The Wood Word - October 2015

THE WOOD WORD OCTOBER 2015 • Marywood University’s Official Student Newspaper • www.thewoodword.org

Marywood students enjoy a night of dancing at homecoming p. 10

Featured Faculty: Shan Shan Wang p. 11

Women’s tennis closing out another impressive season p. 14

Editorial Board discusses campus concerns with Sister Anne Satara Dickey Editor-in-chief On Friday, Oct. 2, The Wood Word’s Editorial Board sat down with Sr. Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D., president of Marywood University.

The one-hour discussion covered various topics including the new Learning Commons and its dedication, the university’s current financial situation, the string of flyers that have circulated around the Marywood community and the consulting firm recently hired to lead the university through a process of re-prioritization.

Here are highlights from the discussion.

On the Pope’s visit to the U.S. Sr. Anne began the meeting by welcoming the Editorial Board to her office and reflecting on her recent trip to see Pope Francis and his historical address.

“I recently had a fabulous opportunity to be present at and participate in the Pope’s first historic address to the joint session of Congress. And what really, really struck me, and I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on that, was that there was such a spirit of unity and dialogue. [...] There was a lot of coming together that was galvanizing and I really liked his emphasis on the importance of [...] discussion.”

On the flyers distributed around campus Sr. Anne said that the “information contained in the flyers distributed the week prior to the Centennial were misrepresentations [and] distortions, and the accuracy of the information is questionable.”

Prior to the meeting with Sr. Anne, The Wood Word was able to verify some information listed on the flyer including the purchase

of the president’s house located at 2207 Adams Ave. on June 29, 2010 for $310,000, according to the Lackawanna County Assessor’s Office website.

The Wood Word also verified that Marywood’s Standard & Poor’s bond rating has fallen twice since 2013. According to BondsOnline, Marywood’s bond rating fell from BBB to BBB- on Oct. 16, 2013, and again to BB+ on Jan. 16, 2015.

Also verified was information about the purchase of South Campus for $500,000 including expected renovations of $25 million.

The Wood Word reported on this on March 22, 2015. According to Joseph X. Garvey, vice president for business affairs and treasurer, it costs between $200,000 and $250,000 per year to maintain South Campus.

At the time of this article’s original publication, the cost of renovations to the presidential house, listed on the flyers as $950,000, was still unverified. While The Wood Word still has not been able to verify the cost, building permits for the renovation obtained from Scranton’s Office of Licensing, Inspection & Permits suggest that the projected costs may not have been that high.

According to the permits, the work value of the entire project was $88,000--a figure that is less than 10 percent of the figure of $975,000 asserted by the flyers.

According to the permits, the work value of the entire project was $88,000--a figure that is less than 10 percent of the figure of $975,000 asserted by the flyers.

At the time of the meeting Sr. Anne said, “[…] the accuracy of that [the price of the renovations listed on the flyers], I’m not really able to discuss the details of that with you, but I can tell you that I have used that facility extensively

Photo credit/Katlynn Whitaker

Members of The Wood Word Editorial Board discussed campus concerns with Sister Anne on Oct. 2. for purposes of fundraising.”

Also according to Sr. Anne, the fountains located in Memorial Commons, along with the amphitheater, which hasn’t been built yet, have been fully paid for by donors through the Bold Heart campaign.

She added that the operational budget of the University has not been affected by the construction of the Learning Commons, which will be paid for over time and worked into the University’s budget.

On the current financial situation Because Garvey has imposed prior review limitations on The Wood Word, editors asked Sr. Anne about many of the claims made in the flyers regarding the state of Marywood’s finances.

Sr. Anne verified that Marywood had a $2 million credit line with PNC bank, but when Marywood requested a credit line increase from PNC, the bank chose not to increase the university’s credit.

Marywood then went to First National Community Bank, which provided the university with a $6 million line of credit; however, Sr. Anne said that the university has not drawn anything from this credit line and it will return to $2 million as of Nov. 1.

Peter Kilcullen, associate vice president for marketing & communications, who joined Sr. Anne in the meeting, stated that every summer, the university faces challenges to meet payroll given cash flow deficits linked to tuition

payment timelines.

“So you have no income until the fall and your income from the spring is dried up so you need to carry your payroll through,” concluded Kilcullen.

The lines of credit help the university to meet its obligations until cash flow returns.

According to Sr. Anne, 65 percent of Marywood’s revenue comes from tuition.

Sr. Anne added that the financial challenge Marywood is facing is the same challenge all institutions of higher education are facing due to the economy and across-the-board declines in

Please see SISTER ANNE, page 2.

The Wood Word 2

October 2015

NEWS

Faculty Development budget cut, guidelines changed

Brigid Edmunds News Editor The faculty development budget has been cut and as a result, guidelines for requesting funds have also changed.

Dr. Sarah Kenehan, associate professor of philosophy and chair of the faculty development committee, explained that the faculty development budget supported faculty’s “creative endeavors,” whether it be attending conferences or conducting research.

“One of the main ways faculty engage in creative endeavors is by attending conferences or going to workshops, presenting at conference...going to archives to do research,” Kenehan explained.

According to Kenehan, the purpose of the university supporting such endeavors of faculty is so that they can become tenured professors, and then stay relevant in their disciplines after getting tenure.

The budget, which has been

steadily declining for the past five years, was dropped from $60,000 last year to $50,000 dollars this year. In addition, the budget is usually supplemented with funds from the budget of Dr. Alan Levine, vice president of academic affairs. However, Levine’s office will not be able to transfer funds this year.

“Budgets across the university have been cut, across the board, including Dr. Levine’s office,” Kenehan said.

This year, the guidelines for obtaining funds have also changed drastically. In the past, any faculty member, including tenured and clinical faculty, could request funds from the budget. Now tenure-track faculty, in their first through fifth year are being prioritized for funds, which had not previously happened, according to Kenehan. The reason for this is because in order for a faculty member to get tenure, they must participate in scholarship and

come, he also hopes that monies the requests that faculty have.” research.

“It’s not uncommon for the will become available earlier on Kenehan also said if funds are guidelines to change,” Kenehan so that he can help more with the left over after tenure-track facexplained. In past years, some- faculty development budget. ulty use funds, the budget will be “I would like to see enough opened up to the rest of faculty. times faculty members would get money to attend conferences if money put into the faculty deContact the writer: funds were available. Two years velopment budget to meet the rebedmunds@m.marywood.edu ago, the budget stopped covering quests faculty have,” Levine said, @BrigidGraceTWW “I will do whatever I can to meet conference attendance.

Kenehan took the proposal to the faculty senate, where it was approved. Then, the information was made public to faculty shortly after.

Levine explained that if there is money left over in his budget when spring semester comes, he would try to transfer some over.

In the years to Graphic Credit/ Kelsey Van Horn Budget numbers courtesy of Dr. Sarah Kenehan.

Guest speaker presents on Catholic Social Teaching

Photo credit/Katlynn Whitaker

Dr. Beyer presents on Catholic Social teaching in the Comerford theater on campus.

Rachel Looker Asst. News Editor On Friday, Oct. 16, Dr. Gerald J. Beyer, a theology and religious studies professor at Villanova University, gave a presentation to a small crowd of Marywood professors and faculty about Catholic Social Teaching in the Comerford Auditorium.

Marywood’s Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) invited Beyer to campus and opened the

lecture to the entire Marywood community.

The presentation was titled “Implementing Catholic Social Teaching on Labor at Catholic Universities.”

According to the Beyer, Catholic social teaching emphasizes worker’s rights which include health benefits, safe working conditions, retirement pensions, unemployment insurance, maternity leave, worker’s compensation, and the right to unionize.

“I found it hypocritical and painful to see rights of workers were violated at Catholic institutions,” said Beyer during the presentation. “Catholic Universities by nature have an obligation to teach Catholic social teaching, and we have to model it, which includes protecting rights of workers.”

Beyer described how excessive wages for certain employees are unacceptable when others are not making a living wage at Catholic Universities.

“If we are allocating resources in a way that can be avoided, while there are members of the University community whose rights are being violated, rights to a living wage, rights to healthcare, to safe working environments, then it becomes problematic,” said Beyer. “But the preferential option for the poor always has to be kept in mind. That’s what the Church teaches.”

According to Beyer, Catholic social teaching supports the right of workers to unionize without “fear of reprisal.” Beyer stated that in the eyes of Catholic social teaching, unions are a force for social good.

“Unions have a crucial role in negotiating minimum salaries,” said Beyer during the presentation.

According to Beyer, under Catholic social teaching, every worker has a right to participation and to have their voices heard and valued.

“St. John XXIII, St. John Paul II, and Pope Francis have all said that when people’s lives are being affected, when decisions are being taken that have a significant impact on the lives of people, those decisions should not take place above their heads,” said Beyer.

Beyer outlined how Catholic Universities must show that there is another way to view the higher education industry. Specifically, he said that adding more adjunct professors to an institution’s workforce demonstrates a university’s corporatization.

According to Beyer, Catholic universities cannot operate like corporations.

Beyer described that Catholic social teaching should shape policies and practices of universities and should create structures and policies that reflect Catholic social

teaching.

“There is a lot of similarity, a lot of correspondence between Catholic social teaching, particularly in the right to participation, and what the AAUP has been promoting with regard to shared governance,” said Beyer.

Beyer concluded by stating that Catholic Universities should follow Catholic social teaching ideals and the AAUP’s idea of shared governance.

“He had excellent points to make,” said Dr. Craig Johnson, professor of mathematics and Faculty Senate President. “This was another way to frame the issue of communication.”

Dr. Francis DeMatteo, associate professor of psychology and secretary/treasurer of the Marywood chapter of the AAUP said, “I think it’s spot on. He does an amazing job at restating what we need to be doing at a Catholic institution. We need models of what to do.”

Anne Zukowski contributed to this article.

Contact the writer: rclooker@m.marywood.edu

NEWS

Faculty Awards delayed because of change to Faculty Activity Reports Satara Dickey Editor-in-Chief The CASE Professor of the Year and Distinction in Discipline faculty awards have not been eliminated or overlooked, just delayed, administrators have said.

In September, The Wood Word reported on Marywood’s Centenial Convocation and noted a change from the usual program.

Absent from this year’s ceremony was the CASE Professor of the Year and the Distinction in Discipline Awards that are usually given annually to faculty members.

Faculty Awards are determined each year in part by using Faculty Activity Reports (FAR).

FARs are annual self-assessments prepared by faculty members that detail their work in areas of teaching, scholarship, and service during the previous year. “...The FAR are meant to be the beginning of a conversation [for determining recipients],” said Dr. Frances M. Zauhar, Dean of the Munley College of Liberal Arts

and Sciences. Zauhar is in charge of finalizing faculty awards.

According to Dr. Alan Levine, vice president of Academic Affairs, the deadline for FARs changed to better coincide with the traditional academic calendar.

“In the past, the FAR covered a spring [semester] around to a fall [semester], so it was a calendar year,” said Levine. “That was problematic because we run on an academic year.”

According to the Levine, to change the schedule, the most recent FAR would go from covering the usual Spring to Fall semesters to covering Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015 for one time only to get on the correct schedule. Due to that change, awards weren’t ready for this year’s early Convocation date.

“I was blindsided when people thought that this was done to slight the faculty,” said Zauhar.

“I feel very badly that people thought that, but that wasn’t in anybody’s mind at all.”

Sister Anne

grow,” Sr. Anne said. “And if certain things have completed their function, then you reallocate...It’s been done, and it’s well-done.”

Editors asked Sr. Anne why Goldstein’s method is being used

October 2015

The Wood Word 3

Photo Courtesy of Marketing and Communications

F. David Romaines, D.M.A., MTD Department Co-Chair, Assistant professor of music education received the Distinction in Discipline faculty award at last year’s convocation.

However, going forward, Levine would like to see Faculty Awards return to convocation.

“I like it at convocation; it fits into the program and it just makes sense.”

However, there are still plans to give out Faculty Awards this

year.

“The plan is still to complete the [selection] process and schedule an awards presentation in the fall, or early spring at the latest,” said Zauhar.

“We want to do it,” concluded Levine. “We want to honor those

faculty members who should get these awards, and we will.”

Contact the writer: sdickey@m.marywood.edu @SataraLynnTWW

Senate to study all “appropriate documents” relating to the uniContinued from page 1 versity’s finances and ultimately enrollments nationally because of “transmit recommendations to dips in the population of collegethe President of the University.” aged students.

Sr. Anne, however, said that However, Sr. Anne said Goldstein’s process does not that all enrollment budget “If this [vote of no confidence] necessarily cancel out the goals created this year were retrenchment policy. met aside from the popula- were to come to pass, it would “These two processes can tion of residential students, be personally and professionally go on at the same time,” Sr. which is down. The number disappointing. I think that every Anne said. “I think that we of graduate students en- decision I have made as President have financial challenges, as rolled this year increased. has been directly related to the do many other institutions...

On re-prioritization We have a plan to address Editors asked Sr. Anne common good and advancement these challenges. And...the about Larry Goldstein’s re- of this university with a special Goldstein process will be one prioritization process and emphasis on the welfare of the of those means to address she praised the process for students.” these challenges.” its transparency.

On the culture of fear -Sr.Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D., “The Goldstein process Editors asked Sr. Anne president of Marywood University is a very proactive process why she thinks people in that helps us look at every the Marywood community, dimension, every program aca- instead of the retrenchment poli- including administrators, are undemically, and every support pro- cy that is outlined in the faculty willing or afraid to talk with The gram, with the idea of engaging handbook and which requires the Wood Word on the record about in a very transparent way the en- declaration of financial exigency.

Marywood’s challenges. tire community in helping to asAccording to the page of the Editors asked Sr. Anne why sess where the resources are with handbook, this policy entails an she thinks people in the Marythe idea of being able to leverage Ad Hoc Committee on Retrench- wood community, including adresources to help certain things ment to be called by the Faculty ministrators, are unwilling or

afraid to talk with The Wood Word on the record about Marywood’s challenges.

“I think that the accuracy factor is a factor, and in certain areas, accuracy is really critical, and I think that’s basically some of the concern,” said Sr. Anne.

However, she did not elaborate with specific examples regarding inaccuracies from The Wood Word.

On the possible vote of no confidence Editors asked Sr. Anne Munley her thoughts on the potential for a vote of no confidence in her leadership by the faculty. As reported

by The Wood Word last week, faculty distributed information on such votes at recent Faculty Senate meetings. Just yesterday, a new flyer distributed to faculty by “Faculty for a Better Marywood” provided rationales for issuing a no confidence vote.

“If this [vote of no confidence] were to come to pass, it would be personally and professionally disappointing. I think that every decision I have made as Presi-

dent has been directly related to the common good and advancement of this university with a special emphasis on the welfare of the students. Everything has been very carefully decided. I have worked in close collaboration with the cabinet, and I enjoy a lot of support from our board. [....] I’ve given it my wholehearted energy, and I think that in time the fruit of these decisions will be very manifested, and I draw great peace from that.”

On trying times on campus Sr. Anne said: “This is a time to pull together in unity. That’s the thing I was most touched by when I saw Pope Francis is that he’s calling everyone together and to truly be our best selves. I see such goodness in this community, in our students and in our faculty, and I say it’s time we pull together.”

Patrick Kernan and Paul Capocci contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: sdickey@m.marywood.edu @SataraLynnTWW

The Wood Word 4

October 2015

NEWS

Annual security report shows decrease in campus crime

Satara Dickey Editor-in-Chief The annual security report was released Sept. 28, but this year contains less information than in years past.

Each year, in compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, the Department of Campus Safety issued a security report.

The report, which is required by federal law, contains policy statements as well as crime statistics from the 2014 academic year.

The report is broken down into several parts, including on and off campus offenses and incidents that took place in Marywood’s resident halls and on the South Campus property.

The report showed that disciplinary referrals on campus and in residents increased for Drug Law violations while Liquor Law violations slightly decreased for both.

“For as much as we like to promote the fact that we are a dry campus... you have to expect some [violations] based on the fact that we are a college,” said Mike Finegan, chief of campus safety.

Absent on this year’s report were statistics for theft and vandalism on campus. In 2013 there were 29 instances of theft and 27 reports of vandalism.

According to Finegan, the data wasn’t included “to lighten the load a little bit.”

In the past, his department thought the Act required inclusion of those statistics; however, the Clery Act only requires departments to list theft and vandalism that is done as a hate crime or motivated by bias, according to Finegan.

The statistics for both theft and vandalism are listed on a separate report required by Act 1988-73 Uniformed Crime Report (UCR). This act requires the release of crime statistics and their

rates for students and employees, according to www.marywood.edu.

In 2014, there were 25 instances of theft and 29 instances of vandalism, according to the UCR. The UCR also breaks down the rate of crime by percentage, theft is listed as 0.68 percent and vandalism is listed 0.79 percent. According the Marywood website, the index rate is calculated based on the actual number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) students and employees according to a statemandated formula.

“I do think it’s a very useful thing to be made public, “ said Collin Widdick, senior psychology major. “While the results aren’t anything very surprising, it is informative to know to what degree violations are happening on campus.”

Finegan said students should pay attention to the annual reports.

“Any time a student can educate themselves about where they

go to school [it] is important [to do so],” he said.

Contact the writer: sdickey@m.marywood.edu @SataraDickeyTWW

Graphic Credit/ Kelsey Van Horn

OPINION

October 2015

The Wood Word 5

Our Opinion: We still need to talk The Editorial Board The Wood Word On Wednesday, Oct. 14, an anonymous letter was delivered to The Wood Word through interdepartmental mail.

The message was written on a print-out of the most recent flyer distributed to faculty by the group “Faculty for a Better Marywood.”

The flyer, which The Wood Word subsequently shared on its Facebook page, dealt primarily with the possibility of a vote of “no confidence” against Sr. Anne Munley, president of Marywood and Joseph X. Garvey, vice president of business affairs and treasurer.

The anonymous sender of the letter wrote in red ink on the print-out, highlighting apparent factual issues the sender had with the flyer, going so far as to characterize it as “Lies, lies, lies!!” and asking The Wood Word to “get the facts straight,” instead of reporting “inflated lies that Faculty want people to believe.”

The Wood Word would like to set the record straight on a few things for this and other anonymous writers.

First, by reporting on this latest flyer and the six flyers that preceded it, we were simply doing our job as reporters. The flyers were instances of something unusual happening on campus.

That’s called “news” and it is our duty to make the community aware of it.

In the world of journalism, the reporting of information by a news organization does not imply the endorsement of that information. We’re not endorsing the actions of “Faculty for a Better Marywood”; we’re simply letting our readers know what the group is doing.

Similarly, our initial coverage of the flyers as they came out was

not an assertion by The Wood Word that they contained accurate statements. The first part of our job was to say: “Hey, these flyers are being spread around campus.”

The second part of our job was to work to verify the information contained in the flyers, and we’ve been doing that since the first one appeared on campus in early September.

We were able to verify some of the information using secondary sources and published an article on Sept. 3.

While we verified some of the material on the flyers based on public records, much of it needed to be verified directly by administration. And in many cases, those administrators have refused to answer our questions.

We were stonewalled for a period of time by Garvey. This means that when we are flatly denied access to information by Garvey or others, our reporting process gets more difficult.

In our editorial board meeting with Sr. Anne, we were finally able to get information from administration on some of the assertions in the flyers, but this came weeks after the original round of flyers. We published a story about our meeting with Sr. Anne on Sept. 3 on our website.

It is important to note here that much of the information contained in the flyers was disputed

by Sr. Anne. We reported that in the aforementioned story, which goes to show that we are not simply reporting one side of this story.

In fact, we have been trying and continue to try to report on all facets of stories on Marywood’s campus. If our articles seem one-sided, it is simply because sometimes one side is willing to

Photo Credit/ Brigie Sabine

This is part of the note The Wood Word received through inter-departmental mail. talk when the other side isn’t. It doesn’t mean we aren’t giving everyone the chance to respond.

As we said in an editorial last month entitled “We Need to Talk,” getting sources has been difficult for some time and has only been getting worse.

Finally, the fact that this letter came to us via interdepartmental mail suggests that it came from a member of faculty, staff, or even administration.

The fact that a professional in the academic world would choose to address students anonymously seems rather backward. The point of higher education is to foster an open dialogue within an open marketplace of ideas. If this professional would rather anonymously send us messages, that does not foster dialogue; instead, it sets back the educational process.

According to Sr. Anne, this fear

THE WOOD WORD

of an open dialogue apparently stems in part from the belief that The Wood Word is occasionally inaccurate.

When discussing with Sr. Anne the challenge Garvey’s requirement of prior review poses for us as student journalists, she said that it’s possible that he does not want to talk to us because previous stories that have included information attributed to him have been inaccurate.

“I think that the accuracy factor is a factor, and in certain areas, accuracy is really critical, and I think that’s basically some of the concern,” Sr. Anne said. “So if everyone is accurate all across the board, you have true dialogue.”

She seemed to insinuate that she, Garvey, and perhaps the rest of administration believe that there are issues with our accuracy, but she offered us no specific examples of inaccuracy. If we’re

not made aware of inaccuracies, we cannot hope to investigate and, if necessary, correct them.

We strive to practice journalism as accurately as possible, but we also acknowledge that mistakes happen, as they do at professional news outlets. We are prepared to correct any mistakes when we are made aware of them.

So to the individual who sent us the interoffice note, and to any others reading, we would like to extend the invitation to write a letter to the editor with your comments or concerns or to communicate with individual reporters if you believe you’ve been misquoted or if there are factual errors in our stories. We’re open to receiving constructive criticism; that’s how we learn.

We simply ask that you attach your name.

Marywood University’s Award-Winning Student Newspaper and product of the Communication Arts Department

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Satara Dickey MANAGING EDITOR Patrick Kernan

NEWS EDITOR Brigid Edmunds

OPINION EDITOR Paul Capoccia

A&E EDITOR McKensie Curnow

SPORTS EDITOR John Ferraro

COMMUNITY EDITOR Amanda Duncklee

Share your opinion!

Letters must be 300 words or fewer. The Wood Word reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Send name, title, photo, and a phone number where you can be reached to: thewoodword@m.marywood.edu

The Wood Word 6

October 2015

Our Opinion: Time for a history lesson The Editorial Board The Wood Word On Oct. 2, The Wood Word editorial board had the opportunity to sit down with Sr. Anne to discuss an array of topics including Marywood’s centennial, the school’s current financial state and what to expect in the future.

Sr. Anne repeatedly discussed the history of Marywood College and the IHM sisters whose “very bold visionary act” led to the founding.

She also took time to explain how “Marywood had one challenge after another.... We built the Rotunda during the Depression ... [since] that would carry us

into the future. When we opened the school of architecture, it was right after the economic downturn, and we went forward, because that was our next step, with regard to providing that quality of education. The same thing is true for the Learning Commons.”

Centennials are surely a time to look back at accomplishments over a 100-year span. “That’s what centennials are all about; you look back to look forward,” Sr. Anne told us.

But when asked if Marywood could have done anything differently to avoid our current financial “challenges,” Sr. Anne suddenly no longer saw the value in

looking to the past.

“I don’t know that there’s much benefit in looking backward,” she replied.

How can that be?

It’s a complete contradiction.

We cannot choose to embrace only the successes of our past and to disregard the challenges. We certainly can’t learn from our challenges or mistakes if we choose to ignore them.

And Marywood is facing challenges.

Marywood’s Standard & Poor’s bond rating has fallen twice since 2013 from BBB to BB+. Maintenance on South Campus carries high costs while it remains un-

OPINION

Graphic Credit/ Alex Weidner

sold. Re-prioritization has begun amidst budget concerns, and the prospect of a vote of no confidence has been shared through flyers sponsored by “Faculty for a Better Marywood.”

Idealizing our history is nice, but our recent challenges are real.

And they are here to stay unless we start learning from the past.

He said, She said: Mental health, guns need attention Gun control an issue we need to solve

Break the mental health stigma

Paul Capoccia Opinion Editor On Oct. 1, nine people were killed while another nine were wounded in a shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon before the shooter took his own life in an ensuing gunfight with police.

As reported on NBC, as of Oct. 2, the shooting in Oregon was the 41st school shooting this year.

There have been 142 incidents of gunfire on school campuses since the Newtown shooting in Dec. 2012.

It’s about time we realize that we need to stop the losses of toooften-too-young lives.

Congress has made it clear through inaction that the issue of gun control is not a priority. It is too difficult to fix, it is too challenging, people have all different opinions, they say. Cowered by the threat of the electoral power of the National Rifle Association (NRA), Congress does nothing. But a lawmaker’s job has never been easy, and to stop short of saving lives by simply installing a system of checks and balances is sickening.

There should be restrictions on the kinds of firearms and ammunition sold. While Americans nationwide jump out of their seats at such a notion, to say one needs such firearms as assault rifles is utterly stupid.

No one needs an automatic

Jessica Bonacci Asst. Opinion Editor On Oct. 1, a shooter at Umpqua Community College in Oregon violently ended the lives of eight students and one professor. This news left some shocked. Some blame guns, while others blame a generally aggressive culture.

In the past, the American Psychological Association has reported findings that prove there is a connection between violence in the media and violent actions.

A 2003 report included the findings of a study, titled “Longitudinal Relations Between Children’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977-1992.” Subjects did exhibit more violent traits when exposed to certain degrees of harmful actions.

Although there is evidence that the media’s use of violence is harmful to youth, we must stop blaming and start solving.

We need to be proactive in order to prevent tragedies like these from happening by breaking down the stigma attached to mental illness.

CNN reports that the Umpqua shooter had dealt with mental health issues in the past. The New York Times mentions that the other shootings following that of Umpqua were fueled by anger.

Photo Credit/ Brigie Sabine

Paul and Jessica look over an issue of The New York Times. weapon to shoot a deer for sport.

No one needs a high-capacity weapon to provide for one’s family. And no one needs an militarygrade weapon to have fun.

The idea that guns are toys and status symbols needs to end. The assault rifle being carried around by every hearty gunslinging target-shooting American who thinks he or she cannot function without it ought to figure out what he or she really cannot live without; and that is public safety.

Furthermore, the idea that more people owning guns will prevent or minimize the damage done in these attacks is also illogical. Optimism in untrained civilians’ accuracy, in citizens’ mental

stability to own firearms while, again, being unscreened, and proposing everyone constantly carrying firearms are sad alternatives to modifications to current law.

No one is taking away anyone’s Second Amendment rights; we can all still defend ourselves, just far more sensibly.

Saying gun control is the solution to all of our problems would be absurd, but it is a very promising starting place. This is not one person’s problem; this is a problem for every American. And until it is solved, our society will continue to be that much more dangerous.

Contact the writer: pcapoccia@m.marywood.edu

Although there is no excuse for what these people have done, it should serve as a message to us that any type of violence, whether to oneself or others, is not a solution.

Proper treatment and support is a solution. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates 60 percent of people dealing with mental health issues go untreated.

It is not a disgrace to ask for help or to encourage others to do so.

Most people who are dealing with mental illness do not let their struggles boil over into an extreme act. According to NAMI, one in four American adults suffers from some type of mental health issue. Only a small number commit heinous acts of violence.

In order to aid in the prevention of these mass shootings that have become all too common, we must find a way to put an end to a passive attitude and break the habit of ignoring mental illness.

Here are some resources that are useful.

•National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 •Mental Health and Mental Illness: 301-443-4513 •Marywood University Counseling Center: 570-348-6245 Contact the writer: jlbonacci@m.marywood.edu

COMMUNITY

October 2015

The Wood Word 7

Marywood students see Pope Francis’ visit in Philadelphia Amanda Duncklee Community Editor On Sun., Sept. 27, Marywood students went on a pilgrimage to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia.

Students who wished to attend purchased tickets for $15 two weeks beforehand and confirmed their attendance with Campus Ministries.

On the day of the event the group traveled via coach bus. The bus left at 7:30 a.m. and arrived in the Citizen’s Bank Park Parking lot at 10 a.m. Marywood students then walked for four miles to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a scenic park in Philadelphia which is where Pope Francis celebrated Mass.

Attendees underwent heavy security under TSA officials and police officers before entering the park. Once in the park, people lined up behind the barricades in place or sat on the grass to wait for the pope.

“I feel safe; there are lots of security measures in place,” said Anne Duncan, fourth year photography major. “I’m excited to hear what the pope has to say and participate in this life changing experience.”

At 3:20 p.m., the pope started his papal parade. Crowds screamed with happiness upon seeing the pope in his white Pope mobile.

Along the way, Pope Francis smiled, waved and kissed several babies and toddlers. Once the procession was complete, Mass began at 4 p.m The Exultate Juste by Michael Joncas was the processional hymn for the Mass. The crowd prayed the Act of Penitence, sang the Kyrie and Gloria and then offered a collective prayer.

Following the introductions, the first reading was read in Spanish, the second in Vietnamese, and the Gospel was sang in English.

“It’s all about the family teach the children, teach the children.”

-Pope Francis

Pope Francis delivered the homily which focused primarily on family values. He spoke of the importance of the nuclear family and the world family and how the miracle of love can change the

Photo Credit / Katlynn Whitaker

Pope Francis pauses during the Papal Parade to greet a young child. world.

“It’s all about the family- teach the children, teach the children,” said Pope Francis.

Pope Francis also spoke of how all people are called to be prophets in the way that we should all spread the word of the Lord.

Following the homily, Mass continued. During the Lord’s Prayer and Sign of Peace, members of the crowd held hands, shook hands and hugged each other with love for Christ.

Crowd members received Communion from Extraordinary Ministers near the barricades.

Mass concluded, and the crowd dispersed to their respective

destinations.

Marywood students made their way on foot back to the bus. Sr. Cathy Luxner, IHM, Director of Campus Ministries, was very pleased with the day.

“Our students were wonderful,” said Luxner. “They were all here because they wanted to be.

I think Marywood University is very proud of them; they put our core values into action.”

Throughout the walk to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, numerous other groups from all parts of the nation were in communion with this once-in-a-lifetime event. Groups played instruments, sang songs and cheered

for others.

Attendee Virginia Garcia from Chicago came a long way to see Pope Francis.

“Of course I am very excited; I am so sad that I did not get to see him yesterday, but I hope to see him today,” said Garcia.

Also in attendance at the event were people holding signs promoting various agendas as well as yelling at attendees.

Signs read “Roman Catholicism is sinful,” and “Is the Pope the Anti-Christ?”

Fr. Joseph Elston, who is starting his fourth year as the chaplain of Marywood, took note of the hecklers.

“You’re always going to have people come to these events pushing their agendas, and that is their right,” said Elston. “However, the Pope never pushes himself; he leads us to Jesus.”

Despite the hecklers, Fr. Elston was still very happy to see the pope.

“It is always a thrill for a priest to see a pope. His closeness to his priests is evident as he calls us to service, “ he said. “His love for women of the clergy is also evident.”

Contact the writer: alduncklee@m.marywood.edu @ADuncklee_TWW

Nothing to Hide Day scales back this year

Information sourced from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Amanda Duncklee Community Editor Nothing to Hide Day was scheduled to take place in the Fireplace Lounge on Thursday, Oct. 8, but on the day of the event, the Fireplace Lounge was void of any festivity.

In previous years, Nothing to Hide was a day-long celebration in the Fireplace Lounge in early

October where members of the Marywood community would congregate to help eradicate the stigma of mental health disorders.

This year, there was only a table outside of the Dining Hall for a couple of hours with students hosting Nothing to Hide on a much smaller scale.

“In past years, there was lots of planning for this event with 33-35

Graphic Credit/ Kelsey Van Horn

groups at the event,” said Laura Chickson, a staff counselor at the McGowan Center for Clinical and Professional Studies. “This year, it worked a lot differently than it has in the past.”

The department decided to make decisions to cut back on the scale of the event. Instead of one large event, smaller promotions will occur throughout

the month of October to promote awareness of and treatment for mental health disorders as October is Mental Health Awareness Month.

“We are addressing reallocation of resources,” said Chickson, who also noted that there is a dearth of work-study positions in the psychology department.

POW (Peers on Wellness) already held Meditation Monday on Oct. 6.

Barbra Decker, chair of Counseling, is the Peers on Wellness adviser and was happy that POW members held Meditation Monday.

“People made stress balls, made trail mix, and distributed pamphlets about dealing with stress,” said Decker.

There will be a flag campaign in which pictures of celebrities

with mental health issues will be displayed as a way to allow those suffering to know that their issues do not have to be hidden.

Meditation Monday and Nothing to Hide Day are not the only events to break the stigma. Later on in the month Katie Koestner, founder of the Take Back the Night Movement, will be speaking at Marywood on Oct. 29 at 9 p.m. in the Latour Room.

Take Back the Night is a movement focused on preventing and raising awareness for sexual assault.

“Mental health is a huge issue,” said Chickson. “We want to be involved to help people know that they are not alone.”

Contact the writer: alduncklee@m.marywood.edu @ADuncklee_TWW

The Wood Word 8

COMM

A closer look: Goldstein’s Strategic Resource Allocation process Patrick Kernan Managing Editor Rachel Looker Asst. News Editor

On Sept. 16 and Sept. 17, Larry Goldstein, founder of Campus Strategies, LLC, held three open meetings for faculty and staff about beginning a strategic resource allocation process at Marywood.

Goldstein’s consulting firm was hired by Marywood to embark on this resource allocation process, which is set to save Marywood some of its spending by reducing the amount of money designated to certain programs. According to Sr. Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D., president of Marywood University, there is no single “magic number” as a goal for how much money to save.

Goldstein defines strategic resource allocation process

On Goldstein’s Campus Strategies’ website, strategic resource allocation, or program prioritization, is listed as a client service and states that many institutions are investing in programs that are not necessary for an institution’s success.

According to the website, “Using holistic criteria, Campus Strategies can facilitate a proven process for the comprehensive examination of every campus activity to identify those that should be reduced or discontinued.”

The website states that this strategic resource allocation process has been implemented at dozens of institutions and has succeeded in response to financial crisis or databased decision making to affect future resource allocation.

Specifically, Campus Strategies strategic resource allocation process proved to be successful at the University of Hartford.

According to Campus Strategies’ website, the process at the University of Hartford incorporated “extensive research as well as the review of financial records, correspondence, agreements, and various University documents to formulate opinions about the University’s practices.”

Campus Strategies utilizes Dickeson model

Institutions embarking on Campus Strategies’ strategic resource

allocation process utilize a model created by Robert Dickeson, president emeritus of University of Northern Colorado and author of “Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance.”

Dickeson’s process is described in a paper titled “Higher Ed Impact Monthly Diagnostic May 2015,” which a was authored by Dickeson and Goldstein and published by Academic Impressions, an affiliate of Campus Strategies and an organization focused on serving higher education professionals.

The paper details Dickeson’s methods for prioritization, the model Campus Strategy uses for its strategic resource allocation process.

Dickeson’s model has 10 recommended criteria for evaluating academic programs.

tutional leaders define and weigh clear criteria for prioritization, gather and make sense of copious institutional data, and establish specific recommendations for change.”

Level of trust affects re-prioritization success

Another important aspect of a re-prioritization process is the issue of trust. The paper stated trust will make or break the success of a prioritization effort.

Goldstein suggested two steps to assess the level of trust at an institution. He recommended interviewing key community stakeholders and secretarial staff.

In the presentation, Goldstein said secretarial staff “know what is going on in ways that no one else does.”

An article on Academic Impressions’ website titled “Prioritize Academic and Administrative Units”

Dickeson’s criteria for academic programs 1. The history, development and expectations of programs; 2. The external demand for a program; 3. The internal demand for a program; 4. The quality of program inputs and processes; 5. The quality of program outcomes; 6. The size, scope, and productivity of the program; 7. The revenue and other resources generated by the program; 8. The costs and other expenses associated with the program; 9. The impact, justification, and essentiality of the program; 10. And the opportunity analysis of the program.

In the paper, Goldstein and Dickeson suggest there are two main areas, leadership and process, that can affect the success of the prioritization process.

The paper describes how senior leaders need to have the will to follow through with the implementation of the prioritization process and provide reasons why the process is necessary to the institution.

The re-prioritization process itself needs broad participation from faculty and administrators and a clear communication system about goals and data gathering.

To help with this communication system, Dickeson recommends establishing a communication plan incorporating town hall meetings, updates via e-mail, regular meetings, and open hearings.

The paper stated, “The process is rigorous - requiring that insti-

by Daniel Fusch, director of Publications and Research, included an interview with Dickeson regarding prioritizing academic units.

In this interview, Dickeson commented on the importance of trust and stated, “Trust is something that is built over a long period of time -- it cannot be manufactured overnight for priority-setting or for any other purposes. Trust comes about when leaders are open, transparent, and share with the campus community all the dynamics behind key decisions.”

Another article on Academic Impressions’ website, “Planning and Budgeting in a Low-Trust Environment,” by Fusch, states that during a 2011 Academic Impressions conference on “Integrated Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation,” 37 of the attendees, nearly 75

percent, cited low trust as one of the main obstacles in the re-prioritization process.

The article offered comments

by Goldstein and Pat Sanaghan, president of the Sanaghan group, another consulting firm, on strategic planning in a low-trust environment.

According to the article, during a period of low-trust,campus officials and staff often are more focused on daily events and issues, instead of the future of the university as a whole.

AAUP criticizes Dickeson model, disputes success

However, the procedure, and ones similar to it, do not come without their critics.

For example, the American Association of University Professors, or AAUP, has major criticisms of Dickeson’s model, on which Goldstein’s model is heavily based.

AAUP’s website provides numerous documents about AAUP investigations of retrenchment procedures at various universities.

Two examples of universities that used Dickeson’s model to apparent failure in the eyes of the AAUP include the University of Southern Maine and Felician College, a private Catholic college in northern New Jersey.

Both institutions used Dickeson’s model and, according to the AAUP, inappropriately terminated professors as a result of going through the process.

According to the AAUP, in 2014, the University of Southern Maine terminated the appointments of “approximately twenty to thirty tenured as well as longserving nontenured faculty members.”

Similarly, in 2014, Felician College notified 16 professors that

their appointments would not be renewed. According to the AAUP, the college cited “the exigency of the college’s financial status” as the reason. However, when the process first began, administrators at Felician did not use the term “financial exigency” and instead cited trouble with low enrollments.

At one of Felician’s first townhall style meetings before the reprioritization process began in 2013, “Administrative officers told faculty members that the situation was worrisome but did not share any concrete information or financial data,” said the AAUP report.

“The possibility of faculty layoffs was not mentioned, and the term financial exigency was never used.”

However, nearly six months after the re-prioritization process began, 16 full-time faculty members at Felician received notice that their appointments would not be renewed at the end of the academic year.

In its findings about both institutions, the AAUP cited the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure, which states, in part, that financial exigency that leads to termination must be “demonstrably bona fide.”

The AAUP asserted that the institutions did not sufficiently demonstrate this.

Contact the writers: pkernan@m.marywood.edu rclooker@m.marwood.edu @PKernanTWW

“Trust is something that is built over a long period of time -- it cannot be manufactured overnight for priority-setting or for any other purposes. Trust comes about when leaders are open, transparent, and share with the campus community all the dynamics behind key decisions.”

-Robert Dickeson, author of “Prioritizing Academic Programs and Services: Reallocating Resources to Achieve Strategic Balance.”

MUNITY

The Wood Word 9

Community reacts to Goldstein process What do you think about Goldstein’s strategic resource allocation process?

Tweet your answer to #GoldsteinAtMarywood

“Goldstein is an accountant, not an administrator, and I do worry it’s going to limit the scope of the assessment. I looked at the website and the process seems fairly transparent. I am not sure the end result will be transparent. I am hopeful that the process will resolve in creative and positive solutions that preserve who Marywood is and they can find ways to circumvent financial problems. I hope that the work my colleagues put in is fruitful.”

-Amanda Avery, outreach and assessment librarian “I give Marywood credit for trying to find answers on how to improve Marywood. My honest opinion, it’s too far down the hole. It’s a little too late. Now campus is like a ghost town. I hope they can revive campus.

I don’t think the guy (Goldstein) is going to fix anything. They should have been looking at finances all along.

What are we spending more money for?”

-Helen Gerard, housekeeper

“It’s a good idea to take an outside source with fresh eyes to come look at Marywood. Marywood has a lot of potential and it would be great to see a lot more people on campus.”

-Lori Summa, administrative assistant for Chartwell’s

“I don’t know much about it.”

-Jane Baranowski, sophomore nursing major

“The Goldstein process is a very proactive process that helps us look at every dimension, every program academically, and every support program, with the idea of engaging in a very transparent way the entire community in helping to assess where the resources are, with the idea of being able to leverage resources to help certain things grow, and if certain things have completed their function... then reallocate.”

-Sr. Anne Munley, IHM, Ph.D., President of Marywood University “I think it’s a good idea. I think it’s a completely logical thing to do to get a consulting firm.”

-Joe Merolla, student, freshman computer science major

“Being it’s 100 years, it’s a good thing. We need to regroup and rearrange things a little bit.”

-Carol Bartoli, housekeeper

“It probably won’t be very effective ... Given the current financial situation, I imagine that some sort of cut is going to be necessary to make it viable financially for the University. The way to implement any type of cut, or any type of resource reallocation ... would be to utilize the talent that we have at Marywood, utilizing the resources that’s already available on campus and build consensus, build community agreement, from the ground up instead of relying on external consulting firms. I don’t think they’ll know the history and the strengths, and the issues that we face at Marywood as much as the members of the community do.”

-Chaogui Zhang, former professor and math department chair “I don’t know the basics. I’m new at Marywood and hope the process succeeds. I hope it’s successful.”

-Kim Ocwieja, housekeeper

Goldstein’s process begins at Marywood; task forces selected, trained

A key component of the strategic resource allocation process is the two task forces gathering data in order to determine how resources can be better expended across campus. The task forces were trained by Goldstein on Oct. 14, 15 and 16.

The Wood Word was able to obtain a copy of the individuals comprising the two task forces. The lists are reproduced as follows.

Approved by the President to serve on The Support Task Force • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Molly Baron - Human Resources Mark Burns - Grounds Lisa Casella – Admissions Bill Conlogue – (Faculty) English Department (Dr. Conlogue declined invitation) John Coval – Conference and Events Sherry Frable – Marketing and Communications Nancy Gibbons - Fiscal David Isgan - (Faculty) Physician Assistant Program Philip Jenkins – (Faculty) Philosophy Department Cheryl Kosydar - Housekeeping William Manley – Registrar’s Office Beverly Mizanty – Academic Progress Ross Novak – Housing and Residence Life F. David Romines – (Faculty) Music, Theatre, and Dance Department Sr. John Michelle Southwick – Campus Ministry Jamie Strong - Academic Affairs Deborah Wardach – Science Department Diane Webber – Disability Office

Approved by the President to serve on The Academic Task Force • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Jessica Bodzio, Nutrition Department Sr. Gail Cabral, Counseling/Psychology Department Jay Clymer, Science Department Joseph Donahue, School of Social Work Mona Griffer, Communication Sciences and Disorders Department Rick Hoffenberg, Music, Theatre, and Dance Department Sarah Kenehan, Philosophy Department Michael Mirabito, Communication Arts Department Brian Monahan, Social Sciences Department Kate O’Connor, School of Architecture Erin Sadlack, English Department Chris Speicher, School of Business and Global Innovation Lori Swanchak, Physician Assistant Program Theresa Tulaney, Nursing Department Stephanie Wise, Department of Visual Arts

The Wood Word 10

October 2015

Marywood Madness takes a medieval turn seems to be working together and smiling.”

The event began with the emcee introducing the cheerleading team who kick started the event. They performed cheers as well as a stunt routine for a cheering crowd.

“For safety purposes, I would have preferred to be inside,” said sophomore early childhood special education major McKenzie Gedman, a base on the cheer team. “Our shoes are wet from the grass, and Photo Credit/ Brigid Sabine even though we have a Professional jousters of the Nobel Cause Production prepare for their joust. mat, the ground is still bumpy. Still, performing Amanda Duncklee year’s event was held outside in- for everyone is exciting.”

Community Editor stead of the gymnasium. PlanFollowing the Cheer Team, Hear ye, here ye! ‘Twas the ning was underway for roughly a the Step and Dance Teams pernight for Medieval Madness, a month before the actual event. formed their respective routines night of Renaissance fun for all.

“This has to do with the hors- for students.

Usually called Marywood Mad- eswe had to do it outside,” said Once Marywood’s teams finness, this year’s annual pep-ral- Student Activities Intern Maria ished their routines, members ly was dubbed Medieval Mad- Temples, a senior nutrition and of the Dance Team, Cheer Team ness. Renaissance-themed décor wellness major. “I’m really excit- and Step Team stood across each and activities were the focus of ed since it’s different than what other to make a pathway for the the event and three live horses Marywood Madness has been in Homecoming Court nominees. dressed in Middle Age style cloaks the past,” said Temples.

Maxis the Mustang ran through made guest appearances.

For Ruth Walsh, administrator after the nominees made their Some of the features included of Student Activities, this is the way. medieval food such as hot apple first time she is participating in Instead of T-shirts, SAC memcider, beef stew, biscuits, pickles the annual rally. bers threw blankets at students on a stick, drumsticks, chicken “This took an awful lot of plan- with the words “Medieval Madkabobs and candied almonds, all ning to come together,” said ness 2015” and a horse stitched provided by Chartwells. Equestri- Walsh. “It was certainly a group on the blankets. ans rode and jousted each other effort between administration Perhaps the most anticipatwhile excited students cheered. and students. It’s a wonderful at- ed event of the evening was the Unlike previous years, this mosphere for students; everybody jousting. Noelle Burk, the head

squire [stage manager] for Nobel Cause Production, a performing group who specializes in medieval events throughout the country, helped facilitate the jousting.

“It’s a unique situation that we get to joust here,” said Burk.

“We’re very excited to be a part of Marywood’s event.”

During the event, Burk held rings for the professional jousters to put the jousting sticks through while riding on horses. Burk threw the rings in the air for the jousters to catch. At one point, the horsemen ran at each other, jousting sticks and shields in hand, and attempted to knock the other off.

Sophomore nutrition and dietetics major Dana Boeher thought that the jousting was “very cool.”

“I’m a part of SAC, and this event exceeded my expectations,” said Boeher.

At the end of the event, students voted for their choice for the Homecoming Court. Nominee William Weiss, a junior clinical lab science major, is running for Homecoming Prince.

“This is my last year at Marywood,” said Weiss. “It’s a pretty big moment, and I will thank everybody if I win.”

Ali Sidiki contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: alduncklee@m.marywood.edu @ADuncklee_TWW

COMMUNITY

Group Spotlight: Music Therapy Club

Photo courtesy of Tara Kelly

The Music Therapy Club 2016 seniors pose for a group shot.

Esperanza Gutierrez Asst. Community Editor

Ding, ding, ding, do you hear

that? That is the sound of The Music Therapy Club looking for you to help advocate music therapy on campus and increase awareness.

This organization provides music therapy majors with opportunities for personal growth and professional leadership. The Music Therapy Club is constantly looking for opportunities to volunteer their time and talents.

Anita L. Gadberry, Ph.D., assistant professor of the music therapy has been the faculty adviser for The Music Therapy Club for five years.

“I like this club. It is a really a nice place for the students to get to know each other. I like how the students interact with one another; it’s almost like a family,” Gadberry said.

To learn more about the club, go to www.thewoodword.org Contact the writer: emgutierrez@m.marywood.edu

Marywood students enjoy a night of dancing at Homecoming

Amanda Duncklee Community Editor Marywood students met at Fiorelli Catering Hall for the Renaidance, which is a new take on Marywood’s annual Homecoming Dance.

The event began at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 16 and went until midnight. Buses brought students to the event and back to Marywood while other students chose to drive.

Upon entering the venue, students made their way from the lobby into a large hall decorated with fall décor including hollowed apples with candles in them.

Students sat at any table they pleased and waited for the evening to commence.

Vince Gross, an automotive technician major from Lincoln Tech, was at the event with his girlfriend and was impressed with the evening.

“This is a very nice, well put together event,” said Gross.

At 7 p.m. hors d’oeuvres were served with a salad, dinner and a desert buffet followed. Once students got food, the dance floor opened for all.

A photo station with prop tables was available for students to use at any time during the evening.

After several songs, the muchanticipated moment arrived: the announcing of the Homecoming Court.

The freshman Lady was Veronica Shoemaker and the Lord was Ryan Calamia.

The sophomore Duchess was Maddesen Wright and the Duke was an unopposed D.J. Boyer.

The junior Princess was Melissa Kowalski and the Prince was William Weiss. The senior Queen was Stephanie Bagniewski and the King was Derrick Eyerman.

Following the announcement, students cheered and went back to the dance floor to continue their

Photo Credit/ Katlynn Whitaker

Students dress up and pose for the Homecoming Dance. evening of enjoyment.“I’ve always “I’m having a great time.” loved dancing with my friends, Contact the writer: and the atmosphere tonight is alduncklee@m.marywood.edu relaxed and fun,” said Paul Kray@ADuncklee_TWW cer, a junior biotechnology major.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

October 2015

The Wood Word 11

Featured Faculty: Wang creates art through film McKensie Curnow A&E Editor Marywood has recently welcomed a new face to the communication arts department. Often found bearing a friendly smile and always dressed to chic perfection, meet this month’s featured faculty member, Professor Shan Shan Wang.

A brilliant filmmaker and artist, Wang serves as an assistant professor and digital media program director in the Communication Arts Department.

This is her first year teaching at Marywood, but she is no stranger to serving as an educator.

“I first started teaching at graduate school as part of my scholarship at Duke University. It was during that time I realized how much I have enjoyed working in a university setting where students are just like I am – passionate about art and film,” said Wang.

Upon graduation, Wang took a summer teaching opportunity in Los Angeles. Later, she started her first full-time teaching job at Waldorf College in Iowa.

As an undergrad, Wang studied Cinema at Binghamton University. She went on to pursue her master’s in Experimental and Documentary Arts at Duke University.

Wang recalled that the first thing she learned as a cinema major was that “the movie, too, will make you free,” a quote by W.R. Robinson.

“From that very first moment, I realized I could ‘speak.’ I could express myself through image. I’ve been making films ever since,” said Wang.

Wang credits American avantgarde filmmakers, such as Stan Brakhage and Hollis Frampton, for influencing her films.

“Their work inspired me to think about moving image as a non-linear form of art, just as painting or poetry,” said Wang.

Wang’s medium has always been analog film.

“I tend to think about it as painting in time where shadow is fixed permanently on film-strip that moves 24 frames per second,” said Wang.

Wang explained that much of her work “is an engagement with visual experiment in attempt to bring attention to ways of expression that refer to social and cultural symptoms in our society.”

Wang’s talent, persistent studies, and love for the art of film have been witnessed all over the globe. Her films have been shown all over the United States and internationally in Iceland,

Photo courtesy of Shan Shan Wang

Shan Shan Wang uses analog film to express her creativity through art.

Spain,and Italy.

“It’s rewarding to travel with my work. I enjoy sharing ideas and getting feedback from audiences around the globe just as much as I enjoy teaching. I feel inspired by my students every day,” said Wang.

On top of teaching, Wang is currently serving as a faculty adviser to Marywood’s new student-

run organization, the Digital Film Production Club. She encourages all who are interested in becoming a filmmaker to join the club.

“You’ll get a chance to meet other like-minded student filmmakers, discover filmmaking opportunities, and most importantly be part of building this exciting new club together,” said Wang.

Wang’s enthusiasm for the

arts, ability to relate to students, and passion for sharing ideas is a recipe sure to create an effective learning environment for her students.

For more information about Shan Shan Wang and her work, visit www.shanshanshanshan.com.

Contact the writer: mcurnow@m.marywood.edu

Roma Pizza’s new location offers same great taste

Brigid Edmunds News Editor NEPA natives and Viewmont Mall veterans know all too well the true delight of sitting down with a warm slice of Roma Pizza in the midst of their shopping experience.

When Buffalo Wild Wings moved into the mall, Roma had to find a new home, which I think will only help its business and allow more people to experience the delicious pizza Roma has to offer.

I do consider myself to be a pizza snob, so believe me when I say it takes a lot for a pie to impress me. Roma Pizza happily exceeded my expectations when I visited Saturday, Oct. 3.

In Roma’s new space, located at 840 on the Scranton Carbondale Highway, they have been able to offer guests a full-service, sit down restaurant with an extended menu that includes pasta dishes and entrees. Roma also has some of the best pizza in the

valley. That’s why when I visited, I ordered the pizza. When ordering pizza from Roma, there are a couple tips to know.

First, always order the extra-large tray. The reason for this is they use the same amount of dough as a large tray, it’s just spread thinner. The thinness of the crust allows for the perfect folding capabilities of your slice of pizza. If you’re not into folding your pizza, the thin crust lets you enjoy the sauce and cheese combi-

nation without being too doughy – a pizza nightmare.

Next, know your toppings.

When deciding which type of pizza you want to get, you can keep it simple, or get a little crazy. Their plain pizza is one of the best I have ever had in the area. However, I indulged in some steak and cheese pizza, which was packed with flavor. I was full after one slice (something that’s almost unheard of). The steak tasted like it was seasoned with salt and pepper before being put on the pizza, which elevates the flavors and adds more dimensional to the taste. The blend of cheeses complimented the steak perfectly and created a velvety smooth curtain to lay atop the crust and steak.

A non-pizza related tip is to also order garlic knots. They are filled with garlic and Parme-

san cheese and make the perfect side kick to any pizza.

So, next time you’re hanging out with friends and someone suggests ordering pizza, I encourage you to call Roma. You will not be disappointed.

Contact the writer: bedmunds@m.marywood.edu @BrigidGraceTWW

The Wood Word 12

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

October 2015

Music education dept. to host string concert

Fall back to the 70s

McKensie Curnow A&E Editor The leaves have changed, the air is crisp and cool, and pumpkin spice has once again suffocated our nostrils and taste buds. It is finally fashion’s favorite season – fall.

The biggest trends this season are a flash from the past. The 1970s was a decade full of revolution, and style was no exception to experiment and change.

Smooth suede, foxy fringe (and lots of it), and flared silhouettes are making a huge comeback from the grooviest decade to date.

Creative expression is so in right now, man.

Here’s how to rock the 70s revival better than Joni Mitchell and Cher.

Flared jeans and wide-leg pants are far out, man.

Give your skinny jeans a break.

Flared jeans and pants deliver a classic cool vibe to your wardrobe and can be dressed up or down with ease. Throw on some platform shoes and your legs will go on for miles. Bonus points if the pants are paisley.

Don’t be afraid of suede.

Suede is one of the most popular fabrics this season. It stands out with a retro, yet sophisticated appeal. Pick up an a-line suede skirt, preferably with buttons down the front. Throw on some over-sized shades and tuck in a fitted sweater or blouse to achieve a look so chic and effortless, even Jackie O would be envious.

Feel fabulous in faux fur.

Fur jackets and vests will not only keep you warm and snug, they’ll also make you look like a million bucks. Fur gives you an instant luxe look and transforms you into a glamazon rock star.

Choose faux over authentic. You’ll save a lot of money and spare a forest friend’s life.

Fringe is your friend.

Fringe is everywhere. It can be found on shoes, purses, vests, skirts, and jackets. There are no boundaries with this trend. If you’re feeling brave, find a suede or leather jacket with fringe detail. You’ll look like you’re about to follow The Rolling Stones on their world tour. Just remember: you’re not a groupie, you’re a band-aid.

You’ll totally dig bell sleeves.

Exaggerated sleeves make a statement without being overbearing. This flowing hippie chic silhouette is flattering on any body shape or size. For a bolder look, wear this bohemian piece with a big floppy hat. You’ll be the new poster child for peace and love.

Ponchos are out of sight.

Ponchos and shawls are a modish and elegant way to keep cozy.

Not only are they extremely versatile, but you’ll look put together without sacrificing comfort and warmth. This cape-like piece can be worn in both casual and formal situations. Before leaving your house, twirl yourself around Steve Nicks-style and you’ll feel unstoppable.

The best part about this dynamite trend is that you can probably find inspiration from your local thrift shop, your mother’s attic, or by watching an episode of “That 70s Show.”

Have fun with this 70s revival before its back in the history books. Keep it real, flower children.

Contact the writer: mcurnow@m.marywood.edu

Sophie Pauline Assistant A&E Editor

The Marywood Music Education department in cooperation with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), a program among the world’s largest in arts education, is hosting a String Celebration Concert on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

This concert is the culmination of a weekend of activities taking place on campus for middle and high school student string players. Approximately 150 students from across the region were nominated and selected to take part in this weekend of activities.

Students will take part in a series of workshops directed by two guest conductors, Stephen Benham, associate professor of music education at Duquesne University; and Jennifer Sacher Wiley, associate professor of music at Susquehanna University.

Each conductor selects the repertoire they would like to work on during this weekend and sends the music to the students before the event happens. The students are then able to become familiar with the works prior to the event and really work to clean them during the workshops.

According to Sophie Till, associate professor of violin and viola at Marywood, the purpose of this program is to “gather these string players from across the

Graphic Credit Connor Moffitt

region, bring them to campus and give them this new experience that they can’t get in their own schools.” She is administering this event with the help of students in the Music Education department.

Till said the team of student educators help run the event completely. “They’re fantastic,” she said. “They do the furniture, they chaperone the students around, make sure everyone is registered; they really do a lot of the legwork.

And some of them play, too.”

Heather Kani is one such student. Kani is a senior Music Education major focusing her instrumental studies in violin. She said she is excited to be working on this event again.

“There are not many string projects in the area, and it’s great to be given this opportunity to work hand-in-hand with them.”

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Contact the writer: sopauline@m.marywood.edu

The Game almost impresses with “Documentary” follow-up

Pat Kernan Managing Editor Back in 2005, rapper The Game released his first album, entitled “The Documentary.” This year, after a decade and a series of other albums, he released a doublealbum sequel to it, releasing the two halves, “The Documentary 2” and “The Documentary 2.5” a week apart this October.

Combined, the two halves stretch to just over two and a half hours. And that is my biggest complaint about it, as it feels like a 40 minute album with 110 minutes of filler thrown in.

The Game seems like he isn’t entirely sure where he wants to go with this one. Some songs feel like old school west coast g-funk, while other songs have that New York boom bap sound, while still others take on the trap sound that’s been blowing up in the hip hop scene over the past few years.

To do this, The Game gets basically every rapper you’ve ever heard of to help him out. This includes west coast icons like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg,

New York biggies like Q-Tip, Diddy, and Busta Rhymes, modern conscious rappers like Kendrick Lamar and the rest of the Black Hippy crew, and trap rappers like Future and Ty Dolla $ign.

And that doesn’t even begin to mention Drake, will.i.am, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, who also show up on this album.

If that list seems exhausting to you just reading it, don’t worry.

It’s even worse listening to it.

Some of those rappers make no sense together. Can you really picture Q-Tip, with his laidback and humorous flow, working with the aggressive sounds of former N.W.A. members Dre and Cube? It just doesn’t work, and

it ends up feeling like the Game simply couldn’t decide what sort of sound he wanted to use on this one. Some of the individual songs work, but they don’t combine well.

On top of that “2” feels too cleanly produced and not nearly as raw as the image that The Game is trying to put out.

“2.5” does a bit better with this, sounding a bit less clean and approaching some more serious topics, including The Game’s beef with 50 Cent and even blaming Suge Knight and the LAPD for 2Pac’s death.

However, The Game quickly undoes that seriousness by having some rather impressive cognitive dissonance. For much of

the album, The Game frankly discusses his connection to the Bloods (even making sure to sport red Chuck Taylors on the cover of “2.5”), and he follows this up with some snippets from the Game’s children talking about how good of a father he is.

Overall, this is just an uncomfortable album. It’s uncomfortably long, has an uncomfortable variety of subgenres, and has some uncomfortable lyrics. I’m giving the combined album a 2 out of 5, with slightly more praise being given to the second half of the album.

Contact the writer: pkernan@m.marywood.edu @PKernanTWW

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

October 2015

Places to visit this fall in NEPA

Graphic Credit/ Kelsey Van Horn

McKensie Curnow A&E Editor Autumn has arrived in NEPA. Lucky for us, Pennsylvania is one of the greatest places to be during this season. Not only does the rich and vibrant foliage create a breathtaking view, but there also seems to be endless amount of activities to do and places to visit.

Take a break from the books and spend some quality with Mama Earth. Here are a few attractions guaranteed to cure your weekend boredom this fall.

1. Roba’s Family Farm Located at 230 Decker Road, Dalton Pa. (approx. 22 min from campus) You could spend hours upon hours at Roba’s. There are so many activities to choose from all in one place. Get lost in a corn maze, pick the perfect pumpkin from the patch, feed some farm animals, sit around a campfire with friends, and take in the view of the gorgeous farm while enjoying a hayride. At the end of the day, you can indulge in treats such as kettle corn, cider donuts, and even apple cider slushies.

The farm is open daily through Oct. 31. Tip: Show your college ID on a Friday and receive a discount ticket for $9.95 2. Reaper’s Revenge Haunted Hayride Located at 460 Green Grove Road, Scranton Pa (approx. 17 min from campus) Looking for something a bit spookier? Look no further than this 90-minute long haunted attraction. At $35 per ticket, Reaper’s Revenge includes a haunted hayride, a dark forest

walk-through, a pitch-black walkthrough, and a zombie maze.

That’s right, you actually run from zombies. Reaper’s Revenge is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Nov. 1.

3. Maiolatesi Wine Cellars Located at 210 Green Grove Road, Justus Pa (approx. 15 min from campus) Not far from Reaper’s Revenge is a hidden jewel called Maiolatesi Wine Cellars. Nestled in the pretty countryside of Scott Twp, this winery is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Stop in for a wine tasting with friends or enjoy wood-fired gourmet pizza on a Friday. You will instantly feel sophisticated as soon as you sip that first taste of wine. Remember: pinky out! Note: You must be 21 or older.

4. Co-op Farmer’s Market Located at 900 Barring Ave., Scranton Pa (approx. 9 min from campus) Bring the farm to the table.

Scranton has a huge farmer’s market that features homegrown, handpicked, natural foods.

Browse fresh vegetables, fruit, jams and jellies, flowers, and more. Not only will you be shopping local, you’ll also do your body a favor by choosing real, raw food.

Visit the farmer’s market every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 26.

5. Seven Tubs Nature Area Located at Bear Creek Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre Pa (approx. 27 min from campus) This one may be the most difficult to find, but hey, it’s free.

This beautiful natural work of art consists of potholes overflowing with water, thus creating “tubs.”

Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran hiker, Seven Tubs is suitable for all levels of skill. Just be sure to wear proper shoes and clothing, pack snacks and water, and bring company.

These are just a few honorable mentions of the amazing places NEPA has to offer during the fall. Get out there and take in the view. Those trees will be bare before we know it.

Contact the writer: mcurnow@m.marywood.edu

The Wood Word 13

An Evening of Jazz Dancing: lots of music, light on the dancing Sophie Pauline Assistant A&E Editor On Sunday Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. the Marywood Jazz Ambassadors performed with the Faculty Jazz Quartet for an event entitled “An Evening of Jazz Dancing.” The night was filled with music from Gershwin to Glenn Miller and from swing to Latin beats.

Unfortunately, only a handful of guests attended the event, with even fewer that took the dance floor.

Of the few attendees was Sophomore Art Therapy Major, Hailey Salvo. Salvo said that she had come more for the dancing than the music. She was able to showcase her moves for a couple of numbers, but unfortunately there was only one male partner that the girls had to rotate between.

“I wish more people would [have] come,” she said.

According to Salvo, almost 90 people have attend jazz dance nights in previous years.

Salvo has previously attended the “College Dance Nights” on campus and said she looks forward to having more opportunities to take part in swing and ballroom dancing events.

Though this night was a little stagnant, she said she would definitely attend the next jazz dancing event.

One of the first numbers, “All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, was performed by a guest singer. She lulled the audience with her smooth voice and executed an all-around beautiful performance.

Marilyn Anderson, a junior English literature major, was found in her chair, soothed by the melodious tunes. She said she is “a big music fan” who “just came to listen and enjoy.”

Anderson said she “loved the song choices” and when asked if she would come back to another night such as this said, “absolutely.”

Though some attendees were disappointed by the lack of potential dance partners present, for a music lover, the night was a smashing success having provided and excellent selection of jazz numbers to be enjoyed for free, right on campus.

Contact the writer: sopauline@m.marywood.edu

832 Scranton Carbondale Hwy., Scranton, Pa. 18508 (570) 343-9886 suburbancasuals.com Exit 191A off interstate 81, one mile on the right

Women’s and men’s

The Wood Word 14

October 2015

SPORTS

Women’s tennis closing out another impressive season John Ferraro Sports Editor Women’s tennis at Marywood is coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons, and the 2015 team is continuing that trend, winning 10 of its first 12 matches. The team also only lost two matches in Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) play.

However, this is not the first time that women’s tennis at Marywood has a nearly flawless season. The program has been consistently strong for several years.

The last time the team had a losing record (7-8) was the 2009 season. Ever since that year, the Pacers have been at the top of the CSAC, finishing each campaign in the top three.

Aimee Wentzell, who started at Marywood in 2014 as the assistant women’s tennis coach, was elevated to the head coaching post this May. Wentzell credits the continued success of the team to its work ethic. “They are all just really devoted to what they do. When they are out here they really work

Photo Courtesy of Andrew Smith

Avery McCall practices for an upcoming match.

hard. They’re athletes. They know how to fight and they know how to fight through a match even if they might not have the best strokes that day,” said Wentzell.

Through her experiences playing Division I tennis at Albany SUNY, Wentzell has implemented some of the training she went through. “I played Division I tennis so I just kind of adapted some of the workouts that we did in our summer workouts. But, when we came back, the first week of preseason, I really just focused on consistency.”

Additionally, she teaches her players how to persevere through all the preseason practices. “It’s a lot of repetitive drills, 20 in a row one way, 20 in a row the other way. That’s how we spend the first week, and they hate it.

But, by the end of the week, they can do it pretty quickly,” said Wentzell.

However, Wentzell knows that success was not going to come easy this year. No matter how many practices the team had, it could not make up the loss of key personnel. “It was tough because

Commentary: FIFA president Sepp Blatter ruining the game with corruption Kevin Sullivan Correspondent The Federation Internationale de Football Association, more commonly known as FIFA, has been corrupt for as long as I can remember. Recently, however, justice has finally been served.

Both Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA since 1998, and Michel Platini, the head of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and FIFA vice president, have been suspended 90 days from their duties.

With Blatter suspended, the president of FIFA job goes to Issa Hayatou from Cameroon. Hayatou has ruled African soccer for 27 years. Like many people who have had any association with FIFA, Hayatou comes with his own baggage.

The major controversy surrounding him is corruption allegations and a reprimand by the International Olympic Committee. The interim leader of UEFA will be Angel Maria Villar, the

head of the Spanish federation.

But, Villar also brings heavy baggage. He remains at risk of being sanctioned by the FIFA ethics committee in its investigation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

Villar is not the only person being investigated for that bidding. Several representatives of FIFA have been accused of taking bribes to vote for Russia’s bid for 2018 and Qatar’s in 2022.

Dishonesty and corruption seem to be the two biggest problems plaguing FIFA. The World Cup is the biggest event FIFA hosts, but the voting process may have been compromised by these officers.

Many other countries that bid on these two World Cups may have missed the chance to host it, let alone bid fairly on it, because of the alleged wrongdoing of FIFA officials.

FIFA will hold an emergency meeting on October 20 in Zurich, Switzerland to discuss February’s

presidential election. I hope all the issues can be resolved at this meeting.

Hopefully FIFA can elect a new one devoid of corruption or greed.

Blatter has been ruining the game of soccer since the beginning of his presidency and it needs to stop.

As a student athlete who plays soccer at Marywood, this is very personal for me. I hope the sport that I play can change for the better and leave its incredibly corrupt past behind.

Contact the writer: kpsullivan@m.marywood.edu

Graphic Credit/ Connor Moffitt

we lost quite a few starters. We only have two returning starters from last year leaving us with six new faces,” Wentzell said.

One of those new faces is Emily Zarrilli, a freshman speech pathology major, who said that because the team is smaller, it is easier to build chemistry. “This year we’re really close. We’re a small team so we do a lot of things together and become better teammates because of it,” said Zarrilli.

Junior Avery McCall, social work major, echoed Zarrilli’s comments. “I feel like we are closer to each other than we were last year. We are more of a team.”

Wentzell appreciates the tight relationship with the team, but also knows that the last stretch is going to be tough. She is relying heavily on McCall to maintain the momentum.

“Avery was our number three last year. She is our number one this year and she’s gotten better.

She had a strong season last year and she’s going to be tough to beat when she finds her comfort zone in that number one spot,” said Wentzell.

Currently, the Pacers are red hot, winning seven of their last 10 matches. But, Wentzell understands that the team must stay focused to keep up with the rest of the CSAC. “Focusing on every match as its own match is very important. This team is really good at putting the same emphasis on each match no matter who the opponent is. You know they’re ready for it.”

As the women’s team, mainly comprised of freshmen, enters CSAC playoff matches in Philadelphia beginning this Friday as the third seed, Wentzell has high expectations.

“I want us to win. I want us to win it all. But, having so many freshmen out here for the first year, I really see it as a season to grow from. We get two of our returners back next year that are abroad this year, so I think we could win. I think we have the potential to win,” said Wentzell.

Contact the writer: jwferraro@m.marywood.edu

Corrections The article “Marywood hires Mastorianni as new head basketball coach” published in the Septmber 2015 issue, stated that Marywood waited seven months to hire a new basketball coach.

This was incorrect. According to Andrew Smith, assistant director of Atheletics and Recreation for Communications, Simmons actually left only one month before the start of this year’s season.

Additionally, the article stated that Enrico Mastroianni was an head coach at Misericordia University. He was actually the assitant coach. The Wood Word regrets these errors.

Satara Dickey Editor-in-Chief Patrick Kernan Managing Editor

SPORTS

Casey Peckio

Major: Graphic Design Hometown: Midland Park, N.J. Year: Senior John Ferraro Sports Editor When did you first start playing soccer?

I probably started playing in first grade. I started picking it up when my friends started picking it up. I just stuck with it.

What is your favorite part about playing soccer?

You can correct your mistakes quicker than other sports. I was primarily a baseball player, and mistakes would sit with me. But with soccer, you can correct a mistake as fast as you make one.

October 2015

Who is your favorite soccer player and why?

Andrea Pirlo. He currently plays on New York City FC. He is just so classy about the way he plays. I respect his work ethic. It is something I strive to have.

What do you think about the Sepp Blatter controversy?

It’s a shame. It’s the most watched sport worldwide, so you would hope there is a clean aspect to soccer. Sepp Blatter is tainting the clean aspect of it.

What is the biggest challenge you face playing soccer?

It’s definitely my height. I was skinnier and shorter than the rest of the kids. Even when I did gain muscle, the other kids were still

bigger than me. It was just about working harder at that point.

What is the biggest difference between playing in high school and playing in college?

I would say the gap in work ethic between some of the players.

In high school some kids see it as a joke and give up, but in college everybody is here is play.

What is your biggest strength on the field and why?

I would just say it’s my ability to find some way to work harder than my opponent. I make sure that I try my hardest every game.

Which soccer player would you least like to face and why?

I would say Pepe from Real Ma-

The Wood Word 15

drid and Diego Costa from Chelsea. Both players have a really dirty style, and I don’t respect that.

What has soccer taught you about life?

It taught me that you need a supporting role in anything that you do. You always need somebody to rely on, because you cannot take on everything at once.

What do you plan on doing after Marywood?

I definitely see myself pursuing a career in graphic design. I’m currently involved with a skateboard company. As strange as it sounds, I want to work with something “hipster.” A designer in graphic design is what I want to do.

Photo Credit/ Katlynn Whitaker

Contact the writer: jwferraro@m.marywood.edu

Ditch the diet plan; find balanced nutrition Haley Colarusso Staff Writer We all know or at least have heard about ridiculous diet plans.

People cut out sugar and salt in their diets, while others will cut out carbs and fats. Following diet plans can result in rapid weight loss. The thing that people will not tell you about these strict diet plans and weight loss is that it is only temporary. That’s right, I said it, and the truth is out. Cutting out fats, sugars, and carbs from your diet will only make you

gain even more weight when you stop your diet plan. Weight loss is not a 12-week plan; it is a life commitment. When trying to lose and maintain your weight, it is essential to keep a healthy balance of food in your life. Here are a few diets to avoid.

The ‘No Carb Diet’ This diet is by far the strictest one out there. Instead of cutting out all carbs, just try cutting out bad carbs. Bad carbs can include white bread, white pasta, cookies, cake, chips, etc. Good carbs can be found in foods like whole wheat pasta, bread, sweet potatoes and bananas.

The ‘No Fat Diet’ If you are cutting out carbs, then you better still be eating your fats. Fats get a bad reputation for being horrible for you, but they are actually essential for your everyday diet. Fats, along with carbs, provide energy for your body. Food items that in-

clude good fat are cheeses and peanut butter. To avoid bad fatty food, don’t eat grease.

The ‘Lean Cuisine Diet’ No, just no. Lean Cuisine microwavable meals may be easier on the busy college student, but you are basically poisoning your body. The amount of sodium in one Lean Cuisine dinner can make you feel like you gained five pounds of water weight. Stay away from any sort of microwavable meals when trying to lose or maintain weight.

The ‘Eat Salads All Day and Everyday Diet’ While this diet may get you to your weight loss goal, it will not keep you there. Salads are great, for only one meal a day though.

Do not get salad crazy. By only eating salads you are skipping out on essential nutrients for your body like sugar, protein and fats.

If salads are really your thing, always add some sort of protein, fruits, and veggies, even some cheese.

The ‘I’m Not Going to Eat Because I Want to Lose Weight Diet’ Eating quickens your metabolism, while not eating just makes it even slower. Avoiding food can result in serious health risks. Eating three main meals a day, or, like me, eating five smaller meals a day is very important in maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle. It is okay not to be hungry; however, it is not okay not to eat

all day because of it. Your body might not always let you know when it is hungry; it is your job to feed it.

Trying to lose weight or even maintain your weight in college is not always easy. Having constant stress added on to that does not help either. Eating right will result in a better and healthier body. Don’t fall into quick diet plans just for fast results. Take care of your body; you only have one. Oh, and eat a cookie every once and a while. You deserve it.

Contact the writer: htcolarusso@m.marywood.edu

Graphics Credit/ Kelsey Van Horn

The Wood Word 16

www.thewoodword.org |

October 2015

The Wood Word at Marywood University |

@TheWoodWord |

SPORTS

thewoodword