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NEWS

News Editor: Jessica Truby – J.L.Truby@iup.edu Lead News Writer: Emily Loose – E.D.Loose@iup.edu

(Twitter) LGBTQIA students were recognized in the ninth annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony Friday in Elkin Hall.

LGBTQIA students recognized at ninth annual Lavender Graduation EMILY LOOSE

Lead News Writer E.D.Loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Twitter) Students received certificates and lavender-colored cords that they can wear at their other graduation ceremonies.

News

As May comes around, students are preparing for the summer and graduation. Various accomplishments are recognized, and IUP groups make sure all students feel included. The university held its ninth annual Lavender Graduation Ceremony Friday in Elkin Hall to celebrate graduating students of the LGBTQIA community. The walls of the room were covered with LGBT flags, and the graduates’ loved ones filled the room. More than a dozen students took part in this year’s celebration. Students received certificates and lavender-colored cords that they can wear at their other graduation ceremonies. “Violet and lavender have long been symbols of the LGBTQIA community,” said Tedd Cogar, the associate director of student conduct and LGBTQIA support. “Lavender, as a color, celebrates survival, strength and hope.” Starting in 2011, the Lavender Graduation has been one of the ways IUP has been active in showing support of its LGBTQIA students.

April 30, 2019

Though this is the school’s ninth celebration, the event originated in 1995 by Ronnie Sanlo, a professor at the University of Michigan who identifies as a lesbian. “Dr. Sanlo was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation,” Cogar said via email. Because of this, Sanlo realized her students may have faced similar problems and created the Lavender Graduation in answer to it. Sanlo is also Jewish, and the cords represent that as well. “The lavender cords, which we present to each graduate, represent the combined colors of the black triangle that lesbians and political prisoners wore and the pink triangle which gay men wore in Nazi concentration camps,” Cogar said.

Since its inception, the event has spread throughout the country. Cogar said the graduation will take place at more than 93 college campuses this year and celebrate hundreds of students. Caps and gowns were not necessary for the event. Instead, students dressed in business casual attire. To be a part of the event, students were asked to fill out an online form that would reserve their spots in the ceremony. Cogar said that IUP has more plans in the future of its LGBT inclusion, with the Lavender Graduation helping it grow throughout the school. “These first nine years are only the beginning of a tradition that IUP is proud to offer and which has continued to grow on this campus,” he said. The Lavender Graduation is a part of the Safe Zone program at IUP. Safe Zone’s goal is to bring visibility to the LGBT community. For any questions regarding LGBTQIA life on campus, email lgbtqia-support@iup.edu.

April 30, 2019

News

Haven Project presents It’s On Us Campaign KAYLA WILLIAMS

Contributing Writer K.M.Williams9@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Two Haven Project peer educators gave a presentation Thursday night about the national It’s On Us campaign and gave members of the IUP community advice on how to be better bystanders and step up when something doesn’t seem right. Adrianna Branin (junior, political science and religious studies) and Jerry Delaney (management) led the discussion. It’s On Us is a national social movement that was started in 2014 by former President Barack Obama to end sexual assault. About 300,000 people have taken a stand against sexual assault by taking the It’s On Us pledge in the past two years. “It’s On Us specifically donated $30,00 this year to the Haven Project to help combat sexual assault on our campus and actively work on changing rape culture,” Branin said. The Haven Project is a department on campus that helps students in dealing with sexual violence, dating/domestic violence and stalking. It provides confidential counseling, information on

(IUP Website) Jerry Delaney (management) led the discussion on the Haven Project’s It’s On Us Campaign.

resources, accommodations and reporting options, according to its page on IUP’s website. Branin was recently awarded

the 2019 Biden Courage Award for taking a stand when she saw a group of males taking pictures of a partially dressed, intoxicated

young women. “I practice what I preach when I can,” Branin said. “I didn’t think of it much until I was nominated for this award by one of our bosses.” They went on to talk about how people have the power to stop something from happening if the situation seems toxic. Being an active bystander is a key part in the It’s On Us campaign. During the presentation, multiple tips were given on how to tell if a situation seems toxic and when to intervene. About 23.1 percent of college females and 5.4 percent of college males experience sexual assault, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. During the month of April, IUP

took a challenge to try to be the top campus with the most members signing the It’s On Us pledge. The pledge centers around four parts: to recognize that non-consensual sex is sexual assault, to identify situations in which sexual assault may occur, to intervene in situations where con(IUP Website) sent has not or cannot be given and to create an environment in which sexual assault is unacceptable and survivors are supported. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault or domestic violence, call the University Police at 724-357-2141. The Haven Project can be reached at 724-357-3947.

Police Blotter Criminal Mischief

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• An unknown person damaged a business’ door, breaking a large glass panel in the door sometime between 12 p.m. April 26 and 1 p.m. April 27, in the 500 block of Philadelphia Street, according to Indiana Borough Police. Anyone with information should contact borough police at (724)-349-2121.

Retail Theft • Jhazmyn Hayes, 19, of Pittsburgh and Tierra Robinson, 19, of Camp Hill were charged with retail theft after Hayes and Robinson took an item from a local business at 3 a.m. April 10 in the 700 block of Wayne Avenue, according to borough police.

Alcohol Violations • Julie Sisko, 40, of Indiana was charged with public drunkenness after she was discovered intoxicated in Sheetz, 380 Philadelphia St., at 11:11 p.m. April 22, according to borough police.

Motor Vehicle Accident • A known driver was attempting to parallel park along the west side of S. Sixth Street and struck a meter, damaging the meter at 1:50 p.m. April 24, in the 00 block of S. Sixth Street. No citations were issued, according to borough police.

April 30, 2019

News

(Submitted photo) While living in the U.S. for the year, Maarten Kampfraath (political science) and Mika Klaassens (humanities and social sciences) visited Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C. and went to Miami for spring break.

Exchange students spend only year in U.S. as fraternity members NICK MACIA

Contributing Writer N.E.MacIa@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Two IUP international exchange students knew they were interested in joining a fraternity before they had even arrived in the United States. Maarten Kampfraath (political science) and Mika Klaassens (humanities and social sciences) came from Holland and Zandvoort, respectively, which are both in the Netherlands. Both students are part of an international exchange program and are currently finishing up their first and only year of school at IUP. They both said they had seen fraternities portrayed in American movies, and that was enough to spark their interests. “I was mainly interested in joining a fraternity because it was an easy way to meet people in the short time we had here in the U.S.,” Kampfraath said. They both joined the Epsilon Rho chapter of Phi Kappa Tau during the fall semester. Since becoming members of Phi Kappa Tau, they have held multiple positions within the organization. Both Kampfraath and Klaasens were recruitment chairmen for the

net, they said they knew it was the university they wanted to attend. “It is nice to have members from another country because they’ve made our organization more diverse, taught us about their culture and they also made great contributions while holding positions that shape the future of the fraternity,” said Bailey Ford (saftey sciences), president of Phi Kappa Tau. While living in the U.S. for the year, Kampfraath and Klaassens traveled across the country multiple times. They visited Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C. and went to Miami for spring break. The two said the school provided multiple opportunities to travel for an inexpensive cost. “My favorite place that I traveled to in the US was New York City,” Kampfraath said. “You’re

never bored in New York City.” “After the semester is over, we will be staying in Pittsburgh for a couple days with one of our fraternity brothers to make the most of the last couple days we will be in the U.S.,” Klaasens said. They said some differences jumped out at them once they started acclimating to the American culture. Kampfraath said that people in the U.S. are more friendly toward people they don’t know, which made him feel more welcomed while living here. He also said that people in the U.S. are hyper and move at a faster pace than in the Netherlands. “There is a Dutch saying that goes ‘act normal you are already crazy enough,’” he said. “That is what I think some of the people in the Netherlands would say to some of the people in the U.S.”

“The best thing that

I gained from being in the fraternity was a diverse American

friend group

and connections in

another country”

(Submitted photo) Maarten Kampfraath (right) and Mika Klaassens (left) came from the Netherlands to attend IUP.

fraternity during this semester, helping the fraternity grow larger. Kampfraath also held the position of philanthropy chairman. He orchestrated two soccer tournaments to raise money for the SeriousFun Network, Phi Kappa Tau’s philanthropy organization. Its goal is to create accessible camps for children with illnesses around the world.

“The best thing that I gained from being in the fraternity was a diverse American friend group and connections in another country,” Klaassens said. Kampfraath and Klaassens’ international exchange program had given them a list of American schools to choose from to enroll in. After researching IUP and watching videos of the school on the inter-

~Mika Klaassens

April 30, 2019

News

(Jeremy Stout/ The Penn) The event, organized by the Muslim Student Association and United Against Islamophobia, was a prayer and sermon in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) atrium Friday.

IUP organizations coordinate prayer, social JEREMY STOUT

Staff Writer J.W.Stout2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

United Against Islamophobia (UAI) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) coordinated for a prayer and sermon in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) atrium Friday. Christine Baker, history profes-

sor and co-adviser for UAI, said the event was meant encourage greater interaction and understanding between the Muslim population on campus and the “larger IUP community.” Baker said that she has some concerns that this event might be like putting Muslims on display to be gawked at, but she thinks the broader cultural exchange

makes it worth it since it’s done in conjunction with and in support of the MSA. Baker said it’s also important having Michelle Sandhoff, a practicing Muslim, sociology professor and fellow UAI adviser, involved. “She has agency,” Baker said. The event opened with a brief introduction by Sandhoff on the

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basic setup and description of how prayer in Islam works. Sandhoff said that a common setup for prayer is to have two rows, one for men and the other for women, with children in the middle. “This is done for tradition as well as modesty reasons,” Sandhoff said. “It’s awkward to have your butt in the air.” Sandhoff then ceded the floor to Ahmad Tahat, English graduate student and imam (prayer leader) for the event. Tahat’s sermon prior to the prayer started with condolences to those effected by the bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Tahat said that Muslims condemn these actions and that those who perpetrated the attack “claim to be Muslim.” “Islam will never support this kind of violence,” Tahat said. “Is-

lam means peace; Islam means tolerance.” Tahat said that despite the tragedy, it offered a chance to learn from the Quran. “[The Quran] describes killing another human being as though you’re killing all humanity,” Tahat said. “Every chapter in the holy book begins with ‘in the name of Allah, the most merciful.’ That’s literally the beginning of every chapter.” Tahat concluded, saying that interactions with each other must start from the heart. “Ask your heart to know what’s right,” Tahat said. “If it is healthy, the whole body is healthy. If it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt.” Baker said she encourages those interested to go to the local mosque during Ramadan, which begins May 5 in the evening.

News

April 30, 2019

News

USC vows new scrutiny of athletics in wake of scandal MATTHEW ORMSETH Los Angeles Times TNS Last month, the scheme was laid bare: USC, and at least half a dozen top universities, had been breached by a multiyear conspiracy that used bribes, rigged tests and at least a few Photoshopped applications to slip the children of wealthy and influential families past admissions processes that grow more selective every year. USC promised to put new safeguards in place. The university’s interim president, Wanda Austin, laid out some of those changes this week in a letter to the school community. Before an application is forwarded to the admissions staff, each prospective recruit for a particular team would be scrutinized by the head coach, the senior sports administrator overseeing the team and the school’s Office of Athletics Compliance, Austin said. Austin also promised an audit of athletic rosters at the beginning and end of every academic year, and to cross-check rosters with lists of admitted students. In a recruiting scheme, as described in charging documents filed in federal court, Newport Beach college consultant William “Rick” Singer paid coaches and an administrator to present the children of his clients to a USC admissions committee as student athletes. After being admitted as recruit-

(TNS) The USC Admission Center at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles houses the admission staff that will look into each prospective recruit.

ed athletes, the children dropped off their teams’ rosters by the time they matriculated, or soon after. Donna Heinel, formerly the third-ranking official in USC’s athletics department, is accused of

accepting $1.3 million in bribes between 2014 and 2018. Heinel was indicted on a racketeering charge and fired by the university. She has pleaded not guilty. The children of Singer’s clients were purportedly recruited to

Students explain advising issues inaccuracy has left some students with nothing. The main inaccuracies include wrong graduation projection dates and wrong general elective courses. The end of the spring semester “I once had trouble contacting is quickly approaching, and for and working with my adviser to many students at IUP, that means build a schedule, so it is time to begin I turned to Degree registering for the Works,”Sadie Lightner fall semester. (junior, hospitality) said. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY Scheduling can’t 1 2 3 “Unfortunately, the proceed without information provided 7 8 9 10 advising meetings, 6 on the website did not which some think help and was inaccu16 17 13 14 15 is a weak spot on rate. This error caused IUP’s campus. 20 21 22 23 24 me a lot of stress and Students comwasted time.” 28 29 30 plain that advising 27 Not all advising is something that is feedback is bad, very important for though. Students also a student’s success but is inconsisfeel, depending on the departtent and weak at IUP. Complaints ment you are in, it can vary the exwith advisers vary from lack of perience. Some advisers are very knowledge/care, lack of time and involved and want to watch the lack of communication. student thrive, while others simply Another complaint is the inacwant you scheduled and done. curacy of Degree Works, an online In February, faculty members tool that is used to keep track of attended a student success classes students need for their workshop in which they discussed majors and ones they have already ways to make students experience completed. When students have at IUP better. The main topic trouble with their advisers, they discussed was advising and ways tend to turn to Degree Works, but the university can work to make it

HAILEY GIBSON

Contributing Writer H.E.Gibson@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

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USC,to compete in basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, track and field, water polo, lacrosse and crew. Prosecutors say the applicants had never played the sports competitively. USC is reviewing the cases of students tied to the scandal, and Austin said Wednesday that most of those students had sat for initial interviews. The outcomes of those reviews could range from no action to revocation of a student’s admission, depending on the facts of each case, Austin said. Two students implicated in the scheme include the daughters of actress Lori Loughlin and fashion designer J. Mossimo Giannulli. Their daughters were admitted to USC as rowing recruits, but in truth, prosecutors say, the girls had never rowed competitively and simply posed on a rowing machine for photographs that accompanied their bogus recruiting profiles. Loughlin and Giannulli have been charged with fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. They have pleaded not guilty.

better and more consistent across campus. “I was very happy to hear that the faculty heard our complaints on advising and are working on trying to improve and fix this problem,” Kirsten Rush (junior, College of Education and Communications) said. “I think if the campus can get a sense of consistency across all majors, that will be a big step forward.” Another complaint that ties in with advising is registration dates. Many students complain that the dates for registration leave students in a bind when they can’t get the classes they need. Faculty hope that with better advising registration issues can be resolved with better communication and effort from both the students and advisers. Poor advising is not all on the faculty, and many students are to blame for the lack of guidance. Many students choose not to meet with their adviser and would rather just get their registration code. In the near future, IUP hopes to work with both the students and faculty in order to improve all aspects of advising for both parties.

April 30, 2019

News

(Ashley Lutz/ The Penn) Sean Fitzgerald-Fye works for Aramark and is also an exorcist called on to remove and banish demons and spirits out of people’s home.

Who you gonna call? Aramark worker describes job as exorcist ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

Throughout history and media, in times of fear and darkness, humans have called upon spiritual experts and defenders to protect people from what “goes bump in the night.” Sean Fitzgerald-Fye is one of those specialists, and he gave an open panel on his other job on April 23 in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) Building Room 219. His day job may be working for Aramark’s Subway in the HSS Building, but when not on sandwich duty, Fye works as an exorcist, one who is called on to remove and banish demons and spirits out of peoples’ home. Exorcism is a diverse and complex subject, depicted throughout history, media and modern-day coverage as several different styles. Fye considers himself a relatively simple exorcist and leaves all the heavy lifting in exorcisms to the man upstairs.

“I had read about the authority, through God, we have over demons,” he said, explaining his methodology on how to deal with demonic entities. Prayer is at the core of his “fighting” style and is a central focus throughout each exorcism. Whenever he is called to a house to exorcise, he starts with a prayer for the protection of himself in the home and the family affected by the entities. Then he says a harsher prayer for the binding of any demons and entities in the home, a plea for God to render the entities vulnerable to Fye’s prayers, unable to hide or disappear temporarily. Next, once in the home, he conducts an interview with the affected family/caller to assess and study the situation. After the questioning, Fye asks for a tour of the house for both clarification on entity activity and assessment of any dangers in the house (such as a dark basement or slick staircases). Following this is the beginning of the spiritual battle.

Fye lathers a slight amount of anointed oil on segments of the walls and places small crosses above doorways. Then, he enters a near-meditative state of prayer, in which he asks God to remove the entities from the home, so that the family may have peace and that all parties involved be shielded from the darkness of the entities removed and their allies. Fye admitted in the past he took a more vengeful prayer, asking God to “toss the demons into a burning lake in Hell for their sins.” He since regrets trying to command God on what to do with sinners.

Fye describes the attacks from demons, both as they struggle against his binding and banishing prayers and in the haunting and miserable nights that follow a difficult exorcism, as primarily “mental.” The demons target three human weaknesses, encouraging “doubt, fear and sin.” The most common attacks Fye has witnessed and suffered have been invasive thoughts, such as the inputting of violent desires or uncomfortable images into one’s mind to distract or corrupt the exorcist, as well as recurring night terrors. Fye said he struggles the most with thoughts of doubt and self-worth, as tough exorcisms

“I had to read about the authority, through God,

we have over

demons.”

~Sean Fitzgerald-Fye

leave him feeling worried that he hasn’t done enough or that God does not prioritize helping him and therefore heard nothing of his prayers. However, Fye’s faith is strong and what he credits as his greatest strength in these exorcisms. Fye remains convicted in his faith and his desire to root out evil and help innocent people. After every successful exorcism, Fye informs the affected party that they do not truly need him and tells them about the prayers he performs and that their faith will shield them from darkness. His presentation ended with a slideshow of his favorite photos he has taken of spiritual encounters at homes. While he may be a paranormal fan at heart, with photos of light anomalies and shadows filling his collection, his conviction to faith, God and following the light is displayed in his favorite photo of what appears to be a brightly illuminated cross. According to Fye’s beliefs, with God protecting him, “the Devil has already lost.”

OPINION

IUP, Indiana heading in the right direction Last year, The Penn’s final editorial of the year was titled, “Let’s fix our attitudes – for the sake of our school.” The editorial discussed that even though the 2017-18 school year was filled with some drama and controversy, such as inappropriate social media posts, professor and students disputes and political quarrels, it was still just one chapter in IUP’s history. “We need to focus less on our dividing factors and more on the sense of togetherness for which we were all searching when we chose to come to IUP,” the editorial concluded. “Let’s choose to do this together.” One year removed from that statement, we would just like to say one thing. Well done. Just one year removed from possible scrutiny from national media coverage, things seem to

(Seth Woolcock) IUP seems to have recovered from a few years of negative press.

be changing at IUP. So far, the 2018-19 school year’s biggest headlines have been positive things happening on campus. A new college designed to help undeclared majors succeed, professors living in the dorms to get more in touch with students and people doing remarkable acts of service and receiving nationally recognized awards are

just a few of the truly remarkable events transpiring at IUP to help make a difference. And IUP wasn’t alone in its efforts of making positive changes. Indiana itself is working towards a greener, more sustainable future. The Indiana Borough has done tremendous work expanding and promoting Inhabit Indiana, a home-buying assistance program

primarily for income qualifying individuals, and the solar co-op taking advantage of collective purchasing power to get discounted pricing and quality installation of solar panels. In addition to making simple, more sustainable improvements like solar-powered stop signs to reduce intersection accidents to more extensive projects like adding a bike lane, change for the better is happening everywhere. And with the help of organizations like The Open Door, Spirit Life, Armstrong-Indiana Clarion Drug & Alcohol Commission (AICDAC) and the Mid-Atlantic Research and Training Institute for Community and Behavioral Health (MARTI-CBH), Indiana is working to become a more accepting place for all people, including those who have or have had a substance abuse disorder. It seems as just about every-

one from the Indiana County Center of Economic Operations (CEO) to clubs as small as the IUP Fashion Association are working trying to make a difference, together. Isn’t that what it’s all about? We know sometimes it’s hard to pick our heads up and look at everything from a bird’s-eye view because we’re so focused on our everyday lives. But when we do, its hard to miss all the amazing and truly inspiring changes IUP and Indiana has made over the last twelve months. The work is far from over, but we are headed in the right direction. Let’s continue to do this, together.

Brought to you By THE PENN STAFF

CARTOONS

(TNS)

Opinion

April 30, 2019

(Chandler Bouton)

Culture

Culture Editor: Steven Langdon Jr. – S.Langdon@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Heather Bair – H.Bair@iup.edu

(Jess Truby/ The Penn) “Pippin” will be performed until May 3.

‘Pippin’ is on its way JACOB SPAGNOL Contributing Writer J.Spagnol@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. Theater by the Grove presented “Pippin,” the famed musical about a man looking for fulfillment and purpose in his life. From becoming a soldier in search of glory to caring for a boy and his duck, “Pippin” is a show that will keep you on your toes. Stepping away from the story for a moment, let us focus on what IUP’s production brought to the table. The leading player, not just by name but in performance, absolutely stole the show. Taking his already charismatic personality in to his character, J’Quay Lamonte Gibbs (theater and dance) took charge of his troupe and commanded the stage. Backing him up with over the top acting and singing were Lauren Eylicio (theater and dance) and Blakely Watkins (theater and dance), playing Fastrada and Berthe, respectively. However, a show cannot be complete without its star, which was Davey Beyer (art) playing the role of Pippin on Sunday. Perfectly portraying his need for purpose in life, Beyer brought to the stage energy and charm. With strong vocals and choreography from the rest of the ensemble, the cast was extraordinary. However, almost no show is without its faults.

The area where “Pippin” falls short was in the balance of audio. At many times in the show, the orchestra overpowered the singing of the cast, or vice versa. This was prominently noticed in the first act and slowly got better as the showed progressed. Another noticeable moment came half way through the second act, when the leading player exited the stage. Once out of audience view, you could hear him having a brief conversation with a member of the crew backstage. While it was caught quickly, it occurred for long enough for myself and a few other audience members around to look up and be taken out of the current scene for a few seconds. Aspects of the show that easily cover these minor hiccups was the use of lighting and props. When swords clashed, it felt as if they were real swords. The death of Charlemagne being reversed felt balanced and believable between the colored lighting and sound effects. The smoke and pit used to give the urge of fire at the finale also added production value to the scene. All in all, “Pippin” is a fantastic show that hits it out of the park with an amazing cast, lighting, props and costumes and overall production. Even the tiniest of mistakes wouldn’t stop most from seeing it again, as each time you see a show it can be different. It will run until Friday.

(Twitter) The Visual Merchandising Club held its “Cliques” fashion show Thursday in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) Ohio Room. The outfits were similar to those seen in shows like “Freaks and Geeks” (top).

Visual Merchandising Club takes students back to high school with fashion show MEGAN DONNY Staff Writer M.Donny@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Everyone either loathes or loves the infamous high school cliques portrayed both in real life and in film. The IUP Visual Merchandising Club created a show based on stereotypical high school cliques, which was put on Thursday night in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) Ohio Room. The show contained looks from four common high school cliques: jocks, mean girls, nerds and goths. The club, run by president Julia Anderson, focuses on inspiring members to use their creative talents. “I think our show was seamless,” Anderson (junior, fashion merchandising) said. “It was definitely one of our best shows.” The models walked to popular music, with clips of high school flicks on screen behind them. Some of the clips were from “Mean Girls,” “Clueless” and

April 30, 2019

the television show “The Carrie Diaries.” The attire featured strongly reflected each category chosen for the show. The jock clique outfits featured sports attire, such as sports jerseys, windbreakers and T-shirts with Pennsylvania sports teams on them. The jock outfits were model Lena Lundy’s (sophomore, fashion merchandising) favorite. “It’s what I wear in real life,” Lundy said. “It was all totally my style.” The models who dressed like “mean girls” wore tight skirts, lots of pink-colored and silky materials, as well as heeled shoes. The models not only looked the part of each clique but portrayed the attitude, too. Many of them used their body language and facial expressions to create personas which reflected the outfits they wore. Each semester, the Visual Merchandising Club puts on one fashion show. During the semester, the club

participates in other activities as well, like creating mood boards, photoshoots and using their visual merchandising skills to create window displays on the second floor of Ackerman Hall. Though the fashion shows are fun to both put on as well as watch, both club and audience attendance dwindles, Anderson said. “If I’m being truthful, I wish more people would be involved in the club, especially from our major,” Anderson said. “We all just wish we had a higher attendance at the show, too.” The Visual Merchandising Club is one of two fashion-based clubs at IUP, with the other being the Fashion Association, which also puts on one fashion show a semester. Students do not have to be fashion majors to be a part of the clubs. The Visual Merchandising Club meets once a week on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in Ackerman Hall. For more information about the club, contact Julia Anderson at MDXX@iup.edu.

Culture

April 30, 2019

Culture

‘Avengers’ ends storylines with many loopholes STEVEN LANGDON JR. Culture Editor S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion and spoilers. “Avengers: Endgame” has now been in theaters since Thursday. The movie has received great reviews at this point, and honestly, you can clearly see why after watching it. The movie has several great points, but does a couple things that do not make much sense. It did feel like a superhero film in that it twists some things around to work in the heroes’ favor. The first thing the movie did a stellar job in doing is putting the fan right into the story. It places the viewer right after the snap. Hawkeye was with his family, but they disappear because of Thanos. The next scene I felt was a filler, seeing Tony Stark with Nebula up in space. The viewer knew they would survive. Captain Marvel comes to rescue them and takes the ship they are in back to Earth. When back at Earth, the Avengers base appears, and everyone is depressed. It has been nearly a month since the failed mission. When everyone is in the room, Captain Marvel wants to go after Thanos. Captain Marvel was slightly more enjoyable in this movie compared to her own. Brie Larson’s character is too over confident that she is the answer to everything. A little bit later, they are talking about how they do not know where Thanos is living, but they do since a couple days ago the stones were used. This part makes no sense to me. They decide to go after him and find him living peacefully. The gauntlet is destroyed, and we later find out Thanos used the stones to destroy the stones. This makes no sense to me since he was the most powerful person in the universe. As the Avengers are talking with Thanos, Thor says f**k it and cuts his head off. He aimed for the head this time. Next thing you know, five years have gone by, and New York looks terrible except Citi Field, which looks like a week has passed instead of five years. There is no context to whether or not baseball is played, but I assume it isn’t. One of the biggest issues with the movie happens next.

(TNS)

(Facebook) “Avengers: Endgame” was released Thursday in theaters.

All of Scott Lang’s Ant-Man stuff is in a storage, and a rat is playing with the switches to unlock the quantum realm. If I knew that someone was an Avenger and disappeared, I would think to look through the stuff. He was working with Hank Pym of all people, too. Lang is now in a future world and does not know anything except that he is dead according to the world. He finds his daughter and apparently does not care that her mom is missing. I know they are divorced, but she is still

his daughter’s mom. Ant-Man is the true hero as he comes up with the idea to go back into the past. He miraculously has only enough for everyone to make one trip. Professor Hulk, where do I begin with you? The character addition is a great choice by the Russo Brothers. After that amount of time passed, Bruce Banner and Hulk become one. I’ll skip a little ahead. The next person that caught my eye was Thor. He is the complete opposite of what many expected.

He is fat and really lazy, only drinking alcohol all the time. The one positive out of this is that Valkyrie and Korg are alive and well. The last character that has changed a lot is Hawkeye. He is now Ronin and goes out and kills people that are terrible in the world. Now to go forward when everyone is all together and ready to go back into the past. They separate into four groups. The best hour of the movie is this part. The Russo Brothers make fans excited upon hearing

all the references used. To sum up the rest of the movie, it was a jaw dropper and is something that you have to see to believe. It had references that every fan of the last 11 years will recognize. Overall, there were some loopholes. It reminded me of “Back to the Future Part 2” in that they had to do what they needed to do without harming a group of worlds. But all together, it was a fitting end to phase three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

April 30, 2019

Culture

Woodstock 50 music festival is canceled, according to financial backers RANDALL ROBERTS TNS

Los Angeles Times The 50th anniversary celebration of Woodstock, dubbed Woodstock 50, has been canceled, according to a statement from the festival's financial backer, Dentsu Aegis Network. The three-day event, which was to occur Aug. 16-18 in Watkins Glen, N.Y., was to feature artists including the Killers, Miley Cyrus, Chance the Rapper, the Dead and Company and dozens more. Its goal: to celebrate the influential 1969 music festival dubbed "three days of peace, love and music." In the statement given to Billboard, Dentsu Aegis Network, a multinational media and digital marketing company, wrote: "It's a dream for agencies to work with iconic brands and to be associated with meaningful movements. We have a strong history of producing experiences that bring people together around common interests and causes which is why we chose to be a part of the Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival. But despite our tremendous investment of time, effort and commitment,

(Facebook) Dentsu Aegis Network announced that Woodstock 50 would be canceled.

we don't believe the production of the festival can be executed as an event worthy of the Woodstock Brand name while also ensuring the health and safety of the artists, partners and attendees." The statement concluded: "As a result and after careful consideration, Dentsu Aegis Network's Amplifi Live, a partner of Woodstock 50, has decided to cancel the festival. As difficult as it is, we believe this is the most prudent decision for all parties involved." The festival was promoted to honor the iconic music festival that

occurred outside Bethel, N.Y., on Aug. 15-17, 1969. Featuring performances by Neil Young, Janis Joplin, the Who, Sly & the Family Stone and others, the event was a defining cultural moment of the 1960s. It was co-founded by Michael Lang, who is involved in the anniversary concert. A statement by organizers given to the Poughkeepie Journal, however, says the festival is still occurring. "Woodstock 50 vehemently denies the festival's cancellation and legal remedy will [be] sought," a statement from Woodstock 50 said.

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(Facebook) “Suite Life of Zack and Cody” was a popular choice among students for favorite childhood shows.

Disney tops list of students favorite channel growing up ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

For many of the students at IUP, a large part of growing up was sitting down in his/her living room to watch television, and for most, this was in the form of cartoons. No three channels had more widely loved children’s shows then that of the “big three:” “Disney Channel,” “Nickelodeon” and “Cartoon Network.” These three channels dominated the airwaves and played major roles in influencing their viewers and the television, entertainment and animation industries. Some kids had favorite channels and shows growing up, which turn into debates or discussions in adulthood. Violet Hayes (freshman, speech pathology) remembers growing up as primarily a “Disney Channel” fan. Her reason for Disney loyalty is that it “had the least amount of shows I didn’t like.” "The other channels, ‘Cartoon Network’ and ‘Nick,’ had things that I wanted to skip or avoid, while I could watch almost anything on Disney,” she said. She said she also has fond early childhood memories of “Disney Junior," “Disney Channel’s” sub-channel for even younger audiences, assisting her position as a “Disney kid.” Her favorite shows on Disney were “Good Luck Charlie,” “Hannah Montana” and “Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” with her favorite show

overall being the “Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” Hayes, however, also enjoyed watching shows on “Nickeloden,” such as “Mighty B,” “SpongeBob Squarepants,” “Fairly Odd Parents,” “CatDog” and “Jimmy Neutron” and “Cartoon Network,” including “The Misadventures of Flapjack,” “Chowder,” “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends,” among more. But she remembers disliking the cult-classic series, “Adventure Time.” Her favorite cartoon, as opposed to her favorite show, was “The Fairly OddParents,” because it was “funny and entertaining.” While she watched them, Hayes claims she “wasn’t really a cartoon person.” “I watched them, yes, but I preferred live-action shows usually,” Hayes said. Hayes and other students, such as Allyson Donnely (junior, nursing), had fond memories of a fourth channel, the affordable and family friendly PBS Kids, the Public Broadcasting Service’s child-focused block. Donnely said she remembers loving “Arthur” especially, but also remembers “Zoboomafoo” and “Fetch with Ruff Ruffman,” while Hayes loved watching “Clifford” as a child. According to all three students, the reason that they all have strong memories of PBS Kids, despite the other channels’ higher popularity and success, is in part the safer and more educational nature of PBS Kids, which let it cater to young children and older kids alike. It was available to watch even in times and situations without cable.

Culture

April 30, 2019

STATIC battles rain to serve food, fun at annual cookout

(Natalie Stanton/ The Penn) STATIC (The Student Activity Committee) hosted the 32nd Annual Cookout Sunday outside the Hadley Union Building (HUB). Students were treated to free food and refreshments. There were also activities such as making tie-dye shirts and playing basketball and baseball.

April 30, 2019

Culture

April 30, 2019

Old Taylor Swift reawakens with new single ‘ME’ EMILEE HOWELLS

Staff Writer E.M.Howells@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. With much anticipation from fans, Taylor Swift returned Friday with a brand new single featuring Brendon Urie from Panic! At The Disco. Prior to the single’s release, titled “ME!,” Swift was dropping clues on her Instagram as well as a countdown leading up to Friday. Many didn’t know what to expect as the singer usually releases music only in the fall. Not only did she release the song, but she also released the music video for the song, which was announced on ABC’s NFL Draft in Nashville. Nashville was busy Thursday prior to the song’s release as ABC and Swift commissioned a butterfly mural by artist Kelsey Montague to be put up in the Gulch, a neighborhood in the heart of Nashville, causing fans to show up to the wall. Swift came out and met fans waiting.

(Facebook) Taylor Swift’s “ME” was released Thursday in Nashville during the NFL Draft.

Swift had just finished her tour in November 2018 for “Reputation,” leaving an end to a very dark era. “ME!” shows the close to the “Reputation” era as her well-known snake vibe from her previous album is turned into

butterflies at the start of the new music video. When you first listen to the song, it is hard to tell where it is going to go as her past album was dark and bold. But this song starts very light and airy. Her Instagram was filled with

pastel colors, cats, rainbows and butterflies giving a new direction on how the upcoming album might sound. The new song opens with lyrics stating, “I promise that you’ll never find another like me” and “trouble’s going to follow where I

go,” which is Swift reclaiming her narrative. At the announcement on ABC, she explained that the song was all about “embracing your individuality and really celebrating and owning it.” Brendon Urie comes midway into the song, making this a very interesting collaboration. Many fans say it makes the song a more Panic! At The Disco-sounding song rather than a Swift song. The music video itself references “The Wizard of Oz,” “Mary Poppins,” “Hairspray” and the Dixie Chicks. It is an explosion of pastel colors, rainbows and butterflies all in one video. It also introduced fans to her new kitten that she had been keeping a secret, as her cats Meredith and Olivia are well-known staples in her career. Taylor’s seventh studio album is expected to drop soon as she keeps hinting at an earlier album than her normal fall release. Many fans try to understand every clue and make different theories up creating more of a hype.

Sports

Sports Editor: Elliot Hicks – E.Hicks@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Brad O’Hara – B.L.Ohara@iup.edu

(IUP Athletics) Lauren Zola finished her IUP career with 442 strikeouts, good for fourth in program history.

Zola ends career as IUP softball’s ace pitcher, teammate ELLIOT HICKS

Sports Editor e.hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

Despite IUP’s status as a Division II school, likely to be overlooked on a national scale, each program has athletes that perform extremely well over their careers as Crimson Hawks. Lauren Zola (senior, hospitality management) is no exception, serving as one of softball’s top performers in each of her four years as a pitcher for IUP. Dating back to a successful high school career at Seton-La Salle near Pittsburgh, where she earned a variety of local media recognition,

the intricacies of being a successful pitcher come naturally to Zola after so long, she said. “Being a pitcher, you have to put in extra work outside of the normal fielding and batting practice,” Zola said. “I wouldn’t really say it’s a challenge. It’s just something that I’ve accepted, taking on the responsibility all these years.” IUP was always the Pittsburgh native’s top choice, not only because of the team’s success prior to her collegiate career but also because of the highly regarded hospitality management program. “It’s close to home, the program I wanted to do is good and both the team and (then-coach) Bill Gra-

ham were interested in me,” Zola said. Zola started at least 20 games in each of her four seasons as a Crimson Hawk, winning 36 career games with an ERA of 3.07. She sits fourth all-time in career strikeouts with 442 and holds four of the top 20 single-season strikeout totals. Out of 83 games started, Zola threw complete games in 53 of them. In 2019, under first-year head coach Shawna Bellaud, the Crimson Hawks missed the postseason for the first time this decade. “It’s hard, especially being a senior, because you always want to continue into the playoffs,” Zola said. “But we made the best of it

April 30, 2019

with all the ups and downs that we faced even though it didn’t turn out how we wanted.” Despite this year being Zola’s only season without postseason action, it featured the highlight of her career, a no-hitter against Clarion on senior day April 13. “Honestly, I didn’t even really know it was coming until it was coming to the last couple of batters,” Zola said. “It was pretty awesome. It took me four years, and it’s something I will always remember. It was fun to do that with my team and with everyone there supporting.” The close bonds formed between the teammates will be what

Zola takes away from her career. “I’ll probably miss them the most,” Zola said. “Even people I played with my freshman year I’m still close with, even though we only played one season together. “The relationships built off the field I’ll remember the most, people who I’ll always have by my side throughout everything, softball-related or otherwise.” Zola will get the chance to reconnect with old teammates following graduation as she’ll begin a job across the state in Philadelphia. “That’ll be different, but (teammates) will keep me sane moving away because I’ll be able to keep in touch with and be closer to them.”

Sports

April 30, 2019

(IUP Athletics) The IUP lacrosse team will take on Seton Hill Tuesday in the first round of the PSAC Women’s Lacrosse Championships.

Lacrosse drops senior day matchup in warmup for playoffs BRAD O’HARA

Lead Sports Writer B.L.Ohara@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP lacrosse’s winning streak came to an end Saturday with an 18-9 loss to West Chester on senior day. West Chester was the best team in the PSAC and the seventh ranked team in the nation coming into Saturday. The Golden Rams lost only two games all season and one in the conference. Both of West Chester’s two losses came in overtime. West Chester’s success comes from its efficiency on both sides of the game. In the 16 games played, the Golden Rams put up double-digit goals in all but two of them, and they lead the PSAC in goals scored and margin of victory while giving up the least amount of goals. With that being said, IUP has a higher shot efficiency and save percentage than the West Chester team. The Crimson Hawks came into

the game riding the momentum of their seven-game winning streak. The first nine minutes of the game were all IUP as they scored three goals and took an early lead. Ally Burrows (senior, biology) helped lead the way for IUP as she scored one and had one assist to start the game. But West Chester quickly bounced back and completely took control of the game. Within four minutes of the Golden Rams’ first goal, they tied the game. The three goals came in a run of eight unanswered West Chester goals. Late in the first half, IUP looked to make a push to bring the team back into the game before halftime. Burrows and Shannon Hartigan (junior, pre-vet) each scored a goal in the last six minutes to bring IUP within three at the end of the half. Despite closing the first half strong, the second half did not go how IUP had hoped. The first goal of the half came

seven minutes in when the Golden Rams extended their lead to four. The Crimson Hawks quickly retaliated with Kathryn Zeiler (sophomore, undeclared) scoring 58 seconds later. Following Zeiler’s goal, West Chester looked to put an end to the game and did just that. The Golden Rams scored eight unanswered goals in less than 15 minutes to take an 11-goal lead. In the final five minutes of the game, IUP made a final push scoring three goals. However, the three goals did nothing to affect the outcome of the game as West Chester won 18-9. “It is easy for us to stay humble because of how competitive our conference is,” Burrows said. “No game in the PSAC is an easy game. We aren’t perfect, and we know we have to keep working our way up.” IUP will now have to quickly bounce back as they prepare for the start of the PSAC playoffs when they face Seton Hill at home Tuesday.

The Crimson Hawks were tied with the Griffins in conference record but earned the fourth seed and the home game as a result of a

better head-to-head record. Tuesday’s game begins at 4 p.m., and admission is free for students, $10 for adults and $5 for children.

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April 30, 2019

Sports

April 30, 2019

Crimson Hawks Roundup

(IUP Athletics) (IUP Athletics) Katya Minchenkova (junior, management) and Matt Cocorikis (senior, accounting) will participate in the postseason. Jeff Allen (senior, criminology) and Brooklyn Kotula (sophomore, accounting) were IUP’s stars of the weekend.

ELLIOT HICKS

Sports Editor e.hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

Postseason Updates: Aside from lacrosse earning a postseason spot, multiple other IUP squads will see upcoming postseason action. The tennis team will participate in the PSAC quarterfinals Tuesday against Mercyhurst. Following a 7-10 spring season which also saw three matches canceled, the Crimson Hawks will face the Lakers for a second time this month. IUP dropped a 4-3 contest April 10. An IUP victory would advance the Crimson Hawks to the conference semifinals starting May 3 in

Bloomsburg. The golf team will compete in the NCAA Atlantic/East Region Championships beginning Thursday, May 9 at the Totteridge Golf Club in Greensburg. The Crimson Hawks are the No. 2 seed of 10 in the Atlantic region. A top-three finish will automatically advance teams to the regional finals, which begin May 20 in Daniels, W.Va. However, up to seven teams from a region can advance to the finals based on last year’s medal play.

Baseball: The IUP baseball team has played Slippery Rock in its last four games, winning both games of a doubleheader Saturday and split-

ting a doubleheader Monday. Saturday, Jeff Allen (senior, criminology) moved up the Crimson Hawks’ career strikeout leaderboard, whiffing 11 batters in six innings during Saturday’s second game, a 10-6 victory. Allen’s 219 career strikeouts sit third in program history and his 82 on the season is the fourth-best mark in an IUP season. Both games featured early leads for Slippery Rock and quick comebacks from IUP. In Saturday’s first game, the Rock scored four runs in the opening pair of innings, but the Crimson Hawks scored four in the second and two in the third, eventually leading to a 10-8 victory. Monday’s opening game was

even heading to the final frame, when Slippery Rock scored two runs to take a 4-2 victory. The second game saw IUP make the last-inning comeback, scoring three in the seventh to take a 6-5 win. The 15-26 Crimson Hawks will close their season with a four-game home-and-home series against Seton Hill Friday and Saturday.

Softball: IUP softball ended its season on a high note, picking up a 4-0 victory Sunday in the second game of a doubleheader against Pitt-Johnstown (UPJ) following a pair of losses to Bloomsburg the day prior and a 4-3 loss in the first game against the Mountain Cats. Brooklyn Kotula (sophomore, ac-

counting) threw a complete-game shutout in the victory, one of eight complete games and three shutouts on her resume from the season. The game one loss officially eliminated the Crimson Hawks from postseason contention after seeing UPJ score four runs in the game’s final inning. The Saturday doubleheader against the Huskies saw 8-0 and 6-1 scorelines, with IUP never coming close in either game. The Crimson Hawks were limited to just one hit in the opening game and gave up three errors. IUP finishes its season with a 15-27-1 record (10-9 in the PSAC), good for fourth place in the PSAC Central.

Sports

April 30, 2019

Sports

Sleepers to watch from 2019 NFL Draft class STEVEN LANGDON JR. Culture Editor S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion. Every year following any sport’s draft, there are players who make teams go back and say, “if only we knew what would happen.” In each round, there is usually a star player. With that being said, who will emerge as the draft steals from the 2019 NFL Draft? Let’s go round by round. First Round: DE Montez Sweat 26th overall, Redskins For experts, this was not a surprise Sweat fell this far. Sweat was diagnosed with a heart problem, which he then was told should not affect him. Either way, it forced teams to take him off the board because of the uncertainty. He stands in at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds. Sweat has above average speed at the defensive end position, running a 4.41 40-yard dash. The pick was spot on as the Redskins could add to the 46 sacks they had last season. Offensive lineman won’t be able to sleep knowing they have to deal with Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Sweat on Sunday. Second Round: WR D.K. Metcalf 64th overall, Seahawks I am not sure what the story is with this pick. Metcalf was projected to be a first-round pick by every expert, and he fell to the last pick of the second round. He was the eighth wide receiver taken. Now that Doug Baldwin is retiring, the Seahawks find a replacement that is very similar in skill set. He was the second best wideout on his team last season, but he is fast and explosive. I would give him two years to develop into the No. 1 wide receiver he was meant to become. Third Round: CB Justin Layne 83rd overall, Steelers This was another player I was shocked to fall into the third round. Many teams this day and age look for bigger and physical cornerbacks. Standing in at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Layne also ran a 4.5 40-yard dash. He is physical at

(TNS) Montez Sweat (left) and Justin Layne (right) are a par of potential sleepers out of the 2019 NFL Draft.

the line and is an average tackler. The big issue that he may have is the separation at the line. Many receivers are fast and could burn Layne. The Steelers needed a corner coming into the draft, and Layne could act as a plug-and-play player to potentially be the third corner on the depth chart. Fourth Round: WR Riley Ridley 126th overall, Bears The fourth round was fun to watch. There were a handful of players that could have easily been my pick. I give honorable mentions to Bryce Love (112th pick) and Benny Snell (122nd pick). Ridley is the younger brother of Calvin Ridley of the Falcons. The brothers are very similar in size and

ability. Riley is just a little slower and did not nearly have the same production in college. Ridley is a fantastic pick since Da Bears best wideout is Allen Robinson. He will serve as in the slot or as the No. 2 this season. Fifth Round: CB Amani Oruwariye 146th overall, Lions Oruwariye is another corner that is excellent in press coverage. He is a bigger corner at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. The Lions needed a third cornerback, and now, they may have found it. He also fits head coach Matt Patricia’s scheme. Oruwariye is going to take two to three years to develop, but if he works on his man-toman game, this could be an excel-

lent pick for Detroit. Sixth Round: T Olisaemeka Udoh 193rd overall, Vikings The plan for the Vikings was simple: protect Kirk Cousins. They drafted offensive line heavy, and it should work out. Their sixth rounder, Udoh, is a player that could be boom or bust. He has the size of a lineman, but is he good enough? He will take a small jump after playing at the Division I-AA Elon University. If Udoh could develop a better pass-blocking skill set, then he could be great. He will need a couple years to improve, though. Seventh Round: LB Dakota Allen 251st overall, Rams Allen has had an incredible sto-

ry. If you watched “Last Chance U” on Netflix, you will remember him from season two. I could write an entire article on his story, but I’ll sum it up quickly. He went to Texas Tech and was wrongfully accused of a crime. He got kicked out and went to East Mississippi Community College for a season. Allen was welcomed back to Texas Tech and is now drafted. Allen has heart, and when he knows he is the underdog, he explodes with production. He is one of the most liked players anyone will meet and has an entire fanbase by his side. Good luck to Allen, and hopefully he proves more people wrong. I can’t wait to follow his progress on and off the field.

Sports

April 30, 2019

NHL’s ‘elite eight’ bringing even series in second round TYLER COMO

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

This article contains opinion. All stats current as of April 29. Only the elite remain. Those that rallied in round one now prove their worth in round two of playoff hockey. Three out of the four series are tied, while one series shows a surprising winner so far. Three of the remaining hockey clubs have never won a cup (the St. Louis Blues, the San Jose Sharks and the Columbus Blue Jackets), while there are teams who haven’t won it since the new millenium began (the Dallas Stars and the New York Islanders). This could be an early indication of a close and tightly fought push for the cup with the underdogs of the season. After upsetting the Washington Capitals, the Carolina Hurricanes pulled out back-to-back wins in Barclays Center to take a 2-0 series lead on the Islanders. Game one consisted of a high shot, low goal kind of affair. Each team recorded 30-plus shots, but out of the entirety of 63, only one made it to the back of the net. That was the game-winning goal from Jordan Staal. New York’s Robin Lehner and Carolina’s Petr Mrazek are showing off the confidence of second round goalies, and why not? The Islanders just swept the former back-to-back Stanley Cup champs, and the Hurricanes beat the defending Stanley Cup champs in a game seven. Game two gave New York an early comfort to start the game. The Islanders managed to take an early lead off a power play goal. The goal came from a self-deflection from a Carolina defender’s stick, off Matthew Barzal’s shot/ pass across the center. But Mrazek seemed to suffer an odd injury and had to be taken off the ice. Curtis McElhinney came in to take his place a little under halfway through the second period. The Hurricanes got a lucky break at

(TNS) Martin Jones and the San Jose Sharks are even at one in their second round series against the Colorado Avalanche.

the end of the second period with a goal being called off due to a kicking motion. The Hurricanes took the early lead in the third, and then off a lucky tip in, the Canes were up 2-1. Despite hitting the crossbar many times, the Islanders couldn’t sink one into the net. New York is down in the series heading back to face Carolina and the eruption of PNC Arena. Last week, the Sharks were on the brink of elimination within the last 10 minutes against Vegas, but fate was on their side both then and in their first game against Colorado. Gabriel Bourque managed to score first off a rebound shot from the goalies’ pads, but San Jose tied it before the end of the first period. The only other goal the Avalanche scored was in the second period, while the Sharks scored three in the same span. Then to finalize the score, San Jose scored an empty netter. Game two, however, was more in Colorado’s favor. Even though Evander Kane was the first on the score sheet, it made for an impressive comeback in the second period. After some impressive puck movement, Tyson Barrie

threw the puck on net in an attempt to even the score. He succeeded, tying the game in the second period. After the Avs’ Mikko Rantanen scurried the puck behind the net and got a pass off to Gabriel Landeskog, his shot bounced back to the faceoff circles where Tyson Barrie got his second goal on the night. Then, Matt Nieto scored a third unanswered goal for the Avs after it was nearly kept out by San Jose’s Brendan Dillion. The Sharks didn’t give up until the bitter end. Brent Burns brought his team within one under five minutes left. Even after an empty netter from Nathan MacKinnon, the Sharks found a way to score their third of the game with 10 seconds left but fell short a goal. Elsewhere in the West, the Blues scored a goal in each period, helping them secure a 3-2 victory against the Dallas Stars in game one. The Stars tallied their first goal in the second period from Jason Spezza. The Blues went on a power play with a little over two minutes left in the second. Vladimir Tarasenko scored just a few seconds in to

bring St. Louis up a goal, and he scored again after a hard drive to the net, lifting the puck past Ben Bishop’s poke check. Dallas then got another power play goal, but it wasn’t enough to take home a win in game one. Dallas scored first in game two. Roope Hintz played a factor on the second goal, getting an assist and goal in the first period of play. But the four-on-four play clearly helped the Blues as much as the Stars. Dallas fought harder for game two, winning 4-2 and tying the series at one. In the other Eastern Conference series, both of the opening two playoff games between Boston and Columbus went into extra time. Charlie Coyle scored one goal in the third and another in overtime (OT) to tally the game winner for Boston. Despite being on the power play, the Jackets gave up a shorthanded goal. The Blue Jackets scored two unanswered goals in the third and then had the tying goal from Coyle to push game one into extra minutes. But the late effort put in by Columbus couldn’t secure them a win. In the second game, the Bruins

took an early lead starting off the game on a power play and taking the lead 1-0. Then the Blue Jackets went on the power play early in the second, also scoring on it. Coyle again got a lucky bounce off a player’s skate and managed to put Boston up 2-1. A 4v4 chance for the Blue Jackets and a bad pass inside Boston’s zone helped Artemi Panarin tie the game at two. It was a scoreless third period and first OT. Boston’s Patrice Bergeron got a penalty called on him for tripping Seth Jones. Panarin rifled on net, and Matt Duchene got the rebound to score the 2OT game winner for Columbus. The series is tied 1-1. It’s hard to pick a favorite, only because there are so many wild card teams. Every wild card team made it to the second round. Clearly this is an underdog kind of playoff series. The team left with the most recent Stanley Cup win is the Boston Bruins (2011), then Carolina (2006) and Colorado (2001). The newer teams that made it this far proved new competition to see. Sometimes it’s even better than the normal talent of the mini-dynasties of the past decade.

April 30, 2019

Sports

(Facebook) Cole Tucker and the Pittsburgh Pirates have lost eight straight games.

Pirates look for rebound following recent struggles JAKE SLEBODNICK

Production Manager J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu @slebby24

This article contains opinion. All stats current as of April 29. Unfortunately, the NL Central lead did not last for the Pirates as they have surrendered eight straight games to opponents. Falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, the Bucs have fallen to two games under .500, as well as fourth in the NL Central, following an eight-game losing streak. However, contrary to popular belief, this was not because of a lack of offensive production. Rather, it was due to a few notable losses on the team and a bullpen that has become a garbage fire within a dumpster fire. Here’s what they need to do to

get back on the winning side of things.

1. Fix the bullpen For a young platoon, the Pirates’ bullpen has failed to live up to expectations after acquiring Keone Kela last summer. Each reliever (excluding Nick Burdi – injured just as he was heating up – and Francisco Liriano) has an ERA at more than 4.25, with Steven Brault taking the biggest part of the load, giving up eight runs in 6.2 innings, good for a 10.25 ERA in 11 appearances so far. For comparison, Liriano is scoreless in that same amount of games. Brault has had many opportunities to redeem himself within the past year, and it isn’t proving to be worth the time. Send him to AAA, and recall J.T. Brubaker, who is carrying over his success in relief since last year. One other thing: do not rely on

Richard Rodriguez to hold down a slim lead (that is if you consider five runs to be slim). The role for a set-up pitcher is to hold down the fort until Felipe Vazquez can earn the save in the ninth. Rodriguez has not done this for several games. In conclusion, I’ll say this. Since the Pirates do not want to spend money for good relief pitching, they need to utilize their farm talent and send some relievers down to AAA to work on problem areas. Or you can bring J.B. Shuck in to pitch, considering he has a 0.00 ERA as of now.

2. Improve Tucker and Martin Before you think I’m excluding Bryan Reynolds because I don’t believe in him, don’t fret. Cole Tucker and Jason Martin, both of whom made their big league debuts this season, have been on a cold streak as of late,

whereas Reynolds is hitting a solid .429. Tucker came up and put emphasis on his potential after he practically walked off the last win for the Pirates with a two-run home run, which was also his first major league hit. Ever since then, his batting average went down to a .226 while batting in the eighth slot in the order. The same can be said for Martin, who is hitting slightly better than Tucker (.229). Not to mention, the duo has drawn only five combined walks, which shows they are trigger happy at the plate. Both showcase excellent speed and defensive ability, but hitting seems to be their achilles heel. If Rick Eckstein can spend more time with them in the batting cage, working on plate discipline and pitch selection, they can be the spark plugs for the redemption of

the battlin’ Bucs.

3. Rebound from injuries Starling Marte and Erik Gonzalez, both currently on the injured list, are not the only two good players on the team. Pittsburgh is stacked with young and coming talent and has the makings to have a successful season. Ever since Gonzalez and Marte left the lineup, the Pirates look like a completely different team in the worst of ways. This is a terrible mindset if you want to win games. The Pirates need to realize their potential and how their starting rotation can carry them through games if they can provide on offense. If they can overcome this dark cloud and lead as a team, wins are on the horizon, and if what they have now performs well, a playoff spot might be in the picture.