March/April 2020
THIS ISSUE
Senator O’Pake’s Legacy
Pets Back on Campus
COVID-19 Afflicts Senior Seasons Dion Thorpe Contributing Writer The NCAA was forced to stop all sports across the country for the remainder of the semester because of the rapid growth of COVID-19, leaving seniors heartbroken. Spring athletes had just gotten their seasons started, and winter athletes were finishing their seasons. Now seniors won’t have a chance to finish their careers. Alvernia athletes hoped that sports would continue despite the pandemic, but then universities in the area began to cancel their sports. After careful consideration, Alvernia followed suit. The decision to cancel all sports was made on Thursday, March 12, 2020.
Yet on Friday, March 14, 2020, Alvernia athletes were slated to partake in 10 competitions. That may have been the last time that seniors could represent Alvernia University as athletes, but they never got that opportunity due to the decision two days prior. These seniors didn’t know their last game was going to be their last game. This revelation shocked many athletes, but it also created an opportunity for reflection. “It’s bigger than sports right now…. It’s always one team, one family,” Anthony Dadson, senior, said. “This sport will always have my heart,” Bridget Reynolds, senior, said. The NCAA will lose a lot of money due to their cancelling
of sports nationwide. Most of the money that the NCAA makes comes from the March Madness tournament, where they bring in approximately 900 million dollars. The decision takes a toll on Division 3 seniors the most, because they will never get
the chance to live out their dream of competing on that huge stage. “It sucks that my senior year was taken away from me,” Spencer Matthews, senior, said. The NCAA has granted an extra year of eligibility to all
Senior Women’s lacrosse player Bridget Reynolds
spring athletes, but athletes cannot be awarded athletic scholarships for Division 3 sports. This means seniors would have to pay out of pocket for their final year of eligibility, which is extremely difficult, especially for students from schools with
high tuitions. Even though their last season has been taken away from them, the seniors will always cherish the time they spent with their teams. “I’m going to miss playing with the boys more than anything,” Mitch Sterkenberg, senior, said. They have created bonds through sports that have been tightly molded over the last four years and will last a lifetime. We appreciate all that our seniors here at Alvernia have done for us and the university. They left their mark in sports as the last Crusaders and the first Golden Wolves, but they have also left their mark in our hearts as champions. They will not be forgotten.
Men’s Volleyball Seniors: From left to right, Anthony Dadson, Mitchell Sterkenburg, and Spencer Matthews
Photo Courtesy of Dion Thorpe
Sonic Movie Review
MLB News
Photo Courtesy of Dion Thorpe
what’s in
Volume 59 Issue 2
Thank you, Seniors!
2 March/April 2020
t h e alver nian
contemplation Vol. 59 Issue 2
Please observe a moment of contemplative silence for the people we have lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Managing Editor Sidney Goodman Layout Sidney Goodman Section Editors Michael Beyer Mackenzie Coombs Anastasia Tomko Contributing Writers Jared Montalto Shannon Smith Dion Thorpe
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.
Š 2020 The Alvernian
Photo Courtesy of Woosoon Kim
Faculty Advisor Dr. Ryan Lange
March/April 2020
IN READING
3 Vol. 59 Issue 2
Senator O’Pake’s Legacy continues in Collegetowne Collegetowne is not too far away from being fully developed in downtown Reading. Located on 401 Penn Street, Alvernia is looking to transform a building that was once a call center into a a safe, accommodable place for STEM, Communications, and Business majors to excel. Currently, the O’Pake Institute is looking into providing Electrical, Mechanical, and Industrial Engineering courses to broaden the already growing number of career opportunities. To help these ideas come to life, the O’Pake Institute, now being directed by Dr. Rodney Ridley, started the O’Pake Fellows Program alongside Wilkes University graduate students Michele Lehman and Ashley Abbey. The Institute is currently looking for qualified personnel to aid in this expansion.
The design for CollegeTowne, where the O’Pake Center hopes to broaden students’ career opportunities
“This is an opportunity for pioneers and entrepreneurs alike,” Dr. Ridley said. With this venture, there are many opportunities for students to work directly with small business owners, faculty researchers, and industry leaders. The O’Pake Institute also aims to provide a safer commute for students worried about break-ins, shootings, and fire alerts in Reading. Dr. Ridley said that “the unknown is always
scary,” but he believes the O’Pake Institute provides him an opportunity to view Reading as a blank sheet of paper. Hailing from a rougher neighborhood in Philadelphia, Dr. Ridley understands that some may look at the sheet and feel intimidated by how much space there is available to draw. Yet he looks at the sheet with excitement. “I get to draw what I want to draw,” Dr. Ridley said. The target date for the
Photo Courtesy of Alvernia University
Anastasia Tomko Contributing Editor
renovation of the lower levels is July 1. The upper levels will be renovated shortly after that. Dr. Ridley estimates it will take 12 to 16 months until the building is ready for students and faculty. His goal is to open the building in Fall 2021. The O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship may sound confusing to one who knows the title O’Pake Institute as Ethics, Leadership, and Public Service. The new Institute
Alvernia In Bloom “Hope Knows no fear Hope dares to blossom Even inside the abysmal abyss.” -Sri Chinmoy
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Woosoon Kim
name came into being when the Holleran Center started, switching the names and creating another Alvernia “center” with the help from Senator Michael O’Pake. He endowed a generous donation to the University when he passed away in late 2010, leaving the first part of the donation to the previous director of the O’Pake Institute, David Myers, in 2012. Senator O’ Pake’s donation also created the O’Pake Science Center, located in Bernardine Hall. Dr. Ridley collects Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes, and he chooses to live by them. His plans for the O’Pake Institute reflect that lifestyle. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Dr. Ridley truly believes that this building can create a different atmosphere for the future of the city. “I get to create a path when there is none.”
4 March/April 2020
ON CAMPUS
Vol. 59 Issue 2
Alvernia has always been welcoming to pets. Kindness to animals is a part of our Franciscan tradition, and it is important to the university to preserve that. Every year, members of the community bring their pets to the Blessing of the Animals, and neighbors and commuters are free to walk their dogs on campus, provided they stay outside. However, last year, a new policy was enacted that banned all pets, with the exception of service animals, from buildings on campus. This came as quite a shock to the community and sparked a fair amount of discourse about the new policy. Before this order was enacted, there was no official policy firmly in place at Alvernia, but it was known as a pet-friendly campus. Pets were not allowed in the dining hall and certain faculty process by reviewing pet policies from other colleges and universities that could be used as a model for Alvernia. The goal of this committee was to create a policy that gave heed to Alvernia’s Franciscan tradition while still being accommodating to everyone on campus. They also wanted the policy to reflect who we are as a university. “There are so many different aspects once you get into creating a universitywide policy,” Sholtz said. The committee took into consideration the health concerns of different departments, offices, and individuals when determining which buildings would become pet friendly. For instance, pets are not allowed in the admissions office because of the risk of visitors and potential students having allergies. The committee also consulted the maintenance department in order to be considerate of their time and efforts to keep our campus clean and beautiful. As they would be the ones who would have an added workload, their input was greatly valued in this process. The committee had to take into account what the policy would be for pet sanitation and what products would be
offices, but the rest of campus was fair game. The decision to ban all non-service animals from buildings came from the idea that there needed to be some kind of guideline in place for our campus. However, several community members, students, and faculty alike, wanted to propose a more flexible policy as an alternative to this. “When several factions of the university came together and said, ‘We’d like to propose something that is a collaborative effort,’ the administration was immediately open to that,” Dr. Janae Sholtz, Associate Professor of Philosophy, said. Dr. Sholtz is a member of the pet policy committee. President Loyack responded to this request by forming a committee to review and revise the pet policy. Faculty, staff, and students were called to join this committee, which began its needed to ensure cleanliness. The resulting policy, which was implemented in the beginning of February, shows that Alvernia is committed to fostering the relationship between people and animals while still considering the needs of the community.
Tucker is a black lab who likes to take long walks and play intense games of fetch.
In this new policy, Fridays are pet-friendly days. “The idea is to create a welcoming office environment,” Dr. Julianna Wallace, Vice President for Mission and Ministry, said. Dr. Wallace is the head of the pet policy committee.
“I think people enjoy having dogs on campus.” Any employee is allowed to bring up to two dogs and two cats on campus with supervisor approval, although there are buildings where they are not allowed to go, such as the dining hall.
Animals are also still not allowed in the admissions offices. However, with permission, faculty offices and residence halls are open to pets. Members of the committee are proud of what they accomplished and the resulting policy. “I think it really does balance the different commitments and concerns of community members, taking into consideration the whole Alvernia community in a way that’s really collegial and reflects the best of collegiality,” Sholtz said. With everything that is currently going on in our world today, pets returning to campus is one bright spot amidst the gray.
Are you looking Photo Courtesy of Evan Goodman
Sidney Goodman Managing Editor
Photo Courtesy of Jen Rinehart
Alvernia Welcomes Back Furry Friends
Meet Brinkley, a playful goldendoodle who loves to make new friends. Wouldn’t you love to see that face on campus?
forward to seeing pets back on campus? Let us know!
March/April 2020
LIFESTYLE
5 Vol. 59 Issue 2
Shannon Smith Contributing Writer In the height of COVID19, Animal Crossing New Horizons provides anyone who owns a Nintendo Switch with an escape into a calm and peaceful world. In “The Besties,” a podcast where four best friends talk about video games, they said, “We are in a moment now where people have the least amount of control over their general situation, and this is a game that lets you control nearly everything in the world.” Indeed, Animal Crossing New Horizons offers a bigger scope than previous installments, as New Horizons lets players in-teract with a whole island instead of just one town. For many, this change has broadened “horizons.” Players can place furniture on their island, get patterns and recipes to decorate it, and choose where to place
new villagers. The expanded decoration options are a significant improvement over earlier installments, which only allowed the player to place furniture in a small virtual home. The increased scope and new decoration options are not the only improvements, however. In past Animal Crossing games, players would have to wait in-game days to see if in shops day by day to see if they had a simple fishing rod for sale. Now, players can collect materials to make craft a fishing rod, a net, a shovel, and much more themselves. DIY crafting recipes. The added in-dependence of crafting allows the player to enjoy hours of gameplay sooner without having to rely on shops. DIY crafting recipes allow players to make a variety of props. Recipes can be received from villagers, the character Tom Nook, or the player could can even learn a recipe just from by obtaining
Animal Crossing provides a happy paradise getaway for players to enjoy.
a new item. Once learned, players can use a workbench to create an item from the recipe. Due to the coronavirus, many are unable to hang out with friends like they usually would. Animal Crossing New Horizons lets players do just that. Players can visit each other’s islands with online
play. This way, players can get decorating tips from a friend or steal some of their native fruit to sell for a pretty penny on their own island. At a time where when we can’t go outside, leisurely shop, or visit others, Animal Cross-ing New Horizons has comforted many by allowing players to visit calming
Photo Courtesy of Shannon Smith
Exploring New Horizons in the Midst of COVID-19
islands and meet with friends, all from the safety of their homes. Some are buying new Nintendo Switch consoles just to play it. Nintendolife reports that “2.6 million physical copies [have been] sold in just two weeks.” So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and join them!
Houston Astros Aren’t Only Stealing Bases On November 1, 2017 the Houston Astros won their very first MLB World Series over the Los Angeles Dodgers in an infamous Game 7. The win was a monumental moment for the Astros organization, the city of Houston, and Astros fans. Outfielder George Springer won the World Series MVP with his five home runs throughout the series. It was
almost too good to be true, and years later, that turned out to be the case. In November 2019, news broke that the Astros cheated to win their World Series in 2017. Alleged corruption is not new to Major League Baseball. Former Reds and Phillies player Pete Rose admitted to betting on games while he used to play. As a result, he never got inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame even though he should have been.
Another scandal involved former players using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) to improve their play. The Astros cheating allegations is another baseball scandal, but at a much larger scale. The World Series is something every little league baseball player dreams of winning. The Astros cheating and messing with the World Series is a huge problem and they will endure consequences for it.
How will the MLB deal with the Houston Astros cheating in the World Series?
Photo Courtesy of BestHQWallpapers
Jared Montalto Contributing Writer
Former Astros pitcher, Mike Fiers, admitted to The Athletic that the team stole other teams signals from catcher to pitcher. The Astros set up a camera in the outfield to do so and then would signal from the dugout to the batter what pitch was coming, giving the batter an unfair advantage. When the MLB opened an investigation in January 2020 it was confirmed that the Astros did indeed cheat by stealing opposing teams signals. The scandal generated massive controversy in the sports world. General Manager Jeff Luhnow was suspended for the whole upcoming 2020 season, the Astros organization was fined five million dollars, and their future 2020 and 2021 first and second round picks have been taken away. Fans and others have speculated about whether these punishments meet the severity of the crimes. “The Astros clearly should not be recognized as champions,” ESPN’s First Take host Stephen A. Smith said. Smith also talked about how the Astros should possibly be banned from postseason contention for
several years because of their organization’s actions. “As an athlete I’m not upset with the Astros. I know it’s a part of the game and sign stealing is something that has gone on since the game first started. Everyone does it whether it is intentional or accidental. The Astros just happened to be caught on baseball’s biggest stage,” Tyzhir Morris, sophomore, said. Other fans have advocated for the Los Angeles Dodgers to get compensation for being cheated out of a possible World Series trophy. It is a difficult situation for the MLB because many people have lost jobs and money because of the scandal. The immediate consequences of the investigation have already started to negatively impact Astros players. Spring training has seen their players regularly heckled, and rival pitchers have seemingly gone out of their way to bean some hitters.
6 March/April 2020
LIFESTYLE
Vol. 59 Issue 2
A Blue Blur Bomb or Supersonic Success? ever did. Throughout the movie, we see Sonic playing baseball by himself, with his after images acting as the members of both teams, Sonic giving himself therapy by standing-in as both a patient and a psychiatrist,
The hedgehog hero’s energy is matched by Jim Carrey’s stellar performance as Robotnik. While nothing about Carrey’s costume reflects the mad scientist’s iconic design, his exaggerated expressions, movements, and yells paint a convincing picture of a crazed scientist with an IQ of over 300. Watching Robotnik go head to head with Sonic in battles
of wits is a treat. The original characters in the film, such as the police officer Tom Wachowski and his family, also play off Robotnik and Sonic well. They don’t feel like weights slowing the blue blur down, and instead match him in energy. Unfortunately, while Sonic and Robotnik’s characters are strong, there aren’t many other examples of
what makes this a Sonic movie. The plot is cliché, and there are many overlooked opportunities for Sonic references. For example, one scene has Robotnik screaming, “Give me a big fat break!” in frustration when Sonic manages to destroy one of his machines. Using a classic Sonic line instead like “I hate that hedgehog!” could help make the film feel more
and numerous slow-motion sequences where the world plays out from Sonic’s perspective, as everyone moves so slowly they seem to be frozen in place. The high-budget CGI makes these moments exciting. On top
of that, Sonic talks non-stop throughout the film, always having something to say about the people and places around him. This shows his characteristic impatience and hyperactivity.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
We’ve lived through many disappointing Hollywood video game adaptations before, but have they learned? The latest game franchise to get the Hollywood treatment is Sonic the Hedgehog with a film of the same name. Directed by first-timedirector Jeff Fowler and released in 2020, this family action-adventure comedy takes the blue blur in fun new directions, yet should long time Sonic fans stop to smell the chili dogs or speed by this one? In Sonic’s first film since 1996, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is a world-hopping alien living in secret on Earth in the quaint town Green Hills, Montana. When Sonic’s super speed causes a power outage across the Pacific Northwest, the Department of Defense hires Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to hunt down the cause.
Sonic’s rings act as teleporters, and they would allow him to escape from Robotnik to another world. Since the rings are lost in San Francisco, Sonic teams up with the police officer Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) on a cross-country road trip to reclaim the rings and resist Robotnik. From the drop, any Sonic fan would find the premise far removed from those typical of Sonic games, which usually involve a battle for the Chaos Emeralds and Robotnik making use of an ancient god. Despite the farfetched plot, the movie manages to feel distinctly like a Sonic movie. This isn’t because of details like the town being named Green Hills or him wolfing down chili dogs, but because of Sonic’s characterization. Paramount Pictures managed to create a completely authentic representation of Sonic, as they make more use of Sonic’s speed than SEGA
While a buddy cop movie is an unexpected direction for Sonic, the two manage to foster a charismatic relationship that’s fun to watch develop.
One of the movie’s redesigned Badniks, which are a far cry from the source material.
Photo Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Michael Beyer Contributing Editor
authentic. Speaking of the machines, they all feature underwhelming designs. The Sonic series is full of Badniks with unique designs. Why not use some of those instead? Additionally, military forces make a brief appearance in the film. Ever since Sonic Adventure 2’s release in 2001, military forces in the Sonic universe use the name G.U.N. The same name could have been given to the platoon of soldiers in the movie. Lastly, Sonic lives in an underground cave before starting on his road trip. The Sonic the Hedgehog TV show from 1993 has an underground cave called “Knothole” as a central location. Sonic could refer to his cave in the movie as “Knothole” too. Little touches like these wouldn’t alter the plot but would surely have brought a smile to Sonic fans’ faces. While the movie doesn’t make as much use of the Sonic brand as it could, and the plot isn’t anything to write home about, the characters, especially Sonic and Robotnik, make it worth checking out for Sonic fans and newcomers alike. The film is available digitally now, earlier than it would have been to encourage people to
stay home during quarantine. Look for it on Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu, and even YouTube. Don’t let this latest rendition of the blue blur speed you by; open your heart and give the movie a try.
Got something to say about today’s films? Write for The Alvernian and make your opinion heard!
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