March 2018 Roar

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

News

“Our campus has been violated in an unimaginable way. For so many of us our campus has felt so very safe, and that has shifted.”

Carey McDougall

Shattered by violence CAMPUS TRIES TO COPE AFTER SHOOTING SAVANA C. GRIGGS Senior Staff Writer

scg5198@psu.edu

Longtime Housing and Food Services worker Lesli Stone waited in her black Subaru SUV Dec. 13 for her estranged ex-husband, William Kelly, to drop off Christmas presents for their three children.

Stone and Kelly were recently divorced and having child custody issues, according to reports state police Lt. Eric Hermick gave to the media. Stone was apprehensive about the meeting, and with good reason. Hermick called the giftexchange a ruse.

Stone, 49, was fatally shot and killed by Kelly at 3:38 p.m. that day standing outside her car in the parking lot next to the loading dock of the Food Services Building, just a few yards from the Police Services Building.

Seconds after Stone was shot multiple times, Kelly, 52, turned one of his two .45-caliber handguns on himself. It all happened in a total of 15 gunshots and a matter of a few moments.

A Penn State Beaver student, who asked to remain anonymous, was standing in the adjacent parking lot, right outside the Student Union Building with a friend when the murder-suicide happened.

“We were standing by our cars, and we heard five gunshots go off.

Then we turned around to where we heard them and we saw [Kelly] lift the gun to his head and shoot himself,” said the source.

After the two saw blood, they jumped into one of their cars and

drove up to the gymnasium, where they immediately called 911.

Sophomore Hunter Spisak worked with Stone in the Bistro during the fall semester and saw her on the day of the shooting.

“She and I were talking about her day, and she was just cutting fruit for the fruit cups. I forget what she had said, but she had made me laugh,” Spisak said.

“She usually does make people laugh, just saying something a little bit off the wall, as usual. It gets a chuckle out of you.”

Spisak was in the Bistro when the shooting happened, but didn’t see or hear anything. Once people received word that the shooting occurred, everybody started to panic.

“At that point, I didn’t know what was going on. So, I figured the best place to be would to not be near all the glass windows in the Bistro. We decided to come up to the Game Room because it has a dead bolt, so we were going to go in there,” said Spisak.

Director of Public Relations April Johnston-Smith said that Penn State Beaver underwent many protocols to make sure that everybody is safe.

“Center Township Police, state police and University Police were all out there working the scene, making sure that everything was done correctly and that everything was secure so that the campus was safe,” said Johnston-Smith.

First, the campus was put on lockdown. Once it was confirmed that there wasn’t an ongoing threat,

the lockdown was lifted but campus was closed, and it didn’t officially reopen until 8 a.m. then next day, said Johnston-Smith.

Personal and Career Counselor Brenda Schultz said that she and other staff members went down to Harmony Hall after the shooting.

“The day of the incident, we went and spent time at Harmony Hall. It wasn’t really doing anything except for providing support. Early on, when there’s that kind of a trauma, it’s just helping people to debrief and to just be there and listen,” Schultz said.

Crisis counselors were on campus for the remainder of that week and for the majority of the first week of the spring 2018 semester.

“I think we’re different now,” said Director of Academic Affairs Carey McDougall.

“I think our campus has been violated in an unimaginable way, and for so many of us our campus has felt so very safe, and I think that has shifted a little bit. I think we feel more aware of what could happen,” said McDougall.

After the shooting happened and the Bistro was shut down, Spisak went to see his fellow Bistro workers to make sure that everybody was all right.

“It gives you a sense of realism of how close everyone in the Bistro was,” said Spisak.

“Everybody was like a family,” he said. “Everybody was making sure everyone was okay. Hugs. Everyone was crying. It was just a very emotional and raw moment that just sits with you for a long time.”

March 18

News

“One time, she saw me sitting alone at one of the Bistro tables and sat by me to make sure I wasn’t by myself.

With her, it was the little things that mattered.”

Katie Work

Remembering Chef Lesli

CHRIS ROTONDO Senior Staff Writer

ctr5138@psu.edu

Two months after the Dec. 13 shooting oncampus took the life of Bistro Chef Lesli Stone, students and staff who worked with the longtime chef are remembering her while still feeling an enormous loss.

“There’s not a day that goes by where a single one of us don’t think about her,” said Kelly Marcello, manager of Housing and Food Services. “Her footprint is all over this campus.”

Stone had been an employee of Penn State Beaver for 26 years, after being hired in October of 1991. She has been described as a funny, caring person who loved her children, family and her job.

“She was one of those people who was just very welcoming,” said Trisha McDermott, financial assistant in Housing and Food Services. “She was such a fun person to work by.”

Stone was known to be a great chef, but it was her personality and her loving spirit that her coworkers will always remember.

“Whenever I came in to work, she would always be the first one to say ‘hi’ to me,” said

Kylee Arms, a sophomore who started working in the Bistro last fall. “She was very friendly and was always willing to talk.”

Stone was also known to be very humorous and light-hearted, both on the job and in life.

“She was always very chipper and energetic,” said Hunter Spisak, a sophomore who also began working in the Bistro last fall. “She was the best type of person you could ask for.”

Marcello recalled her first day on the job almost 10 years ago, noting that Stone was one of the first people she met.

“She asked me how old I was, and I said ‘25,’” Marcello laughed. “She said, ‘You were only in elementary school when I started working here!’”

“She was so proud of her career and how long she’d been here,” Marcello added.

Junior Katie Work remembers interacting with her at school, as well as summer cooking camps.

“She was always incredibly patient and caring with the kids,” Work said. “[At] school, Leslie always made sure to ask students how they were or how they did on that big test.”

Work also remembered how Stone’s kindness affected her.

“One time, she saw me sitting alone at one of the Bistro tables and sat by me to make sure I wasn’t by myself,” she said. “With her, it was the little things that mattered.”

“She was one of those people who actually wanted to know about you,” McDermott said.

Stone was proud of her accomplishments, but nothing made her more proud than her family.

“She loved her job, but she loved her children 1,000 times more,” Marcello said. “She was definitely a family person and was so proud to be a mom.”

Marcello said that Stone would always be involved in her children’s activities, even coaching her children’s baseball and softball teams.

“You could tell she loved her kids. She talked about them all the time,” Arms said.

As the spring semester continues, so does the heartbreak for Stone’s coworkers.

“The Monday when the semester started, I knew that this was real,” Marcello said. “We all have become a family, and being together continues to get us through.”

“Sometimes, it feels like you can feel her presence in the kitchen,” Arms said. “When you’re working, you know she’s there with you.”

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Domestic violence victims need help ALEXEY STERN Staff Writer

ams8317@psu.edu

At age 52, “Emma” had it all. She had a wonderful career, raised two beautiful children in the Pittsburgh area and enjoyed financial comfort.

She felt on top of the world, being engaged to one of the sweetest men she had ever met. He charmed her family and seemed infatuated with her, as he always wanted all of her attention, all of the time.

At first, it was an ideal romance and Emma said she had finally found her “happily ever after” with the man of her dreams.

However, that all changed after only a few weeks of marriage.

Emma’s husband became irrationally jealous, isolating her from everyone she loved. It became so bad that after visiting her family without telling him, she came home to a nightmare.

After walking in, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the wall so hard that her skull bounced.

Consumed in a rage she had never seen, her husband dragged her to the bed where he choked her, sexually abused her and beat her savagely.

It was at that moment Emma realized she had married a monster.

Emma is only one example of millions of people who suffer from domestic abuse every year. Luckily, Emma reached out for help to the Crisis Center North, a women’s center in the North Hills.

Others can face years of abuse that can sometimes lead to death.

That’s what happened to Penn State Beaver’s own Lesli Stone, a campus chef who lost her life in a murder-suicide last December on campus. Her ex-husband, Domestic violence See Page 4

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

News

Domestic violence a crime of secrecy Continued from Page 3

William Kelly, lured her to a meeting in the loading dock behind the Food Services Building, where he shot her multiple times and then turned the gun on himself and took his own life.

According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Violence (PCADV), one in three women have been physically abused by an intimate partner. One of the largest demographics are college students with one quarter of the student population experiencing domestic abuse over the course of his/her college career.

Out of this large chunk, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 70 percent of college students were not aware that they were in an abusive relationship at the time.

John Chapin, professor of communications, has been working in violence prevention education for 17 years. He serves as the board president for the Women’s Center of Beaver County, contributes to Crisis Center North’s school-age violence prevention program and has published more than 50 articles on the subject.

Chapin says that domestic violence is an incredibly relevant subject for college students.

“College and high school students are actually the highest risk group,” Chapin said. “People usually assume [domestic violence] only happens to middle-aged women, but it really isn’t the case.”

According to Chapin, the best way for students to avoid finding themselves in an abusive relationship is by looking for warning signs.

One of the most important signs is if your partner tries to control your social life.

“There is always a build-up to this,” Chapin said. “First it starts with the abuser trying to isolate you from your friends and family.”

If you suspect a friend of yours is currently in an abusive relationship, Chapin has a clear message. “Do not be silent. Let your friend know that you are concerned and available,” Chapin said. “By not getting involved you are reinforcing both of their behaviors, because it looks like you are giving your approval.”

Stacy de la Alas is the Assistant Director at Crisis Center North, an organization that has offered resources and services to domestic

abuse victims since 1978.

According to Alas, abusers usually learn their violent behavior from their parents. “Ground rules for relationships are established in childhood,” Alas said, “like seeing dad calling mom bad names every night.”

Alas said that people can help mitigate domestic abuse by practicing something called primary prevention. This is the act of teaching children how to have healthy relationships early in life.

“The goal is to teach kids from the ground up what love is supposed to look like,” Alas said.

Alas said that most of the time students who are in an abusive relationship suffer academically, because the abuser interferes with their goals. “Academic careers are sabotaged because the abuser will try to destroy their laptops or try to ruin their financial situation,” Alas said.

“The abuser’s actions usually escalate around mid-terms and finals because tensions and stress tend to be a lot higher around this time.”

According to Alas, people can help by being educated in seeing the signs of domestic abuse because a very small percentage of victims will actually speak out.

“Domestic violence is a crime of secrecy, something that is done behind closed doors,” Alas said.

Elaine Wood, a 34-year-old Penn State Beaver senior, is a proud survivor of domestic abuse and she emphasized how important it is to seek help.

“I remember I felt that the abuse would eventually stop and the relationship would get better. But it’s never true,” Elaine said. “Do not believe the lies the abuser will tell you so you’ll stay. Getting help is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. You are not alone.”

It was only when Emma Walker finally got in touch with a women’s shelter that she realized what real danger she was truly in. This realization drove her to find the courage to ask for help from her friends and family; they embraced her fully, devastated to learn about her abuse.

The divorce happened quickly afterwards, followed by months of counseling. Emma began learning day by day how to be herself again, how to be happy again. She got her life back.

New counseling service for personal issues available ALEXANDER D’ITRI Staff writer

avd5623@psu.edu

New “Seeking Success” counseling services will be available to all Penn State Beaver students looking for a way to talk about their personal issues.

This new program will focus on overall wellness, mental health and physical health issues. Seeking Success will take place in an open-group setting with flexible hours and will not require attendance from meeting to meeting.

This service will provide students with a way to discuss and work through issues with a group of their peers.

This new program is being led by two counselors new to Penn State Beaver this semester, Dan Arkus and Alissia Camuso.

This addition to the counseling services staff will provide an extra 12 hours a week for students to schedule appointments, according to Personal and Career Counselor Brenda Schultz.

Between Schultz and the new counselors, she hopes that they will be able to meet the growing need for counseling services since the incident from the end of last semester.

Arkus has been a personal counselor specializing in trauma treatment since 2014 and

ARKUS

CAMUSO

has experience working with students.

He says he wants to see an end to the stigma of seeking help for one’s mental health.

“If we could talk more openly about mental health, we could avoid some of the more devastating consequences,” says Arkus.

Camuso has been working as a personal counselor for 10 years. From her first moments on campus she said she has felt warmly welcomed by staff and students alike.

She has worked on many cases ranging from those related to drugs and alcohol to school stress and homesickness.

Schultz said the new group program and new counselor should improve how the campus serves students.

“I am excited to have them as a part of the team and look forward to the possibilities of this department,” said Schultz.

POLICE BEAT DATING VIOLENCE, ASSAULT REPORTED

A Residence Life employee reported Feb. 3 that a student had been assaulted and harassed over the course of at least a few months by another student whom he was in a relationship with. The employee reported that the student did not want the police involved.

Police received a report Feb. 19 from a residence life employee about dating violence involving two students. The employee reported that the students did not want the police involved.

TRESPASSING ON CAMPUS

On Feb. 2, an employee reported that someone was trespassing in Harmony Hall around 6:30 p.m.

FOOD STOLEN IN BISTRO

A Bistro employee reported on Jan. 31 that someone had stolen food around lunchtime.

ITEMS STOLEN IN GYM, BISTRO

On Jan. 11, students reported that a watch and headphones were stolen from the gym.

A student reported on Jan. 28 that his skateboard had been stolen in the Bistro.

Police are investigating.

SIGN STOLEN IN MBB

On Dec. 11, an employee reported that someone took a sign from the Michael Baker Building.

March 18

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Aliquippa partnership City’s mayor invites campus to collaborate with him for change KARL TRUSKOWSKI Staff Writer

kzt5265@psu.edu

Once known as Little New York because of a diverse hardworking group of citizens, the town of Aliquippa’s perception has changed to one filled with nothing but sports, drugs and killers.

Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker wants to change that perception.

“We’re not just about touchdowns and drafts. Perception is not reality,” Walker said. “That’s the perception I’ve been changing since I’ve gotten in office” Walker visited Penn State Beaver Feb. 15 to speak with students about how he’s working to fix his hometown and how the campus can help.

Walker, Aliquippa’s first AfricanAmerican mayor, asked students to open the doors to Aliquippa and feel the embrace of the town. He said by going to his community and meeting the walks of life that live in Aliquippa, they will introduce anybody to what the town actually represents.

Walker asked students to open their hearts and come down to help the town in its goal to revitalize the community.

Penn State Beaver’s athletes had visited the town to help paint some of the new murals along Franklin Avenue in the downtown strip.

“Community service is always needed. If you want to make a difference, then go do it,” Walker said.

Senior Brian Griffin, president of the Black Student Union, asked Walker to speak on campus for a specific reason.

“I felt as if he could teach Penn State Beaver students to be motivated in who they are and where they might go,” Griffin says.

There are two major goals Walker wants to accomplish. First, he wants to change the perception of Aliquippa and how it is presented to society.

Second, he wants to revitalize the

Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker discusses his new partnerships and his future goals on changing the perception of Aliquippa.

town itself by rebuilding the downtown and bringing in businesses of old and new.

Walker said he had been approached with the perception that Aliquippa is known as “Alikillya.”

The nickname comes from the history of murders that have occurred in the town. Walker’s own sister had been murdered in 2009, and served as his motivation to run for office.

However, Walker said the perception isn’t real and he is working hard to change that.

Sherikka Mitchell, activities and residence life coordinator, had the perception that Aliquippa was once a big city that is now rundown until

she visited. “Being open minded, I went into the town. I met nothing but great people that have been beneficial to me,” Mitchell said.

Walker said that the future of Aliquippa is bright and it has nothing to do with sports. It has to do with the people.

While changing the perception of his town is important, Walker also wants to rebuild the downtown area by tearing down old buildings and filling those spots with new businesses and living spaces.

Two days before Christmas in 2017, Walker received a call that brought him to tears. He had been in talks with BNY Mellon to invest in

his Neighborhood Partnership Program, a state program that would help him to rebuild Aliquippa. After six trips to Harrisburg and many sleepless nights, Walker had been told BNY Mellon was willing to invest.

The state program was finalized on Jan. 5. For the next five years, Aliquippa will receive $550,000 to go towards NPP’s various projects. In total, the city will receive $3.3 million for the project.

Other partners include B.F. Jones Memorial Library, Job Training for Beaver County, Inc. and the Salvation Army of Aliquippa.

When Walker’s stint as mayor is

The Roar/Savana Griggs

over, he hopes to see a revitalized city. He wants the whole town to be filled with new reasons for people to visit, but most importantly, he wants to bring back the passion of Aliquippa.

Walker is halfway through his second term and doesn’t plan on being mayor forever. He has made the decision to serve for 12 years at most before working to become the first African-American governor of Pennsylvania.

“I believe in my city so much that I would die for it,” Walker said. “It’s going to survive so long after I’m gone. I want to build a foundation for it.”

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

News

Police promote Academics, library hires workers Budris to district commander NEW STAFF

MOLLY VERONE Staff Writer

mev5149@psu.edu

Penn State Beaver welcomed two new staff members to the campus in November.

Nicole Foust is an administrative support assistant in the Academic Affairs Office while Amber Hopkins is the information resources and services support specialist in the library.

Foust is the assistant to Director of Academic Affairs Carey McDougall, who serves as the chief academic officer for the campus.

Foust explained that her job is to try “to help keep Carey sane.”

A typical day for Foust starts when she comes to campus at 8 a.m.

The first thing she does is check her emails to see if there is anything she immediately has to do for the day.

Some of Foust’s other job duties include making McDougall’s schedule, answering phone calls, helping manage the budget and helping other staff and faculty members with whatever they need.

“No day is the same for me,” Foust said.

One of Foust’s favorite parts of her job are her hours and the stability. Before working at Beaver, Foust went to Geneva College and earned a degree in human services.

TY COLE

Senior Staff Writer wtc5037@psu.edu

NICOLE FOUST

AMBER HOPKINS

She worked as a social worker for eight years at Arc Human Services.

She said she is very passionate about helping people, which is what led her to being a social worker.

Even though she is no longer working in the human services field, she said she feels that she can still help people at Beaver.

Hopkins’ typical work day is always different. Some of her duties include doing interlibrary loans. For interlibrary loans she has to ship books or articles to other Penn State campuses and any other colleges or university that request them.

Hopkins also helps students with a variety of things like finding books and articles, citations and even job

applications.

In addition to working full time at Beaver, Hopkins is also earning a master’s degree in executive management online from Ohio University.

She hopes to work her way up at a college or university one day.

Hopkins also runs the library’s social media pages. The library is on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

“I’m trying to boost the overall engagement in the library and show students what all is offered,” she said.

Hopkins graduated from Robert Morris University with a degree in sports management in 2014.

“I’ve done some things related to sports and everything else you could think of,” Hopkins said.

Coming in March from Student Activities March 15 Hypnotist Paul Ramsay, 6 p.m., SUB Auditorium. The days of clucking like a chicken are over, and this show proves it.

March 16 Irish Celebration, noon, Bistro. Keep calm and get your Irish on in Pub Bistro.

March 17 All In Diversity Summit 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Penn State Fayette. Speaker, breakout sessions, discussions. Sign up in SUB 101.

March 21 Stranger Things Waffle Bar,12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Bistro. Win “Stranger Things”-themed prizes and eat some waffles.

March 26 Dipping into Diversity, Feminism 101, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. SUB 16. Learn about feminism and gender roles while enjoying some tasty dips.

March 29 Rent 7:30 p.m. Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh.

Bus transportation departs at 5:30 p.m.

March 31 Day of Service, off campus. In a world of takings, it’s nice to just give back. Join your peers and help serve your community. Projects will be announced closer to the date. Sign up in SUB 101.

Penn State Beaver Supervisor of University Police Anthony Budris has been promoted to one of the five new district commander positions created by Penn State University Police and Public Safety.

University Police promoted five former campus police officers to the new rank of deputy chief in December.

The deputy chiefs will be assigned as district commander to help unify all Penn State Commonwealth Campuses, according to a Penn State new release.

Budris said he is excited to bring new resources and “a lot of new experience to the Beaver campus through my new job.”

Each district commander will oversee one of five new University Police districts. These districts are made up of four or five Commonwealth Campuses Budris will oversee the Northwest district overseeing Penn State Beaver, Behrend, DuBois and Shenango campuses.

“The University went central.

This means we are now under one umbrella and we’re all one with five new district commanders,” Budris said.

“I’ll be coordinating a lot between the different stations and doing a lot of policy writing. I can bring new equipment and different kinds of training to our police staff here at Beaver,” Budris said.

Chancellor Jenifer Cushman applauded Budris’ role.

“Anthony’s new promotion brings more visibility to the excellence we have at the Beaver campus, particularly with regards to the

ANTHONY BUDRIS emergency response team,” Cushman said.

Budris joined the police staff in 2004. He’s been the station commander at Beaver since 2012. He’s also been the station commander at Shenango.

“Chief makes sure we have what we need here at our campus,” said University Police Officer Davis Huang. “With his new promotion he communicates between us and the administration very well.”

One benefit is improved communication.

“I’ve signed up for new training since the promotion. As police officers we are always trying to better ourselves,” Huang said.

Budris said he’s excited to work with people at other campuses.

“I get to meet and work with different people throughout the university. I have the chance to implement new ideas and different policies that can help students and faculty as well,” said Budris.

Budris will still be on campus on days he’s not traveling.

His office is located on the ground floor of the Ross Administration Building.

March 18

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

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Trump not hugely popular EMILY R. DIETRICH Senior Staff Writer

erd5208@psu.edu

From fake news and alternative facts, to an FBI investigation of Russian interference, to the passage of a highly controversial tax cut, to an on-going battle to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, Donald Trump’s first year in office as president has been filled with drama and controversy.

Due to a widespread increase of “fake news” allegations, it can be difficult to stay informed on what’s really happening in Washington D.C. However, Penn State Beaver students and faculty aren’t letting that stop them from forming their own opinions of President Trump.

“The thing with Trump is that he’s defacing the Office of the Presidency,” Rajen Mookerjee, professor of business and economics, said.

“He’s sewing doubt into Americans about security and the press, calling it fake news.”

For many people, Trump has lived up to their worst fears. “He’s caused irreparable damage,” Mookerjee said.

Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Donald Trump’s presidency sparks debate among staff and students.

“He’s everything a president should not be,” senior Chris Henschel said. “He’s dishonest, he has childlike tantrums on Twitter and he’s just purely an evil man.”

Henschel said he believes that the concept of fake news is starting to become a serious issue. Lebron James and Kevin Durant spoke out against

Trump on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show and were told their opinions were barely intelligible.

“She acts like because they aren’t politicians, their opinion means nothing. And that’s terrifying,” Henschel said. “Trump is creating a country where your opinion doesn’t matter. Your only choice is to shut

up and follow him, or you’re a traitor.”

While Trump’s language and bullying, both on and offline, have raised a lot of concern for some, others seem unfazed and their support for the president has actually strengthened.

“Most of what is said about Trump is the same thing over and over again, or nit-picking his tweets,” junior Peri Coleman said.

“Yes, he can be crass on how he says things, but he can say a lot of good things that should not be as controversial as some people take it.”

Coleman does not believe that Trump is doing a bad job. “He’s keeping the economy improving, gave a huge tax cut and stuck by what he said in the GOP primary.”

As an unusual candidate to say the least, Trump has definitely earned the title of being different than nearly any other president.

“That’s what I like about him,” Michael Hay, associate professor of chemistry, said. “He’s different.”

Hay admitted that he initially did not want to vote for Trump. “My

wife persuaded me to vote for him. I wanted to vote for nobody,” he said.

“But after a year, I’m very happy that I did.”

The thing that Hay likes most about Trump is his policies.

Hay said he believes that the tax cut approved in December will be huge for the economy and hopefully create economic growth.

He also likes Neil Gorsuch, who Trump nominated to the Supreme Court, as well as Trump’s stance on social issues.

As a social conservative, Hay said Trump’s values align with his own.

At first, he didn’t think Trump would be a conservative when he got into office, but Hay said he is very pleased after Trump’s first year.

Junior Zachary Buerkle said Trump is neither the best, nor the worst, person to be elected president.

“I think the chances of him being a great president that will forever be admired is long gone,” Buerkle said.

“But if he’s able to behave and act professionally, then he won’t be on the list of the very worst presidents we’ve ever had.”

“I believe he was the right choice overall, but I feel like he needs to take things more seriously.”

”I think it is awful. He’s just doing things irrationally and is just not a nice person.”

Junior

Sophomore

PERSON IN THE BISTRO

What do you think of Trump’s first year in office?

“It’s been very chaotic and I think there have been more problems created than solved.”

Emily Halling Sophomore

”All he has done for victims of the school shootings is say ‘I’m sorry.’”

Roxy Kie

Senior

“I feel that his presidency is overall a good thing because it shakes things up.”

Jacob Gray Sophomore

Grant Fisher

Georgina Coker

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Viewpoints

MANAGING EDITOR Chris Rotondo crt5138@psu.edu

PHOTO EDITOR Adam Espinoza ate5052@psu.edu

BUSINESS MANAGER Mackenzie Heranic mmh5918@psu.edu

COPY DESK Jordan Davis jed53@psu.edu

Alexa Di Pietrantonio and151@psu.edu

Alex D’itri

avd5623@psu.edu

Gabby Fiffick

gef5101@psu.edu

Tiarra Gordon

tag5361@psu.edu

Savana Griggs

scg5198@psu.edu

Jesse Martin

jrm930@psu.edu

Brittany Jackson brj5080@psu.edu

Do something.

It’s time to stop domestic violence 52 PERCENT That’s the percentage of college women who reported that they knew a friend who experienced violent and abusive dating, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

29 PERCENT That’s the percentage of college women, according to the hotline, who say they have been in an abusive dating relationship.

3 That’s the number of women murdered every day by an intimate partner, according to the 2011 College Dating Violence and Abuse Poll.

THIS. NEEDS. TO. STOP. In December, Penn State Beaver lost one of its own family members to a domestic violence case. Many of us knew Lesli Stone, but most did not know the battle that she was fighting.

It hurts to know now that Lesli had been treated so poorly for so long. It’s time to shed light on this deep, dark secret that so many people are hiding,

before another life is taken.

If you or someone you know may be a victim of domestic violence, talk to someone you feel comfortable with.

Talk to a friend, a pastor, a counselor, trained advocates or someone from the Women’s Center of Beaver County or Crisis Center North in Wexford.

Whatever you decide to do, speak up.

According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, domestic violence (also called intimate partner violence, domestic abuse or relationship abuse) is a pattern of behaviors used by one partner to maintain power and control over another partner in an intimate relationship.

If you experience any form of domestic or dating abuse, do not just let it go.

Do not just let him or her manipulate, isolate or control you. Tell someone.

Why would anyone choose to be in a relationship with someone who is abusive? Well, unhealthy relationships don’t always start off as unhealthy, but as time goes on you can start to notice subtle red flags in a partner.

It can be hard to identify an unhealthy relationship, even if you are in one yourself. It may take time for you to wrap your head around why your partner has been so controlling lately or you may think “it’s fine, they’ll change.”

IT IS NOT FINE. Treat others with respect because we never really know exactly what’s going on in everybody’s lives around us. Lend a helping hand or an ear to listen. Get out of unhealthy relationships and be there for others before people get hurt more.

Start small by attending the Dating/ Domestic Violence Awareness Workshop in the Student Union Building Lodge Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 12:15 p.m.

Remember Lesli, and the tragedy that befell her. It may be too late to prevent her death, but it’s not too late to save someone else.

If you’re faced with someone suffering from domestic violence, do something … before it’s too late.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor are encouraged and can be emailed to: ctr5138@ psu.edu. Please include your full name, address, email address and cell phone number.

ADS FOR CLUBS Free advertising space is offered to any university-recognized organization or club to promote upcoming events. The space is limited to one eighthpage ad per club per edition. To reserve space, email The Roar business manager at: mmh5918@psu. edu

Karl Truskowski kzt5265@psu.edu

Molly Verone

mev5149@psu.edu

Matylda Zamudio mmz5236@psu.edu

ADVISERS Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu

Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor, I would like to respond to the article entitled “McConahy no longer teaching IST at Penn State” (November 2017).

In your story, one of Professor McConahy’s former students was quoted as saying that “she was extremely lazy for the most part.” The article then substantiated this statement by describing how she plagiarized old PowerPoints for use in her IST course. At face value, this does appear to be “extremely lazy.” I believe, however, that there were extenuating circumstances that this article did not touch upon.

Over the past two to three years, Professor McConahy had experienced medi-

cal challenges that almost took her life, and ultimately lead to having her arm amputated. As one of my colleagues and friends, she shared with me her struggles as she tried to transition back into a normal life as a faculty member at Penn State Beaver. It had only been about six months between the time she had lost her arm and when she abruptly left the University.

Unfortunately, there was no mention of her personal struggles in your article as a possible motivation for her behavior. I can only imagine what it would be like to suddenly have to do my job without the use of my arm.

I am not justifying plagiarism, but I wanted to provide your readers with an alternate explanation for why she may have made the decisions that she did.

In the future, please be more careful when ascribing laziness as the motivation to a person’s behavior. In this insistence, I think that there is a more obvious explanation. I would have wished that your article had at least mentioned her recent personal struggles, rather than leading your readers to the conclusion that she was just an “extremely lazy” professor.

Sincerely, Dr. Michael Hay Associate Professor of Chemistry

The content and opinions of this publication reside solely with the authors and not with the Pennsylvania State University or the Penn State Beaver Student Activity Fee Committee.

March 18

Viewpoints

Penn State Beaver Roar

School shootings: Something needs to be done Something needs to be done.

Seventeen lives were taken in February in a tragic school shooting in Florida. This is the fifth incident this year alone that involved guns and injuries in schools.

In the wake of what has been happening around the country, clearly something needs to happen.

This is not about Democrats or Republicans. This is not about banning guns.

This. Is. About. Lives.

This is about the lives being taken away from innocent people, including the children who were sitting in their classrooms.

Something needs to be done.

When the Columbine High School massacre occurred in 1999, in which 15 lives were lost and 20 more wounded, the country was in shock. But when the school shooting

occurred in Parkland, Fla., on Valentine’s Day, the country was saddened by the loss of 17 lives, but not in as much shock as they were 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, school shootings seem to be occurring so often that people have become desensitized to the horror.

This. Needs. To. End. Now. According to a Washington Post analysis, more than 150,000 students attending at least 170 primary or secondary schools have experienced a school shooting since Columbine.

Some of the student survivors from Columbine have children of their own now. It’s not right that these people had to suffer during their high school massacre and now they have to worry about whether or not their children are going to come home after a day of math, science

and English.

Something needs to be done.

The young people from Parkland are stepping up, with the support of youth across the nation, asking for the leaders in Washington, D.C., to take action.

While no legislation could possibly prevent tragedies like this from occurring, the children are asking the adults in Congress and the White House to tackle the issues of school safety and gun control reform. It can only help.

Something needs to be done.

Looking back on the tragedy that happened on our campus in December, one can’t help but think that things could have ended much worse. When shots were fired on campus, no one knew what was going to happen next.

In that moment, it wasn’t known

whether the situation was contained, but some staff members were able to think on their feet and take action.

After notices were sent out of shots heard on campus, Beaver went on lockdown in case it was an active shooter. While our hearts hurt for Lesli Stone and her family, the campus is lucky that more people were not killed.

Something needs to be done.

Preparing yourself for an active shooter situation is one way to take action. While preparation won’t likely prevent an incident, it could save lives – possibly your own.

Some staff members at Beaver knew exactly what to do, but does everyone on campus know how to react in situations like this? No. Should they? Yes. Something needs to be done.

Active shooter situations are

9

unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you should just ignore it. People on this campus need to acknowledge that this could happen anywhere and should know what to do, just in case.

Why is it that people are walking into classrooms thinking about where they can hide in case this were to happen?

It’s crazy that one even has to think about something like that.

Something needs to be done.

We don’t know who or what or when or how, but something needs to be done and it needs to happen soon before even more innocent lives are taken.

We don’t have a solution, but doing nothing about this issue is not the answer.

No matter your opinion, we all know that something needs to be done.

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

News

Croatia trip canceled due to high cost WILLIAM DERRY

Senior Staff Writer wfd5070@psu.edu

Full-time Penn State employees work alongside student workers in the Brodhead Bistro.

The Roar/Garrett Troy

Short staffed and searching

Campus employers having trouble finding enough student workers BRITTANY JACKSON Staff Writer

brj5080@psu.edu

Several Penn State Beaver offices say they are struggling to find student employees that can commit to working for the department.

The Center for Academic Achievement, the Campus Bookstore, the library and the Brodhead Bistro are all having difficulty finding enough students to fill the empty positions.

The Bistro tries to employ about 10 student employees each semester but only has eight, said Housing and Food Services Manager Kelly Marcello. “Yes, I am having trouble finding student employees,” she said, adding that she’s looking for reliable student workers who show up on time.

Marcello said that by not having people to fill every shift, “it puts a strain on the full-time staff.” Student workers typically cook, clean, wash dishes and stock shelves.

“The full-time staff does a great job, but it would be nice to have an extra set of hands,” she said. The Bistro is currently looking for more students that want to cook.

Patricia Bobbie, the manager of the bookstore, is having the most trouble finding qualified student employees. “The bookstore always had trouble finding students employees because of the minimum wage,” she said, noting that most other cam-

pus positions pay above minimum wage. Student workers receive a discount on books and Penn State merchandise.

Right now, the bookstore only has one student employee but usually tries to hire two. Bobbie is looking from students that are prompt, creativeness and have a good personality.

Bobbie said the bookstore needs extra help during rush at the end of the semester. “Without having students, it can be difficult to help customer in the store and help students get books. But it also can create security issues by people stealing merchandise.”

Another place having trouble finding student employees is the library.

Robin Schodt, information resources and services support specialist, said budget limitations force her to hire only students with a work study award. “It can be hard during the hiring process when students do not have federal work study.”

Schodt said the library tries to keep five students on staff but only has three. Workers check out books and sort out bookshelves and DVDs, she said.

“I wish to have more students around to benefit both them making money while doing homework in exchange for help around the library,” Schodt said.

The CAA is one of the few places that hires students without regard to work study funding. “Students may not work at the CAA because of the other buildings being remodeled and the other places being nicer,” said Jill Tress, CAA coordinator. Right now, she has 40 employees on staff and said she does not have a problem meeting the tutoring needs of students.

“Early in the semester it can be difficult because the new employees are not through the system in time to start so there are not enough workers to fill the positions,” Tress said.

Students go to the CAA for tutoring, studying, borrowing textbooks and for help on papers. Students maintain the book room, the sign in desk or to work as a tutor, Tress said.

One of the main challenges to fill these positions is that many students change their campus after two years.

Once the students graduate or change campus, there is a spot that needs to be filled.

Senior Ami Bhagat works in the CAA. “I like working there because I can get my homework done and hang out with friends.”

Bhagat said it can get challenging when the CAA does not have enough workers due to students having other jobs.

“It is challenging with scheduling around my job at the gym.”

Due to the cost of the spring break trip planned to Split, Croatia, which only a few students signed up for, the trip was cancelled at the end of the fall semester.

Claudia Tanaskovic, instructor in chemistry, was set to take students from her organic chemistry class to Split University over the week-long break to collaborate with chemistry faculty and students on different chemical processes.

However, once students found out the estimated $1,500 cost of the trip and the limited number of days they would spend in Croatia, they decided not to sign up, Tanaskovic said.

“I totally planned on going and my parents were all for it,” said sophomore Jocelyn Laveing. “It was supposed to be a week-long trip.

But with travel, we would have only spent three days in Croatia, so it wasn’t worth the price.”

While Tanaskovic’s spring break course was only open to students taking organic chemistry, Assistant Professor of Information Sciences and Technology Richard Lomotey’s foreign-studies course was open to students at any of the western Penn

State campuses.

“Dr. Lomotey’s course was about the internet of things,” said Carey McDougall, director of Academic Affairs. “They were going to research the internet of things and see how it’s useful in western PA, go to Split University and see how it’s used there, then come up with a project for how the internet of things could be used in either location.”

The internet of things is an idea about how electronic devices connect to the internet.

Though Lomotey and Tanaskovic’s classes will not be traveling abroad, Tanaskovic’s students will still collaborate with students at Split on a soap experiment after they return from break.

“After spring break, I will offer a lecture that students in Croatia can watch on the internet,” Tanaskovic said. “The plan is for the students to start collaborating with Split students on this new project in late March.”

In early April, Tanaskovic’s class will present its findings on local chemistry industries and compare and contrast them with chemistry industries in Split to wrap up the project.

March 18

News

Penn State Beaver Roar

11

Winter time blues for PSU MATYLDA ZAMUDIO Staff Writer

mmz5236@psu.edu

Wintertime for students at Penn State Beaver means heavy snowfall, class cancelation and hazardous driving conditions.

However, winter can also affect students’ physical and mental health and create obstacles in their daily lives.

Cold weather increases the amount of upper respiratory infections on campus. Campus Nurse Barbara Kugel said students are more confined to their dorms or indoors, making it easier to spread viruses.

“That’s when you have more colds and upper respiratory infections,” Kugel said. “Also bronchitis (and) pneumonia are more prevalent in the winter time,” Kugel said.

Kugel said she had seen students with cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter, which impacted their sleep patterns, caused fatigue and low-energy levels, overeating, weight gain and social withdrawal.

“During the day they aren’t as active as they would be previously, (and) that they just don’t really feel like going out and doing anything,”

The Roar/Nic McBride

Students, faculty and staff brave the cold and perpetual snow in order to get to class and work on time.

she said.

The frigid climate also leads to decreased socializing for students.

Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychology Kevin Bennett said some students engage less in social interactions during the winter versus summer.

“It’s darker, cloudy. It doesn’t

inspire people to want to interact, and it has a negative impact on our well-being.”

Acclimating to winter weather prompts challenges for students from warmer states.

Freshman Sara Ruiz from Los Angeles, a Roar staff writer, said she had to adjust to cold tempera-

tures and it made her pale. She also explained how the weather occasionally affected her mood.

“Well, sometimes I do get moody; say if it’s raining, I get like not sad: I just want to be rolled up in a ball watching Netflix,” she said.

After spending the last few years in Sacramento, freshman Cindy

Chen anticipated that moving here required her to live in colder weather.

However, she said she didn’t realize it would be this cold.

“One of the hardships is just, you know, going outside,” she said.

“Sometimes I don’t even want to go outside just because my hands feel like they’re about to fall off.”

While Chen said she has felt more tired, she thought it was because of her extra school work and the activities that she’s involved with instead of the lack of sunlight.

“But honestly, I don’t think it’s just makes me. If anything, (the cold winter) makes me more depressed,” she said.

Freshman Iyana Peterson from Houston said the air was thinner for her and she became sick when she first moved to campus.

Her symptoms included a stuffy nose, popping ears and trouble breathing.

“I’ve never gotten sick at home, so coming up here, I think it just really took a toll on my body,” Peterson said.

As winter continues, each of the students said they are making adjustments to living in cold weather.

Influenza shows no mercy for students ANTHONY PAPPAS Staff Writer

azp5593@psu.edu

The flu virus is a big concern everywhere, it seems, and many students at Penn State Beaver are worried about getting it from others.

According to the Pennsylvania Health Network, there has been about 7,500 cases of the flu in the state of Pennsylvania from Oct. 1 to Jan. 27. The 2016 to 2017 flu season saw a similar amount of cases in Pennsylvania.

For students, the flu can cause real

problems. By missing classes, it can affect students’ grades, cause students to miss deadlines and impede learning.

“I slept for four days straight,” said junior Grant Fisher who had the flu this semester. “I got it twice in one year. The last time I got it was in December, and I had the stomach flu.”

“I usually get it after a flu shot or when I don’t get a flu shot,” freshman Aaron Csuy said. “I just feel like I’m dying.”

“The flu is caused by an influenza

virus,” said Cassandra Miller-Butterworth, an associate professor of biology. “The flu viruses have ribonucleic acid on its inside and proteins on its outside.”

These proteins attach to the outside of our cells in the lungs. They insert their RNA, thus forming a virus factory inside our bodies.

“The elderly and young children are more prone to it because of their weak immune systems,” Miller-Butterworth said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the flu

is very easy to get. Flu droplets form in the air whenever someone who has the flu sneezes or coughs.

The most common flu symptoms include fever, chills, headache and nausea.

The flu is not to be confused with the common cold though. Cold symptoms include coughing, stuffy nose and sore throat.

“The best way to treat the flu is by getting a flu shot to decrease the severity of the symptoms,” said Barb Kugel, the campus nurse.

Even though it is the best way to

prevent getting the flu, a very small percentage of students receive flu shots on campus.

Kugel referenced the CDC by saying that you also want to get rest, cover all coughs and sneezes and isolate yourself for at least 24 hours to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Both the CDC and Kugel recommend washing hands regularly to prevent getting the virus.

Taking Tamiflu is also a suggestion for lessening the severity of symptoms if taken at the onset of the illness.

12

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Features

Beaver contributes more than $5,000 to THON total SARA RUIZ Staff Writer

smr6278@psu.edu

THON, Penn State’s annual 46-hour dance marathon, raised more than $10.15 million to fight pediatric cancer, including $5,248 contributed from Beaver campus fundraising efforts.

THON was held Feb. 16 to 18 in the Bryce Jordan Center at the University Park campus. The money raised goes to the Four Diamonds Fund, which supports research and treatment at Penn State’s Children’s Hospital in Hershey.

Ten students from Penn State Beaver’s club benefitting THON attended the event, where they were able to energize dancers on the floor, dance as long as they can, talk with new faces and obtain ideas for next year’s THON. Although Beaver was not selected in the dancer lottery, Beaver was given two floor passes which allowed the students access to the main floor from 4 to 8 a.m. Saturday.

Within the four hours that Beaver had floor passes, students were able to rotate turns per hour.

Senior Alexa Di Pietrantonio and junior Brenna Cepull were the first students to use the floor passes and both described the experience as “fun.”

The two not only pumped up the participating dancers and enjoyed the line dance, but they also chatted friends who were dancers from University Park and other commonwealth campuses Waking up early was not many student’s favorite parts of THON weekend.

“My eyes really burned,” said freshman Iyana Peterson. “I have never really run off this little time of sleep. I’ve always had at least 4-5 hours of sleep.”

But Peterson said it was worth the

Penn State Beaver students pose for a picture in the Bryce Jordan Center at THON on Feb. 17. From left (back row) Elon Lindsay, Brenna Cepull, Marissa Bufalini, Maria Rizzilli, Alexa Di Pietrantonio, (front row) Elyse Richardson, Sara Ruiz, Iyana Peterson and Taylor Myers.

The Roar / Alexa Di Pietrantonio

THON dancers continue to dance on the main floor during hour 13 of the 46-hour dance marathon.

lack of sleep.

“It was fun. I liked to see the frat signs, to experience the line dance and colors,” Peterson said.

There are many ways Beaver stu-

dents fund raise for THON, including canning, an online donating system, a homecoming dance and 50/50 raffle.

“We canned at the airport, where

most of our funds came from,” said junior Taylor Myers. “We also created DonorDrive pages online that raised a lot of funds as well. I believe it was a learning experience.”

Many things in addition to dancing went on throughout THON. There were mini concerts from various artists, performances by dance crews, a fashion show with Four Diamonds children and games like Connect Four taking place on the floor.

Lights flashed left to right to keep the momentum of a fun party going, while music played back-to-back to keep those feet going. Laughs and smiles from children battling cancer reminded students why they were there.

As the hours passed, the exhaustion showed in people’s eyes, their legs and their mood. By day two, several people were stretching and cracking their legs, arms, neck and feet.

Without trying to give up, dancers still had the energy to dance the line dance, a five minute stretching routine that was played every hour.

This was the first year Beaver benefitting THON attended THON as a group since 2015.

Beaver benefitting THON has four chairs: Di Pietrantonio, Myers, sophomore Marissa Bufalini and junior Katelynn Crowe. Even though Beaver didn’t get lucky enough to get dancers in the lottery, Di Pietrantonio said there’s still next year.

“For next year, hopefully we get more friends involved. I mean, you share those pictures and experiences with people,” Di Pietrantonio said.

Bufalini called the experience of attending THON “amazing.”

“It was truly an indescribable experience,” Bufalini said. “I highly recommend every Penn State student to go and experience THON at least once.”

March 18

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

13

A EUROPEAN ADVENTURE

Work says ‘bon jour’ from abroad KATIE WORK Staff writer

kmw6010@psu.edu

MONDAY, JANUARY 29

My name is Katie Work. I am a business management and marketing major with a minor in information sciences and technology.

I am currently a junior at Penn State Beaver. However, for this semester, I took the opportunity to study in Europe. The program that I am enrolled in is called CIEE Global Institutes.

Through this program, I have a semester that is split into three blocks that last six weeks each. Not only do I have an amazing opportunity to study in a different country, I am able to study in three different countries.

Each block, my location changes.

For the first block, I am in Paris, France. In the second block, I will be in Rome, Italy. For the third block, I will be in Berlin, Germany.

At the moment, I am halfway through my first block in Paris.

I must admit, I was hit with complete shock when I first arrived. It was immediately different than what I was used to.

I live in an apartment that is about a 15-minute Metro ride to my academic center. This is the first time that I have lived in a city. Nothing like diving head-first into one of the biggest cities in the world!

Paris is one of the most populated cities in Europe, so leaving a small community to go to such a populated area is overwhelming at first.

Add in the facts that I can only babble through a conversation with an awkward mixture of French and English – which has earned me a reasonable amount of haughty looks – and that I do not fully understand the Metro system and norms, and it equates to almost pure panic.

Once that panic is (mostly) set

aside, there is so much beauty that can be found in Paris.

The Eiffel Tower is just as breathtaking as could be imagined.

Notre Dame is enchanting. Touring the Seine River on a boat is a must.

The Louvre is absolutely amazing.

The food is wonderful. Especially the bread ... oh my, baguettes. If you think that I am eating my weight in bread and pastries, then you are absolutely correct.

Every meal is most certainly washed down with a cup of espresso, as well.

Aside from all of the amazing stuff that I get to see and eat in Paris, I do still have to focus on my classes.

Those classes that I used to dread on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m.? I’ve got that beat.

I have two classes – Entrepreneurship in Europe and Global Cinema – that last three hours and run three to four times a week.

Fortunately, each class balances out lectures with activities.

For my entrepreneurship class, we got to visit a start-up brewery and complete a beer tasting.

For Global Cinema, we get to visit a local cinema to watch and analyze a foreign film.

For my last three weeks in Paris, I cannot wait to continue to explore and learn (and eat) my way through.

To follow my adventures more closely, check out my Instagram @ runaway.kate

Editor’s Note: This is part one of a two-part series. Katie Work, a Roar staff writer, will be traveling to France, Italy and Germany during her semester abroad. She will be blogging from each of the three countries she visits. Watch for her report on her final two countries in the April Roar. You can also follow Work on Instagram @runaway.kate

When Katie Work isn’t studying for her classes or tasting French food, she travels around Paris by Metro. Top, Work poses for photo in front of the Louvre, home of the famous Mona Lisa painting. Above, Work stands at the base of the Eiffel Tower on the Champ de Mars. Left, Work snaps a photo of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

14

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

March 18

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

15

Some art classes could move online ALEXIS TENY Staff Writer

ajt41@psu.edu

Last semester, Penn State Beaver welcomed new art instructor Briana Dragone. With her new position and the help of Director of Academic Affairs Carey McDougall, they hope to update the curriculum of the art department.

This semester sculpting is still being offered as a hands-on course in person on campus. However, Dragone and McDougall are not completely opposed to offering art classes online in the future.

“It would be challenging to learn about new mediums of art, but I’m always up for a challenge,” Dragone said.

Dragone has already introduced technology into her sculpting, photography and 3D printing classes.

She said that the students have taken to it pretty well and hopes that they grow fond of the new technology.

However, Dragone said she

Briana Dragone teaches sculpting in the Michael Baker Building.

doesn’t believe that all technology, all the time is the best way to approach art. “If you transfer to a software that can be used to add something to hands-on projects, then the students will have questions. Communication works better back and forth, not through e-mail,” Dragone said.

Both McDougall and Dragone have a background in contemporary

art which affects the way they view the art curriculum.

“Most of the contemporary artists that I know use technology when working on their art,” McDougall said.

However, the topic of changing the focus of art classes from hands-on to digital has caused some controversy on campus.

The Roar/Garrett Troy

“I think technology in art is super important, especially when it comes to graphic design. The world is constantly changing, therefore we need to keep up with it,” sophomore Ross Madler said.

Sophomore Tara McFadden wasn’t so enthusiastic.

“Our first project was all about distorting our voices so we used the

computer for the entire thing. I am really bad with computers, so just given the project without any prior knowledge to the program was very stressful,” said McFadden.

Despite the hopes to advance the curriculum through technology, Dragone and McDougall also find the traditional, physical form of art to be important.

“Using technology does not mean the course will all be based off of a computer,” McDougall said.

She said that there is a balance that could introduce the traditional forms of art and introduce some contemporary concepts. The traditional forms of art will not be disappearing any time soon at Beaver, but change is required for progress, and that is exactly what Dragone and McDougall want to implement.

“I believe in merging the two. I don’t believe that old art is dead, and I believe that new art has a lot to offer us and the students,” Dragone said.

Sexologist Craig Morris open to giving advise on relationships SHELTON HILLIARD Staff Writer

szh151@psu.edu

The Roar/Nic McBride

Sexologist Craig Morris teaches about culture and its development.

If you’re struggling with your significant other, don’t break up just yet. Sexologist Craig Morris might know a thing or two to keep your relationship alive.

Morris, adjunct lecturer of anthropology, teaches about human culture and its development. But as a sexologist, he also studies the effects sex has on relationships from an evolutionary perspective. Morris is one of the only sexologist in the world to do so.

Morris has been featured in multiple magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, The Washington Post and National Public Radio for the research on his theo-

ries dealing with break-ups.

Morris is a Center Township native and studied at Penn State University Park until he transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Morris then went onto Binghamton University to receive his doctorate. While attending Binghamton, Morris was intrigued by break ups and started applying break ups into his theories. This resulted in him becoming a love and romantic sexologist.

Morris said he would be a good person to talk to about relationship problems.

Students seem to love the idea.

“He would be a good fit, because these days not many people would

be a good source to human behavior and break-ups info,” said junior Corey Price. “He is very unorthodox, but it makes the class different and keeps you paying attention the whole time.”

Sophomore Frankie Guerra describes his anthropology class with Morris as unique. “His class is amazing. Something new happens every day and he really keeps you on your feet. It’s actually fun to go to his class.”

Morris wants students to know that he is available to speak if anyone is going through a hard time in their relationship.

He can be reached via e-mail at cem76@psu.edu.

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Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Features

Empire of Philadelphia Student-run web site will hopefully impress future employers KARL TRUSKOWSKI

Staff Writer

kzt5265@psu.edu

While most college students are up late doing homework or studying, one student is using that same time to build his own empire.

Penn State Beaver sophomore William Derry is the cofounder of a Philadelphia college basketball website, called The Empire, that has been running since late 2015.

The site, www.theempireofphilacollegebball.com, receives 500 to 1,000 hits a day.

However, in early January a big story about Temple University recruit Arashma Parks helped boost hits up to about 2,200.

Derry co-runs the site alongside high school friend Benjamin Simon, who approached Derry with the original idea during their senior year of high school.

Not having enough money to purchase a website builder, Simon’s father helped the two friends by paying for a service known as Weebly, a do-it-yourself website builder. Being completely self-taught, the two had their website up and running by November 2015.

The Empire reached out to six different colleges – Drexel, LaSalle, Penn, Villanova, Temple and St. Joseph’s universities -- to start building its foundation, asking for press passes to games.

Out of the six, only St. Joseph’s and Penn responded and gave Derry and Simon press passes. Eventually, the others decided to get involved after St. Joseph’s and Penn vouched for them and proved they were serious reporters.

An early article featuring Temple

The Roar/Adam Espinoza

Will Derry, above, scrolls through his web site in his Harmony Hall dorm room while taking a study break.

The Empire of Philadelphia college basketball site, left, features work performed entirely by college and high school students.

University Basketball Coach John Chaney gave Derry clarity that his website was taking off and leading to big things.

Within the last three years, Derry has experienced events he never thought possible. He has received access to come face-to-face with professional Philadelphia sports journalists.

Through these encounters he has learned how the journalism world runs, gotten a real-world experience and, of course, free access to games.

“It’s funny because as a journalist you can’t clap or cheer,” Derry said.

“I have to just sit there with a blank face and take notes.”

Derry’s experience puts him on a step above the rest.

Marketing and Web Specialist and Communications Instructor Cathy Benscoter said she believes Derry will be a more marketable applicant for employers.

“When you have someone who has experience working on their own and have generated contacts with important clients such as he has, it makes him more marketable and

would make an employer want to hire him more,” Benscoter said.

Instructor Daniel Pinchot, who has taught Derry in journalism classes the last two years, said he saw his talent from day one. “Given his experience, it’s no wonder he’s so good.”

Even though his website is a nonprofit organization, Derry has three writers, a photographer and an intern on board.

The Empire is also partnered with Philly Sports Nation, a for-profit site that Simon had previously written for.

Derry hopes to bring in students for internships to give them the same real-world experience he received.

His current intern is a junior in high school doing well enough that Derry said one day could take control of the site, while Simon and he move into a board of directors-type of role.

When Derry transfers to University Park next fall, he will be joining the John Curley Sports Journalism Program.

The Empire is a tool he wants to use to help him further his career in journalism, but he wants to get more into general news rather than just sports.

Career Counselor Brenda Schultz said that Derry, and students like Derry who have built something outside of the campus, should implement the resource of LinkedIn to build connections for future career opportunities.

“There’s a section in LinkedIn that is geared towards students. You have the opportunity to highlight big accomplishments that you have achieved and are proud of,” Schultz said.

Juggling school work and the website is demanding since they post two to three times a week, but Derry says he always puts school first.

“Oh boy, there’s a lot of late nights. The biggest thing for me is time management,” Derry said.

Even though he is busy, he plans to not only continue running the site throughout college, but to grow it as big as it can get.

March 18

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

The Tide Pods internet challenge is making people sick.

The Roar/Gabby Fiffick

The top-seller at Philly Originals in Beaver is the classic cheesesteak with peppers and onions.

Just say Cheesesteaks!

GABBY FIFFICK Staff Writer

gef5101@psu.edu

Nestled on the corner of Third and Beaver streets in Beaver sits a small, tucked away eatery called Philly Originals.

With authentic cheesesteaks, small quaint tables and kind staff, the locally owned restaurant creates a destination reminiscent of sitting in your grandparent’s kitchen.

With a cozy atmosphere, great service and affordable pricing, it is the perfect place for college students.

There is large variety of cheesesteaks that you can get for as low as $7.45. It offers anything from the Philly Original with onions, mushrooms and peppers, to a pizza steak, and it even offers a vegetarian option.

This shop has the ideal environment to grab lunch while studying.

Philly Originals is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Owner Mitch Green said his favorite sandwich “has to be the original Philly cheesesteak.”

Originally from Philadelphia, he always wanted to open a shop of his own, so when he moved to Beaver in 1987, Green decided to make his dreams a reality.

“Like most entrepreneurs, I do not have any debt and don’t owe anybody anything, so I can keep my prices low, the college market is incredible, and if you’re a hit, it is incredible,” Green said.

“I have a passion, and I love making sandwiches,” Green said.

With 100 customers each day, people like eating his sandwiches as

much as he likes making them.

Ever since it opened in, Green has been dedicated to his restaurant.

This February Green celebrated his restaurant’s 25th anniversary by selling cheesesteaks at the same price as when they opened in 1993 to give back to the community that he loves.

Sophomore Grant Fisher has been a customer of Philly Originals for years as a Beaver local.

“It’s very good, you get a lot of filling, (and) lots of options for different meats and toppings,” he said.

Sophomore Colin Cavaliere agreed.

“Its good food and it’s a place I’d go back to.”

“Whatever we have in life, we work for it.” Green Said. And that’s what he plans to do for years to come.

17

Flickr/Au Kirk

Dirty mouth? Tide’s not the best answer

MOSES FUCHS Staff Writer

msf5360@psu.edu

Eating detergent? So far, no one at Penn State Beaver is.

A social media challenge this year, known as the Tide Pod challenge, encourages people to get a Tide Pod and record themselves eating the detergent product, then posting it on the internet.

This challenge is meant to be a joke but it has caused problems as there have been news articles of people that have already been sent to the hospital.

According to Fox News, a student at Utah State University was hospitalized after attempting the challenge.

Penn State Beaver students think the challenge is stupid.

“It is a dumb thing to do and I don’t know why people do it,” freshman Armoni Haagans said.

Sophomore Angellina Esposito agreed. “The challenge is stupid and you could die.”

The question is, can Tide Pods really kill you if they are consumed?

According to Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology Stephanie Cabarcas-Petroski, it’s possible to

die from consuming Tide Pods, but they’re more likely to cause serious damage.

“They can cause long-term effects, damage to the esophagus, gastrointestinal issues and pulmonary issues occur as there would be issues in the air sacks in the lungs,” she said.

Petroski said that Tide Pods contain propylene glycol, which is typically found in detergent and a variety of other products, is generally considered safe. However, ingestion of a concentrated amount can result in central nervous system depression.

There have been rumors spreading across the internet that because of safety concerns, the manufacturer of Tide Pods would be discontinuing the product this month. But according to Fox Business and other news sources, that was a hoax.

Tide has posted a Tide Pods safety website at tide.com/safety, where the company urges users to keep the detergent up high and out of the reach of children.

Tide has also introduced new child-guard packaging designed to make it very difficult for young children to open, but easy for adults to use and keep sealed.

18

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Features

Say hello to the new and improved Radio Club JESSE MARTIN Staff Writer

jrm930@psu.edu

The Radio Club is getting new equipment to provide a better realworld experience of broadcast media.

Greg Hartung, club advisor, says the club plans on bringing in more microphones, a laptop and even a video camera for the club over the next two semesters.

Funds for the equipment are allocated from Penn State Beaver.

To update the quality, the Radio Club recently bought a new microphone for $60.

“My favorite new piece of equipment has to be our new Blue Yeti,” freshman Cindy Chen said.

“It’s an amazing microphone that allows us to do events outside of the studio, and it has excellent audio quality.”

The future video camera will allow students to not only be heard but also seen as they broadcast their shows.

As a 30-year veteran of broadcast media, Hartung says that as new

The Roar/Adam Espinoza

Sophomore Alex D’Itri is president of the Beaver Radio Club and host of the campus radio show, Select a.m.

equipment comes in, old equipment doesn’t just get thrown in the trash.

If it can still operate, the club likes

to provide older equipment to be used during campus events.

Sophomore Alex D’Itri, club

president, said the mixing board and speakers were provided at the Soul Food Dinner to play music.

D’Itri, a staff writer for The Roar, has always wanted to entertain people.

He said that being a part of the Radio Club gives him the opportunity to do just that.

He said he wants to see more students take advantage of the fun, easy and creative outlet.

D’Itri can be heard Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6-6:30 p.m.

A typical show lasts 45 minutes to an hour long and each student gets creative freedom producing eight to 10 shows a semester.

The Radio Club also hosts a monthly roundtable broadcast featuring hosts of all shows.

Discussions include upcoming campus events and various topics such as politics, culture, entertainment, technology and sports.

The club meets Wednesdays at noon in room G2 of the Student Union Building.

The station can be heard online at http://www.clubs.psu.edu/br/wbvr/.

Communications intern develops travel videos for Shell

ERIC G. GALLUPE Staff Writer

egg5066@psu.edu

He may not be working for PIXAR or making Academy Awardwinning films, but senior communications major Adam Espinoza thinks the work he’s doing making videos with a Beaver County company is just as exciting.

Espinoza is an intern with RYNO Production in Aliquippa where his internship consists of a “huge project that partners me with Shell. I am creating 3D virtual-reality videos for the truckers coming into the lay-down yards.”

RYNO Production, Inc. is a fullservice multimedia communications firm producing video and high-definition projects for local, regional and

national clients.

RYNO does editing, 2D animation, 3D animation, aerial videography, aerial photography, illustration, commercials and corporate videos.

The videos Espinoza is working on show the truckers what Monaca and Aliquippa, the towns they will be driving through, look like, with step-by-step directions on where to go with speed limits and knowledge of the city.

Since starting his internship, he has written five scripts and helped film some of the scenes in the videos.

“It has been an amazing experience so far working for a company I can see myself working for after college,” Espinoza said.

He received this internship in late December.

Espinoza was in communications Instructor Hillary O’Toole’s class and she wanted him to interview for this project.

He did so well on the first video that they signed him up to partner to do the rest of the videos with RYNO, she said.

Brenda Schultz, personal and career counselor, encourages students to stop by if they are in need of assistance finding an internship or communicating with people to receive internship opportunities. She stressed the importance of communication.

Schultz explained that it’s important to show a possible internship boss how hiring you can actually benefit them in order to increase your chances of landing your dream internship.

The Roar/Brian Griffin

Senior Adam Espinoza has interned with RYNO Production since December making videos for Shell truck drivers.

March 18

Features

Penn State Beaver Roar

19

Soul Food Dinner features more than food ALEXA DI PIETRANTONIO Senior Staff Writer

and151@psu.edu

Jazz music and other forms of art became popular during the Harlem Renaissance, but there’s much more to the iconic African-American artists than history classes have taught.

The Franklin Center of Beaver County taught Penn State Beaver students about the Harlem Renaissance through live historical reenactments at the third annual Soul Food Dinner on Feb. 1.

Beaver’s Black Student Union and the Franklin Center partnered in kicking off Black History Month with food, conversation and reenactments that brought African-American history to life.

Students ate macaroni and cheese, fried chicken and collard greens, but there was more to the event than just the soul food.

Penn State Beaver invites the Franklin Center each year and they dress as influential guests such as the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. Represented by Valerie McElvy, director of the Franklin Center’s Serving U Beaver County, as well as the advisor of Beaver’s Black Student Union, was at the door of the Student Union Building Lodge inviting and introducing herself to the people who entered.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Ella,” she said gently while shaking hands with attendees. “What’s your name?”

After greeting those who entered, Fitzgerald took the podium at 7 p.m. as the mistress of ceremonies to begin the celebration of Black History Month. Fitzgerald told the crowd that she and her guests were here to share the “rich history of Black America,” as well as “the history we’re not aware of.”

The Harlem Renaissance wasn’t just about art and jazz music; it was about civil rights, racism, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the history that has been uncovered.

Fitzgerald and her guests were

Guests at the Soul Food Dinner enjoy a buffet of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn bread and fruit cobbler

The Roar/Savana Griggs

From left, Cheryl King, Tina Price-Genes, Valerie McElvy, Lispert Dowdell and Shon Owens dress in character as historical figures during the Harlem Renaissance for the Soul Food Dinner.

not just artists during the Harlem Renaissance; they were important activists in African-American history.

Wildly popular in France in the 1920s, Josephine Baker, portrayed by Tina Price-Genes, made an entrance

as the final re-enactor of the night.

In a sparkling gold dress and sequin hat, former dancer, activist and French Resistance agent Baker swung her black and yellow feather boa while dancing in the audience.

“Bringing the history to life,” especially to those who didn’t get the recognition they deserved, is what PriceGenes enjoys most about this event.

Other historical figures in attendance included Paul Leroy Robeson, portrayed by Shon Owens. Robeson was a lawyer, athlete and singer.

The oldest guest of the evening, Georgia Douglas Johnson, portrayed

by Cheryl King, spoke about her time as a poet and playwright.

Countee Cullen, represented by Lispert Dowdell, talked about his life as a writer, poet and playwright.

Baker, who entered with a lively performance, ended her story with a

The Roar/Savana Griggs

serious statement.

“Always be proud of who you are,” Baker said. “Be fair, because life may bring you troubles, but you can overcome.”

“It’s good to learn about this culture and we didn’t just want a special group [here],” Clevon Scott, vice president of the Black Student Union said to the audience. “It’s about all being here together.”

During Black History Month, both the Franklin Center and Penn State Beaver have more activities planned.

In addition to other historical reenactments, the Franklin Center will be doing events with The Marlon Gist Art Studio and Gallery, Uncommon Grounds Cafe and R.O.O.T.S. Starting at 11 a.m. on Wednesdays in February, they will also be holding a soup kitchen at The Broadcast.

20

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Sports

Athletics inducts nine into Hall of Honor FROM STAFF REPORTS

Penn State Beaver Athletics inducted nine people into its inaugural class at the first-ever Hall of Honor ceremony Jan. 27.

Hall of Honor inductees must be former athletes, coaches or administrators who earned a letter in a varsity sport, achieved a superior accomplishment in a sport or made a significant contribution to the Beaver athletics program.

The inaugural class includes: The late Donna Kuga worked at the campus for nearly 40 years as a professor, coach, athletic director, director of academic affairs and interim chancellor until her retirement in 2016.

Best known as Beaver’s volleyball coach, Kuga earned CCAC Coach of the Year four times. In 2017, she posthumously received the Robert J. Scannell Role of Honor award from the Penn State University Athletic Conference for her years of service.

Eldon Price was hired in 1967 to develop Beaver’s physical education and athletics departments, which he did over his 19-year tenure.

Price served as an athletic director, a professor, an intramurals director and coached men’s and women’s basketball, women’s softball, golf, crosscountry and cheerleading.

Price was also instrumental in building the campus gymnasium and fields and was a recipient of the PSUAC’s Scannell Award.

Price returned to Penn State to serve on the University Park coaching staff under Ed DeChellis.

Bert DeSalvo rebuilt the women’s basketball program and coached the team to three consecutive PSUAC championships. He amassed a 99-26 record during his four years coaching.

DeSalvo was named 2007-08 PSUAC Coach of the Year and Beaver County Hall of Fame recognition award recipient in 2008, 2009 and 2010. DeSalvo served as assistant athletic director for three years.

Jasmine Green was a standout guard who led the women’s basketball team to three consecutive cham-

Donna Kuga

Eldon Price

Bert DeSalvo

Jasmine Green

Heather Sandusky

Greg Fredricks

Jim Karwoski

Bill Meacci

Ashley Watkins

pionships from 2008 to 2010. She compiled a 99-26 record and scored over 1,000 points at Beaver.

Green was a three time United States Collegiate Athletic Association

All-American, a three-time PSUAC All-Conference and three-time PSUAC Player of the Year.

Heather Sandusky was a twosport athlete from 2007 to 2011 and

one of the most decorated in Beaver history. She was named USCAA AllAmerican four times in basketball and twice in volleyball, PSUAC AllConference four times each in both

sports and was named to the PSUAC All –Academic Teams all four years in both basketball and volleyball.

Sandusky was a member of the 2007 PSUAC championship volleyball team and the 2008, 2009 and 2010 PSUAC championship teams in basketball.

Greg Fredricks was a pitcher for Beaver’s baseball team that won PSUAC championships in 2007 and 2010. He compiled a 39-10 record on the mound with 480 career strikeouts, earned 111 RBI’s, 58 stolen bases and had a 46-game hitting streak at one point in his career.

Fredricks was a four-time USCAA All-American, a four-time PSUAC All-Conference and a two-time PSUAC Player of the Year. He won PSUAC Pitcher of the Year in 2009 and pitched a no-hitter in the USCAA tournament in 2010.

Jim Karwoski was a 26-year coach of Beaver’s baseball team. The retired faculty member and former athletic director was named Penn State Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 16 times.

Karwoski’s teams won the CCAC conference title 16 times and competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series multiple times. Karwoski was inducted into the Beaver County Hall of Fame and the NJCAA Hall of Fame.

Bill Meacci taught a kinesiology from 1971 to 1999. Meacci coached wrestling, soccer, softball and, most notably, golf. Meacci’s golf team finished third in the nation in 1998.

Meacci was named Western Pennsylvania Golf Coach of the Year in 1985, 1991 and 1992 and was the NJCAA regional golf coach of the year in 1986.

Ashley Watkins was a member of the 2012 softball team that won the PSUAC championship. She played from 2009 to 2012 and is a threetime USCAA All-American, PSUAC All-Conference and PSUAC All-Academic.

Watkins was named PSUAC Player of the Year and New Comer of the Year as a freshman. Watkins graduated in 2012 with a psychology degree.

March 18

Sports

Penn State Beaver Roar

21

Get in shape

Nathaniel Johnson offers strength training and conditioning to students RJ DIGIORNO

her with pointers on how to drink more water and add more protein to her diet, which made a big difference, Work said via Skype.

Staff Writer

rjd5490@psu.edu

Nathaniel Johnson is Penn State Beaver’s new strength and conditioning coach, not only for athletes but for all students.

Johnson said he is interested in training some of the students on campus.

Stefan Romaniuk, a member of Beaver’s baseball team, was one of the first students Johnson had the opportunity to work with one-onone.

“He was really easy to talk to,” Romaniuk said.

Johnson’s programs are tailored towards each individual’s goals, such as losing weight or getting faster.

Romaniuk worked with Johnson from Thanksgiving break to winter break to get faster for baseball and to get in shape.

Although it was rough during the workouts, Romaniuk said he enjoyed the workouts and began seeing results.

Junior Katie Work, a goalie for the Fightin’ Beavs who is studying abroad this semester, also took

Being a goalie in hockey is no easy task, so Work was looking for some boost in her performance. After training with Johnson, she said she noticed a peak in her endurance and felt significantly better overall.

Johnson’s plans for the future are to train more students and eventually some of the staff.

“I want people to understand the science behind fitness, nutrition and rest,” Johnson said.

He plans to host boot camps, high-intensity interval training, circuit training, body-weight training and free-weight training.

Work called Johnson “highly motivational” and “the most encouraging and patient personal trainer I have dealt with.”

Trainer Nathaniel Johnson shows off his pecks while posing in from of the Penn State logo.

advantage of Johnson’s workouts that are based on different needs and cir-

cumstances. Not only did Work train with Johnson, but he also gave her

Submitted photo

advice on how to best recover after such intense workouts. He helped

He develops intense circuit training for the athletes so that they are well conditioned and are able to perform at their peak when the time comes, Work added.

Hockey team fights to stay on top in new tier MATTHEW PALAHUNIK Staff Writer

mgp5156@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver Fightin’ Beavs inline hockey team has made a comeback from last semester’s struggles. The team is 2-1 this semester, now that they’ve been moved to a lower tier in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Roller Hockey League.

Hockey adviser Justin Vorbach said because of Beaver’s strong past

performance in tier 2, the team was moved to tier 1 of the league in the fall, where it earned a 1-6 record and lost by huge margins.

After reviewing the team’s performance over the holiday break, the league moved Beaver back to tier 2 where it faces better-matched competitors, he said.

The wins and losses from the fall are wiped out, Vorbach added, giving the Fightin’ Beavs a fresh start.

Beaver is tied for second in the standings with Duquesne University. Clarion University, with a 3-0 record, is at the top of tier 2 and handed the Fightin’ Beavs its only loss Jan. 25, 6-3.

Beaver defeated Duquesne 4-2 on Feb. 1 and Slippery Rock University’s tier-2 team 5-3 Feb. 8.

Senior defenseman Matthew Welch said the “second half of the year is doing much better” in both

action and spirit.

Beaver still has to face teams from Clarion Feb. 22, Indiana University of Pennsylvania March 1, LaRoche College March 14 and Slippery Rock University March 21.

Junior captain Brendan Rossi is optimistic. “There is always room for improvement,” Rossi said, “but we have to keep are noses to the ground.”

Rossi said the team is doing great.

He called the Fightin’ Beavs “resilient” due to all the odds they have faced this year.

Freshman Jackson Glenn is a new player to the team. Glenn is loving the team because of its unity. Glenn said teammates helps each other whenever they need something like getting a new hockey stick.

“We are really connecting this semester” and as a result “we are putting the puck in the net,” Glenn said.

22

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

Sports

Men’s basketball team fails to make playoffs TIARRA GORDON Staff Writer

tag5361@psu.edu

For the third year in a row, the Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team failed to make the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs.

The team ended its season Feb. 12 at home with an 88-65 win over Penn State New Kensington. Despite the strong finish, the team earned a 9-16 overall record, 6-10 in conference play.

In its final game, Beaver took an early lead in the first half. Sophomore Kevin Louis-Charles put the team ahead by 15 points when he shot a 3-pointer. Keeping the lead throughout the game, Beaver ended with a final home victory while freshman Andrew Brady ended the game having scored 40 points.

Despite Beaver’s losing record, the losses throughout the season – especially in conference play – were almost always close, typically less than a 10-point difference.

The Roar/Nic McBride

Above, Tavarski Wardlow looks to make a shot in the Feb. 9 matchup against Penn State Worthington Scranton. Left, Will Pierce goes up for a jump ball.

“It was a unique year, the toughest the conference has been,” Coach Brian Bibey said. “Every conference team is equally challenging.”

The team struggled in the first half of the season, earning a 9-3 record overall up to the holiday break. It only won one PSUAC conference

game up to that point against Penn State Hazleton on the road Dec. 1.

Since the break, though, Beaver has been playing better. Since Jan. 6,

its record is 6-7, winning five out of nine conference matchups.

The team even beat No. 1 ranked Penn State York Jan. 26 during Athletics Spirit Weekend in front of a home crowd that included many athletic recruits.

But the team just couldn’t overcome its roster woes. With an absence of six players from the beginning of the season due to injuries, transfers and ineligibilities, it left the team in flux.

“Taking on the role of a leader wasn’t the easiest,” said senior Eric Gallupe. “I had to become more vocal, which was not one of my strong suits.”

That final game brought more than just a win for Gallupe. He also earned his 1,000 career point with a 3-point floater in the final seconds of the first half.

Sophomore Dominque Stevenson said he’s optimistic about next year.

“The team has come a long way and has gotten closer over the year,” he said.

Recycle this Roar!

Newspapers, office paper, catalogs, and magazines can all be recycled in one of the paper recycling bins on campus.

Have a large stack to recycle? Toss in it the Paper Retriever bin in the lower parking lot near the Wellness Center.

March 18

Sports

Penn State Beaver Roar

23

Lady Lions lose in semifinals JARET MIELNICKI Staff Writer

jwm6348@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver women’s basketball team ended its season Feb. 17 with an 86-61 loss to Penn State Lehigh Valley in the semifinals of the Penn State University Athletic Conference championship.

First-year Coach Sean Strickland said the loss was rough. “(It was a) tough end to the season. I’m disappointed we didn’t play the way we did to get us on our eight-game winning streak,” Strickland said.

Senior Brittany Jackson said the loss may have been a failure, but the season overall was a success.

“It went both ways,” she said. “We succeeded in building our team up, built a strong bond. Our season was a success, it just came up short to getting a championship.”

Lehigh Valley took an early fourpoint lead in the loss. A three-point shot by junior Ally Rudolph coupled with a jump shot by Jackson put Beaver ahead by one early in the game.

Lehigh Valley took the lead once again, but another three-pointer by sophomore Cheyenne Lopez pushed Beaver ahead by two. After that, Beaver began to slip and ended the first quarter down 18-14.

Beaver fared much worse in the second and, despite three-pointers from both Lopez and Rudolph, Beaver fell behind by more than 20 points.

A small surge in the third narrowed the gap slightly, but Lehigh Valley pushed back in the fourth and ended 25 points up on Beaver.

The team’s overall record was 13-13, 11-4 in conference play.

Beaver finished third place in the regular season and took a playoff win at home Feb. 14 against Penn State Wilkes-Barre in the first round, making an eight-game winning streak.

Beaver defeated Wilkes-Barre by a convincing 17 points. The game started as a back-and-forth shoot out with only nine points separating

The Roar/ Nic McBride

Brittany Jackson, left, takes a shot against two Penn State Worthington Scranton players on Feb. 9. Above, the team gets pumped up to play before the game.

them at the half, but the never-saydie attitude of the Lady Lions prevailed in the end. Sophomore Tara McFadden, had two steals in 10 seconds both leading to points, with the bench and fans going ecstatic.

McFadden also ended the season with the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award.

The season started off rough as the Lady Lions lost their long-time coach, Tim Moore, at the start of the fall semester, as well as their first five games. The team found itself in the depths of trouble staring down the regular season.

Only joining the team in preseason, Strickland has led his team to where they are.

“The team is playing their best basketball all season,” Stickland said before the loss to Lehigh Valley.

“Winning eight in a row, we can go as far as we want to go.”

Stickland described this group of women as “different” and presented him with a unique challenge. “(It was a) different culture, trying to merge what Coach Moore has done while putting my own stamp on the program,” he said. “I’ve never taken over a good program before, so (it was) different in that way.”

A lot of the team’s success is due

to forward Jackson, who led the team in points and hit her 1,000 career point against Greater Allegheny Feb. 5. Jackson, who is a Roar staff writer, also made the first team All-Conference and was named player of the year by the PSUAC. “Playing here since my freshman year, it has taught me to work harder, gave me a great experience and built a sisterhood,” Jackson said.

Another standout player who won’t be returning is sophomore guard Cummings, who will be heading to Penn State Behrend in the fall. “I was feeling pressure it being my last (season), but with a familydriven team, it’s been great.”

Strickland said he is determined to get back on top next season.

“We’ve got to get better, that’s for sure. Brandywine is now the twotime defending champions and our program has never gone three years without a title,” he said. “With Brandywine returning most of their players from this year’s championship team, we’ve got a lot of work to do if we want to end their reign on top.”

Strickland said he’s already turned his attention to next year. “Overall I am extremely proud of what our players have accomplished.”

24

Penn State Beaver Roar March 2018

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