December 2010 Edition

Page 2

Penn State Beaver Roar

December 2010

news

Blackboard wiping out ANGEL Blackboard purchases ANGEL; Penn State contract runs out in 2014 Dan Trzcianka Staff Writer

dvt5050@psu.edu

Penn State’s course management system may be in for some changes in the next few years, but few Penn State Beaver faculty and students seem to be upset by the prospect of ANGEL going away.

The contract for ANGEL ends in 2014, and Penn State’s Information Technology Services (ITS) officials say the university is considering options other than ANGEL. According to the Weekly Collegian, ITS spokesman Marcus Robinson said Penn State would continue to use ANGEL for its classes until that date.

More than a year ago, Blackboard Inc. bought ANGEL, the Weekly Collegian reported.

Once Penn State’s contract ends, Blackboard will no longer offer the ANGEL program, Robinson said. Switching to the popular Blackboard course management system is one option being considered.

Faculty members at Penn State Beaver remain indifferent on the future of the course management system, but they are leaning toward Blackboard as the suitable substitution.

Carol Schafer, associate professor of theatre and women’s studies, is leaning towards Blackboard.

“ANGEL is hard to use and very specific to courses.”

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Blackboard, though,” Schafer added.

Clare Conry-Murray, assistant professor of psychology, said she is comfortable with Blackboard.

“I’ve used Blackboard before and I do like it,” she said. “I don’t really like ANGEL.” Robert Szymczak, associate professor of history, said the whole situation doesn’t affect him that much.

“I’m old-fashioned and low-

tech. I use a piece of paper for grading because I can’t imagine sitting in front of a computer to post grades or read reports,” Szymczak said.

“I don’t get many complaints from not using ANGEL. It just doesn’t bother me. I seek to interest my students in history.”

Matthew Grunstra, assistant professor of environmental science, said he’s had experience with both ANGEL and Blackboard, but it’s still a toss-up between the two.

“Honestly, I haven’t used

ANGEL to its fullest extent. Blackboard doesn’t fit with what I’m trying to do, but I haven’t used Blackboard much either. I’ve heard good things about it, though,” he said.

“The trick is getting used to either ANGEL or Blackboard.

There’s more to use on ANGEL, but both are adequate,” he said.

Like the faculty, students are also up in the air about choosing Blackboard, ANGEL or another course management system.

ANGEL, however, seems to be the popular choice.

Sophomore Ashley Walasik said

the decision wouldn’t affect her very much.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Walasik said.

“If they use ANGEL, fine. If they use Blackboard or anything else, that’s fine with me, too. As long as I can get the notes that I need, I’ll be happy,” Walasik said.

Sophomore Ryan Hudacsek said it’s more about the faculty than the course management system.

“Teachers rarely use ANGEL anyway. If they do use it, it’s only to post grades,” Hudacsek said.

“And sometimes, stuff doesn’t even pop up.”

Sophomore Shawnna Roknick agreed. “Sometimes, depending on the professor, there are grades and notes,” she said. “I think [ANGEL] should be used more.”

Junior Amanda Moore said that the choice doesn’t matter to her, but she isn’t a fan of ANGEL. “I don’t care that much. I don’t like ANGEL, either,” she said. “It doesn’t show all of your e-mails. … You have to go into separate classes to see all of them.”

Sophomore Marc Inman was indifferet about the switch.

“I like ANGEL, it’s all right. It’s just like any other one,” Inman said. “I don’t really use it that much, though.”

December 2010

Penn State Beaver Roar

Page 3

news

Students explore many ways to study Susan Cope Staff Writer

smc1059@psu.edu

For some students at Penn State Beaver, a pen and paper simply aren’t good enough anymore.

According to sciencedaily.com, more students are studying using computers than using traditional note-taking methods.

“When I think it’s necessary, I use my laptop to take notes. It’s a lot easier than writing,” freshman Dante Massey said.

However, there are still many students who do not use technology for their study.

“I prefer writing for note taking in class rather than a laptop. For me, it’s easier to study that way.

I study a couple of hours for each class that I have, and I study in the library a couple times a week,” part-time student Melissa Petrella said.

Head Librarian Martin Goldberg said many students come into the library to use the Internet for social networking sites.

“I wish I had a $100 for every time I see someone on Facebook,” Goldberg said. “Sometimes online studying can be distracting. For some it can be addictive,” he said.

“The issue is how students decide to make use of their time in the library. I think a lot of students take advantage of the library. However, students don’t take out books

ROAR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRIDGET McCULLOUGH

Freshman Joseph Ross studies using a laptop while freshman William Renner studies through use of notecards.

that often anymore; it’s a national trend in all libraries.”

According to another article from sciencedaily.com, students who use laptops during class score about 11 percent lower than their peers on tests because they are more likely to get distracted.

“I have a problem when students aren’t paying attention, and they should have a problem as well,” said Associate Professor of History

Robert Szymczak. “I feel students should study more, and the campus library is a good source. If they are note taking in class, it’s fine, but if they are Googling something, then that’s not OK.” Freshman Andrew Huey also said he prefers to take notes the old-fashioned way rather than type on a laptop.“For me, I prefer writing. It absorbs more to me when I’m writing it. I do use the campus

Health Fair At the annual Penn State Beaver Health Fair, sophomore, Macie Hucker, has her nails done. This year’s Health Fair offered demonstrations on message therapy, facials, breast exams and other informative material.

library; I’m in here every common hour,” Huey said.

Director of Student Affairs Christopher Rizzo said that technology has an impact on the way students are studying. “Technology absolutely does have an impact on students. If you look at some studies, text messaging, etc. compete with students’ time. My tip for students would be to make study time sacred and find a place that works

for you to study, which is different for everyone,” Rizzo said.

Psychology Instructor Kevin Bennett agrees.

“It is so tempting to spend time on Facebook,” Bennett said. “It’s addictive for many students. It’s the latest in current distractions.

The majority of students in my classes use pen and paper to note take.”

“Out of 70, one or two use a laptop. Students I see with laptops seem to be pretty serious about taking notes,” Bennett said. “My advice to students is to minimize the amount of interference around them, whether it’s music, people, etc. and to increase study time.”

Center of Academic Achievements Coordinator Angela Fishman said many students come in to get help and that students can focus during online studying.

“For students, I see unnecessary cramming that causes stress to them. Students have made a lot of improvement through our help. At the end of each semester, we assess outcomes, which are typically positive, and we especially encourage group studying,” Fishman said.

“As far as online studying goes, I haven’t seen that kind of distraction,” she said. “What I see is that students can focus during online studying. I have also seen an increase in the library usage this year, which is a good thing.”

Have an opinion?

Write a letter to the editor. roar-editor@psu.edu

THE ROAR/BRIDGET McCULLOUGH

Page 4

Penn State Beaver Roar

December 2010

news police beat

Students harassed Penn State Beaver Police cited sophomore Samantha Milliken of Waynesburg with harassment after allegedly harassing two female students.

Police said two female residents complained they were being harassed by another student while walking to Harmony Hall at 3:30 p.m. Nov. 4.

Camera recovered Roar photo illustration by Claire Kraynak

Sophomore Coale Henderson tries his luck at selling back his Spanish book in the campus bookstore.

Bookstore pays back in a big way Caitlin Vodenichar Staff Writer

cav5119@psu.edu

Tommy Klemens, a freshman interested in engineering, spent hundreds of dollars on books for his first semester at Penn State Beaver.

But now that the semester is nearing its end, he’s a little unsure of where to sell his books.

It’s a common concern among students: do I keep my books, sell them back to the Penn State Beaver Bookstore or go online in hopes of getting even more money for them?

“The bookstore is more convenient, but using an online source is better because you get more money,” said sophomore Kassie Madgar.

Sometimes this is not the case, however.

The bookstore did not yet have a price for Intro to Eng/Design, but Annette Keller, assistant manager of the bookstore, said that it would probably be half of the price originally paid.

A student could receive different amounts of money from the bookstore and ecampus.com. The grand total for the bookstore buyback price is $170.25.

In this situation, the bookstore offered quite a bit more money than the online source. But this is not how things will always work

Ecampus.com vs. bookstore

Online Bookstore

Chemistry: The Central Science

$61.00 $77.75

Engineering graphics essentials

$11.00 $11.00

Pro/Engineer Wildfire

$14.00 $26.75

Frankenstein

$4.00 $5.75

Practical English Handbook, Part B $8.00 $7.00 Calculus, 6th Edition, Part B

out. Those students who rented books from the Penn State Bookstore — a new option that was just made available for some books this semester — need to remember that rentals won’t have any value.

Keller said students return the books just like they would return library books.

For students who want to sell back the books they purchased, Keller said the amount a student gets is due to the demand of the book.

If the book is needed the following semester on campus, or on another campus, the student will get more money than if the book will not be needed.

“Sometimes we tell the students that they should just hold the book until the following semester so they can get the full 50 percent of their money back,” Keller said.

To sell a book back, Keller said

$10.00 $42.00

all you have to do is take in your book with all of its components to the bookstore.

If the book came with a CD, you must take the CD in with you, as well.

Your book must be in good condition, she added. If it is water damaged, you’re not going to get as much money, she said.

Sophomore Bethann Franchi said, “I buy and keep the books that have something to do with my major, but I usually rent the books that I’m not going to keep.”

Some students swear by online return websites. Websites such as ecampus.com, collegebookrenter. com and barnesandnoble.com are among the most popular options.

Some of the websites, such as ecampus.com, offer free shipping.

Also, students can choose in-store credit, a check or direct deposit as payment methods.

A Sony video camera valued at $2,000 was reported stolen from Room 12 in the Michael Baker Building at 8:15 a.m. Nov. 18.

After an investigation by police, the camera was recovered.

Police said they plan to file charges against a student.

Bathroom Vandalized with erasable marker A maintenance worker reported Nov. 20 that someone wrote the words “Black Panthers” on

one of the stalls in the men’s restroom in the Laboratory Classroom Building.

It was written with a dry erase marker and was removed by the worker.

Marijuana found A resident student reported to campus police she smelled marijuana in the Harmony Hall lobby just after 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

After searching the lobby and outside the building, the officer was able to detect the smell near one of the building’s entrances.

No charges were filed.

More Marijuana found A University Police officer found two students in possession of a glass pipe containing suspected marijuana around 3:45 p.m. Nov. 8. Police have not yet charged the students.

winter outlook

It might snow; it might not John Mitchell Staff Writer

jwm306@psu.edu

The season’s first snow fell Dec. 1, stirring bad memories of last February.

“Last year was tough, but I don’t think we’ll have another snowmageddon,” said freshman Jeremy McCarty. “The weather can’t possibly be that bad two winters in a row.”

The National Weather Service says McCarty has a 33 percent chance of being right.

The Northeast has “equal chances for above-, near- or below-normal temperatures and precipitation,” according to the service’s winter outlook report.

“If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow.”

Freshman Josh Carey is hoping

that happens. “I made over $300 shoveling walks and driveways last year. Who knows? Maybe I can do it again.”

Carey said that while it might not snow as much as it did last year, he hopes it snows “at least a foot and a half a day.”

Freshman Lucas Turkovich missed the biggest storm in a month that boasted 40.8 inches of snow.

“Luckily I was away when we got hit,” said Turkovich, who was on vacation in Florida at the time. “It delayed my flight home, so it must’ve been pretty bad.”

Accuweather.com predicted that snowfall in western Pennsylvania may be above normal, but nothing like the northwest region of the country, which will be “pummeled by snow.”

But Carey is still hopeful. “I think with the way it has been, it will be bad, but not as bad.”

December 2010

Penn State Beaver Roar

Page 5

features Harry Potter and the deathly hallows...

The adventure continues

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

Gretchen Lecrone Roar Movie Critic

n 3.5 out of 4 Paws n Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes n Director: David Yates n Running Time: 2hr. 30min. n Rating: PG-13

gxl180@psu.edu

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” almost has it all: action, romance, fire, comedy, Tim Burton tributes, death and shameless fan service.

It has everything except speed, which is a shame because the movie is two hours and thirty minutes long.

This movie is based on the first half of the seventh novel.

Harry Potter is now Voldemort’s No. 1 target, forcing Harry, Ron and Hermione to embark on an epic camping trip to avoid being killed.

As they explore the English wilderness, they set out to destroy the remaining Horcruxes in hopes that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will become He-Who-Is-Dead.

The acting, as usual, is spot-on.

The characters are now more serious, but they have not lost their original charm, especially Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), who provides the comic relief.

Some actors have even stepped

listal.com

Harry Potter, “the chosen one,” continues his search for the horcruxes in order to defeat lord Voldemort in the new movie “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”

up their game, such as Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who is even more sinister and inhumane.

Another character coming to

the forefront is Bellatrix LeStrange (Helena Bonham Carter), who is 84 percent more likely to end up in my nightmares.

Still, the two hours seemed to have a few too many panoramic views of the United Kingdom and perhaps not enough explaining

of what’s going on for those who missed the previous installment or have not read the books.

There are definitely moments when the viewer may wonder what in the world is going on, but generally they are not major plot points and can be skimmed over.

The movie is pretty long and a little confusing, but the ending makes up for it (spoiler alert: it’s epic).

The film was definitely made to ready your wallets for part two, since it cuts off at a strange place.

Despite its flaws, I would definitely recommend “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.”

Sex and nudity can’t help “Love and Other Drugs” Love and Other Drugs

Joel Rosenstern Roar Movie Critic

jfr5079@psu.edu

blogs.orlandosentinel.com

The movie, filmed in Pittsburgh, was based on a book of the same title and is about learning to overcome the challenges of falling in love.

“Love and Other Drugs,” is a romantic comedy about a pharmaceutical drug representative named Jamie (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is used to carelessly having his way with every woman he meets.

Taking on a new job in an industry on the verge of advancements in prescription medications, Jamie is suddenly shaken when he meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway), who has been diagnosed with the first stages of Parkinson’s disease.

The usually insensitive Jamie is now faced with a challenge of commitment, sacrifice and love, as he realizes

n 2 out of 4 Paws n Starring: Anne Hathaway, Jake Gyllenhaal, Oliver Platt n Director: Edward Zwick n Running time: 1hr. 52min. n Rating: R

he may be, for the first time in his life, falling in love with someone.

Although this film incorporates scenes that provoke laughter, the sexual innuendos and vile jokes can only drag out for so long.

Scene after scene included the same arguments, characters and conflicts, which was acceptable at the beginning, but soon became redundant.

Having already met the characters and their problems, the second half of the movie spins its tires as the two main characters struggle with the same conflict that was introduced to the audience in the first half hour of the film.

“Love and Other Drugs” was entertaining and easy to follow.

It was even, at times, challenging and thought-provoking, but this movie is reserved for a mature audience as it contains scenes of racy material, sexual innuendos and nudity.

If a chuckle is all you’re looking for on Friday with friends, “Love and Other Drugs” may be the movie to watch.

Page 6

Penn State Beaver Roar

December 2010

features

THON prepares for big dance James Hustead Staff writer

jmh645@psu.edu

Christmas is around the corner, and while most people are worried about shopping, cooking and their families, there is a group of students who are worried about more than themselves.

The student-run group Thon began canning for donations at local businesses to raise money for pediatric cancer. The canning drive was in preparation for the annual Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon held in February.

“The dance is so that students and the families of the children come together. You get to see the effect you make on their lives,” freshmen co-chair Chris Minahan said.

Students go to main campus to dance for 46 hours straight while people make donations for the students to continue dancing. The dance, much like the organization, started small and became larger over the years.

“Thon had to keep finding bigger establishments to hold the dance. They moved it to the arena, and now they have to put a limit on how many dancers there are because the demand is so high,” Student Life Coordinator Judson Sammons said.

The group strongly believes in its cause because they feel that it is an important current issue.

“We all know someone who has been affected by cancer. When I was younger, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and it’s really affected the way I live my life,” freshman co-chair Natasha Terensky said.

While at the dance, the members of Thon will be able to witness the impact the donations make for the children and their families.

“It’s such a worthy cause. Its small children who are scared, and in many cases don’t have much of a chance to live. How can someone

not be passionate about helping them?” Minahan said.

The process of choosing the dancers will soon begin for Thon.

Being physically fit and able to dance for such a long time is important, but the Thon committee is also looking for something else.

“We are looking for people who are invested in the cause and who show their passion by being a part of the canning and other activities,” Terensky said.

Once the dancers have been selected, an additional 38 members go to support their efforts to dance for 46 hours.

“They allow you to send support. It becomes a bonding experience where you really get to see the success of all your hard work throughout the year,” Sammons said.

The dancers will be chosen sometime in December. Thon offers a type of training program the week before the dance to prepare the students and give them tips to be have a safe and fun weekend.

Last year the dance raised $8 million for pediatric cancer. It’s predicted that Thon might exceed $9 million this year.

“It started with $300,000 the first year. It started and has just gotten bigger every year,” Minahan said.

“There are people on this campus that had pediatric cancer and survived. That makes the cause very relevant to this campus,” Terensky added.

The Thon committee meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:15 p.m. in the Harmony Hall lobby.

“When I was standing there looking at a kid who only had six months to live, how could I justify to myself not to help? I’m going to do everything in my power to make the rest of their life as comfortable as I can,” Minahan said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TED FROATS, SR.

Veterans Club adviser Ted Froats, Sr. and member Ashley Wiley assemble a desk as part of a community service project the group did with The Mission Continues, a veteran’s organization.

Veterans lend a hand Matt Jones

Assignment Editor

msj145@psu.edu

For some veterans, the end of their military careers wasn’t the end of their desire to serve the people around them.

The Penn State Beaver Veterans Club is no exception, and some of the members showed their dedication by turning a day meant to honor them into a day of service to others.

Four members of the club spent their Veterans Day working with a veterans organization called The Mission Continues, said Ted Froats Sr. Froats, who is the information technology manager on campus and an adviser of the Veterans Club, said The Mission Continues is a national organization meant to gather veterans together who still want to do volunteer work in their communities.

Froats, junior Jody Garza,

PHOTO COURTESY OF TED FROATS, SR.

Veterans Club member Roger Garza builds a bookshelf, part of the 25 “reading stations” the group helped build.

senior Roger Garza and freshman Ashley Wiley worked with other volunteers at an elementary school in the Hill District building “reading stations,” which Froats described as a bookshelf and table.

The volunteers put together 25 reading stations, and Froats said the project would be beneficial for the school down the road.

“The students are going to be able to use it for years to come.”

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Page 8

Penn State Beaver Roar

December 2010

Viewpoint LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Roar is published several times each semester. Letters to the Editor are encouraged and can be emailed to: roar-editor@ psu.edu by the 20th day of each month.

Please include your full name, address, email address and cell phone number. Anonymous letters will not be published.

Managing Editor Dana Sklack

des5141@psu.edu

Online Editor Claire Kraynak

cmk346@psu.edu

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jav5121@psu.edu

Assignment Editor Matt Jones

msj145@psu.edu

Business Manager Lucas Morack

jlm5516@psu.edu

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seb5219@psu.edu

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aig5089@psu.edu

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Tawnya Persohn tcp5059@psu.edu

Joel Rosenstern jfr5079@psu.edu

Billy Stoughton

wds142@psu.edu

Advisers Terrie Baumgardner tbm2@psu.edu

Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu

Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu

EDITORIAL CARTOON/JUSTIN VORBACH

Farewell to ANGEL With limited use, will anyone care?

The news that Penn State’s ANGEL course management system likely will go away in a few years brings to mind an even more immediate issue with ANGEL: how inconsistently it’s being used.

Some professors never use it Others use it to post their syllabi and some resources.

Fewer take full advantage of all that ANGEL offers, such as drop boxes, chat rooms, discussion forums and even the grading function.

It’s no wonder that students complain with how ANGEL is being used and are indifferent to the possibility that it might go away.

It’s difficult to care about the change

if you rarely use ANGEL for any of your classes.

As Sophomore Ryan Hudacsek said, “Teachers rarely use ANGEL anyway. If they do use it, it’s only to post grades.”

While Hudacsek’s sentiment doesn’t apply to all Penn State Beaver faculty, it’s a shame that students could say that about any of the faculty.

ANGEL isn’t just a benefit to students; it can be a great asset to instructors.

ANGEL can help instructors organize their materials, provide an easy way to deliver multimedia instructional content, offer an easy way to track when students turn in assignments and

so much more.

The university will no doubt spend a great deal of time exploring its course management options. In the end, whatever decision is made won’t mean much to students if faculty don’t fully embrace all that the course management system offers.

So before we start talking about changing to Blackboard or some other course management system, let’s first evaluate how well our current course management system is being used in our academic life and why it is such a wasted resource.

Not utilizing ANGEL isn’t just wasting a resource.

It’s also wasting an opportunity.

Because The Roar receives funding from the Student Activity Fee, free advertising space is offered to any universityrecognized organization or club to promote upcoming events.

The space is limited to one advertisement, one-eighth of a page in size, per organization or club per month. To reserve space, email The Roar business manager at: roarbusiness@psu. edu by the 20th of each month.

December 2010

Penn State Beaver Roar

Page 9

commentary

Love of old motorcycles touches heart A basket case is a motorcycle that’s either sold in pieces or a motorcycle that’s in such bad shape, it has been left to rot.

Common sense tells you to never buy a basket case.

Common sense says you’ll never break even with the purchase and it’ll be more of a headache than it’s worth. Common sense also says to just buy whatever you want in running condition.

It just makes sense, doesn’t it?

Well, with my common sense tied to a chair in a dark portion of my brain, I took a drive this spring to look at an old Ducati motorcycle that had been sitting in a junkyard for 10 years or longer.

And I bought it.

And I paid $150 for it.

And it’s a basket case.

I’ve had a long-standing love affair with the single-cylinder Ducati’s from the 1960s.

I love their styling. I love their bevel-drive engine.

And I just love their lightweight, nimble handling.

My single-cylinder Ducati

THE ROAR/ADAM RAMUNNO

Some day this pile of rust is going to be a motorcycle again. Some day. my perspective

Adam Ramunno turned out to be a 1965 350 Sebring, the first year of production for the 350.

It was pretty rough. The headlight was missing, the wiring was non-existent and the whole bike

ADULT CORNER Did you know?

You don’t have to stand in front of one of the digital signs to get your latest dose of campus information. Go to: beaver.psu.edu/digitalsigns

Congratulations Fall 2010 Graduates!

was covered in a thick coating of rust. The seat was also a wreck and the original Silentium muffler was, sadly, corroded beyond repair.

In short, it looked like hell and I didn’t have any idea if the engine would even turn over because the kick-start lever was missing.

But the Ducati’s condition didn’t matter.

When I saw it resting up against a beat-up camping trailer, it tugged

at my heartstrings, and a few minutes later, it was in the back of my truck.

After strapping the bike down, I was on my way to the fanciful land of Ducati ownership.

Once it was in my garage, I sat down and looked at what I’d purchased.

I saw myself riding it, imagining what it would sound like or the scenery I would pass.

I imagined myself parked by a beautiful overlook with the bike in the foreground and a picturesque view in the background.

I even imagined tearing up through the gears and making the appropriate vroom noises to accompany my fantasy.

Drifting out of the fantasy, I was hit really hard by the veracity of the bike in front of me.

What the hell was I thinking?

I’ll tell you what I was thinking: I have to rescue this bike.

I felt so sorry for it that I had to rescue it from its hellish misery and put it back on the road where it belonged.

The Ducati’s last few months have been a flurry of activity.

The bike had been reduced to pieces and a few items even had some new paint on them.

I was shocked and relieved to find the top half of the engine was completely spotless.

The biggest problem was that the piston had a nickel-sized hole in it and was seized to the bore.

No worries, though: with a quick jaunt on the Internet, I found a new bore and piston, and soon they were on their way to my house from Derbyshire, England.

In fact, a lot of boxes from the U.S., England, Australia and Italy have found their way to my house.

There is still a ton of work that needs to be done to the bike.

The wheels are junk, the carburetor is gunked solid, the exhaust nut is frozen in place, as is the spark plug.

It also needs a wiring harness, lights and controls.

But I now own a single-cylinder Ducati.

And I can’t stop smiling.

ADVERTISEM ENT

Campus Holiday Hours

In Our SpOtlIght

CRYSTAL SMITH

Crystal Smith, a married mother of two boys, will graduate this December with a degree in business.

“I don’t think any adult student can graduate without their family’s support,” she said.

Smith, originally from southern China, immigrated to the U.S. 18 years ago to earn a college degree but decided to postpone her education to help her parents after they immigrated.

When Smith returned to college, she attended the Community College of Beaver County. While there, she earned two associate degrees in business and biological science.

Smith chose to attend Penn

The campus will be closed for the holiday season from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2 and will reopen on Jan. 3.

The Bookstore will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21 and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 22.

Classes offered through Continuing Education

State Beaver for her bachelor’s degree because of its convenient location.

She called her decision the perfect choice and said she enjoys how eager everyone is to help.

Continuing Education will offer credited night classes for students during the spring semester including a Politics of Terrorism course on Thursday nights from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and a Couselor Education course offered on Mondays from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

To learn more about these and other classes, visit the CE office in 102 RAB.

Page 10

Penn State Beaver Roar

December 2010

sports

Lady Lions work to make it four in a row Don Ware IV Staff Writer

dww5080@psu.edu

Coach Bert DeSalvo has bigger plans than just winning the Penn State University Athletic Conference this season.

“I’m trying to build a program, not just a team,” said Coach Bert DeSalvo of the Lady Lions basketball team.

With a victory in the team’s first PSUAC conference game of the year Dec. 1, DeSalvo is succeeding in both.

Despite a slow first-half start, the Lady Lions shot 55 percent from the field in the second half and forced 30 DuBois turnovers to lead to a 83-58 win on the road.

The trio of seniors Heather Sandusky and Jasmine Green and freshman Taylor Fulton combined for 58 of Beaver’s total points.

Green led the three with 23 points; Sandusky added 20; and Fulton pitched in 15.

Freshman Mia Smith came off the bench to add in 12 for Beaver and shot a perfect 5-5 from the field and 2-2 from the free throw line.

The Lady Lions have won PSUAC championships three years in a row and are looking for another championship.

In the first game of the year Nov. 15, the Lady Lions beat Geneva College 67-51. The two

THE ROAR/AMY GREEN

Jessica Bartges passes while keeping her eye on a Penn State DuBois player during an away game Nov. 30 .

teams were tied at the half 31-31, but Penn State turned up the heat in the second half.

The Lady Lions shot 40.6 percent compared to Geneva’s 36 percent to outscore the Golden Tornadoes 36-20 in second half.

The Lady Lions lost to LaRoche College 68-53 on Nov. 16 and lost to Geneva 64-50 in its second matchup on Nov. 20.

After the two straight losses the team went on a two-game winning streak, beating Franciscan University 81-49 and Marietta Colle--ge 68-56.

In the win against Franciscan Nov. 23, the Lady Lions started and didn’t stop but for one bump in the game. After a 14-0 run to begin the game, the Lady Lions let the Lady Barons come back with a half time score of 34-28.

At the start of the second half, the Penn State came out with the same fire and kept the heat up. At the end of the game the Lady Lions were up 81-49. Five of the 14 players were in double figures. Fulton led the team with 16 points, five steals, and five assists.

Throughout the first half of play against Marietta Nov. 27, the Lady Lions and the Lady Pioneers were taking and giving back the lead.

By the end of the first half, the Lady Lions were up by a five-point margin with the score 27-22. In the second half the Lady Lions

came out hot to extend the lead to 32-22 within the first minute of play.

However, Marietta wouldn’t be deterred, and with just over seven minutes left to play, Penn State was down 46-45. But the Lady Lions hit a hot streak and scored 23 points by the end of the game to take the win.

The Lady Lions lost to Washington and Jefferson College 62-55 Nov. 28 before heading into PSUAC conference play.

“Brandywine, Fayette, Dubois and Schuylkill are going to be our toughest opponents this year,” said DeSalvo. “[We] have talented kids that could play at higher levels,” he added.

While the team looks forward to the rest of the season, the players also take pride in what they’ve accomplished in the last few seasons. “[I’m] proud of the last three years,” said Miloszewski. “[It’s] our championship. I want to defend it.”

The five seniors bring experience, and with talented underclassmen, the Lady Lions have all the tools to win. “[I] encourage people to come out, faculty, staff and students, to the games,” said DeSalvo.

“It’s nice that the campus community cares,” Miloszewski added.

Fightin’ Beavs tied for third place

Natasha Terensky Staff Writer

nat5101@psu.edu

The experience of attending a Penn State Beaver Fightin’ Beavs inline hockey game involves cold bleacher seats, a thick Penn State hoodie and the sound of trumpeting vuvuzela horns in the background at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center.

It also involves a team that, in its second year of existence, continues to be a force in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Interscholastic

Hockey League.

The team, with a 4-2 record, is tied with the University of Pittsburgh for third in its league behind the Community College of Allegheny County North and Robert Morris’ Blue team.

Since the season began Oct. 6, the Fightin’ Beavs have defeated Grove City College 9-1, Slippery Rock University-White 5-4, Duquesne University 7-1 and the University of Pittsburgh 4-2.

Its two losses came against Robert Morris-Blue 6-2 and the team’s

first faceoff against the University of Pittsburgh 4-3.

“We have started the season off on a good note playing some really talented teams,” said freshman defenseman Taylor Pauls.

“We just need to work on starting each game hard.”

Freshman center Chris Muffi, an alternate captain, is ranked No. 1 in the league for goals (16), assists (3) and points (19). Senior goalie Justin Vorbach is the secondranked goalie in the league with 2.8 goals against per game.

THE ROAR/DANA SKLACK

Freshman Chris Muffi keeps his eye on the puck and a University of Pittsburgh player during the Fightin’ Beav’s Nov. 17 game.

December 2010

Penn State Beaver Roar

Page 11

sports

Defending champs start PSUAC strong Noelle Miloszewski Senior Staff Writer

nnm113@psu.edu

THE ROAR/ AMY GREEN

Chris Weathers (No. 21) rips down an offensive rebound in a PSUAC game at Penn State DuBois on December 1. The Lions started the 201011 season somewhat slowly, but the men rallied to win a huge conference victory.

After losing its first three games, the Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team was ready for a win.

The team pulled off a 65-63 victory on the road Dec. 1 at Penn State DuBois, one of the team’s conference rivals.

“That was a good team,” Coach Marcess Williams said. “Winning that game confirmed we’re as good as we thought we were.”

The game came down to the wire.

Down five with just under two minutes to play, senior Billy Stoughton drove to the bucket for a quick two points.

On the next Beaver possession, Stoughton hit a fade-away 3-pointer to give Beaver a one-point advantage.

From there, junior Julian Taylor grabbed a defensive rebound, was fouled and finished one of his foul shots, giving the team a 65-63 lead with under a minute to go.

After the made free throw, Beaver locked down defensively and did not allow DuBois to score the remainder of the game.

It was a much-needed win after Beaver lost Nov. 19 to Waynesburg College 94-93, lost Nov. 20 to Thiel College 77-68 and lost Nov. 23 to Grove City College 63-59.

After last season, the team lost its leading scorer, Zack Fetchin,

Upcoming men’s and women’s PSUAC basketball games Women’s games start at 6 p.m.

Men’s games start at 8 p.m.

n Dec. 10 vs. PSU Schuylkill n Jan. 11 vs. Penn College n Jan. 14 at PSU Scranton n Jan. 19 vs. PSU Greater Allegheny n Jan. 21 vs. PSU Brandywine n Jan. 22 vs. PSU Mont Alto n Jan. 24 at PSU Fayette n Jan. 26 at PSU New Kensington n Jan. 29 vs. PSU York n Feb. 1 vs. PSU DuBois n Feb. 5 vs. PSU Fayette n Feb. 9 vs. PSU New Kensington n Feb. 12 at PSU Greater Allegheny

and its long-time point guard, Tim Kubis, when the two graduated.

From an outsider’s perspective, there was a good chance that the 2010-11 squad might not be able to fill Fetchin and Kubis’ shoes.

However, Williams, who admits he’d love to have both players back, wasn’t worried about losing players; he was confident in what he had gained.

“Crazy as it may sound,” he said, “I think we’re better this year.”

Williams said that although the team will miss Kubis’ matu-

rity at the point guard position and Fetchin’s scoring ability, this year’s team is more talented.

“We can play everybody. We’re smaller at the guard spot, but we’re quicker and faster than in past years,” Williams said.

Senior co-captain David McGarry agreed. Both said that the team’s biggest strength lies in its bench.

“Depth is definitely a strength for us,” McGarry said. “This is also a very athletic group compared to past teams.”

Williams also said that one of the team’s weaknesses is its immaturity — ­ not personality wise, but rather, in decision making and dealing with adversity. Maturity is something Williams said will come with time.

Williams and McGarry both agreed that Taylor has stepped up this season.

“It was nice to see him do so well against (DuBois) because he works so hard in practice,” McGarry said.

Williams agreed, saying that Taylor has “been playing that well all season,” and that he just hasn’t had the opportunity to play as many minutes as he did in the win over DuBois.

“He gives great energy,” Williams said, “and he knows what he’s doing in all five spots on the court.”

The team now holds a 1-0 conference record and is 1-3 overall.

December 21, 2010.