October/November 2018
THIS ISSUE
Free Speech
Lanternfly Invasion
Alvernia’s Turkey Drive Feeds Area Families By Leah Kemper Contributing Writer It’s time to talk turkey. As the holiday season approaches, Polly Mathys will once more lead the annual Turkey Drive, which feeds thousands of local Readingarea families. 2018 marks the 31st year of the effort, but it began by chance. “The first year was almost an accident,” Polly Mathys, assistant professor of computer information systems, said. “I was in school very early in November [1987] doing backup on computers and reading the newspaper. There was a full-page ad for a grocery store chain that stated: ‘free turkey with $25 order. I turned the page, and
Professor Mathys put hand written flyers into Alvernia faculty mailboxes that said,
there was an ad for another grocery store that stated: ‘free turkey with $25 order. I literally felt I was being shouted at, ‘how many of these [ads] do I have to see before I get it!’”
‘if you can get a turkey and don’t need it, let me know, someone should have those turkeys.’ That first year, she got 25 turkeys and took them to a soup kitchen in Reading called Kennedy House.
Photo Courtesy of Polly Mathys
what’s in
Volume 57 Issue 5
Last year’s Turkey Drive helpers assembled 200 food boxes on November 18, 2017 at the warehouse on Morgantown Road.
Holiday Fun
The Pink Tax
L-R: Polly Mathys, Jordan Bowie ‘21, Susanna Pirollo ‘21, and Roger Shaw delivered on November 20, 2017, speciallyrequested turkey orders to two churches and two PAL facilities for the big dinners they would be serving.
At first, Mathys only collected turkeys. In 1997, Mathys branched out into building food boxes.
People can help the turkey drive by making hand-made Christmas cards for the veterans for the Red Cross.
“Every year, we were connected by somebody who needed our help. Not just individual families, but by organizations that wanted turkeys,” Mathys said. Last year, the turkey drive reached out to more than 1,000 local families through the Kennedy House, Christ Church’s SPARKS program, Bethel AME Church, the Red Cross, the Olivet Boys and Girls Club, and more. “We ended up giving 1166 turkeys and hams, 250 food boxes, and a few other little things along the way. The turkey and hams may have fed 7,000 people,” Mathys said. “That’s a drop in the bucket for Reading poverty. Keeps you humble to say, it will never be enough.” The Alvernia community can help with this event by giving cash, checks, and Venmo donations to Mathys. Canned goods, hams, and turkeys are also accepted. Alivia Lopez, a sophomore sports management major, donated last year. “I donated canned goods and nonperishable goods to Polly Mathys for the turkey drive,” she said. “It made me feel great to know that I could help people enjoy their holiday.”
They can also help fill candy bags and food boxes, or help with loading or unloading the trucks at area charities. Susanna Pirollo, a sophomore athletic training major, helped deliver the turkeys to different places around Reading last year. One of the places they went to was a church in the city. “All the people we delivered the turkeys to were very grateful. It was very humbling to see how much joy the turkey drive brought to people in our community,” Pirollo said. “Seeing as my family has always had plenty of food on Thanksgiving, it was easy to take the blessing of a warm meal for granted. By helping with the turkey drive, I was reminded of all of the blessings I have in my life. It was a great feeling to be able to help other people in the community enjoy a warm meal on Thanksgiving.” To donate to the Turkey Drive, connect Polly Mathys at 484-366-3246 or polly.mathys@alvernia.edu.
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WALLACE REPORT
October/November 2018
Vol. 57 Issue 5
t h e alver nian
Layout Gwen Bauer Section Editors Chelsea Dziamba Khalil Eaddy Courtney High Spencer Matthews Keon Taylor Contributing Writers Gillian Bodnar Leah Kemper Faculty Advisor Dr. Ryan Lange
The Alvernian is the official student newspaper of Alvernia University. To contact newspaper staff, the office telephone number is 610-796-8358.
Articles submitted for consideration into The Alvernian should be written in some semblance of AP style. Letters to the editor, requests for advertisements, and general comments and questions may be submitted to ryan.lange@alvernia.edu. The editors reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, accuracy, and length. The views expressed in The Alvernian are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the student body, faculty, staff, administration, or sponsors.
© 2018 The Alvernian
from God and then to give these students the tools to live out that call here on campus. A second opportunity to respond to our Franciscan call is for each of us to understand and articulate our Franciscan mission more clearly. Sr. Roberta McKelvie, our Franciscan Scholar in Residence, is currently presenting a year-long mission education series with the goal of helping our faculty and staff come to know and articulate our mission in more personal ways. I invite each of you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to get to know the tradition in a deeper way from a scholar who understands the depth that the Franciscan tradition has to offer. While not all of us may be Catholic and while most of us may not know every story of St. Francis, we all have a role to play in the Franciscan mission of the university. I encourage us to find what part of the Franciscan mission we are passionate about and live into that mission! But, just how do we live into our Franciscan mission? We give back! When I first came to Alvernia two years ago, I was blown away by the amount of time, effort and support the community gives to service on this campus. When we have days of service, it is not just the Holleran Center that is “all hands on deck.” Indeed, we see faces from all over the university community coming together to “rebuild” our local
community. As we approach the holiday season, we will be inundated with ways to serve our local and global communities. Let me highlight just two special ways we can do that here at Alvernia. First, our Alvernia community has a unique opportunity to give to Operation Christmas Child, a gift giving drive sponsored by the National Residence Hall Association. Operation Christmas Child ensures children in third-world countries receive a gift around the holidays. For more information, contact Kathy Alvarado, one of our Resident Directors on campus. Second, we all know that Thanksgiving brings the annual Turkey Drive, now a foundational mission-inaction event on campus. As Polly Mathys gears up for another record breaking year, let us make sure that we can say “yes” to every family that seeks a meal at Thanksgiving. Please consider both of these opportunities to be a part of mission-in-action on campus as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Franciscan charism is hard to reduce to one word or phrase because millions of people throughout the world have responded in unique ways to the Franciscan call to “rebuild” God’s church. However, at the heart of the charism is relationship. To be in right relationship with our students, colleagues, partners and with those who
are less privileged than us is at the heart of living the Franciscan life. As we continue to live out the Franciscan call to rebuild, let us be attentive to a radical call to be in relationship with the world around us. Find what you are passionate about and go forth to respond to God’s call! Peace and All Good,
Julianne E. Wallace, Assistant to the President for Mission and Director of Campus Ministry
For more information about Campus Ministry, please follow this QR code or visit them on PAX at https://alvernia. campuslabs.com/ engage/organization/ campusministry
Julianne E. Wallace, Assistant to the President for Mission and Director of Campus Ministry, speaking at the PLEX Dedidation. Wallace, the co-author of “Spirit and Life: A Franciscan Guide for Spiritual Reflection,” has served as Director of Campus Ministry since 2016.
Photo Courtesy of Dan Z. Johnson Photography
Managing Editor Gwen Bauer
St. Francis, kneeling in front of the San Damiano Cross, heard the voice of God calling him to repair the Church. As we know, initially Francis misunderstood this message as he began to build San Damiano brick by brick. It was sometime later that Francis began to recognize God’s call was to rebuild the Body of Christ, to help the people of Assisi remember the Gospel mission to which they were called. In January, I had the privilege of going on pilgrimage to Assisi and was able to pray in front of the San Damiano Cross. As I knelt in front of the cross, along with pilgrims from all over the world, I was innately aware that the call God made to Francis, to “rebuild my church,” is still very much applicable to us today. As we look around, it is very easy to get mired down in the brokenness around us, whether it is responding to the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church or whether it is responding to the needs of the poor and neglected in our very own country. God’s call to “rebuild” is somehow, quite ominously, very applicable to us today. In August, when I transitioned into the new role of Assistant to the President for Mission, I began to look for opportunities in which we can, as a Franciscan university, continue the rebuilding process that Francis started over 800 years ago. As I reflected, three opportunities for continued growth in the areas of mission and ministry at Alvernia came to mind. The first opportunity I would like to highlight is the work of the department of campus ministry. Having just revised our three-year campus ministry plan as well as added a new fulltime campus minister, we hope campus ministry will continue to be a vibrant and vital part of our campus community. The revised plan builds on the good work of our already successful programs such as Alternative Breaks (now sending 100 students on service trips each year) and Peace and Social Justice Ministries, while challenging us to grow in the areas of Interfaith and Spiritual Life. Our goal, as a department, is to help students hear and understand their own call
FREE SPEECH October/November 2018
3 Vol. 57 Issue 5
Alvernia’s Commitment to Free Speech in a Changing World Alvernia’s Commitment to Civil Dialogue and Freedom of Expression addresses critical questions surrounding the state of free speech at this campus. This new commitment was drafted after months of collaboration between faculty staff and students. “The commitment should make every person on our campus feel free to know that their voices can and should be heard, and yet it takes care to note that the Franciscan spirit of the university should infuse our conversations, so that we are respectful and caring, humble and open to new ideas,” Dr. Victoria Williams said. Alvernia is a Catholic Franciscan school, so the people that worked on this commitment saw it important that those values were at the center of it.
Dr. Mark Kaufman noted the virtue of discourse. “We wanted to confirm that Alvernia values and supports free speech while at the same time making it clear that hate speech and speech inciting violence have no place in civil dialogue...” he said. “I would hope that the commitment impacts students by motivating them to discuss important issues and to express their opinions even (or especially) if they feel their beliefs are marginalized. Regardless of background or political persuasion...and they should understand that the university has their back.” “Students may feel reassured that hate speech is not tolerated, and that if their view is not in the majority,
they are still welcomed to express their view and be respected,” Dr. Mary Ellen Symanski, associate professor of nursing, said. “However, the idea of Alvernia having values and standards that relate to speech and behavior is not new. For example, we already have standards of community behavior that covers prohibiting racial or ethnic slurs. This new document is a reinforcement to the standards that may be reassuring to some students.” The content of this new commitment was taken wholly from either the Alvernia Vision and Mission Statements or from the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters themselves and the faculty and staff involved echoed those sentiments. “Alvernia’s mission and vision statements express a commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment, recognizing that exposure
American ideals. Alvernia… [is] reaffirming the importance of free speech and civil discourse at a divisive time in our country’s history.” Democracy is inherently
trolls.” “What civil discourse should be is a rational and informed conversation. Students should feel free to disagree, but they should also make a genuine effort to
to a diversity of viewpoints and experiences leads to a richer understanding of complex issues and to a broader world view. The free speech commitment reflects this overarching mission of the university by creating an environment in which everyone on campus is encouraged to enter into difficult dialogues and share their views,” Dr. Williams said. Dr. Kaufman stressed diversity as well. “The commitment recognizes the need for diversity of opinion, which is an essential element of democracy,” he said. “I think the language of the document is flexible enough to accommodate evolving issues in our culture. At the same time, the language is rooted in longstanding
American. Our nation was founded on the ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness where all men are created equal. It is oftentimes difficult to engage in debate with one who has an opposing political affiliation. The vitriolic nature of debate, between both politicians and regular people, is awful for our nation and awful for Democracy. Dr. Kaufman was adamant on discourse. “I would encourage students not to remain silent on the issues affecting our nation and our world,” he said. “I think too often people (not just students) choose to say nothing, because the only examples of political ‘debate’ they see are screaming heads on television and internet
understand the concerns of the opposing argument.“ While it may be difficult to engage in discourse on some topics, Dr. Kaufman encouraged students to make the effort to understand others. “When students encounter an opinion contrary to their own, their response should not be to shut down or grow angry,” Dr. Kaufman said. “Rather, they should see it as an opportunity to engage with one another, to learn from one another, and to make a bit of progress in our society.” Dr. Williams noted the need for respect in debate. “We want Alvernians to be peacemakers, to seek commonalities, and to engage in behaviors that promote understanding...” she said.
Photo Courtesy of Spencer Matthews
By Spencer Matthews Contributing Editor
Dr. Mary Ellen Symanski in the “Sun Room” in Francis Hall after a conversation on Alvernia’s new commitment to free speech. “If our Franciscan values inform our interactions with others, our engagement in constructive, respectful dialogue about controversial issues presents a new model for national discourse.”
“What I think is the most important thing that anyone should take away from the commitment is that we all should be in this together and it should not be about us versus them mindset,” Wanda Copeland, Director of Multicultural Engagement, said. “When we listen to understand and respect one another we can make positive change.” How the interactions people have with one another go is completely on the student body at Alvernia University. It is on us to make a change.
“Regardless of background or political persuasion... [all students] should understand that the university has their back.” ~ Dr. Mark Kaufman
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ALVERNIA VIEWS
October/November 2018
Vol. 57 Issue 5
By Gillian Bodnar Contributing Writer Do you crave something new and exciting in your education? If you want an adventure of a lifetime, you need to study abroad. As Euripides once said, “Travel, Experience: These are an education in themselves.” Studying abroad gives you opportunities to travel beyond one place. Not only will you get to live and explore a country of choice, you can also travel to other places! Depending on where you are traveling to and from, the flights will most likely be cheaper. For example, one of my dream places to go was Amsterdam. I made this happen while studying in Athens, Greece for a long weekend and paid ¼ of what it would cost to fly from the United States to Amsterdam. Studying abroad can help you grow in new ways. Being in a different country can be challenging, but it
tests your ability to adapt to diverse situations. By the end of your trip, you will have experienced living a new day-to-day life. While that is a benefit, it is also a challenge. Students have to contend with homesickness, currency differences, the language barrier, cultural misunderstandings, time zone differences, and more. Facing these challenges can be scary, but the worst that can happen is you learn. You will learn and from your mistakes, as well as your accomplishments. Aside from the self-benefit challenges, you will leave your semester or time abroad with new friends. Living in a new country with people you don’t know seems scary, but in that time, it is likely you will find people who make your experience even better than you could’ve imagined. Sounds great, doesn’t it? But wait, what if missing an entire semester isn’t
accommodating with your major? “As an Occupational Therapy major finding time to study abroad during these 5 years of a jammed pack schedule is extremely hard,” Kelsey Farmer, senior OT major, said. “Studying abroad was something I really wanted to do but couldn’t afford to be gone an entire semester.” “Luckily, I was able to do the two-week study abroad program in Dingle, Ireland. In my two weeks in Dingle I took one course which was a psych course, and in addition to the course we took many field trips to different places in Ireland that had to do with mental health and relation to the course.” Whether your plan after graduation includes getting your masters or going straight into the workforce, studying abroad can help clarify what you really want to do.
Photo Courtesy of Gillian Bodnar
The Benefits of Studying Abroad
Amsterdam, Netherlands, an optional trip you might be able to take!
“The study abroad opportunity totally transforms a college student,” Sue Guay, associate professor of communication, said. “It provides a new way of looking at the world and opens an individuals mind to global opportunities. Returning students tend to perform better academically and often have redefined
career goals.” If a semester abroad sounds like something you want to do, contact Melissa Manny in the Study Abroad office in Bernardine Hall room 106A or give her a call at 610-568-1473. You can also check out the Study Abroad link on the Alvernia University website to see which country calls you!
By Chelsea Dziamba Contributing Editor
Photo courtesy of Entomology Today
It is impossible to walk around Alvernia’s campus this year and not see a spotted lanternfly. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) confirmed that the spotted lanternfly was in Pennsylvania in 2014.The pest is a threat to agriculture throughout the region. The spotted lanternfly is not originally from the United States. The PDA says that the spotted lanternfly is native to China, India, and Vietnam. Spotted lanternflies have also made their way into Korea, where it has become a major
pest. The bugs threaten trees and nurseries in Asia, and now in Pennsylvania. Thirteen counties in Pennsylvania are currently under quarantine: Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill. Residents of these counties must check their vehicles before leaving the county. Car owners are advised not park near or under tree lines because spotted lanternflies are more likely to land on your car there. There are multiple ways to kill the spotted lanternfly. The first is the most obvious: Step
Spotted lanternfly eggs on an Alvernia tree limb.
on any that you see. Another option for landowners is to purchase sticky tree bands. The spotted lanternfly gets stuck on them while they try to crawl on the trees. Longer term, the best option is a soil injection. Green Giant Home & Commercial offer spotted lanternfly soil injection services. Soil injections soak a pesticide harmless to plants up through the tree and kill the spotted lanternfly when they are feeding on the injected tree bark. Some students want Alvernia to be more proactive about eliminating these pests. “I suggested to Abby Swatchick, who is the president of SGA, that if we get the tree sticky strips the Fishing Club can go around campus and put them up to help with the lanternfly issue,” Ryan Driscoll, Fishing Club Vice President, said. Infestations of the spotted lanternfly have been spotted near the parking lots, the quad, and especially the Campus Commons. Fortunately, Elizabeth Ali, mail clerk at Alvernia Facilities, said that the university had called pest control to help remove the
Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Alvernia Under Attack by the Spotted Lanternfly
This is what the spotted lanternfly that is invading PA looks like. Know the face of your enemy!
bugs. The spotted lanternfly lays eggs on trees, and these eggs will hatch even after the winter season. If you see any eggs, the PDA suggests people scrape them off, double bag them and throw them away. The PDA also says the eggs can be placed into alcohol or hand sanitizer to kill them. Spotted lanternfly egg masses should be reported to PDA at their website, https:// www.paplants.pa.gov/ EntomologySurveyExternal. aspx .
This problem of the spotted lanternflies is not going to be easy to fix. But coming together and tackling this issue together can really help, not just Alvernia’s campus, but the state of Pennsylvania. Everyone needs to step up to protect our trees and nurseries. Together we can eliminate the spotted lanternfly species and save Pennsylvania!
ALVERNIA VIEWS October/November 2018
5 Vol. 57 Issue 5
Does a pink razor shave better than a green one? If it does not, why is the pink razor more expensive? Women’s products may suffer a “pink tax,” which manifests as a price difference between men and women’s products. Candance Elliott, author of the article The Pink TaxThe Cost of Being a Female Consumer, claimed there may be up to a 13% difference in price between self-care products for men and products for women. While women pay over 10% more for women’s products, these items are not 10% better than their nongendered counterparts. Elliott’s article discusses men’s and women’s razors. At Walmart.com, a pack of Schick four women’s razor replacement cartridges cost $13.47 and a pack of Schick six men’s razor replacement
their bodies, particularly their legs. It is difficult to get close to the ankle and shave the knees. However, while the Harry’s razor’s design focuses on the face, it also makes it easier for shaving on and around the knee because it is meant to be gentle, while getting close to the skin, on hard to reach places. “I like them more because I get a closer shave, and my legs look smoother and softer,” Alicia Bauer said. Bauer also mentioned that she has a lot of trouble with women’s razors normally when she shaves her knees because the razors are not gentle enough. All four of the women who switched to the Harry’s razor mentioned that Harry’s razor was also easier to use because of the large rubber handle, and the razor even comes with a razor case to hold it, which kept the razor from rusting if left in the shower, and it makes
neutral razor. The four women discovered a notable difference in their shaving experience. Women often shave challenging areas of
traveling easier. The sixth woman, that stuck to women’s razors said that she found she continued to have the same problems as she had before, even after switching from a women’s Gillette razor to the women’s Schick razor. In comparison to most women’s reusable razors, the Harry’s razor was also less expensive. Harry’s razor kit included a razor handle and two razor cartridges for $9.97, while the Schick Hydro Silk Women’s Razor included one razor handle and one razor for $15.99. All around, even if you were to try out another brand for a men’s razor, a men’s razor is probably a better choice for overall quality and price because it had a price than the women’s razors, it was gentler when getting hard to reach or bumpy places, and the razor itself gave a closer shave. After all that, there seems to be evidence that there is a “pink tax” when it comes to women’s products, but specifically razors. While it is not definite that the men’s razors are better than women’s razors when it comes to quality, their prices are better.
Photo Courtesy of Alicia Bauer
cartridges cost $11.44. The men’s pack was a four pack that included two additional razors at no extra cost.
In this instance, the women’s razor pack cost $2.03 more than the men’s razor pack and contained fewer razor cartridges. According to five women that assessed the quality of the razors by looking at them, the quality of the razors appeared to be the same. In fact, all five women said that the men’s razors felt to be sharper than the women’s, so the quality may have even been better. After realizing that there was in fact a quality difference in the razors, all of the five women wanted to switch to different razors to see if there was a difference in quality. To provide a fairer test, four of the women switched to the men’s razor and one woman continued to use the women’s razors. The five women that switched to a men’s razor, switched to a men’s razor called Harry’s because it is a new razor that was originally made for men but is now considered to be a gender-
Alicia Bauer posing with her Harry’s razor set.
On the left is a BIC women’s razor, and on the right is a the Harry’s men’s razor.
Recently, Harry’s came out with a new razor brand for women that is fairly priced, just like their men’s razor. The brand’s name is called Flamingo, so you can even try out their new women’s razor and razor set, to see if
the quality of their women’s razor is the same as their men’s, just as they say it is. The best way to know for sure whether the men’s razor is better quality than women’s is to give it a try for yourself! If you would like to specifically try the Harry’s men’s razor or the Flamingo women’s razor there are a few purchasing options. They have monthly subscriptions, as well as they can be purchased at Target, or on their websites. Harry’s and Flamingo’s basic box sets both come with two razor heads, a razor handle, a razor head travel cover, and shaving
gel, but you can also purchase all the items and more separately. The Women’s Flamingo set also comes with a bottle of lotion for your legs. Harry’s website is www.Harrys.com and the Flamingo website is www. shopflamingo.com.
Avoid Close Shaves Write for The Alvernian!
Photo Courtesy of www.shopflamingo.com
By Gwen Bauer Managing Editor
Photo Courtesy of Gwen Bauer
The Pink Tax
The new Flamingo women’s shave set.
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WINTER IS COMING
October/November 2018
Vol. 57 Issue 5
By Khalil Eaddy Contributing Editor Berks County has a variety of things to do this holiday season. Here are some events you and your family can enjoy this holiday season. First, the Wyomissing Church of the Brethren plans a two-day weekend event surrounding the holidays and crafts. Near Berkshire Square in Wyomissing, the Church of the Brethren hosts a Holiday Craft Sale Saturday, November 3, and Holiday Craft Show on Sunday. There’s no better time to purchase crafts and engage with vendors, then at the WCB. Next, Governor Mifflin School District hosts a twoin-one event. On Saturday, November 17, there will be a craft fair and holiday bazaar at Governor Mifflin Middle School. The high school will perform its fall play that evening at 7 p.m. in the Governor Mifflin High School
Auditorium. The performance is titled Arsenic: An Old Lace. One can enjoy a fair with crafts and then attend a local school play. The play will also be having performances the day before the craft fair, Friday, November 16 and, the day after the craft fair, Sunday, November 18. This December, the Centre Park Historic District (CPHD) will have its 34th Annual Christmas House Tour and Champagne Brunch. Beginning at 10:30 a.m. on December 9, guests will enjoy a brunch at a location soon to be announced. Then guests can tour several properties decorated with the holiday theme. Brunch begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends at 1 p.m., while the tour is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are tickets for sale for the brunch and tour as a package and separately. Tickets range from $18 to $48. If viewing holidaydecorated homes intrigues
you, the brunch and home tour event could be for you. Gring’s Mill will have their annual holiday light show starting in December. Each week, the show will run from Thursday to Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. the month of December except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. “As a kid, I loved going to see the holiday lights. It was something to look forward to,” Chelsea Dziamba, a junior at Alvernia University, said. “Even now, I still remember memories of being with my family and enjoying the festive lights. It really is a great experience.” The Holiday Lights show has several craft and art activities scheduled throughout the month for children. A variety of musicians and choirs are expected to provide entertainment to all who attend the showings until December 23. If you’re looking for a deal, fortunately, this event has
The beautiful light show at Gring’s Mill during the holiday season.
free admission, except for a $5 parking fee. On December 28, the Cirque Dreams Holidaze will be at the Santander Performing Arts Center. The Chicago Tribune reviewed the show a couple years ago. “You get contortionists, aerialists, silks artists, chair stackers, clowns and quick-change specialists, all variously dressed as reindeer, penguins, elves and the like,” Chris Jones, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, wrote.
“The claim of more than 300 costumes seems entirely reasonable. No one’s dignity is spared.” Tickets for Cirque Dreams Holidaze can be purchased online at Ticketmaster or in person at the Santander Arena.
Photo Courtesy of Keon Taylor
Athletes Like Home Too
Photo Courtesy of WFMZ Channel 69 News
Begin Planning Your Holiday Season
Keon Taylor Contributing Writer During winter semester break, student athletes on the basketball teams do not get to go home like other students. They are stuck on campus with each other. The cafe is not open for students to eat in, so they have to find their own food. If there were places to walk nearby campus it wouldn’t be that bad, but that’s not the case. If they do not have a car, or access to a car, their dining options are limited. Even then, college students typically have tight budgets, so should avoid eating out too much anyway. The weather in Berks
County in the winter tends to be bad. Cold, snowy, and sometimes icy, traveling around between the semesters can be dangerous. Roads get icy and cars slide, and then accidents happen. Students who live far away from Alvernia can suffer the consequences of distance and bad weather. They develop camraderie with students in a similar bind, but people can and do get tired of other people. Luckily, winter student athletes get to go home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. However, they have to be back the next day for practice or even games. Some student athletes also have to be on campus for New Year’s Eve
and New Year’s Day. Being without family can affect some athletes because some of them play sports for their family. Tamia Mathias plays on the women’s basketball team and was not happy being at Alvernia over the winter holiday. “I hated it here,” she said. “We were the only people on campus for a month, and it was boring.” To be an athlete you have to be strong mentally, emotionally, and physically. You also have to be able to put up with being at school over the winter break when others have to leave. Ed. note: Members of the Alvernia community should donate to the Turkey Drive. -- RL
Photo Courtesy of Keon Taylor
Alvernia’s campus life at night time on winter break. Not a soul in sight. After seeing this picture, Dr. Ryan Lange, associate professor of communication, wondered about ghosts again. “Maybe this place is actually haunted,” Dr. Lange said.
Alvernia’s men’s basketball team poses for a team picture. The team (from left to right): Rece Harman, Anthony Dadson Jr. Mike Miller Jr. Nik Henson, Alex Shippen, Ron Adams, Kyle Gordon, Keon Taylor, Alec Hawkins, and Taurlan Richard.
SPORTS
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October/November 2018
Vol. 57 Issue 5
By Courtney High Contributing Editor On Wednesday, October 3, the Golden Wolves lost a tight game in double overtime against Lebanon Valley, 3-2. Both teams played defensively in the first half, with the game tied 0-0 at the end of the first half. The second half started with a LVC goal scored by Kurtis Rineer, #22. The Golden Wolves battled back, ten minutes later we had a powerful offensive play from Ryan Kuster, #13, with Austin Young, #5, assisting. LVC’s Rob Hanosek, #18, scored again 57 minutes into the game. The pressure was on for the Golden Wolves, but with less than seven minutes remaining, Noah Wright, #15, tied it up with Kuster, #13, assisting. “This was a good game, they played both offense and defense,” Chris Reinoehl, mom of #58, said.
It was a hard loss, but the Wolf Pack felt there were bright spots in how hard Alvernia played. Erika Whitmoyer, first year student nursing major, has been to every home game, rain or shine. “I think the game went well, except for the fouls, we got pretty aggressive,” Whitmoyer said. “We came out strong in the second half.” “I’ve been to every game and I would say this is one of their stronger played games,” Breene Carlin, first year student OT major, said. They still have some things they struggle with but I think overall they’re doing pretty well, they’re definitely improving.” “We played well against Lebanon Valley and generated a lot of really good scoring chances,” Casey Moore, head coach, said. “We stuck to the game plan offensively looking for specific options in certain parts of the field and it was
Photo Courtesy of Courtney High
Alvernia Men’s Soccer vs. Lebanon Valley College
The back and forth battle the Golden Wolves played during the first half of the game.
fouling and giving free kicks from the box,” Austin Young, #5, senior business major, said. Although this was game 13, it was the first of the conference games for the Golden Wolves. “We need to try and keep winning the
Although Alvenia did not win, they played a great game. They pushed through the 90-minute game strong, to see a ten minute overtime, and then the start of a second overtime. “We scored two nice goals that were a result of our defensive effort to
restart opportunities for our opponents. Some of the fouls we are committing are easily avoidable and are a result of being overaggressive in moments when we need to move our feet, contain or delay, and force away from the goal. Defensively, we
win the ball back high up the field and attack quickly,” Moore said. “The goals that we gave up were all tied to restarts as opposed to during the run of play. Two of their goals (scored by the same player) were free kicks finished in the top corner of the net, which is an example one of their players stepping up and making plays in key moments.” Coach Casey reflects upon some areas the Golden Wolves need to improve. “Moving forward, we need to be more disciplined to minimize
need to continue to play as one collective defensive unit. Everyone on our team needs to play defense and we need to work really hard to recover the ball,” Moore said.
A robust defensive effort saw neither team score in the first overtime, forcing double overtime. The Wolf Pack faithfully held on, though their nerves were frayed. “I think the game is very intense right now, I think our boys definitely have a change of winning, they just gotta keep their head in the game,” Erin Malin, first year student OT major, said. “They’re playing really hard,” Amber Orban, first year student OT major, said. Unfortunately, two minutes into the double overtime, LVC’s Kurtis Rineer, #22, scored the winning goal.
successful. Defensively we were one collective group working together to press and minimize space for them. We were disappointed with the result of the game and the bad fouls that we gave up, which lead to goals but overall we played well and had plenty of chances to win the game,” Moore said. The players basically felt the same as the fans and their coach in regards to the LVC game. “It was a good game, I think we played really well but one of our opponents just kind of put in two free kicks against us which you can’t really stop, but we can stop
conference games and at least get a point out of the conference games, which means we tie, we get 3 points for a win and 1 point for a tie, so then just try and get into a playoffs spot since when you’re in the payoffs anything can happen,” Nick Tait, #8, senior accounting and finance major, said.
Photo Courtesy of Courtney High
Photo Courtesy of Courtney High
Senior starting goalie, Luca Grippi, sends the ball out to his teammates.
Starting forward Jay Ringer, fighting to bring the ball up the field to eager teammates.
Undergraduate & Graduate Courses
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