then vote for which graduating senior should receive the honor. The recipient must demonstrate the “4 Cs”: compassion, caring, communication and competence.

Scherf is the daughter of Mark Moore and Theresa Hudepohl.

She is a 2016 Armstrong junior and senior high school graduate and

(IUP) Lindsey Scherf, the winner of the respiratory care excellence award from IUP. is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care and a minor in psychology.

She is a member of the dean’s

list, served as class representative for the senior respiratory care class and was an active member of the IUP Respiratory Care Club.

She has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Pittsburgh and completed her internship at UPMC Children’s Hospital, where she will work after graduation.

Scherf, upon picking respiratory care as a major, was surprised with how much more it meant to her as the years went on.

“I went into respiratory with the mindset that I would be helping patients breathe, but it’s so much more than that,” Scherf said. “It’s a rewarding field to get into, especially with the current pandemic.

With respiratory, we are helping patients with a function – breathing – that most of us don’t even think about. Our body just does it for us. But due to disease states, trauma or medical emergencies,

some patients need help getting back to the basics of breathing.

Respiratory therapists are there to help their patients with that. You can’t beat it.”

The McCauley Award was first established in 1993 by the Daniel McCauley family to commemorate wife and mother, Ann. When Ann became ill, the family made note of the respiratory care that she had received. Also, her daughter

Patricia graduated from IUP with a respiratory care degree. Following her passing, her husband and daughters created the annual award at IUP. They work with the foundation for IUP to make sure the award goes to the top student in each graduating class.

For many years, Dan McCauley attended the annual respiratory care graduation to present the award, but upon his passing in 2003, their daughters now include his name on the award.

Since then, Maureen has often been the presenter with one of the sisters alongside of her.

“While it’s always a difficult decision to select only one recipient, Lindsey is very deserving of the honor,” respiratory program director Jackie Heisler said. “She is very mature, polite and caring in her interactions with patients and staff.”

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March 10, 2021

News

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else” ~Judy Garland

International Women’s Day 2021 marks 110th anniversary AMANDA CECCARELLI

Students react to International Women’s Day

Contributing Writer bqqx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

International Women’s Day was honored Monday, and the history behind the day is something to never be forgotten.

The entire month of March is recognized across many countries as Women’s Month, but March 8 is specifically known as International Women’s Day. It first started being observed in the U.S. in 1909 and was created by the Socialist Party. It began spreading across Europe and other countries in 1910 when a German feminist named Clara Zetkin advocated for Women’s Day to become an official holiday worldwide.

Some countries did not start considering it a holiday until later on. Russia began observing it after women gained suffrage in 1917, and the United Nations began celebrating it in 1977. The holiday was adopted by the feminist movement around 1967.

International Women’s Day was created to bring women together to continue the journey towards equality. It is a holiday to celebrate the magnificent strength that woman past and present have portrayed.

It is a day that all women come together no matter their race, religion, political party, social standing or any other factor. Women worldwide can stand together and reflect on how far women have come, but also discuss different ways that they can move forward.

It is important to not only pay tribute to the women that have fought across the world for women’s rights, but to continue what they have begun and make the

(Gadgets360) International Women’s Day celebrates empowerment and equality of women.

ISABELLA BENSON Contributing Writer hpjy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Natalie Stanton/The Penn) International Women’s Day celebrates women around the world. world into a place that they would be proud to see if they were here.

“I think it is important to recognize how far women have come in the fight for equality in all aspects of life,” Morgan Brennen (senior, criminology and pre-law) said. “I also think that the time should be used to not only celebrate, but also bring awareness to gender disparities that still present themselves in our society and teach others how to change those disparities.”

International Woman’s Day is celebrated in many countries in many different ways. China has respected the holiday since 1949, and many companies pay tribute to the day by offering women a half-day off.

The U.K. uses the holiday to raise awareness by holding events around the country to raise money for women’s rights charities.

In Italy, International Women’s Day is referred to as “La Festa della Donna” and is celebrated by gifting bright flowers to women.

The president of the U.S. even makes a statement of recognition every year in respect and honor of the holiday called the

Presidential Proclamation.

Women today are strong and successful. They empower other women and fight every day for equality. Women have gained a lot of rights over the years, but with the momentum and the place we are at now there is no stopping us and what the future holds.

Equality is the future, and the future is coming rapidly, so we must continue for the women before us and the women to come after us. They have to fight together for the world we want to live it.

“I celebrate being a woman because I know that I can only be where I am because of strong women who fought for my rights to be educated, for the ability to vote and so much more,” Bethany Bailey (junior, journalism and public relations) said.

March 8 is such an important holiday to celebrate, but it also is important to take what we learn from the holiday and use it in everyday life. Everyday should be treated with the drive and the honor we give on International Woman’s Day because that is how change will happen.

As Monday marked International Women’s Day, students and faculty of IUP shared what it means to them to be a woman in today’s world.

“Being a woman in today’s world can be liberating in so many ways,” Amanda Ceccarelli (senior, journalism and public relations) said. “There are so many successful and strong women to look up to, and it gives other women the encouragement to do anything they set their mind to.”

As the world is moving quickly and many things have changed, the women of the world must be ready for anything.

“Being a woman in today's world requires being strong, brave and compassionate all at once and the ability to multitask,” Alexandria Kappel, associate professor in communication disorders, special education and disability services, said.

“All the positives come with the challenge of still being looked down upon and looked at as not capable or weak,” Ceccarelli said. “It is changing as time goes on, but it isn’t perfect. But I’m confident that women are unstoppable, and one day, we will run the world.”

For many years, women have been pushed to their limits and

required to execute certain tasks and responsibilities. Even the clothes women wore for years have been consistent.

“I'm in my 60s, so being a woman in today's world is both wonderful and difficult,” Laurie Miller, professor in journalism and public relations, said. “So much has changed. As a little girl, I had to wear dresses in grade school.

That started changing in junior high or high school.”

Miller said she has experienced sexism in the workplace.

“When I started working in the newspaper business, most of the editors and managers were men; no women worked in sports coverage,” she said. “One of my friends wanted to work in sports; she was assigned to be the food editor. Women have more flexibility today, but of course, they have had to work and fight for it.

“I once read a quote that said comparing yourself to others kills your soul or spirit,” Miller said. “I try to remember that and do my personal best without worrying about others' expectations.”

Every day, the power of women is getting stronger and stronger.

“Some positives of being a woman is I feel as though I’m gaining a voice with changes in our views of women,” Darby Anundson (senior, early childhood education and early childhood special education) said. “We get more rights to speech and get to take charge more often.”

News

March 10, 2021

IUP program ranked among top 10 in the nation BENJAMIN BRUMBAUGH

Staff Writer msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP’s hospitality management bachelor’s degree has been ranked in 2021’s top 10 best bachelor’s degrees in hospitality management in the nation by Study.com.

IUP’s bachelor’s degree in hospitality management was recognized as the ninth best in the nation and the best in Pennsylvania. Only 50 schools nationwide were selected for ranking out of hundreds that were examined.

The explanation of the ranking on Study.com said, “Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Hospitality Management department provides its students with many career-advancing prospects. The school also offers ways for students to customize their degrees by adding a minor in restaurant and food service management, hotel and lodging management, and special event and tourism management.”

“I felt honored, proud of the accomplishment and relieved to know the efforts of our combined effort over these past six years was recognized by an independent authority and so [they] rewarded our efforts with this prestigious ranking,” Dr. Stephen Shiring (hospitality management) said.

“I was happy for our administrators, alumni, custodial staff, faculty, staff, students and collectively the whole IUP family,” Shiring said. “The news from Study.com reaffirmed us as the premier hospitality management program in Pennsylvania.”

This ranking is a testament to the exceptional and dedicated staff of the hospitality management department.

“Our exceptional faculty each bring to the team their own expertise and, working as a team, have led the way,” Shiring said. “Dr. Yasong Wang, Dr. Nicole Buse, Chef Jeffrey Santicola and myself each contribute to a purely focused hospitality curriculum.”

“We mentor, customize each student’s course selection and guide them toward successful management careers,” he said.

“In addition, our secretary, Mrs. Sherry DiPaolo, helps to create a student-friendly welcoming office environment for each person regardless of ethnicity, social status,

(Study.com) The badge that IUP has received for the hospitality ranking. race or diversity.”

This achievement is a tremendous accomplishment for the program, and the department has been working toward this achievement for many years.

The department’s vision statement reads, “The Department of Hospitality Management aspires to be the premier hospitality program in Pennsylvania. We intend to be recognized nationally and internationally, and to be the program of choice for student and hospitality industry employers.”

“This recognition is really a validation of the vision that has been guiding us for the past few years,” assistant professor Dr. Nicole Buse said.

“Also, this type of recognition is very good for IUP as it continues to position itself to meet the needs to those looking for a higher education experience that can lead to exciting career opportunities in an industry that continues to grow at a very high rate,” Buse said.

The hospitality management department prepares students for a wide variety of career opportunities.

“A degree in hospitality management prepares students for a variety of career paths in a number

of segments within the hospitality industry where growth estimates are continuing to be very significant,” Buse said.

“Our curriculum electives help students tailor their educational experience based upon their career objectives. The curriculum continues to evolve, and the curriculum design includes input from industry leaders that provides them with talent necessary to compete in today’s hospitality industry.

Students are prepared for management positions in various segments of hospitality, including hotels, resorts, restaurants, food service facilities, events, tourism, casinos, country clubs, theme parks and attractions.

The hospitality management department and its dedicated staff members will continue to work hard to give students in their program an experience like no other.

“We continue to strive to be the best – every day,” Shiring said. “We will continue to support our students in their preparation of achieving their career goals.”

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Opinion

COVID-19 does not signal end to parties at IUP Since the start of COVID-19, IUP has been adamant about keeping the campus safe for students and faculty.

With emails every week keeping IUP students and faculty up-to-date on COVID-19 numbers and on what IUP is doing to keep the Hawks safe, it is safe to say the campus is doing its part in keeping numbers low. From providing pandemic packets with masks, sanitizer, tissues and more in them, to sanitizing high-traffic areas repeatedly throughout the day and night, IUP is working hard to keep everyone safe.

However, with warm weather slowly approaching, it appears not everybody received the memo.

The pandemic has seen a rise in numbers since the very beginning. There have been the words of warning to wear masks in public, stay at least six feet apart from those around you, wash your hands after being in public, sanitize, etc.

While most of the IUP students have done their part while being on campus last semester and this semester, some of those who have returned for the spring semester have decided to forgo the warnings sent by IUP. At the beginning of the spring semester, IUP reported almost a decrease of COVID-19 cases from fall 2020. There were few to no positive cases, which was something that filled everyone returning for fall 2021 with hope that classes may be back to in-person.

And, lo and behold, a few weeks later, IUP released an email that there have “been discussions” taking place about classes returning to in-person for the fall semester.

For those graduating, like myself, this was disappointing. Our last semester would be spent virtual with the possibility of a virtual graduation. This also felt like our last semester to be “college kids” and have fun with friends before going out into the adult world and working jobs, starting families, truly starting our lives.

That was robbed from us last year when the pandemic first hit.

And now, we were getting more rough news. Fun with friends would

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(The Penn Staff) During first spring weather day of the semester, students could be seen in large gatherings without face coverings Tuesday evening. be virtual, as well as classes. It was annoying, it was frustrating, but we understood why.

At least the warmer weather March is bringing has brought some hope and light in a confusing, questioning time.

The start of this week saw beautiful temperatures, around the 50s and 60s, with 40s roughly coming into play once the sun went down.

Now, I love winter, but once that spring weather hits and it’s almost a symbol of the start of something new, it makes everything look better and brighter. Plus, shedding a coat and getting to wear a jacket makes everything more comfortable.

Yet, the beauty was quickly diminished Tuesday evening by a boombox and shouts of cheers with drinks thrown back.

Fraternities and sororities have been synonymous with the word “party” since the beginning of time.

Where there is good weather, there is usually a party or two, especially on Frat Row in Indiana. Greek Life decided to take advantage of the warmer weather as well…by throwing parties.

And not one person donned a mask for the parties. It was as if the pandemic had been a dream and everything was back too normal.

Until, in a week or two, IUP sees a spike in positive COVID-19 cases.

Now, the argument could be that those who live in the same house do not have to wear a mask around each other, which is a good argument. Unfortunately, frat houses are nothing like clown cars in which 10 people can fit in a small, fourdoor kiddie car. Frat houses can hold only so many people. And with the amount of people at the party Tuesday, there’s no way they all live in the same house.

IUP has suggested time and time again that, when on campus and around others, to wear a mask and stay six feet apart from each other.

Fraternities and sororities have decided to ignore this request and party all the same.

Was it too much to ask of fraternities and sororities to lay off the partying for at least one more semester? Sure, we have the COVID-19 vaccine out, which means everything will eventually return to normal, right?

Possibly? Yes. But the keyword there is “eventually.” Right now?

Absolutely not.

Parties can wait. Your friends’ lives are worth more than getting drunk and having a hangover in the next day’s classes. Yeah, the warmer

March 3, 2021

weather is tempting to go out and party and have a fun time with friends, but there is still a pandemic going on.

The party Tuesday saw two houses blaring music, playing beer pong, getting up close and personal with everybody and having a “good ole time.”

Will you have a good ole time when you are in your room, coughing, feeling terrible and wondering where on earth you could have contracted COVID-19? Because that is a real possibility now. We do not have the luxury of partying every weekend or even every waking second.

While in a campus building – or any building in public – you are asked to wear a mask. Upon entering the Hadley Union Building (HUB) or an academic building, you are asked to wear a mask if you do not already have one on. I have not seen one student upset or cause a fight due to this, which is admirable.

Since it is so easy to wear a mask in a building, if you insist on having a party, wear the mask then. Or, better yet, stop putting others lives at risk just so you can have a night of fun.

The party Tuesday made it clear that, despite the suggestions and warnings of IUP, some students do not care about their health or

their friends’ health. Nobody wore a mask. Nobody stayed six feet apart. The pandemic, in the minds of Greek Life, did not exist, even for just a few hours.

I am frustrated with the pandemic as much as the next person. It is annoying and can be lonesome not getting to see loved ones except through a computer screen. It is frustrating not being able to share smiles and hugs with those you formerly did. It is irritating to be stuck at home with virtually nothing to do except be virtual. It feels like an odd “Black Mirror” episode in which everyone is stuck in the motion of doing without doing or feeling.

It is a scary time. It is a lonesome time.

It is not a time to party and throw caution to the wind just to get out of the funk the pandemic has put on all of us. There were some Greek houses that were quiet, at least on the outside, on Tuesday, but how many more were there that partied or had tons of people over? How many more are there across the U.S. that decide, just because it is warm out, it is time to ignore the pandemic and settle down for a good, old-fashioned party like the “good ole days.”

This was, plain and simple, a stupid decision on Greek Life to throw parties. Think of how many numbers are going to skyrocket in Indiana and on campus with positive cases. The hard work that IUP faculty and students did last semester and even now is being thrown out the window.

The same people at the parties are the ones who go to the HUB and North Dining Hall and elsewhere on campus where large numbers of people can be. The ones at the parties are possibly the carriers who infect the next students and who help the cases at IUP rise from single digits to double or triple.

Wake up, Greek Life. Despite thinking the pandemic cannot touch you, it is not picky. It is a real disease that can cost you your life. A party, of all things, is not worth it.

Brought to you

By THE PENN STAFF

Opinion

Culture

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

(IUP)

With midterms completed, students will now look forward to fall registration, and finals.

Whoa, we’re halfway there, whoa, midterms are here Students express their relief to be halfway done with semester LANE LANNAN Staff Writer ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP After a strange school year, IUP students experienced the beginning of the end of the semester with midterms.

The midterm exams are the bane of many college students’ school lives. With many articles and studies about midterms and their effects, it is easy to see why.

Midterms tend to be very stressful for most students. According to the Carruth Center at West Virginia University, there are both good and bad types of exam stress that can affect students. The good type can help boost productivity, whereas the bad type can lead to excessive worry.

Despite these factors, some IUP students are feeling good about the midterms.

“I’m glad to be at the halfway point,” Edward Clark (junior, social

Culture

(IUP) Midterm grades can be found under the academics section of your MyIUP account. studies education) said. “I did not have many stresses about midterms, mainly because I had no traditional midterm exams.”

Clark went on to say that he had a few tests, but they were all relatively easy by his other classes’ standards. Clark also said that,

despite midterms normally being a cause of mental health issues, he found that it was actually the online school and hybrid system that took the most out of him.

Despite the draining that he experienced, Clark said that he is looking forward to being able to

March 10, 2021

unwind during summer.

There are some other students that are just ready for the year to end. And who could blame them?

With the way that 2020, and now 2021, have played out so far, it is understandable as to why some just want the school year to end.

“I’m feeling pretty good with the semester being almost done,” Kaitlyn Morettini (sophomore, geography) said. “I don’t have much to look forward to after midterms, just the fact that finals are looming over us.”

Morettini brings to light a good point: School moves from one stressor to another, from midterms to final exams. But finals also bring about the end of the school year, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Other students that did not get a chance to move to campus because of COVID-19 are also excited for the year to conclude.

“I’m excited for summer; I think it’s been a good college experi-

ence so far,” Gaby Allison (freshman, exploratory) said. “But I’m excited to hopefully be on campus this fall.”

Allison went on to describe the stresses that she experienced throughout the course of preparing for midterms. In her case, Allison had to call off work to study and take the exams, which added a degree of financial worry about being able to make money that work week.

Despite those stressors, Allison said that she is feeling good about the final half of the school year. She said that she cannot wait to be able to spend time with friends and not have to worry about schoolwork anymore.

Something to remember about midterms is that they are not the be-all, end-all. It is important to study and get enough rest prior to a big test, especially one that you are nervous about. It is also important to eat something. So, set your sights on the end and carry on through to success.

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March 10, 2021

Culture

S T A T IC p u ts c o o k in g s k ills , k n o w le d g e to th e te s t STATIC HALEY BROWN tbfx@iup.edu I am Haley and will be writing weekly about the upcoming events for STATIC. Stay tuned.

This week, there are more exciting upcoming Student Activity Committee (STATIC) events, including the second round of the game show IUP Chopped and the second Trivia Night of this semester.

The second round of the IUP Chopped Competition will take place Thursday. The event will be entirely virtual and hosted by STATIC members via Zoom. The event is scheduled to take place from 8 p.m. and is estimated to

(Facebook) The Student Activity Committee (STATIC) is hosting IUP Chopped which is based on the reality TV show “Chopped” in which four chefs compete against each other. It is also holding another Trivia Night which will focus on the TV show “Friends.” run until 10 p.m.

Those who want to participate in the competition must preregister to compete for the cash prizes.

Competitors must submit a video of the preparation of their chosen dish ranging from two minutes to five minutes in length. The video must also include a presentation clip of the

finished dish.

The preregistration for this event includes an area in which you can upload your video. If your video won’t upload, you can email your video to Zach Clark at znclark@iup.edu.

Participants not interested in competing will act as the judges of the event and will be choosing the winners of the night.

“We’re hoping to showcase submitted clips from IUP recognized student organizations featuring their best culinary specialty,” Ali Walker, STATIC’s graduate advisor, said.

“Clips will be built into a themed PowerPoint. The judges would be the participants at the event. Voting would occur via Mentimeter throughout the event. There are not different rounds, and all recipes will be judged equally by participants.”

As of Sunday, STATIC has not received any registrations for this event and will have to cancel the second round of IUP Chopped if IUP students do not register to compete for prizes.

The event page for IUP Chopped mentions that some “IUP celebrities” will be involved in this event as well.

“Our IUP student [organizations are the ‘IUP celebrities’ that will be involved in this event],” Walker said.

“We want IUP’s [organizations] to have the opportunity to compete in order to get prizes of $200 for first place, $150 for second place and $100 for third place in order to raise money for philanthropy, programming or other expenses.”

The second Trivia Night of this semester will take place Tuesday.

The event will be held virtually via Zoom from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will be moderated by STATIC staff and executive board members to make sure that the trivia points are rewarded fairly to the participants.

Players must preregister for the event on STATIC’s web page and will be asked to include their captain’s name, team name, IUP email, Banner ID, cell number

and the names of their teammates.

Space is limited for this event on a first-come, first-served basis, and the Zoom meeting room will fill quickly, so coming 15 minutes early should give your team a better chance of snagging a slot.

This Trivia Night event will be based around the ever-popular TV series, “Friends.” Interested students who are fans of this sitcom will have a great chance of bringing home some cash prizes.

During Trivia Night, players will be able to view the trivia questions through a live Zoom presentation and utilize the polling software called Mentimeter to submit their answers.

“The event will consist of four rounds, with each round including ten questions,” Thomas Lyttle, STATIC’s graduate intern, said.

“At the end of each round a leaderboard will be displayed that shows the total number of correct answers by each team.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three participants/teams at the end of the event.”

“The STATIC Staff and Executive Board has been working hard to brainstorm our question list and sort through a large number of potential questions over the last several weeks,” Lyttle said.

“We’ve narrowed our question list down to the 40 most interesting and challenging questions that will test the knowledge of even the biggest ‘Friends’ fans.”

The top three winners will be rewarded with cash prizes. The first place winner will receive a $50 Co-op Store gift card, second place will win a $20 Amazon gift card and third place will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Culture

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March 10, 2021

Chicago dancer to speak about following dreams in presentation GABRIELLA BYRNE Staff Writer bmwx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Six O’Clock Series is hosting a professional dancer for their March 15 th segment.

On March 15, the Six O’Clock Series will be hosting Donnetta Jackson, a professional dancer from Chicago, for the segment, “Following Your Dreams.”

Donetta “LilBit” Jackson’s credentials span an impressive range from performing on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” (ABDC) to performing with Chance the Rapper. She plans on sharing her start in the dance industry while reaffirming the importance of networking and connections on the Six O’Clock Series.

Born in Chicago, Jackson started dancing at the age of seven.

She was one of the first members of a tap company called Making

(Facebook) Professional dancer, Donnetta Jackson, encourages students to pursue their goals.

A Difference Dancing (M.A.D.D.) Rhythms by eleven years old.

Later, she and the internationally recognized Chicago FootworKINGz went on to perform together on MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” on season six of the show.

Jackson is now one of Chance the Rapper’s choreographers/

dancers and has performed on a multitude of platforms including Good Morning America and the 2020 NBA All-Star game.

Assistant Director of program coordination, communication, and assessment for the center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement (MCSLE) Brianna

Drylie spoke on the reason for choosing Jackson as the guest.

“One of our doctoral graduate students in MCSLE is actually friends with Ms. Jackson and recommended we look into her story and having her present,” Drylie said. “I think it’s important to share her story of success now in March, Women’s History Month, and during the [COVID-19] pandemic.

I also believe that Ms. Jackson’s story and path to success will really resonate with students, especially our Black and Brown students.”

In an effort to reach out to Black and brown students, the Six O’Clock Series has re-evaluated their schedule to shift the focus and garner relevancy and relatability with these communities; however, all are encouraged and welcomed to join these presentations.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiration and motivation on campus are needed in times

like these to help students work through this turbulent period of their lives. In-person networking requires new cautions and restrictions that can make it frustrating to even attempt, yet it is valuable in finding and succeeding in a career.

The Six O’Clock Series hopes to bring programming that provide reinvigorate and provide relief for students with stories like Jackson’s path to success while reinforcing the need for making connections when beginning a career.

An open discussion will be available if attendees have questions for Jackson, and, while not confirmed, it is likely she would be willing to share some dance moves if asked.

“Ms. Jackson has an incredible story, and I think it will be enlightening for all that choose to join in and listen,” Drylie said. “She’s done some incredible things, and I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.”

T r e s A m ig o s is a f r ie n d t o y o u r w a lle t , t a s t e b u d s panied by rice, beans, guacamole salad and tortillas; a lot of food for not a lot of money.

“The food is really good, and the dishes are really big,” Sydney Greitz (freshman, exploratory) said.

“I took a box to bring the rest home because it was a lot, but I also didn’t want to waste anything because it was so delicious. I didn’t even pay a lot, which was good.”

A Taste of Indiana CAIO GOMES hysbc@iup.edu I am Gordon Ramsay’s biggest threat. I like discussing politics and making music puns.

Located on Oakland Avenue, right outside of campus, Tres Amigos has been the go-to place of many IUP students.

The restaurant opened in 2010 and is one of the three Mexican restaurants in Indiana, the other two being Casa Jalisco and El Tesoro, both located on Philadelphia Street.

Some would say that out of the trio, Tres Amigos is the first one people usually hear about because of its proximity to campus and its seniority status, since it is older than the others.

“I first heard of Tres Amigos in my first day on campus,” Kendall Gomez (freshman, international studies/Spanish) said. “My family and I passed by it on the way here, and within a week I was already eating there to celebrate my birthday.”

(Caio Gomes/The Penn) The Arroz con Pollo is a classic Mexican dish and is available at Tres Amigos.

Tres Amigos’ popularity, however, does not rely only on its proximity to campus; its food is also a major reason behind the restaurant’s popularity.

The menu includes diverse dishes from Mexican cuisine ranging from quick-bite appetizers such as guacamole dip to fully elaborated meals such as the classic Arroz con Pollo, a bed of rice topped with cheese sauce and grilled chicken on top.

Many of the meals come with

a side of rice, something that has become nearly indispensable in Latin American cuisine. Others also come accompanied by flour tortillas, which add a nice touch to the “full-meal” feeling that the restaurant provides.

The pricing is another attractive thing regarding the restaurant—it is not expensive. Piña Loca, the most expensive dish on the menu, is $17.99 and consists of grilled chicken, shrimp and vegetables all served on a pineapple and accom-

Tres Amigos, though, has one extra bit of charm. Many restaurants can claim the “good food for low prices” card, and so many more can claim the “located near a college campus” card.

However, only few can be proud of such an outstanding service as Tres Amigos.

Although the restaurant con-

stantly busy, it is very rare for a costumer to wait long for service at the table, and the staff is generally very kind and upbeat. If you speak Spanish, you could even try your luck with the language because odds are that the waiter will speak it, too.

One reason why the staff is so upbeat is that for the most part, they honestly seem to enjoy working there. IUP student Tatiana Cleffi (freshman, nursing) claims she really loves working at the restaurant.

“I love working at Tres Amigos,” Cleffi said. “Although it’s a Mexican restaurant, our staff is a mix of different Spanish speaking countries such as Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica.

“For me, it is a fun environment and like a small family. We can speak Spanish and have fun while we work together, whether it’s dancing to bachata while cleaning or cracking jokes while mixing drinks.”

Whether it is because of how close it is to campus (it takes less than 15 minutes of walking to get there), because of its delicious food or outstanding service, the truth is that Tres Amigos deserves all of its popularity and more. It is a must-go in Indiana.

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March 10, 2021

Culture

D ad Band

The IUP group that asks “do you like jazz?”

Local Bands LANE LANNAN ffpcc@iup.edu I am in the top .001 percent of The Beach Boys’ fans on Spotify.

I also like playing games and vibing with my party lights.

IUP has a strong musical culture amongst the students, but who says professors cannot join in on the fun?

The Dad Band is exactly that. The band features the talents of Ken Sherwood (professor in English) on trumpet, Mike Powers (executive director of marketing and communications) on saxophone, Corbin Krug on piano, Stuart Chandler (professor of religious studies) on drums and Dave Ferguson (assistant dean for curriculum and instruction in the college of fine arts) on bass.

The group formed more than 15 years ago when several of the band members’ children were attending daycare. Powers and Sherwood got together and suggested that instruments could be brought in for a show-and-tell day. This information spread to other parents, setting the stage for the band members to meet and connect over their love of jazz music.

“Jazz is great music,” Sherwood said. “It is America’s contribution to culture and just a lot of fun to play.”

He said that a seasoned jazz artist can play with people they have never met but still get a great tune out. This is due to collective improvisation.

An aspect of being a musician, in many cases, is adapting a song to do a cover version to put a new spin on a classic. Sherwood said that the Dad Band does this as well.

“Most of the time, we have a version of tunes that are already

out there,” Sherwood said. “Mike Powers has spent a lot of time transcribing famous performances.”

Sherwood described the process of transcription.

“So, let’s say there’s a Miles Davis tune with a great sax and trumpet melody,” he said. “People sit down and transcribe that, as well as the chords, into what we call the lead sheet that allows us to begin practicing the song.”

“I like the fact that the professors have a side job and are doing something that they really enjoy,” Thomas Valcukas (freshman, biology) said. “It’s cool that they get to play jazz music since it gives off a lot of nostalgia.”

Valcukas said that, despite liking the fact that the band plays jazz, he would most likely not see them play live because of the awkwardness that comes with seeing teachers outside of a classroom environment.

All of the members of Dad Band work at IUP. Regardless of wanting to see the group live or not, it may be more difficult than one would think. Each band member has a day job, so that makes the band more of a side hobby.

That fact also limits where they perform at. The band performs only at jazz festivals like the Westylvania Jazz and Blues Festival, charity events or at jazz jam nights hosted by various restaurants and bars.

The fact that professors can have a hobby like this is interesting to some students.

“I think it’s pretty cool that professors are in a band,” Kendall Gomez (freshman, international studies)

(Facebook)

said. “It humanizes them more than just some people who exist in the classroom.”

Unfortunately, the future of the group is uncertain.

“It’s been almost two years since we played,” Powers said.

“COVID-19 canceled the 2020 edition of the festival (Westylvania Jazz and Blues Festival). We would like to bring it back for May of 2021, but things are still very unsure.”

Despite the band being out of commission at the moment, they are eager to get back together.

So, if you want to listen to Dad Band, stay posted on the Westylvania Jazz and Blues Festival this year.

Culture

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March 10, 2021

N e d W e r t e x h ib its IU P p r id e , p a in tin g s AMARI WALKER Staff Writer jqtbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP For the past month, the University Museum has been featuring an exhibition of paintings made by Ned Wert, a former IUP professor.

“On behalf of the University Museum at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, I am pleased to welcome you to ‘Ned Wert: A Retrospective, a celebration of the works, artistry, and significant contributions of Ned Wert,’” Curtis Scheib, the Dean at IUP’s College of Fine Arts, said.

This exhibition homages Ned Wert’s contributions to IUP and the impact he’s caused on several generations of students.

“Ned Wert is truly a joyous celebration of color and light,” Scheib said.

In his career as an artist and

Ned Wert studied art education at IUP. educator, Wert has inspired many students with his devotion to art.

Because of this exhibit, he was able to reconnect with some students.

“The YouTube video has put me in touch with many former students.

I have really enjoyed contact with these people after many years,” Wert said. “Evidently they are alert-

(Caio Gomes/The Penn)

ing each other as some responses have come from across the USA.” Wert has exhibits across Pennsylvania and Delaware, but this doesn’t mean he’s taken this exhibition for granted. As an alumnus who’s gotten both his bachelor’s and post-graduate degrees at IUP, he spent several months organizing

and preparing for this exhibit to give his alma mater the dedication it deserves.

“I was invited to show [my art] in October 2020,” Wert said.

He took the time between the invitation and the exhibition opening day gathering works from each of the six decades he’s been actively painting.

“It took some time to locate collectors in Central and Western Pennsylvania,” Wert said. “It was important to include as many of the different series of my work as possible.”

Wert said he felt honored to receive an invitation from the Lively Arts Museum Board.

“By putting this exhibition together, it was exciting to see work done over a 60-year period all in one location,” Wert said.

He felt as if he rediscovered approaches to various series and

the directions, he took to keep the paintings fresh and original.

The paintings on display are contributions of the artist’s personal collection, along with the University Museum’s permanent collection and others works that were generously loaned from private collections. The exhibit also features a video interview with the artist.

Visitors can see the artwork collections at the University Museum on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. until March 20.

As a precaution for COVID-19, the exhibit has been designed to promote social distancing. IUP requires that students wear a facial mask in all public buildings.

For more information on this and other Museum events, please contact Audrey Swartz, IUP Department of Art and Design, at 724-357-2530, or email museum-info@iup.edu.

To H o lly w o o d , th e o n ly c o lo r th a t m a tte rs is n o t g re e n , b u t w h ite CAIO GOMES Staff Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), more commonly known as the Golden Globes, has been yet again the subject of controversy, this time revolving around the critically acclaimed film “Minari.”

Although the film has been widely acclaimed by critics, winning the top award at the Sundance Film Festival and making it to the Academy Awards’ shortlist (nominations will be out Monday), it was not eligible to place a bid for the top categories at the Golden Globes.

Why? Because of an old rule that bars movies nominated for Best Foreign Language Film from being nominated for the Best Picture categories.

This is the same rule that kept “Parasite,” which in 2020 made history by being the first international film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, from gaining the same distinction at the Golden Globes.

Other films hampered by this rule include Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” and Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell.”

“The scandal doesn’t surprise me,” Michelle Puerta (student affairs in higher education) said.

“To me, this [rule] is a form of oppression; it lets us know that minority works will never be seen as award-winning.

(Facebook) “Minari,” which came out in 2020, is one of the films distributed

by A24.

“We are good enough for others to see, but not good enough to be awarded.”

As if it was not controversial enough to prohibit foreign-language films from winning Best Picture, the mere fact that “Minari” was classified as a foreign film also generated some controversy.

The film, which tells the story of a family immigrating to the U.S. looking to live the American Dream, was produced by A24 – an American company. It was also written and directed by an American, and even the majority of the cast was composed of American citizens.

Many thought that it did not make a lot of sense to label a film made in America as foreign just because parts of it that were not in English. The Golden Globes define as foreign any film that has 51 percent or more of dialogue in a language other than English.

This definition has long-gener-

ated controversies. To many, this policy excludes Native-American stories (such as 2006’s “Apocalypto”) as well the 21 percent of American homes that speak a different language from being considered “American.” The U.S. does not recognize an official national language, making it really hard to defend the Golden Globes’ position on language.

“The HFPA probably is erasing a good chunk of immigrant stories that are going to come from communities that are marginalized,” Award-winning screenwriter William Yu said to CNN. “As these communities mature and look to tell their own stories, it’s not always going to be in English.”

Yu’s stance is backed by other professionals in the motion picture industry. Daniel Kim, known for his lead role in ABC’s drama “Lost,” tweeted about the controversy, calling it “the film equivalent of

being told to go back to your country when that country is actually America.”

While the “Minari” controversy may point out that the Golden Globes’ definition of American equates with speaking English, other controversies surrounding the awards may suggest that their definition of greatness is much narrower than that: just white.

In the 77 years of the show, only six of the Best Director nominees were Black. None has ever won. For acting, things are not much better; only two Black women won Best Actress, and four Black men won Best Actor.

“As a Black woman, this makes me disgusted,” Madison Reddick (freshman, pre-med) said.

“They’re basically saying that they really think that Black people aren’t talented.”

This year controversies surrounding the Globes’ erasure of Black people sparked at much higher levels than usual after an investigation

by The Los Angeles Times found that, out of the 87 voting members of the association that grants the awards, not a single person was Black.

“They really said ‘screw diversity,’ as usual,” Reddick said.

The Los Angeles Times’ report explains why controversies like “Minari” happen. Several voting members representing other countries are actually white Ameri-

cans. The ones named were Brant Simon and Vera Anderson, who were chosen by the association to represent China and Mexico respectively, despite not having any ancestry connected to the countries.

Being rich and powerful also seems to be more important than actual representation according to the association. Theo Kingma, a former HFPA president from the Netherlands, voted on behalf of Cuba. Meher Tatna from India, another former president, represented Singapore.

In a 2020 antitrust lawsuit, a Norwegian journalist, Kjersti Flaa, claimed that the association had a voting member who was deaf and legally blind but remained as an active voter because they did not want to admit someone new into their tax-exempt private club.

“If you want to have your private club and admit only your friends, that’s fine, but don’t ask the taxpayers to subsidize you,” Flaa’s attorney, David Quinto, told Variety when asked about the legal grounding behind the lawsuit.

This past Saturday, the HFPA finally broke the silence and released a statement vowing to add Black and other underrepresented minorities to the panels.

As for “Minari,” not all hope is lost; the film is seen as a top contender for the Academy Awards’ grand prizes.

Sports

Sports Editor: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu Lead Sportswriter: Austin Smith@A.S.Smith@iup.edu

(Natalie Stanton) IUP softball is looking to take this season by storm with a mix of veteran and young talent.

IUP softball dominates the diamond, winning doubleheader AUSTIN SMITH

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

The Crimson Hawks were out at the field swinging the bats for two victories this past weekend against their division foes, Slippery Rock.

The Hawks took game one by a score of 10–7.

The game was in favor of Slippery Rock earlier on, though, as they led by a score of 6–0 in the third inning. An offensive spark allowed IUP to come right back in the game to get it even.

“Our grit and determination along with our positive mindset kept us in the game and focused on what we can control,” head coach Shawna Bellaud said. “We trusted the process, and we were committed to it.”

The hot bats of Jenna Rhue (senior, criminology) and Haleigh Zimmerman (sophomore, safety science) got the offensive mojo started.

Zimmerman was a top player in the game going 2-5 with a pair of doubles, runs and RBIs. Pitcher Hope Jones (sophomore, psychology) was the go ahead score off the Sarah Hull (senior, sociology) doubling the lead against Slippery Rock.

14

(Natalie Stanton) Amanda Fischer (freshman, biology) was on the mound in the fourth inning for the Hawks and pitched 4.2 innings producing seven strikeouts.

She looked composed out there being her first career game.

“Amanda came into the game very focused and had great composure as a freshman taking the mound for the first time in her career,” Bellaud said. “She was able to keep Slippery Rock off balance

giving us a chance to come back with our bats.”

The Hawks’ determination to come through the second half of the game showed a lot of grit for the team as a whole.

IUP took more control over the game after making it 6–5 and then eventually 9–5. Hull had the hot bat to power more runs in favor of IUP to take a bigger lead.

Hull went 2-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and five runsThe final

March 10, 2021

tally was a comeback win of 10–7 in their first game.

The energy from their first matchup must have carried over into the second game of the doubleheader. The Hawks took a commanding 10–3 victory.

“It gave this young squad a boost in confidence, but every game is a fresh slate,” Bellaud said. “The team came back for game two just as hungry as the first game.”

In game two, the Hawks got off to a quick start as Kaitlyn Beers (graduate student, criminology) hit a two-run blast to get up to an early 2–0 lead. Slippery Rock responded to this by putting up three runs and drove the momentum for a little bit.

Pitcher Bella Bucy (freshman, undecided) got the start on the mound in game two. She played a little more than six innings, tallying three strikeouts and allowing three earned runs. Not to mention, Bucy pitched a complete game in her first collegiate start as a Hawk.

The turning point to swing the game back was five runs in the fourth inning off of six hits. Ashley Renzi (sophomore, kinesiology health and sport science) and Hope Jones tallied a few RBI doubles to swing the Hawks to a 7–3 lead.

The Hawk would then go ahead to add another three runs to make it a 10–3 final score. The final score does not tell the full story for this squad; it was a team effort in which multiple players contributed.

“There is not one player that stands out more than any other as the game was won on a full team effort,” Bellaud said. “However, freshmen Bella Bucy started her first collegiate game on the mound and pitched a complete game.”

The Crimson Hawks are looking in a positive direction from here on out.

“There are always going to be ways to improve our game both on offense and defense,” Bellaud said. “We will continue to practice to hone in our skills to make sure we are prepared as much as possible for each and every game.”

IUP played Slippery Rock in another doubleheader yesterday against Slippery Rock. They split the series with IUP winning the first game 6-5 and losing the second 7-8.

The Hawks will have multiple games this upcoming week, including a huge weekend against another rival, California University of Pennsylvania, with two games on the road and the other two Saturday at Podbielski field.

Sports

March 10, 2021

Sports

15

IUP baseball is off to a promising start, splitting doubleheader ‘I look at today as a building block and a step in the right direction’ AUSTIN SMITH

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

The Crimson Hawks men’s baseball team started off the season right in their first doubleheader with a strong win against Malone University in a score of 5–1.

The pitcher on the mound for the Hawks was none other than veteran JP Pellis (graduate student, finance). Pellis pitched 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and five strikeouts “Pellis pitched well today and gave us a chance to win a ball game,” head coach Anthony Rebyanski said.

“That’s what we hope from all of our starting pitchers. He had to battle through some adversity at times, but he kept headstrong and did just that. He made key pitches when he had to and got out of some jams that kept the momentum on our side.”

As far as the Hawks’ offense, Colin Williams (senior, undeclared business), Chris Eisel (senior, pre-physical therapy) and Nick Hess (senior, marketing) had all pretty good games in the first game. IUP led 1–0 for a majority of the game until a big four-run inning came in the fourth.

“We had two great at-bats from Harrison Pontoli and Chris Eisel to lead off the game that resulted in base hits,” Rebyanski said. “Hitting is contagious, and if that leadoff guy gets on, it can give the offense a lot of confidence. One thing we did all day was battle at the plate, and from an offensive outlook, that’s all you can ask for from your hitters.”

The Hawks were up 5–0 then, and only one run was scored by Malone in game one. It seemed to be the fielding and pitching was solid throughout the entirety of the game.

Mark Edeburn (sophomore, management) closed the solid pitching by striking out four Pioneers and giving up one run up.

“We always stress about playing together as a family,” Rebyanski said. “That first-game win was a complete team effort from top to bottom. The energy, excitement, and effort were all around…perfect.”

Game two was a little different for the Hawks in the nightcap of the doubleheader. The Pioneers took the final score by a win of 12–6.

The game was deadlocked at 1–1 in the first inning, but Malone produced an offensive party in the second inning by putting up five runs against the Hawks. IUP scored three runs in the fifth but could not make up any ground to the Pioneers as their offense was still hot.

“Good teams capitalize on the other’s miscues and mistakes,” Rebyanski said, “and Malone did just that. With two outs in the second inning, we made a throwing error that opened the flood gates. We had to battle from behind all day, but I do commend our guys for never giving in, even when down 10–2. Malone is a very sound team, not taking anything away from them. We dug ourselves a hole early and just couldn’t recover.”

Billy Welch (senior, unde-

JP PELLIS

(IUP Athletics) Rebyanski and his squad are looking to start this season off strong.

(The Penn Archives) cided) was on the mound in game two for the Hawks and did give it his all, though. Malone just had the momentum after the offensive fury in the second inning. Relievers Nate Davis (sophomore, marketing) and Jayson Wilbur (senior, sports administration) finished it for the Hawks on the mound.

The Hawks would finish 1–1 on the season after that loss.

“As a staff, we are always confident in our guys,” Rebyanksi

said. “Personally, I look at today as a building block and a step in the right direction. We have a long way to go as a team to reach our ultimate goal for 2021, but I know that from top to bottom, we all are striving for the same thing and these guys have worked so hard since the fall and have a ton of determination to be the best.

“It was great to be back on the baseball field again today, and I am glad I get to go to battle each

game with this team...”

The Hawks had a busy weekend on the diamond and started strong. Even with the loss in the second game, Rebyanski and his crew are ready to go to work this season.

The Hawks' next anticipated matchup will be against Slippery Rock on the road for two games Friday and then back at Owen J. Dougherty Field against Frostburg State on Saturday.

March 10, 2021

16

Sports

IUP cross country teams dominate in second consecutive meet ‘Having this season has really helped the morale of the team’ Jeffery Hart

Sports Editor J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Two down, one to go: The IUP Cross Country team is hot off its second invitational at California University of Pennsylvania on Saturday.

It was a productive day for both the men’s and women’s teams as they both finished in the top two.

The women’s team, led by Jessica Jones (graduate student, applied mathematics), came in second behind Seton Hill.

Jones finished fourth and set the tone for all Crimson Hawks and helped lead them to their second consecutive second-place result. Even though they did not take home the gold, head coach Joey Zins put it all into perspective.

“I think it is important to keep in mind that Seton Hill’s women’s team qualified for the NCAA

Championships in 2019,” Zins said.

“If we are finishing a couple of points behind them, that is an indicator that our ladies are running well.

“For the PSAC Championships on March 20, a lot of teams could be pretty close, which will make for an exciting race. If we can stay healthy and continue to run smart and work together as a team, our women have the ability to be one of the stronger teams in the conference.”

The Hawks boasted some great times from their runners Saturday.

Jones finished the 2.74-mile course with a time of 17:42.8. She finished 27 seconds behind individual winner Lexis Firment from Slippery Rock.

This time is even more impressive when you find out that Jones started running cross country late.

“Jess only started running cross country her third year at IUP,” Zins said. “She has been a standout performer and multiple-time All-Conference honoree in track and field.

“Last year, she started to realize that she could help our team in cross country as well. For her, cross country is both about helping our team and preparing for the upcoming outdoor track season.

Jess is extremely dedicated and disciplined as both a student and an athlete. There is no need to talk to her about quantifiable goals because, when the gun goes off, she is going to compete and give the team her best on that day.”

Jones was one of three Hawks to finish in the top 10. Tori James (freshman, nursing) came in eighth place with a time of 17:59.1 while sophomore Erin McGrath (sophomore, accounting) was 10th with a time of 18:05.0.

This was the second of three meets during this special spring season for the Crimson Hawks.

They finished second of three teams in their own "Welcome Back" Mini-Invitational at Blue Spruce Park two weeks ago.

Switching over to the men’s side, the Crimson Hawks had a dominant day at Cal U. They took home the first-place title for the second consecutive meet.

Led by Sam Lenze (senior, biochemistry), the IUP men's cross country squad ran past the competition at Roadman Park.

Lenze finished fourth overall with a time of 14:36.3. His final time was 20 seconds behind individual winner, Jonathan Thrush of Cal U. Lenze was one of three IUP

runners in the top 10 and has been a crucial part of this team’s success. Marco Cardone (freshman, political science) crossed the line right behind Lenze, checking with a time of 14:39.3. Evan Weaver (sophomore, natural science) was close behind in seventh with a time of 14:45.3.

Cardone, Lenze and Weaver have made what has become a three-headed monster for this squad.

“We have had a strong top three at our first three meets with Sam Lenze, Marco Cardone and sophomore Evan Weaver,” Zins said.

“I told the team after our first meet that 2009 was the last time we had a freshman on the men’s side finish as our top runner. Marco has provided a major spark in our lead group.”

Both groups are dripping with talent, and that has been a major reason for their success. These unique and difficult times might have helped prepare the Hawks for this season.

“Everything changed one year ago, and we are extremely grateful to be able to have any type of a cross country season even if it is at an odd time of the year,” Zins said.

Having this season has really

helped the morale of the team, and there is a level of excitement and anticipation we have not felt in so long. Our men’s and women’s teams continued to work hard and stayed together despite multiple seasons being canceled and postponed.

Their resiliency has been both impressive and inspiring. We also know how fragile this season can be with the pandemic still being a significant part of our daily lives.

While our day-today preparation is not all that different from a normal year, our mindset is doing everything within our control to simply make it to the starting line of the next meet.”

IUP will compete for a conference title in two weeks with the running of the 2020–21 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Cross Country Championships. It is currently set for March 20 at Lock Haven University.

(IUP Athletics) IUP cross country has overcome the odds and is looking to make a big splash in the conference championship meet in two weeks.