10.21.2020 by The Penn

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PRESIDENT OF IUP ANNOUNCES CHANGES FOR 2021 SCHOOL YEAR

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News Editor: Heather Bair – zzzx@iup.edu

(Emily Loose/The Penn) President Michael Driscoll held a Zoom meeting Oct. 14 for members of the press only, in which he discussed the changes coming in the fall 2021 semester.

President of IUP announces changes for 2021 school year EMILY LOOSE Staff Writer E.D.Loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP is ready for a new future for its students, but this new future means changes across its colleges and departments. In a press-only Zoom meeting Oct. 14, IUP President Michael Driscoll announced that the school will not only be letting go of many faculty members, but also retiring certain majors and merging other departments. He called this “IUP: The Next Generation (IUP NEXGEN).” “The IUP of the future will continue to prepare students for life and a successful career, not just a job,” Driscoll said. “It will expose students to new ideas, challenge them with learning experiences outside the classroom, such as research from IUP’s strong doctoral programs and help them to become critical thinkers and lifelong learners through a strong general education core and a diverse offering of subjects.” He also had some things to say about higher education. “As you all know, higher education is at a time of significant challenges,” Driscoll said. “For the last year or two, we have had a couple of choices. Either we determine our future or hold back and let some-

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one else.” According to Driscoll, finances at IUP have been a dilemma over the past few years. To bring them back into balance, he, along with the rest of administration, decided on the changes. One of these changes includes merging the College of Fine Arts with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS). Though no name has been announced, Driscoll has called it “The College of Creative Arts and Design.” This brings IUP’s number of colleges from six to five. “We have looked carefully to determine these areas,” Driscoll said of the changes. Driscoll did not want to get into specific numbers, but there have been discussions the faculty will be reduced by 25 percent. As a doctoral research university, Driscoll said IUP wants to become more STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-focused, another reason for the changes being made. As this press conference came after the announcement of retrenchment by Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Dan Greenstein, Driscoll was asked if IUP would have been getting rid of faculty either way. His answer was yes, as approximately 150 members have been let go in six years. “Since 2014, we were already on

the path of reducing staff,” he said. Driscoll said that he, along with the administration, saw these changes as being the best choices for students in the end and would guarantee success. “These changes will position us to be the very best for the future of, not only Pennsylvania, but of the world.” A few hours after the press meeting, Driscoll released a video announcing the changes. The video, uploaded on Microsoft Stream, has almost 2,000 views. Students were not happy with the decision, specifically those within the majors possibly being eradicated. Jennie Jones (senior, music education) cited the change in education quality. “Class sizes will go up, some of the most experienced professors may be cut,” she said. “The focus is not on your education, but on your money.” A petition was made to raise awareness over the loss of IUP’s Journalism/Public Relations Department. As of Sunday, the petition has over 1000 signatures. Hashtags including #ShameOnIUP and #SaveIUPJournalism have also been created. Alumna Sam Sheehan was a journalism major. She said that if the administration was struggling over finances, they wasted it by building the HSS.

October 21, 2020

“It’s so funny to me that they want to make the school a STEMbased school when HSS was always packed,” she said. Despite focusing in communications, said Noah Saylor (graduate student, communications media), there were many injustices being done across all majors. “Why are we cutting departments and starting an entire engineering program,” he said. “There are great career opportunities for students in both the arts and STEM.” Saylor also said there needs to be a different push from administration so that jobs are not lost. “This is complete backwards thinking from IUP administration,” he said. “What we should push for instead of retrenchment is a demand on federal and state funding to save our professors. They do matter.” Students in the College of Fine Arts are also struggling with the proposed changes. Kyle Chastulik (junior, music) said that by taking away from the arts programs, they are losing its uniqueness and more student enrollment. “Not everyone wants to work in STEM,” he said. “Cutting down on these programs does not make ‘every student a priority’ as much as university administration wants us to think.” According to Chastulik, stu-

dents in the arts require individual instructions due to the uniqueness of every talent. “Every fine arts faculty serves a unique role within their department.” McHale Baden (junior, theater) agreed that the uniqueness of the school was being diminished. “Nobody took into consideration how these proposed cuts would look to students currently enrolled in these programs, and that made us all feel slighted,” he said. Brianna Adkins (senior, art education) said she understood the need for change but felt “heartbroken” over the disregard for fine arts. “I don’t want to pretend it is just the arts, but I just think IUP is ignoring its strengths by slashing the arts,” she said. When asked about how students in retiring majors will finish their degrees, Driscoll said because they are small, they will be able to be accommodated on a case-by-case basis. This may include alternative classes. “It will take lots of time and care,” he said. “It is a very different process.” While there is discussion of multiple programs being merged or cut, nothing has been decided as of yet. “No decisions have been reached about programs,” Michelle Fryling, executive director of media relations said.

October 21, 2020

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Scheduling for spring semester causes anxiety, stress on students MEGAN DONNY Staff Writer bbcx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Class registration can be a stressful and anxiety-filled time for many students, especially now because of COVID-19. Trying to navigate Degree Works, getting class overrides and scheduling advising meetings can be hard and stressful for many students. COVID-19 has changed the way students are advised on their classes. With most classes moved to online, everyone has had to meet with their advisors through just emails or via Zoom. For some people, they find it easier to do advising in-person when they can actually speak to their advisor face-to-face. “Advising has probably become more difficult remotely,” Pauline Spielman (sophomore, history) said. “Some advisors were used to using the physical resources to advise, and the switch to online is a different experience and something that needs to be gotten used to.” Other students have agreed and found it more difficult to contact and

(Paul Marchwinski/The Penn) IUP saw an increase in student enrollment despite the pandemic. schedule with their advisors. “I tried to schedule a Zoom meeting with my advisor, and we never actually ended up scheduling a set time, which was somewhat troublesome,” Olivia Tavoletti (senior, marketing) said. “It was harder overall because I wasn’t able to ask questions.” Communicating only over email with your advisor has also made scheduling advising meetings harder. “Sometimes, since email is one of the only forms of communication, it’s hard to get a timely response,” Dani Zdrale (senior, marketing) said.

Zdrale was not the only student who thought that emailing has made communicating between students and advisors harder. “My advisor was not answering emails, and that caused a lot of stress about my advising meeting,” Dorothy McCollough (senior, fashion merchandising) said. “If it were in-person, I could have just gone to her office hours to figure things out.” Maran Davis (senior, fashion merchandising) actually found advising through Zoom to be easier because it was “convenient and easy.” Because of COVID-19, students

“[Additionally], we distributed more than $5 million in CARES Act funding to our students impacted by the pandemic during the spring semester to help them to continue their studies,” McCarthy said. To combat an anticipated decline in student enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IUP’s enrollment projections were set lower this year and were adjusted as information was presented. Several offices and divisions across the campus came together to exceed the enrollment projections set for this year. “...we exceeded these enrollment projections, even in the face of an unprecedented global health crisis,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “We also saw an increase in persistence for our continuing students, which shows us that our students have confidence in us to continue to provide them with a safe, healthy and outstanding educational experience, despite the uncertainties of COVID-19.” In addition to the increase of student enrollment, IUP saw an increase in academic achievement, diversity in the student body and returning students. There was also an increase in veterans and military-affiliated students and out-of-state graduate and under-

graduate students. “IUP has been very deliberate in its intent to serve our military-affiliated students and families, and to build a community where they feel welcome and their service and experiences are respected,” Driscoll said. This year, there are 920 veterans and military-affiliated students making 9.14 percent of the student body. IUP has been seeing an increase in veteran and military-affiliated student enrollment since the fall of 2014. Regarding IUP’s freshman fall class, the 1,817 students class has a combined grade point average of 3.40 compared to last year’s freshman class that had a collective grade point average of 3.31. Additionally, 133 of this year’s freshmen graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Of the 133 freshmen, 29 of those students were valedictorians or salutatorians. IUP’s 2020 enrollment also includes a minority population of about 20 percent of 10,067 students this year. This percentage is higher compared to the percentages from the 2019 and 2018 school years. Furthermore, 397 of the students enrolled for the fall semester are international and represent 54 differ-

now have to pick classes based on location. Some students prefer to staff off-campus or at home and take their classes all remote. Other students are preferring to pick classes that may actually be in-person next semester. “Some of my classes I need to take regardless in order to graduate, but some I chose because they were doing remote learning,” Davis said. “I won’t have any in-person classes next semester because I’m choosing to do school from home to save money and to be able to work.” Some students are still concerned about stepping back on campus for classes and would prefer staying remote. “This semester has shown me that there are plenty of students who do not hold caution when attending campus and engaging with others,” Spielman said. “I have an older mother at home, and I would rather stay at home learning than risk infecting her with the virus.” Some students, like seniors, don’t have much of a choice when it comes to remote or in-person because they no longer get to pick

and choose what to take. “My schedule is pretty much set because of having to take certain classes,” McCollough said. “I don’t really have a choice about classes being in-person or remote.” She said she will definitely be in-person for her internship next semester, where she will be working with the historic costume collection in Ackerman Hall. “I’ve picked my classes based on my preferences mostly, but when it came down to two classes, I chose the online course instead of the in-person one,” Zdrale said. Most of the students who were interviewed said they would prefer to stay home rather than live on- or off-campus in Indiana. “I plan on staying in Indiana next semester due to my apartment contract,” Tavoletti said, “but if not for the contract, I would have stayed home due to the money.” Zdrale said she tries to split her time between home and her apartment in Indiana, but she has also signed a contract for next semester and has already paid for her apartment.

ent countries. There are also 637 students from outside of Pennsylvania in both graduate and undergraduate programs. Anticipating a decline in enrollment, IUP’s efforts to maintain

consistent enrollment led to an increase in students. The fall 2020 semester showed strong academic achievement, more diversity than prior years and an increase in several departments.

IUP sees student increase despite pandemic EVA TILLICH Contributing Writer jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP While several campuses’ enrollments decreased across the country, there was a 2.5 percent increase this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic at IUP. IUP implemented a strategic approach to enrollment for the 2020-21 school year. This year’s student enrollment plans involved investing in the students financially through merit and need-based financial aid and by setting enrollment projections lower for an anticipated decline. “We know that the pandemic continues to take a toll on our students and their families,” IUP Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. Patricia McCarthy said. “We made a decision in the fall to invest $3 million to provide a one-time $300 grant for all enrolled students.” Alumni and friends of IUP donated nearly $300,000 to IUP’s Emergency Response Fund/Student Assistance Fund. The donated funds were distributed to more than 400 students that needed financial assistance due to complications caused by the global pandemic.

October 21, 2020

News

IUP mourns student fatally shot over weekend HEATHER BAIR News Editor zzzx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP A third-year communications media major at IUP was killed in the early hours Saturday morning. Jaedyn Khadim Ma Wright, 20, died from a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was found in the parking lot of Carriage House Apartments in Indiana. According to police reports issued Sunday and Monday, there were four suspects in Wright’s homicide. Two of them have been apprehended by Indiana Borough Police Department (IBPD). The suspects are Isabella M. Edmonds (17) of Indiana, Terrion J. Gates (18) of Johnstown, Isaiah A. Moore (20) of Philadelphia and Delmar L. Chatman (21) of Johnstown. Edmonds and Chatman are in police custody and have been charged, according to a press release from the IBPD issued Sunday. They were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking, criminal homicide and robbery. Professors like Jeremy McCool feel personally affected by Wright’s passing. “I had the pleasure of having Jaedyn in my radio production course last semester,” McCool (adjunct professor, doctoral candidate) said. “He was a very nice and kind-hearted young man. He was always positive in class and we were often able to connect about music. I also joked with him in class about how he always had the newest sneakers.” “Ever since I first met Wright, we clicked right away,” William Mackowski (former IUP student) said. “He loved sneakers, I loved sneakers. He loved clothes, I loved clothes. He loved conspiracy theories, I loved them as well. He was so funny and he was the most down-to-earth human being I ever met in my 20 years of living.” “I thank him for becoming my best friend in high school,” Ariette Bahta (studio art, junior) said. “I thank him for going to college with me, for being a huge influence in my life, and being my backbone. He was truly a remarkable human being. Justice will be served for him.” Feelings of anger also arose over Wright’s death. “Unfortunate that something like this would happen to anyone,” McCool said. “It’s even worse that it happened to a 20-year-old with his whole future ahead of him.”

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STUDENT TRUSTEE POSITION ON THE IUP COUNCIL OF TRUSTEES

(Will Mackowski) Jaedyn Wright. “Jaedyn was a good student,” Nurhaya Muchtar (associate professor) said. “I admired him for not giving up, teaching him skills that he didn’t have and he didn’t hesitate to reach out to others if he needed help. He also didn’t mind revising his work to make it better.” “I am just in shock that we lost such an amazing person,” Devonte Codrington (junior, nuclear medicine/medical imaging) said. “He never had any problems with anyone and he always lit up any room that he was in. He was a legend in the making. I will forever miss him, it is unreal.” “Who am I going to talk to about the new shoes that are coming out now,” Mackowski said. “Who am I going to talk to about just life in general? Who’s going to pick my brain and challenge me mentally everyday?” Police are still looking for Gates and Moore. Their photos have been released to the media and on Indiana Borough’s Facebook page. “May God be with his sisters, brothers, parents and other family,” Mackowski said. “May he protect and guide them through this difficult time. Every time he came into the room, it always lit up with positive energy. Long live, Jaedyn the king.” A memorial was held Sunday in Indiana Memorial Park for Jaedyn. “As his advisor, I also saw him as a serious student,” Muchtar said. “He knew his goals as he tried to plan his classes carefully. For his classmates, Jaedyn will be remembered as a kind friend who didn’t mind helping others for whatever they needed.” IUP offers grief counseling through the IUP counseling center. They can be reached at (724) 357-2621.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

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DEADLINE TO APPLY – OCTOBER 26, 2020

QUESTIONS – CONTACT: Patty Kane pakane@iup.edu or 724-357-7818

October 21, 2020

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‘Take down the flag’ Students weigh in on Indiana borough’s decision to denounce Confederate flag MARIAMA MANSARAY Contributing Writer mbpbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP students share divisive opinions regarding Indiana Borough Council’s Sept. 22 decision to denounce the use of the Confederate flag in the community to intimidate residents or visitors. Though the council is “wary” that there might be some pushback from the community regarding the decision of the flag, some IUP students believe the council is making the right decision. “Denouncing the use of the Confederate flag is a step in the right direction,” Rolasiah Triplette (middle level education, mathematics) said. “Even though you can go around and say what you want, you are not able to visually put it in everyone’s face.” Many of these students said, they decided to study at IUP and settle in the Indiana community because they felt safe when they visited. Yet, they say some of the explicit symbols of racism displayed in the community have left them feeling

Protests have started in multiple towns and cities to take down the Confederate flag. uncomfortable. Council’s recent resolution stating public display is inconsistent with community val-

ues is making students feel represented and part of the community. “I came here because I felt nice

and safe when I visited,” Maliyah Bellamy (freshman pre-dentistry) said. “I am proud they passed a resolution to denounce the confederate flag because we all need to come together as a community. We are all family.” Brianna Scott (biochemistry, freshman) agreed. “I feel like it’s really good that they decided to do this” She said this decision should have been made a long time ago because morally, it’s not right for people to walk around threatening others with the flag. Although these students agree with council’s decision to denounce the Confederate flag, other students have a different reaction. They thought council’s decision was interfering with the community’s right to express individual rights. “To be honest, I do not like the use of the Confederate flag,” Julianna Hindman (Asian studies, sophomore) said. “I don’t like people flying it because they fly it and they don’t know what they are doing, and they use it to be racist. “But at the same time, this is America, and people have freedom to express themselves, especially in their own homes and vehicles, so I don’t think that we should be taking people’s rights away.”

(Facebook) Aicha Bellaoucha (sophomore, early childhood education/special education) said while she wouldn’t personally support the flag or have it on her door, if she were to see others representing the flag, she would respect it. IUP students agree that some people from the community might have a “negative” reaction to council’s Confederate flag resolution. “I feel like people are going to get hurt,” Bellamy said. “But they are going to notice that we are all one. I am proud of being part of a community that stands up for black people.” “I feel like people are going to push back, but that’s like people pushing back about Black Lives Matter,” Triplett said. Just like there’s people talking about Black Lives Matter (BLM) Triplett said people are going to talk about their issues about the Confederate flag. Students said differing demographics between the campus and community could affect opinions on the subject. “I think it will definitely affect the community because everybody is a majority white here,” Bellaoucha said. “But the campus community will be more laidback with it because our generation is trying to make all the changes.”

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October 21, 2020

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(Facebook) The two candidates for the 2020 election are President Donald Trump (left) and former Vice President Joe Biden (right).

Trump runs away from debate

IUP students angry, disappointed over canceled second debate CAIO GOMES Staff Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The second presidential debate between candidates President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was officially canceled. This decision has angered many who feel as though the first debate wasn’t enough. “[The first debate] was a waste of time,” Madison Reddick (freshman, pre-med) said as she talked about how Trump refused to condemn white supremacy during the first debate. Madison’s position is supported by many political analysts. “That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck,” Jake Tapper, CNN’s anchor, said. “That was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn’t even a debate. It was a disgrace. And it’s primarily because of President Trump… We’ll talk about who won the debate, who lost the debate, but I can tell you one thing for sure: The American people lost tonight because that was horrific.”

(Facebook) Joe Biden’s vice presidential candidate is Kamala Harris (left) and Trump’s candidate is Mike Pence (right). After a controversial first debate, America’s eyes were all turned to the second debate, which was originally planned for Thursday. Many were hoping to see an actual debate that would make up for the first one. Such expectation was soon brought down by Trump since he canceled attending the debate. “I’m not going to waste my time on a virtual debate,” Trump told Fox Business.

The debate was originally scheduled to be in-person but changed formats after Trump tested positive for COVID-19. A majority of IUP students, as well as political specialists, condemned Trump’s decision. “I don’t agree [with Trump’s decision],” Thomas Valcukas (freshman, biology) said. “It’s a coward move to forfeit a fight. That’s what he did.” Some believe this shows that

Trump is still unprepared. Sydney Greitz (freshman, exploratory) called his decision very immature. This is not to say that candidates Biden and Trump were not kept busy. After Trump’s cancellation, Biden confirmed he would be attending a town hall hosted by ABC. Not so long later, Trump announced that he would also attend a town hall at the same date and time as Biden and aired simultaneously at NBC, CNBC and MSNBC. This did not sit well with IUP students. “I find it childish and irresponsible that not only did Trump decide not to participate in the original, but he decided to host his own at the exact same time as Biden’s.” Mariah Mouser (freshman, music education) said. “He purposefully did this so that he could prove he had better ratings, even though that doesn’t matter, and it is very immature of him.” If proving that he could have better ratings was indeed Trump’s objective, the president’s move backfired. The Washington Post reported that according to Nielsen’s preliminary data, which includes

only cable TV audience, Biden’s town hall pulled an audience of 13.9 million viewers. A 900,000 advantage over Trump’s audience of 13 million. On Nielsen’s finalized data, which includes streaming services such as Roku and Apple TV, Biden had an audience of 14.1 million while Trump had an audience of 13.5, a difference of 700 thousand viewers. Other students, such as Brandon Kimmel (freshman, exploratory), said that while they believe the second debate shouldn’t have been canceled, they probably wouldn’t watch it. “I don’t want to see [Trump debating] ever again,” Kimmel said. Those who do want to see Biden and Trump face each other again will have the chance to do so Thursday at 9 p.m. The upcoming debate will include topics such as climate change, national security and race in America. The debate will be aired on all major news channels such as ABC, CBS and Fox News as well as in online services such as NY Times’ website, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

October 21, 2020

News

Local bookstore closes chapter on all businesses JULIA ROBINS Staff Writer spxbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP In mid-August, it was announced that all eight locations of the family-owned business, Bradley’s Book Outlet, will be closed by the end of the year, including the one in Indiana. “I have been to Bradley's, and I am disappointed that they are all closing,” Jenna Nichol (freshman, early childhood education/special education) said. “My family, friends and I have all found good books there, and they are not always as expensive as they would be at other bookstores or online.” The business is managed by father and son Lawrence and Michael Bradley Paper. Their first location was opened in Pittsburgh in 1993. Over the years, they expanded to seven more brick-andmortar stores in western Pennsylvania ranging from Leesburg to State College and as far south as Uniontown. In an interview with the Johnstown news station, WJAC, Paper

(Josh Rupeka/The Penn) Bradley’s Book Outlet in the Indiana Mall is hoping to stay open until the end of the year. explained the financial troubles the stores have been having. “The past couple of years have been a struggle with the stores overall not producing a profit,” owner Mike Paper said. “Due to the virus and the viability of many of our malls, we have reached a point where the stores are losing money, and I do not see a path forward for a turnaround.” While there certainly are lots of

people who love physical books and independent bookstores such as Nichol, it is not enough to keep going for Bradley’s. Liquidation sales of 20 to 60 percent off started on Aug. 14 and will run until the end of the year when they close. This will lay off about 50 workers. He did suggest the possibility of doing pop-up shops and opening some of the stores being purchased, as a few of them still have

potential for profit. Their retail locations only provided 10 percent of the business; their wholesale and internet business is planned to continue. Their online portion, https://www. bradleysbooks.net/shop/, has a restriction of three copies per title and $250 per order. Ashley Hertenstein (senior, psychology) said that she is not surprised that Bradley’s is closing

because “people really do not read.” The only reason she went to Bradley’s was to purchase a calendar once. Another perspective is not that people do not like reading, but that independent bookstores suffer due to monopolies like Barnes & Noble. “People are not buying books in stores,” Michaela Miller (senior, political science) said. “They are buying from Amazon. Barnes & Noble has only stayed open because of how big they are and the Starbucks.” She said that Bradley’s does not have the level of selection that Barnes & Noble has. “It’s like a little department store.” According to the American Booksellers Association (ABA), Retail sales at U.S. bookstores were down by 7.6 percent from 2018 to 2019. These numbers are in trend with a steady decline over the years. From 2000 to 2007 after the rise of big chains like Barnes and Noble and Amazon books, over 1,000 independent book stores across the U.S. closed.

Opinion (Pennsylvania Department of Health/news.com.au YouTube) COVID-19, riots and new surprises each month will be how generations remember 2020. But focusing on a better future will help us overcome these times of turmoil.

Looking ahead to better days

The atrocity of 2020 will not define the road ahead Everyone was excited for 2020 to roll around. Memes about partying like Gatsby circulated close to New Year’s Eve. Much to everyone’s surprise, 2020 was not the year of partying and instead was the year of isolation. The beginning of 2020 saw the dreaded COVID-19 make its way to the U.S. and grow more and more vicious as the year went on. Isolating, social distancing and quarantining made it so that people couldn’t see and interact with loved ones for extended periods of time. I’ll admit, at first, I rolled my eyes at social distancing and isolating and keeping safe space. As time went on and COVID-19 spread, I didn’t roll my eyes as much and instead became more introverted than I once was. With my friends and people, I was comfortable around, I was still extroverted, but in public, I found myself being quieter. During IUP’s spring semester, when classes were moved to virtual Zoom classrooms after spring break, I didn’t mind. It meant more time to hang out with friends and to do more things I wanted to do that I couldn’t while traveling to school everyday. Now, I had more time. But more time quickly became my enemy. After the spring semester ended and everyone went home, I stayed in Indiana since I live here permanently. After the first week, I felt the twinge of loneliness. My work was moved to remote only and I rarely left the house. At first, I didn’t mind it. I love to read so I looked

at it as a way to catch up on my reading. Four books in and I was caught up enough. As my mother continuously reminded me, at least there was texting and Zoom and FaceTime. I could still see and hear my friends; I just couldn’t touch and feel. In a way, I’m a person who thrives on social interaction. It’s weird, I’m very picky about who I spend my time with. But I’m a hugger. And not being able to hug people I love when I saw them pained me every single time. Then again, it was just like the previous summers when nobody was here. I entertained myself with Netflix and YouTube, getting back into playing the piano (a pastime I still love dearly) and I did have work still. I also had the hope that, come fall semester, everything would be back to normal. It had to be. Other schools were opening back up, IUP probably would to. You know the phrase “false hope?” Yeah…that was me. I woke up to a text telling me to not check my email. And another text telling me to check it. I went with the latter and immediately saw why; IUP classes would all be virtual except for those that needed to be in-person, like culinary or some criminal justice classes. My heart sank. Nobody was returning to Indiana. I was by myself, physically, once again. I learned a few years ago that being by myself isn’t healthy for me. I need people around who love and care

October 21, 2020

for me. And, while they could still be around over technology, I didn’t realize how much it would be like having them in person. And I really didn’t even notice that until about a month into the “new normal.” Now it’s been almost three months. I’m counting down the days until my boyfriend and friends return, those that are, that is. I already have the date set in my phone of the exact day some are returning. I’m thriving for the day I get to finally hug people again. Social distancing is frustrating and, even though it’s for the best, it doesn’t mean we’re not allowed to complain about it. Yes, it’s for the best, but it’s one of the most frustrating and painful things I’ve had to go through. If you’re missing loved ones, call them, Zoom with them, FaceTime, even Snapchat. Phone and Zoom calls have been my saviors during this annoying and frustrating time. Set-up dates with loved ones over Zoom; dinner dates, virtual movie nights or even just an hour to sit down and talk with each other. It can be scary, not knowing what’s going to happen. But stay safe and know that there may be rough days, but it can only get better.

Brought to you by: Heather Bair News Editor Opinion

Culture A screen grab of the virtual event.

(Caio Gomes/The Penn)

Culture Editor: Katelin Pompa – xzgw@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Haley Brown – tbfx@iup.edu

Similar set up to what most radio hosts have.

(Steven Langdon Jr/The Penn)

International Radio Hour

Taught IUP that things always can get worse CAIO GOMES Staff Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. The Office of International Education (OIE) hosted an “International Radio Hour” on Zoom as an effort to promote International Education Week Oct. 13. However, it seems as though they might need to educate themselves a bit more first. From issues with the timing to cultural insensitivity, the event seemed as though its goal was to teach students what not to do. Attendance was very low being that less than 10 students showed up. Of course, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Very few students have the stamina (or the interest) to attend an event running until 9 p.m. on a school night. “I would’ve attended if I wasn’t that late,” Madison Reddick (freshman, biology/pre-med) said. “It seemed interesting, but we’ve all got stuff to do.” This problem was only worsened by the OIE’s lack of preparation prior to the event. They clearly had not timed all

Culture

the songs and had to extend the event’s duration twice. First, it was expanded until 9:30 p.m. Once it was 9:30 p.m., they had to expand again because the presentation was still on the letter “M.” This caused some of the few students present to leave. The office could’ve easily solved this issue by cutting some countries off. If the point of the International Radio Hour was to showcase new music from different cultures and countries, then why did they waste our time playing songs from countries like England and Australia? Artists from these countries already are topping the U.S. charts anyways. For England, they played Ed Sheeran—as if he didn’t already have seven songs that placed on the top 10 of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, including the massive

2017 hit “Shape of You”. As a matter of fact, the whole event seemed to be quite U.S. centric. Multiple songs that were chosen were from music genres that are already popular in the U.S. instead of a unique genre. This becomes evident in the case of Austria in which they played “Rock Me Amadeus,” a rock song, as opposed to playing Volksmusik, a genre exclusive from German speaking countries.

The OIE explained that the songs were selected by polling IUP students that have a background in the respective country. This might seem like a good idea at first, but it isn’t. Asking one person “what do they listen to in

October 21, 2020

your country?” and then making a generalized statement is quite insensitive and can lead to wrongful conclusions. This is what Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie called “danger of a single story” on her TED Talk. According to her, the best way to avoid telling a “single story” is to make statements based on statistics rather than opinions. In this case, it would mean looking at the music charts, as opposed to asking a single person. An evident case of bias was with the selection of the song representing Japan. The song in question was a J-Rock song, a genre quite popular among otakus but doesn’t really represent the Japanese music industry. A better choice would’ve been a song by massive idol-groups like AKB48 or Nogizaka46. Idol culture is so popular in Japan that these two groups sell over one million physical copies of

their releases within a day. As a comparison, the quickest album to sell over one million copies in the U.S. in 2020 was Taylor Swift’s “Folklore,” and it took her 2 weeks to do so. The biggest fail of the night, however, was China. This is due to the fact that China’s fun fact was that “China’s music is often released and listened to in other countries of Asia such as Taiwan and Hong Kong.” Anyone who does the bare minimum of research would learn that neither Hong Kong nor Taiwan are countries. Both are considered part of China and have no sovereignty whatsoever. It would be similar to someone saying, “American music is popular in countries like Hawaii and Alaska.” This comes as particularly insensitive considering the massive riots happening in Hong Kong against the current Chinese government. “I think this shows a lack of tact,” Brandon Kimmel (freshman, exploratory) said. “It’s like they simply ignored what’s happening there.” At the end of the day, the students who couldn’t attend due to the bad timing didn’t miss much.

October 21, 2020

Culture

What is STATIC up to? Recreational use of marijuana student opinions

HALEY BROWN

Lead Culture Writer

tbfx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

As always, IUP’s STATIC event planners have been hard at work with preparing fun and connecting activities for students, and this coming week has so much in store. On Sunday, STATIC has planned a fall fest. The event is officially titled “Fall Fest: Craft Tutorials & Pumpkin Carving Contest” and will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Zoom. The event is focused on celebrating the autumn season as well as spooky season. There will be a free virtual Netflix Watch Party on Monday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. This watch party will feature the well-known horror movie “Insidious.” The event, of course, will take place virtually on Google Chrome’s Netflix Watch Party extension, so access to a Netflix account is required, and the link to the watch party can be found on the event page on STATIC’s website. During the watch party, STATIC will also ask attendees some “Insidious” trivia and the winner will receive some prizes.

EMILY LOOSE Staff Writer e.d.loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(STATIC/ Twitter) STATIC will be hosting virtual events all semester.

On Tuesday, there will be another Netflix & Chill event from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. where STATIC will virtually stream the 2020 film “Invisible Man.” The event will be watchable using Swank Motion Pictures’ Online Portal. If on campus, students must simply be connected to the IUP network to watch. If students want to watch off-campus or are not connected to the IUP network, they can still follow the link provided on STATIC’s webpage for this event and be redirected to enter their personal IUP Web Single Sign-on login information. STATIC continues its spooky Halloween streaming with anoth-

er Netflix & Chill movie Oct. 28 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. The 2017 remake of Stephen King’s “It” will be streamed virtually and will also utilize the Swank Online Portal mentioned previously. The link for the online portal will be available on the STATIC website. STATIC’s Halloween week program will begin Oct. 29 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., the movie “It” will be followed by “It 2” STATIC is hosting a Halloween DJ Dance Party on Zoom to finish its week of Halloween fueled fun Oct. 30. The event begins at 8 p.m. and does not yet have an announced end time.

Marijuana is legal for medical use, but recreational use may be possible for Pennsylvania residents soon. Gov. Tom Wolf has been pushing for the legalization of adult-use cannabis in the state and has recently visited The Mountain Center in Monroe County to push for legislation to be moved. He also spoke of the plus sides that it could entail. This includes a growth in economics. After hemp was banned in the state during the 1930s, Wolf said there were many cuts and losses. “Pennsylvania lost the benefits of an industry with a long history of providing jobs and resources here in the commonwealth,” he said. “When hemp and marijuana were banned, we didn’t just lose jobs, we lost decades of research opportunities, innovation and economic growth.” Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman have pushed for the General Assembly to agree to this decision throughout the fall, but they have yet to receive confirmation. The push has been controversial and received mixed criticism from the people of Pennsylvania. Students at IUP also had a mixed reaction to the idea. Although many asked said they saw it as being a good idea, others were skeptical. Alicia Smail (junior, biology) said there were many downsides to the legalization. She said it makes sense as medicinal use, but not for recreational purposes. “I think that things will be bad because there are regulations set already such as businesses firing for failed drugs tests,” she said. “Also, driving under the influence could still be in place, and it stays in the system for a while.” Julian Zentec (sophomore, nursing) said he agreed with Smail. “It might be another thing abused. For people who need it for illness, that is great, but like Alicia said, I think it could cause problems within the work force.” There are breathalyzer tests

(Rexmedlen/Pixabay) built for THC specific purposes. However, these are still not as common placed as alcohol breathalyzer tests. Others such as Rachael Henderson (criminology) said it should be up to the people themselves what they can and cannot do. “What someone does in their spare time shouldn’t cause a problem,” she said. “We don’t monitor people who enjoy alcohol in moderation after work.” Amanda Valinotti (senior, fine arts) said she understood both sides of the argument. “In my opinion, marijuana should be treated the same as alcohol,” she said. “People should be able to participate on the weekends, but there needs to be regulations.” These regulations, according to Valinotti, would need to take place in both the workforce and in public areas. She also agreed with Wolf that it would boost the economy. Her worry was over how heavily it would be smoked amidst the pandemic. “Smoking and coronavirus both damage the lungs, and together they could be fatal,” she said. “However, it should be up to the individual to do what they want with their body.” “It’s not my business what anyone else does at home and it’s not anyone else’s business what I do,” Rose Mazey (senior, arts and design) said. Who also agreed it should be treated like alcohol. There is still no word on whether legislation will be passed any time soon, nor is there any specific guidelines mentioned over the laws that would go into recreational use for Pennsylvanians.

Culture

October 21, 2020

Culture

International Poetry Night (MarreKrisu/Pixabay) “Elsa au Miroir” was one of the poems read at Thursday’s event. HALEY BROWN

Lead Culture Writer

tbfx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

International Poetry Night was hosted Thursday by IUP’s Lauren Phillips, an international student and scholar advisor in IUP’s Office of International Education. The free event took place over Zoom beginning at 7 p.m. and ran for about 50 minutes. The night included people of different backgrounds presenting poetry in different languages. Some of the presenters read the poem themselves, and some shared a video of the author or a different performer presenting the poem. The participants of the night shared their screen along with a PowerPoint with some information about each author. Each participant shared the English translation of their poem alongside the poem in the original language as they read it. Poems were shared in Arabic, French, Rus and Spanish among a few other languages. The first poem was introduced by an IUP student’s young nieces, and the host shared a video of the two girls reading the poem “One Indeed Needs Very Little” by Robert Rozhdestvensky in Russian. The poem that followed, called “The Dice Player,” was introduced by Nada Tayem (English) who gave a brief introduction about the poet who wrote and performed the piece. Mahmoud Darwish, a Pakistani poet, often gave voice to the struggles of the Pakistanis people and was well-known for his resistance poetry. Tayem shared a illustrated video of a reading of the original poem in Arabic. The third poem was “Ciudad Cero” read aloud by Brynn Wingard (foreign languages) in Spanish and was written by Spanish poet Ángel González. The poem was about the

author’s blurry memories of his childhood during the Spanish Civil War. The poem that followed was presented and read by Ragia Hassan (professional studies in education) and is titled “Expatriation and Nostalgia” and was written by Ahmed Shawqi. The Egyptian poet is nicknamed “The Prince of Poets” and was considered one of the greatest Arabic poets specifically for his pioneering of the modern Egyptian literature movement. He wrote this poem during his exile in Spain, and it is about his homesickness for his home country, Egypt. This poem was read by Ragia Hassan in its original language, Arabic. The next poem of the night was presented by Leah Burke (philosophy) in the original French. The poem is titled “Elsa au Miroir,” which translates in English to “Elsa at the Mirror.” Burke spoke about \ Louis Aragon’s, the author, form of repeating certain lines throughout the poem, which take on a different meaning as the poem progresses. This piece could be considered a love poem about his wife who was in fact named Elsa. Another interpretation could be using the imagery of a woman to represent France, which at the time of the poem’s composition, was struggling through World War II. Another poem was presented by Isabelle Clayton (foreign languages) who read “The Lover and the Death” in Spanish. The author of this poem remains anonymous. The next poem was titled “Ise,” or “work,” in Yoruba from Southwestern Nigeria and written by Professor P.F. Odunjo. “Ise” was presented by Abiodun Kaka (geography and regional planning) in Yoruba. The final poem of the night was titled “I Gave You the Choice” written by Nizar Qabbani. He was a Syrian diplomat, writer and publisher and often explored themes of love, religion, feminism and Arab nationalism in his poetry.

Culture

October 21, 2020

Exorcisms, Ouija Boards, possessions, oh my Heather Bair News Editor zzzx@iup.edu @ThePennIUP When we think of demon possession, we more-than-likely get a picture of Regan from “The Exorcist,” however, the movie is more fiction than fact when it comes to the true history of exorcisms and possessions.

THE HISTORY OF POSSESSIONS Demonic possessions date back to Bible times when Jesus exorcised demons from a man into nearby pigs (Matthew 8:2834). In some cases, possession can have the same symptoms of certain health disorders such as dissociative identity disorder, epilepsy, schizophrenia or Tourette’s Syndrome. Possession is the belief that a demon, entity or spirt is controlling one’s actions without their knowledge. These actions can be little things, such as blacking out, random laughter or crying, or speaking in a different language not previously known, among other things. Some forms of demonic possession are said to be cured with an exorcism, in which a priest of the Catholic church, who has permission from a bishop to perform the act, rids the victim of demons through many lengthy sessions of commanding the entity to leave the person alone, prayer and recitation of the Bible. Exorcisms can be dangerous, not only for the person possessed, but also for the priest. The entity controlling the body can become harmful, spiteful and vengeful. In most cases, the entity will try to retain control of the victim, harming the person in the process. One of the first cases of demonic possession was that in 1611 when a group of nuns were supposedly possessed due to a pact Father Louis Gaufridi made with the devil. Between 1611 and

1981, 13 notably recorded demonic possessions happened.

UNLUCKY THIRTEEN One of the most popular, true stories of demon possession is that of Anneliese Michel, who was born in 1952 and died in 1976 at the age of 23. Michel was a young German woman who was devoutly religious. At 16, she suffered a seizure, which led to her diagnosis of epilepsy. Things quickly deteriorated from there. She was unable to step foot in religious establishments, she could not drink holy water from a spring, and she was greatly repulsed by any religious artifacts, especially crucifixes. Michel went through a total of 67 exorcisms. Upon her death, an autopsy was done that discovered she died from malnutrition. A few years ago, the recordings of Michel’s exorcisms were found and placed on YouTube. They are only audible, not visual, but what can be heard are supposedly demons “arguing” through the use of Michel’s body as their “vehicle.” The demons introduce themselves as Belial, Cain, Judas Iscariot, Legion, Lucifer and Nero. They can be heard as growling, using deep, guttural voices and occasionally laughing. The videos can be found by searching “Anneliese Michel exorcism tapes.” They are not for the faint of heart and can be triggering for some listeners; approach them with caution. Another famous exorcism is that of a 14-year-old boy anonymously named Roland Doe or Robbie Mannheim. In the late 1940’s, priests of the Catholic church performed a series of exorcisms on a boy but kept the name anonymous for safety. Doe was introduced to a Ouija Board by his aunt. After her death, the family started experiencing strange happenings, such as things levitating when Doe was

around, things moving on their own or weird noises. Multiple priests performed at least three exorcisms. However, in Doe’s case, two reporters noticed multiple inconsistencies with everyone’s stories. Many facts were changed and left out and neighbors were able to offer other theories for the strange happenings. Yet, Doe’s experiences were turned into a movie we’re all familiar with. The 1973 film, “The Exorcist,” in which Doe’s character is Regan, a twelve-year-old girl who plays with a Ouija Board, invites a spirit into her family’s home and begins exhibiting signs of demonic possession.

“THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT” When people are accused of horrendous crimes, such as murder, they’ve often pleaded

insanity or used the phrase, “the devil made me do it.” This phrase has been the blame for many homicides, kidnappings and other crimes. The most famous use of this phrase is the supposed true story of “The Amityville Horror,” written in 1977, about a family who moved into a house formerly owned by the DeFeo family. While the family and the case were true in nature, it has since been revealed that the family who moved in, The Lutz’s, may have exaggerated their experiences to mirror that of the DeFeo family claims. In 1974, the police department of Long Island, New York, received a phone call that six members of the DeFeo family had been shot and killed by Ronald DeFeo Jr. In court, DeFeo claimed insanity, saying he heard his family plotting against him.

He later claimed demonic possession was the reasoning behind the crime. DeFeo shot and killed his parents and four siblings. The motive for the killings remains unclear, however DeFeo’s stories throughout the years have changed as to who exactly the murderer was. The result is always the same though; the devil made him do it. While demonic possession has been around for centuries, it’s best not to try to contact a demon, with a Ouija Board or otherwise. If you think you or someone you know has encountered an evil entity, you can do a blessing of your house with holy water or sage, or even call a local pastor or priest to bless it for you. Happy haunting. Remember, Ouija boards are not toys and can be used to conjure unwanted spirits.

October 21, 2020

Be a WW Teaching Fellow

Culture

Killer cookies for spooky season

Use your science, technology, engineering, or math degree to teach students in high-need schools in Pennsylvania.

(Alexa Payesko/Pinterest) What your finished product should look like. KATE POMPA Culture Editor xzgw@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Dracula Dentures This recipe yields 12 servings, takes about 10 minutes to prep and takes a total of 30 minutes to bake. For this recipe, you’ll need one tube of chocolate chip cookie dough, one can of vanilla frosting, red food coloring, mini marshmallows and slivered almonds. To bake this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On two large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, roll the cookie dough into an inch and a half balls and bake as normally for about 12 minutes. To create Dracula’s gums, you’ll want to add red food coloring into vanilla frosting until mixed well. Spread evenly onto two cookies. This will be the jaw of Dracula. You will want to place mini marshmallows around the half of the bottom cookies. This will create the effect of teeth. To add fangs, add slivered almond to where the fangs would appear in a vampire’s mouth.

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(Jon Boulton/Pinterest)

Jack Skellington Oreo Pops

Apply by November 4 woodrow.org/STEM

This recipe yields 12 servings, takes about 10 minutes to prep and takes a total of 25 minutes to complete. For this recipe, you’ll need 12 Oreo’s, two cups of melted white chocolate, two teaspoons of coconut oil, black icing, 12 lollipop sticks and black ribbon. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully stick the lollipop sticks into the cream of Oreos. Mix coconut oil into the melted white chocolate and carefully dip Oreos into chocolate until completely coated. Place in the fridge to allow the Oreo pops to harden. It’s recommended to cool for roughly five to ten minutes. Draw Jack Skellington’s face onto the Oreos and let cool. To add the finishing touches, tie a black ribbon at the bottom on the Oreo.

Culture

October 21, 2020

Sports

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

Former Editor-in-Chief is paving his own path JAKE TAYLOR

Staff Writer J.M.Taylor8@iup.edu @JakeTaylor8726

In-Between Media and ahead of the game, former Editor-in-Chief of The Penn and IUP alumnus, Seth Woolcock, is paving his own path. June 10, marked the launch of Woolcock’s website and business, In-Between Media. It is a fantasy football, life advice and understanding different points of view for personal reflection. To understand the meaning behind the idea, I got the chance to talk to Woolcock. His insight is something I value personally. He has given me opportunities at IUP that have prepared me for my career in ways many others do not have. His drive to take charge and do things he feels is best gives him an edge. His ability to recognize individuals’ passion and create an avenue for them to express that passion is admirable. “I believe that most of our lives are spent from getting to A and B,” Woolcock said when asked about the inspiration for the content. “I think that we should enjoy the in-between, even if it doesn’t go the way we exactly planned. “I overcame a lot of adversity in my youth. I felt I gained a lot of life knowledge and self-perspec-

tive that I could share with others. I also, through reading Matthew Berry’s love/hate columns growing up, found a style of writing that I could combine it with my columns. I wanted to write meaningful content, the type that could change someone’s life and maybe inspire someone else to pick up a pen one day.” Woolcock has always had this desire. In the words of the great American author Napolean Hill, “The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as a small fire makes a small amount of heat.” This mindset is rare, and only the shepherds of modern-day society understand. Desire will overcome adversity, and Woolcock personifies this idea. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many obstacles for the population. The men and women who have understood this setback and made an opportunity from it will thrive for a long time. This is exactly how In-Between Media was conceived. The idea had been in Woolcock’s head months before the pandemic, but he did not have enough time to develop the idea. Getting furloughed was a blessing in disguise for him. Due to this newfound time, he began to put

all his effort into making his brainchild a reality. “I knew then that I would never have this amount of time again in my life,” he said. “So, I spent midApril to June 10 building In-Between Media.” A saying that I repeat to myself on a daily basis is, “Let him who merits the palm bare it.” Meaning, he who works for it earns it. Woolcock understands this philosophy as he was hired by The Center of Excellence in Industrial Biotechnology at Penn State. Looking back on the rollercoaster that has been 2020, Woolcock reflected by saying, “Overall, 2020 has been so destructive to the world as we knew it. However, for me, I see it as just one more curveball life as thrown at us, and I’ve just done my best to make the most of it.” He would not be where he is at today without his experience and time at IUP. When asked how his time here has helped him, Woolcock did not hold back the importance of this time in his life. “My time at The Penn provided me with needed confidence in both myself as a leader and my creative vision,” he said. Woolcock participated in many extra-curricular activities and made professional relationships with staff and faculty.

“I also worked closely with Dr. Erick Lauber throughout my time at IUP,” he said. “It gave me so much experience at building a business and platform from the ground up. It was an invaluable educational opportunity.” IUP offers many great opportunities for the go-getters, and Woolcock is just that. “I came to IUP knowing I wanted to be a writer,” he said, “but the journalism and public relations department taught me how to write professionally and apply it to all communication formats from writing a column to posting a story in a tweet. The communications media department also was huge in helping me with photography and design skills that are applied to In-Between Media.” Looking at In-Between Media and Woolcock’s mindset, the possibilities seem endless. “Right now, we have columns coming out Tuesday-Saturday, and a Podcast episode coming out every Wednesday and a Sunday Brunch video series every Sunday morning before kickoff,” he said. “Next year, I hope to have more of the same, feel-good life advice, intertwined with fantasy sports,” he said in regard to the future of his business. “However, in the short term, I’d love to get someone writing specifically for super

flex, or IDP leagues. Long term, the goal is eventually to turn a profit from it. But as long as we’re making a difference purely with the kind of content we’re creating, I’ll be happy.” Lastly, I asked him to name everyone who has helped him and currently still is on his journey. “There could be a whole book of everyone who has helped me along this journey,” Woolcock said humbly. “I definitely have to thank all of my friends, some of my oldest ones, and the ones I met at IUP, who have helped me in so many aspects of my life. “My girlfriend is also a communications professional, so having similar passions and having her to bounce ideas around with and talk through stuff has always been a huge blessing. All my faculty from IUP, Erick Lauber, Randy Jesick, Laurie Miller, Michelle Papakie, Rachel Fox, and Laith Zurakait just to name a few. And all of my former colleagues too. I had amazing staff to work with at The Penn, a lot of who I still am great friends and colleagues with today, and an amazing advisor in Mo Zukic there. “Now, I have the amazing staff of Nate Polvogt, Jen Polvogt, and former Penn Editors, Chris Hayes, Elliot Hicks, and Ally Mansfield and her husband, Tom Cuda.”

(In-Between Media)

October 21, 2020

Sports

October 21, 2020

Sports

Another injury riddled season stifles Philadelphia AUSTIN SMITH

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

The Philadelphia Eagles might have had their wings clipped already for the 2020 season. The Eagles find themselves at a 1-4-1 record and still second in the NFC East. The good news for Eagles fans is, there is still a chance to make a playoff return. The whole NFC East is a mess as a whole with the entire division combining for just five wins, which is how many wins the Tennessee Titans have themselves. So, what is the issue? For the birds, the list goes on for miles. “Injuries,” Trevor Cratty (senior, communications media) said. “Injuries have riddled the Eagles lineup this season. The offensive starting lineup has been hurt severely and it has shown. Wentz has no help with his brand-new offensive line.” Carson Wentz and his team have battled the whole season with a banged-up crew in the offensive and defensive categories. More injuries usually mean less success in any team being able to produce victories. Sometimes you can get away with a few injuries but most of the players that are injured on the bird’s roster are key and vital players to having any kind of success. DeSean Jackson, Zach Ertz, Miles Sanders, Alshon Jefferey, Lane Johnson, Jason Kelce, Avonte Maddox, Darius Slay, and still a few others. As I mentioned, these are huge players for the Eagles and some of the players on this list might not see any game action for quite a while yet. When a few key players do return, is that enough? Another dominate reason on why Philadelphia hasn’t had much to any success is turnovers. I get that Wentz is missing a few in his offensive lineup, but he has to make smarter and quicker decisions with the ball. The Eagles are at the top of the list with the most interceptions (9) and overall, just not doing so well. The birds gave up three fumbles, which is not as bad compared to other teams around the league, but not good to really have in general. The interceptions I feel hurt the most because it’s more of an explosive and energizing turnover for the other opponent to capital-

ize on. In the end, any turnover is very devastating to a team’s future success. The Eagles are surprisingly not the last team but just about. They sit at a (-7) differential right behind their division rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia is definitely going through a chain reaction. Some teams have injury problems. Some just turnovers, and others not being able to capitalize at all when given the opportunity. The way I look at it is the birds have weaker pass protection, which leads Wentz to turn over the ball more. At times Wentz has the opportunity to get rid of the ball, but chooses to run with it instead. Could that be that he is also missing some of his big targets like Zach Ertz, DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jefferey? This whole chain reaction of having weaker pass protection is because of vital injuries and then it makes Wentz have to pick a target that he does not throw too as much. So, the injuries, turnovers, weak pass protection and not to mention inconsistent play is the biggest plethora of problems on why the birds are not winning games at all. Even though the Eagles sit at a 1-4-1 record doesn’t mean that they got blown out in all of there games. Wentz and his team played as hard as they could in there last two games. The last two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens were very close considering how good these two teams are. The birds lost 38-29 to the Steelers and 30-28 to the Ravens. Even without all the weapons and tools that Carson Wentz did not have, he still pushed his team to almost a victory. The start to the season has not been good for the birds but the ending can change and the birds still have a chance to get into the playoffs. “It’s our job to put our players in position to be successful or at least have an attempt to be successful,” said Doug Pederson. With those strong words from Pederson, the Eagles have two divisional games coming up including a Thursday night football date with the New York Giants. If they get these two wins, there could be a whole different look on the Eagles because of how many dilemmas they are dealing with right now in this chain reaction of unfortunate events.

(Teddy Jeanette/The Penn) Injuries have plagued the Eagles this season.

October 21, 2020

Sports

Lopez becomes first undisputed lightweight champion

(ESPN) Teofimo Lopez (right) takes down Vasiliy Lomachenko (Left) and made history on the national stage. Steven Langdon Jr. Editor-in-Chief S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Teofimo Lopez reigns supreme in the lightweight division after capturing all four belts Sunday morning. He defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko by unanimous decision, winning the scorecards 116 to 112, 119 to 109 and 117 to 111 to improve to 16-0. The fight took place in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas inside Top Rank Boxing’s bubble. Lopez became the first ever to capture all four belts in the division’s history. At 23 years old, he captured the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) belts to coincide with his International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt. "I'm a fighter," he said in an interview with ESPN. "I gotta dig in deep. I knew he was coming. I can't give him that." The build-up was high and was no doubt the highest profile fight in boxing since the pandemic. There have been eight undisputed champions since the four belts were introduced in 2004. Lopez became the eighth person and the

fifth male to do so. Round one started as many thought with Lomachenko standing relaxed and studying Lopez. There was not much action besides Lopez landing a couple body jabs. In the second round, Lopez did a great job of backing Lomachenko to the ropes. Lomachenko landed a decent one-two combination halfway through, but Lopez was landing the jab with ease at times. A technical round three followed with Lomachenko taking more shots, and at times, it seemed to test the boundaries of Lopez. A late combination shook Lomachenko but was not dangerous enough to do much damage. Lopez dropped his hands more throughout the fourth round. He continued to back Lomachenko down. The speed and power were showcased as Lopez had a clear advantage after four rounds. More of the same transpired in round five with Lopez in complete control of the fight. At one point, he had almost 50 more punches thrown. The game plan at that point was near perfect. The halfway mark hit looked more of a boxing fight with both fighters dropping their hands to

land punches. It was all about the uppercut by Lopez as the bell sounded off the end the round, wobbling Lomachenko. In round seven, Lopez captured another round. Lomachenko tried to step forward but kept getting backed down. For every punch he took, Lopez threw three back at him. At this point, Lopez was dominating the fight. In the eighth round, Lomachenko had glimpses of the skill that made him the No. 1 pound-forpound fighter in the world. He landed a fury of power punches to the head, and Lopez got a little uncomfortable backing down at times. This was the point that the fight changed a bit, and Lopez got a little uncomfortable After Lopez banked the early rounds, Lomachenko had to back him down, and he did at points in the ninth round. Lopez woke up and realized he was in a war again. At this point, Lopez was still winning by at least two rounds. Combinations were the name of the game in round 10. Lomachenko landed great left hooks to the head. There were a couple nice one-twos. He also had great fakes with the lead jab and then came with the left hook. The fury of punches in the first

half of the fight caused Lopez to noticeably look tired in round 11. A great round for Lomachenko, but because of the slow start, he was still behind. The final round of this great fight showed who wanted it more. With a cut on his left eye caused by an accidental headbutt, it was clear that it was Lopez who wanted to show the world what he was made of as the scorecards showed. Although, the fight was closer than the scorecards showed. Lopez did dominate the first half of the fight with conviction. Lomachenko started too slow. He did not start fighting until the seventh round, and by that point, he dug himself a hole that was too deep. The question now becomes, “What will each fighter do next?” Sure, fans will call for a rematch for all the belts, which is a possibility. It all comes down to what Lopez wants to do next. Will he want to move up a weight class and fight at super lightweight? Another super fight is trying to be scheduled between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez to decide the undisputed champion there. "I'll have Josh Taylor in the

morning, and then I'll have Jose Ramirez at night," Lopez said. There is no doubt Lopez is confident in his ability, but the best thing to do is to gain more experience. He has 16 professional fights to his name. Unfortunately, there is not another high-class lightweight fighter signed by Top Rank Boxing, which will make it harder to schedule a big fight. A dream scenario may be fighting Ryan Garcia. Both are the future of the sport and have large fanbases. For Lomachenko, the best thing to do is take a break and schedule a fight for early next year. He was off for over a year mainly due to COVID-19. It is his third lose in his entire life and his second in the pros with a 14-2 record. He is not going away anytime soon. Lomachenko is still a twotime gold medal winner and one of the best in the world. The managers he has should schedule a couple fights for next year, and then if Lopez does not move-up in weight, we could see a rematch. Then, this becomes the new great rivalry. Time will tell as Lopez, who was once known as being the future, now becomes the present of the boxing world.

10.21.2020

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