February 2014 Edition of The Roar

News

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

News

Luxuries on Harmony wish list Amanda Palombo Senior Staff Writer

Amp5831@psu.edu

Jackhammers and drills ran all summer long to give students muchneeded improvements in Harmony Hall. So, students may be asking what’s next?

Chris Hurley, senior director of Housing and Food Services, met with students on Jan. 22 to answer that question and talk about possible future projects in Harmony Hall.

One project Hurley mentioned was adding a lounge expansion to the front of the hall.

The expansion would include a greeting desk for the resident assistants and Wi-Fi for the additional area.

“We really want it to look like a living room and just a really comfortable space that students are going to want to hang out in,” Hurley said.

The renovation would also include splitting the current lobby into two parts.

One section would be for students who just want to watch TV and the other for students who just want to play video games.

“The idea of the wall or the separation would be to eliminate the

Housing and Food Services is considering expanding Harmony Hall to create a lounge area.

amount of noise from each end,” Hurley said.

“It’s really difficult to try and hear the game or the show you’re watching when you have students yelling about losing another life playing Call of Duty.”

Jeremy Lindner, director of Housing and Food Services, said, “A project of that magnitude is hard to design. We bring in the architects

to do the design work. They’re the professionals.”

The project is expected to cost somewhere between $1.5 million and $2 million dollars, according to Hurley.

The addition to the hall will not be finished until the spring semester of 2015 at the earliest.

“The money is coming strictly from Housing and Food (Services),

The ROAR/Dante Massey

not the tuition. It’s time we update something else besides the bathrooms,” Lindner said.

“A lot of other campuses have a comfy central living area, and since additional housing isn’t needed anytime soon, this is where the money should go.”

Another project in the works for Harmony Hall is the possibility of adding air conditioning.

But because it will be very expensive, Hurley said that if air conditioning is installed in the hall, it would only be to the lobby initially.

“If we install units into all the rooms,” Hurley said, “they will look something like the units that you see at a lot of hotels that could be used for air conditioning and heat.”

According to Lindner, the addition to the hall is more important than the air conditioning.

“If we can install them both at the same time, then that’s no problem.

However, we don’t want the addition to be delayed because air conditioning is being installed,” Lindner said.

Another possible feature to look forward to is a new laundry system.

Hurley said the system they’re interested in has a sensor that sends a text to a student’s cell phone when their laundry is done.

This eliminates the time one person keeps their laundry in a machine while someone else could be using it.

Still, Lindner’s main priority is getting the lounge done and the air conditioning in.

“Those will definitely be first. Students have been complaining about the laundry systems for years. It’s time for a change,” Lindner said.

MBB renovation on track; sports court proposed Lydia Aquino Staff Writer

lra137@psu.edu

Plans to gut and renovate Michael Baker Building as well as build a new sports court on campus are moving forward.

The MBB renovation is expected to start in spring of 2015 and end in July of 2016.

Luke Taiclet, director of finance and business, said renovation should be complete by Aug. 1, 2016.

From its construction in 1968 to now, the only work done to the building has been to replace the roof.

“It’s a well overdue project,” Taiclet said, adding that the way MBB looks now will be different from what you will see after its construction.

The renovation plans consist of reconstructing the building support systems and electrical systems allowing for different styles to let more light into the building.

In addition, an elevator and improved restrooms will be added.

Air conditioning and all building codes will be updated as well, Taiclet said.

The estimated cost of the project is $8 million.

In addition to a renovated classroom building, what else can students look forward to?

Imagine youself living on campus on a warm-weathered spring day.

With the proposed sports court, you could go outside and be active instead of just staying in Harmony Hall.

The concept has been talked about for a couple of years, and recently preliminary designs of what the sports court might look like have been shared with some staff and students.

“It will make the campus more

appealing and have more of an attraction to the students,” said Nick Masci, Student Government Association president.

The ideas being considered for construction include a court for basketball and deck hockey, a track for walkers and a sand volleyball court.

The committee also recommended building a picnic pavilion area so students who are not playing sports will have shade to sit and socialize.

A fire pit and movie area are also under consideration so when studnets cannot play, they can still relax outside, Jim Sauers of J.T Sauers

& Associates, the architectual firm hired to work on the project, said in a meeting with students.

There is no date set yet for completion of the sports courts but the cost is estimated to be between $250,000 to $300,000.

The sports court is planned to be located behind Harmony Hall, but Taiclet said the campus may need to identify alternate locations.

Depending on the size of the project, the proposed location may need to be adjusted to add more housing in the future, should enrollments warrant.

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

News

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What can your Penn State ID do for you?

Local area merchants offer discounts to Penn State students by simply showing their ID cards Stephanie Clark Staff Writer

slc5684@psu.edu

One thing freshman Anthony DeFerrari and sophomore David Brunette have in common is the simple fact that they like to save money.

“Students are already under monetary stress. Money is limited because of books,” said Brunette.

Saving a dollar or two every chance you get may sound appealing, but finding where students can get a discount is not easy.

It’s not uncommon for college students to be able to flash their student IDs and get 10 percent off of a purchase, but DeFerrari said he does not know of anywhere he can get a discount with his Penn State ID. He would take advantage of dicounts if he could, he added.

Most students at Penn State Bea-

ver don’t know they are eligible to receive many discounts in the community with their ID card because there is no up-to-date list of places that offer discounts.

A list was once provided on Penn State Beaver’s website by Student Affairs, but it is no longer available because of the difficulty in maintaining the information over the years, said Staff Assistant Jill Bender.

University Park has a discounts portal found at the Office of Human Resources website, www.ohr.psu. edu/discounts, the portal allows faculty, staff and students to find an extensive list of discounts easily.

Those at Commonwealth Campuses such as Beaver are eligible for the discounts, but most discounts on the stite apply to retailers located in the State College area only.

Among the discounts listed are

several phone companies offer deep discounts on phone plans – 10 percent for AT&T, Verizon and Sprint and 15 percent for T-Mobile – and students at any campus can take advantage of them.

Meanwhile, there are restaraunts nearby that offer discounts to students as well. Wendy’s and McDonald’s offer a 10 percent discount to students. Kings and Anthony’s Pizzeria offer a 15 percent discount.

Antony’s Pizzeria is located in the Beaver Valley Mall food court, while the others are near the mall.

Food is not the only thing students can get a discount on.

Michael’s craft store offers a 15 percent discount when students are purchasing materials for a school project.

JoAnn Fabrics also offers a student discount of 10 percent to students

who register in store or at their website.

Maybe you are searching for a new look? Great Clips offers $2 off to students, and the Beaver County YMCA offers free admission to students Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m.

Sophomore Jimmy Bing said he knows that he can get a discount at McDonald’s and Great Clips just by showing his student ID and takes advantage of these discounts often.

Penn State Beaver Chancellor Gary Keefer said that during a meeting in Harmony Hall last December students expressed interest in more discounts.

Keefer worked out a deal with David Sebastian, the owner of The Wooden Indian in Beaver, so students could enjoy this fast, casual restaurant.

In addition, just after the start of the spring semester, the owners of Witch Flavor in downtown Beaver, Lisa Ragazzini and John Biondi, started offering a 15 percent discount when students of Penn State Beaver show their student ID. Witch Flavor serves Penn State Creamery ice cream as well as homemade soup, soft pretzels, milkshakes, root beer floats and cupcakes, Ragazzini said.

One place DeFerrari said he would like to see offer discounts to students is the movie theater.

There is a Cinemark movie theater right in Monaca. Though this exact location does not offer discounts to students, Cinemark offer a variety of other discounts students may be interested in, such as their popular Tuesday discount days. A complete list of deals can be found on their website.

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

News

Penn State welcomes new faces B.Keeler

Managing Editor bak5266@psu.edu

Four new employees have been hired by Penn State Beaver.

Keith Wilson, instructor in physics, is not entirely new to campus.

He has taught students as an adjunct instructor for the past two years. He started his full-time position at the beginning of the spring semester.

Wilson holds a doctorate in physics and two master’s degrees, one in physics the other in colloid, polymer and surface science.

Over his career, Wilson has worked with a number of large universities doing research and was a senior associate in polyurethane research for Bayer in Pittsburgh.

Brenda Schultz began work as the personal and career counselor in the Student Affairs office last November.

“I am still learning the ropes, but I am really enjoying the entire process,” Schultz said.

Schultz comes to Beaver from

Wilson

Schultz

Moyer

McDermott

Parkway West Alternative Center for Education, where she was the counselor and social worker for eight years. She holds a master’s degree in community counseling from Regent University and a bachelor’s degree in social work from Edinburg University.

“I get most excited when I learn something new and then am able to apply the new tidbit of information

when I meet with a student,” Schultz said.

Penn State Beaver also welcomes its sixth full-time police officer to campus. Michael Moyer comes to Beaver from Carnegie Mellon University.

Although new to Penn State Beaver, Moyer is not new to the Penn State family. Moyer holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from

Penn State Erie.

Students may have also noticed that two familiar staffers in Housing and Food Services operation have switched places.

Staff Assistant Darlene Mancini retired from her full-time position and is now a part-time cashier in the Bistro.

Meanwhile, cashier Patricia McDermott was promoted to fill

Mancini’s full-time staff assistant role in the office.

Prior to coming to Penn State Beaver, McDermott worked in customer service for US Airways. She said she feels that her background will help when students are having difficulties.

“I really like working with students, and I just like Penn State as a whole,” McDermott said.

Police Beat

Campus police assist in undercover joint-operation drug bust

An undercover state police operation came to a head outside of Harmony Hall on Jan. 15.

Penn State Beaver police assisted in the joint-operation with the state police and several agencies.

Four people were taken into custody and one person charged with drug-related offenses.

None were Penn State students. Neither the State Police nor the Penn State Police could say why the bust took place on campus.

California cat fight

A resident assistant reported two female students, both from California, fighting in one of the hallways in Harmony Hall on Jan. 29.

Police would not say what sparked the incident.

After an investigation, police charged Cheyenne Spencer of Moreno Valley and Dalia Arreola of Whittier with disorderly conduct.

Missing monitor

A campus employee reported Feb. 4 that a computer monitor was missing from room 13 of the Michael Baker Building. Police are still investigating and did not have a value for the monitor.

Marijuana in the woods

A student was found with marijuana by campus police in the woods near parking lot C, close to the gym Feb. 8. Police refused to name the student or provide details as the case is still under investigation.

Illegal prescription drugs found in Harmony Hall

A resident student was found using illegally obtained prescription drugs Feb. 9. Police refused to name the student or provide details pending charges and an on-going investigation.

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Viewpoint

Think before you tweet Managing Editor of Content Ben Keeler

bak5266@psu.edu

Managing Editor of Production Caitlin Vodenichar cav5119@psu.edu

Photo Editor Dante Massey

dwm5299@psu.edu

Copy Editors Mike Brayack

mib5566@psu.edu

Adam Davidson ajd5324@psu.edu

Business Manager Taylor Braxton

tmb5242@psu.edu

Page Designers Stephanie Clark slc5684@psu.edu

Dan FIsher

dtf5069@psu.edu

Andy Germani

arg5226@psu.edu

Amanda Palombo amp5831@psu.edu

Kathline Wherry klw250@psu.edu

Morgan Zelkovic mlz155@psu.edu

Advisors Terrie Baumgardner tbm2@psu.edu

Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu

Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu

Twitter confessions: People are being obnoxious anonymously online?

On your Internet? Wow, that’s newsworthy.

That wasn’t meant to be sarcasm.

The “anonymously” part really is a clear case of novelty.

Who really believes they are completely anonymous online anymore — exempting hackers who lurk behind seven proxy servers in the middle of Russia, of course?

Hasn’t social media already scraped away the thin, false veneer that whatever you do online can’t affect you in real life?

How many unsuspecting young people unwittingly posted images of themselves online smoking pot or practicing for their hopeful porn career only to find that, unfortunately, their real potential employer knew how to use the magic of the Google?

George Orwell’s book “1984” had it all wrong. Why install conspicuous

cameras in someone’s house to spy on them when you can just give them a social media account? People can’t wait to throw their privacy away for attention.

Which leads back to the idea of “anonymous online confessions.”

So you’re not one of those attention seekers and you know how to stay off The Man’s radar. You say what you want and do what you want, just like the counter-culture revolutionary that you are.

And no one will ever know.

Really?

In five years your potential employer will probably be able to run a DNA scan on you just by looking at you with his state-of-the-art Google eye implants.

In 10 years children will be accessing ultra-realistic hallucinatory thought battles in the middle of class via their implanted brain computers and infinite, telepathic Wi-Fi. In 15

years there might even be jetpacks.

Do you really feel so secure in your online anonymity?

Do you really think that your professors and your employer don’t know that you weren’t really sick yesterday, that you had more interesting things to do?

Maybe you should have posted a photo of a pile of used tissues rather than a demonstration of your nightly binge drinking.

Everything you do online will most likely be there forever, and any truly interested party will be able to find it.

But hey, why worry about that when you have pictures of your bare breasts to post with the caption, “SOOO DRUNK RITE NOW LOL! MY FUTURE EMPLOYER WILL NEVER SEE THIS! #YOLO.” Think before you act. Everyone knows that the only truly anonymous medium left in the world is the student newspaper editorial.

Ocean Avenue on Penn Avenue

A Roar staffer’s night on the town leads to lifetime memories A few weeks ago, I got to experience one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I met my favorite band, Yellowcard.

You may not know who I’m talking about, but Yellowcard has been around for a while. It’s an alternative band that I’ve liked for like, ever.

Because I have the best boyfriend in the world and he got me tickets for Christmas, I didn’t just get to see a show, I actually got to meet them.

I don’t think words could describe my excitement to even hold a ticket to go see Yellowcard, let alone actually meet them.

The band played a sold-out show at the Altar Bar in Pittsburgh Jan. 30, the first time it had come to the city in years.

As I walked up to the steps of

Amanda Palombo Altar Bar I started to become more and more excited that this was actually happening. Waiting in line felt like forever, even though there were only 30 people ahead of me.

When it came my turn for a picture and an autograph, the lead singer, Ryan Key, and violinist Sean Mackin talked to me. They asked me how I was, and I told them that I didn’t know what to do because I was a little in shock.

After 50 pictures and autographs, the band left, everyone started flowing in, and the concert was about to start.

As the notes to a song started playing, the energy in the venue tripled and they finally started the show.

Two hours later when I could barely speak and barely stand, Yellowcard left the stage with a heartfelt good-bye and thanks to the audience.

You can compare me meeting Yellowcard to a basketball player getting to meet Lebron James.

That’s what it felt like. Nothing will ever top what I got to go through that night (unless I get married or something), but it was easily one of the best moments in my life.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the Editor are encouraged and can be emailed to: roareditor@psu.edu by the 20th day of each month.

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 eighth-page ad per club per edition. To reserve space, email The Roar business manager at: roarbusiness@psu. edu.

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.

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

Features

Students do service, not sleep in

Penn State Beaver students take full advantage of Martin Luther King Day in an unorthodox way Emily Winters Staff Writer

emw5343@psu.edu

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 20, students from Penn State Beaver participated in “A Day On, Not A Day Off,” by doing community service.

The 28 students who participated either stayed at Beaver campus, went to Duquesne to work, or volunteered through Penn State Shenango.

The students who traveled to Duquesne teamed up with the University of Pittsburgh and Gay4Good, a group that encourages volunteer work among the LGBT community.

After learning Pitt was going to be with them, the 11 Penn State students were nervous because they were outnumbered by the 50 Pitt students.

Together they volunteered at the Pittsburgh Food Bank, packaging food in an assembly line.

Sophomore Alicia Hampe, who traveled with the group, said she thought it was fun and fulfilling.

The group that stayed behind at

The ROAR/ Amanda Palombo

Students from the Pittsburgh area campuses gather at Penn State Shenango to do service work in the Sharon area.

Beaver set up shop in the Student Activities Suite for Operation Gratitude, which involved writing letters and creating care packages for soldiers overseas.

Freshman Alissa Ketterer was one

of the participants.

“In our letters, we talked about our lives back here and offered words of encouragement and gratitude for all that they do,” Ketterer said.

“I loved being able to do some-

thing nice for someone else.”

Students who traveled to Penn State Shenango worked in the local Shenango area with other Western Pennsylvania Penn State campuses.

While students were doing gra-

cious things in Duquesne and Beaver, more service was being completed by students from the Penn State Shenango campus in Sharon.

Freshman Paula Sequeira volunteered her time with the Salvation Army.

Sequeira cleaned dirty and dusty tables and shelves while other students played basketball with smiling children and cleaned out houses that looked like dumps.

Sequeira also painted the tables and shelves, a task which she said she enjoyed.

Penn State Beaver participates in “A Day On, Not a Day Off” for Martin Luther King Jr. Day every year and encourages students to join.

After completing her service, Sequeira said she would definitely do it again, and she would encourage more people to sign up for it.

“It is definitely an experience everyone should have. It made me feel like a real Penn State student,” she said.

MLK day brings student feelings of fulfillment Emily Winters Staff Writer

emw5343@psu.edu

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 10 Penn State Beaver students and I traveled to Duquesne to volunteer at the Pittsburgh Food Bank.

I was nervous because I had never worked at a food bank before.

Walking into a huge warehouse, I had no idea what to expect.

Together we all formed an assembly line and did something I never thought I would be a part of.

I had no idea what I would be doing or who I would be working with.

We were told a group called Gay4Good was going to be working with us, and there were only 10 of them.

It made me feel at ease knowing

there were not a lot of people with us.

I should have bitten my tongue because, wouldn’t you know it, 50 students from the University of Pittsburgh came through the door to join us. We needed the help because there was a lot of work to do.

Luckily for me, I was put behind the assembly line, breaking down boxes and unwrapping the packaged food. I thought it was going to be an easy job, but when we were done I was dripping with sweat.

I ended up having cuts on my sore hands from breaking down the boxes.

Despite the pain and labor, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, though. I loved it, loved the fact that

I was helping someone else. I love making people happy, and after volunteering my time I asked myself why I don’t do it more often.

It was an amazing experience. People told me we packed as many as 1,600 boxes.

For two hours’ work, I think that was pretty good. When we were working, time flew by and the two hours felt like 30 minutes.

I would definitely participate in MLK Day again. Penn State does a great job in the community, and without PSU, I would have never had this experience.

Editor’s note: Roar staff memeber Emily Winters was one of many student volunteers for “A Day On, Not a Day Off” on MLK Day.

Penn State Beaver/ Amy Gartley

Emily Winters was part of a group of students that traveled to Duquesne to volunteer for the day.

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

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Local restaurant speaks Pittsburghese

Hidden away and off the beaten path, Bowsers offers food and drink with a Pittsburgh flair

Luc saunders Staff Writer

lxs5326@psu.edu

Students who want a hearty Pittsburgh-style sandwich shouldn’t have to make the long trek downtown to satisfy their craving.

Bowsers, located just a few minutes from campus at 1493 Old Brodhead Road, is open from 11 a.m. to midnight and offers local fare with a strong emphasis on sandwiches and salads loaded with french fries; a Pittsburgh specialty.

Bowsers’ manager Andrew Selby is very proud of the restaurant’s great food and great service.

Hidden on the back side of Center Stage banquet hall, Bowsers opened in August 1993 and has been a favorite of Penn Stater Beaver students since. Selby said women’s basketball Coach Tim Moore often brings the team to Bowsers after games.

A full-service bar was added a few years ago and students are welcome to come eat and drink. Selby said

The ROAR/Dante Massey

A typical meal at Bowsers, such as this wrap, goes heavy on the fries.

Bowsers does not want to be known as a late night party bar; surprisingly, most of the liquor sales made by Bowsers go to families.

Bowsers is often compared to Primanti Bros., a landmark Pittsburgh restaurant credited with inventing

the Pittsburgh-style sandwich. Selby is not too fond of the comparison.

“We call them the P-word around here and we don’t really talk about them,” Selby said.

Bowsers sandwiches start with your choice of meat, with loads of

vinegar-based coleslaw and a mound of fries squeezed between two thick slices of Mancini Italian bread.

One thing that makes the menu unique is all items are named after a Pittsburgh celebrity.

Selby admitted to stealing the idea from a burger joint he visited outside of Harvard.

Bowsers does not really compete with local restaurants, Selby said.

“We treat our regulars like family,” and said their niche is “in-between fast food and sit down.”

Bowsers can be hard to find, it doesn’t advertise much and it doesn’t offer discounts to attract Penn State Beaver students. But you can still check out their website at friesandslaw.com that includes a link to a YouTube channel, a blog and other restaurant information.

Freshmen Dante Palmieri, Andre Graef and Clayton Covalt eat at Bowsers often.

Palmieri said he loves the food and the casual atmosphere. “Not super

upbeat like Applebee’s, but for a bar it is pretty good.”

He suggested trying out the wings, the hot sausage Pittsburgh-style sandwich called the Kurt Angle and the chicken salad named after newsman David Johnson.

He said the bar doesn’t seem like a college crowd. “It’s mostly old men at the bar.”

Palmieri said his only complaint was that the service is a little slow at times, but the food is fantastic.

Covalt said he loves Bowsers and that he has never had a problem with the service there. The “classic Pittsburgh food” is some of the best around, he added. His favorite thing to order is the steak and cheese Pittsburgh-style sandwich known as the Roberto Clemente.

Graef said his favorite thing to order are the bowls, which are Pittsburgh-style sandwiches tossed into a bowl without the bread. He also mentioned that the hoagies and Buffalo ranch dressing are amazing.

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

Features

Auction raises THON funds Adam Davidson Staff Writer

ajd5324@psu.edu

Feb. 5 was set to be an exceptional day for THON at the Brodhead Bistro. But when the day finally came, students were busy doing the usual — loading up on burgers and fries instead of unloading their wallets to find a date and contribute to a great cause.

Penn State Beaver’s own THON committee was forced to postpone the date auction to Feb. 12 after a night of snow and freezing rain closed the campus until noon.

Those at the head of THON did not sweat this minor hiccup, however, as the date auction was ultimately as loud, boisterous and most of all, successful as in previous years. Students were sold from $5 to as much as $110 as junior auctioneer Rob Trhlin touted their hobbies and interests.

“Every dime goes to the Four Diamonds Fund,” Residence Life Coordinator Parker Goolsby said.

For more than 40 years, the Four Diamonds Fund, an organization dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer, has benefited from smaller events such as the date auction, as well as major events such as THON’s Dance Marathon in February.

Goolsby said Penn State Beaver’s own THON committee set a new record for fundraising last year bringing in more than $15,000.

Officials say there is reason to believe the record will be broken once again, but no one will release the total amount Beaver has raised yet.

Sophomore THON member Amanda Donatelli said THON had gradually been approaching last year’s mark even before the auction.

“We raised 10 times as much in November as we did last year,” Donatelli said. Month by month, every event adds more to the total.

This includes the $400 raised through department canning and the more than $400 raised from the date auction. It’s an encouraging sign for THON as it approaches the biggest

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Above, Kaif Johnson bids on Tori Palermo at the THON Date Auction on Feb. 12, with Rob Trhlin as the auctioneer. Below, THON Chair Nikki Nuske sells 50/50 raffle tickets at the Spirit Night basketball games on Feb. 6.

event on their calendar.

In what is an annual tradition, THON’s combined efforts culminate on Feb. 21 in a 46-hour dance marathon inside the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park. All Penn State campuses will be represented.

This year, Penn State Beaver is sending sophomores Matt Downing and Audrey Zanath to represent the campus as its dancers.

Until then, dancers will go through orientation and receive emotional support in preparation for the toll the 46 hours will take on them. This also includes routine exercises and cutting back on caffeine – a stimulant not provided to dancers on THON weekend.

“Dancing for 46 hours is no easy task, and no matter how much training I do it will be exhausting,” Downing said. “That being said, I know it is for the kids.”

Penn State Beaver/ Cathy Benscoter

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

Features

Students tweet confessions

Person in the Bistro

How do you feel about the Penn State confessions page?

Is it a campus outlet for ideas or too much information?

Marcus Smith Staff Writer

mas6432@psu.edu

Confession pages started up randomly with different schools, but now they are the year’s college trend.

The confession pages for Michigan University and Iowwwa University went viral with over 500,000 views and over 100,000 re-tweets on Twitter.

Now Penn State Beaver has joined the growing list of campuses that have such a page and many on campus are interested.

“One time I did Molly at 10AM for no reason, I had the best day ever,” one person posted.

“I did some nasty things in harmony hall a while ago but it’s nothing new,“ read another recent post.

“B.Z. has a great ass ... maybe the best on campus.”

Though they may offer too much information for the average person, such comments have become increasingly common online with the confessions pages phenomenon on Twitter.

Such pages allow people to anonymously confess their secrets or whatever happens to be on their minds, including personal information about others, judgments and anything else that they think the world and the campus should know.

Some of the tweets seem harmless, like “I’m such a weirdo” and another noting “the guy in green is cute.”

But other tweets, such as, “Might walk in bistro ass naked and demand some eggs my type of morning,” are more controversial.

Some students think it’s funny and some don’t.

“I think that it’s immature and only students that want attention would do something like this,” said junior psychology major Natalie Gamble.

“I believe the future holds no limit to what you can put on these social networks, and individuals are living in a fantasy world by putting a ‘front’ on for social media,” Gamble added.

Freshman Anthony Frenzley said that he enjoys the humor.

“I believe laughing makes the soul better and makes a person have a better spirit. I love these pages,” Frenzley said.

Sophomore Rob Agurs said that the privacy concerns are troubling, but he still finds them humorous. “It is kind of creepy if someone mentions you and your every move and you don’t know who it is. But other than that

“It’s pretty wild. You don’t need to put random things out there like that.”

Blair Sheffield Senior

“I don’t think it’s a good image for our school. They should be more positive.”

Alissa Ketterer

Screen shot from @PSBVRConfession, where students anonymously post their secrets.

I think it is funny and the person doing it probably loves entertaining people.”

Associate Director of Student Affairs Amy Gartley said that if she wanted to look wild and crazy, she might post a lot. But she offers a word of warning to students.

“I would be very cautious,” she said. “Just because they’re posting a confession doesn’t mean what they’re saying is true or accurate.”

The Penn State Beaver confessions page has 77 followers but continues to grow. You can follow the page at @PSBVRConfession.

“People really have a lot of time on their hands to makes these pages, but hey whatever makes you happy,” Agurs said.

Freshman

“I honestly didn’t know this existed. It doesn’t affect me really. They didn’t use names.”

Ana Paula Freshman

“Half the stuff they talk about is just unnecessary. It doesn’t affect me. It’s useless.”

Omar Al-Rahmani Freshman

“I think it’s funny. A lot of people may not want to see that on their timeline though.”

Roger Rhoden Senior

“It’s hilarious. Every campus should do something like that.”

Devante Phillip

Sophomore

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

11

Play focuses on racial discrimination Audrey Zanath Staff Writer

aaz120@psu.edu

Believe it or not, racial discrimination was still a lingering problem for the southern states in 2006, and seven high school students made the country realize just how serious the problem really was.

“Blood at the Root” is a play inspired by the true story of the “Jena Six.” It follows six high school students at the fictional Cedar High who use their experiences to look at the world, and each other, in a new way.

Penn State Beaver students will be able to join in on the evocative discussion surrounding the play’s events when “Blood at the Root” is presented on campus at 4 p.m. March 1 in the Student Union Building Auditorium. A question-and-answer session will follow the free performance.

The production is based off an incident in Jena, La., which sparked national concern about racial injustice.

In 2006, six black high school stu-

dents assaulted one white student outside of their school. The white student was treated and released at the hospital for injuries to his head, eyes, face, ears and hand. The black students were initially charged with attempted murder.

This incident opened the eyes of local residents to the racial injustice surrounding the entire area; white students who committed the same crimes would never face such harsh penalties, if they faced any at all.

The case triggered many protests, including one demonstration in Jena, which attracted more than 15,000 protesters. It also opened the eyes to citizens around the country and allowed them to realize just how far the United States still has to come in regard to racial equality.

Dominque Morisseau wrote “Blood at the Root.” Under the direction of Steve Broadnax, six students in Penn State University Park’s graduate acting class will perform the play at Penn State Beaver as a part of a university-wide tour.

Student Activities Coordinator

Jennifer Toof said she thinks that students will really enjoy the play and learn from it.

“This is current. This is something that has (recently) happened,” she said.

Sophomore Christina Warren said the play will be interesting to watch and believes it will make our students “more cultured.”

Senior Nick Bruce said he’s looking forward to the production. “It’s good to explore racism and acknowledge those things because discrimination is reality.”

The School of Theatre first premiered the play during a three-week tour in South Africa last summer.

It started in Johannesburg before performing three times at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, where it received high praise, and culminating in Cape Town.

Audience reaction from the South African tour included comments such as “touching and real,” with some noting that the themes were similar to social issues going on in South Africa.

“Blood at the Root” will be be performed on campus at 4 p.m. March 1 in the Student Union Building Auditorium.

12

Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

Sports

Men fight for first in conference Kayla Wagner Staff Writer

krw5239@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team is on the fast track to the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs with a record of 17-6 overall, 12-3 in the conference.

The team pulled off its fourth straight win Feb. 12 with an 83-70 victory over Penn State WilkesBarre.

Senior Chris Weathers scored 27 points and grabbed 7 rebounds, while sophomore Rob Agurs added 21 points and senior Nick Miller had 16 points and 5 assists. Beaver led through most of the game, but warded off a last-minute rally from Wilkes-Barre.

Despite the recent wins, the team experienced a minor setback when it found itself in a threegame losing slump in late January.

Beaver was defeated by Penn State Greater Allegheny, York and Mont Alto, its only three conference losses.

The men bounced back with four wins: an 87-61 victory over Penn State Fayette Feb. 5, a 100-90 win over Penn State Lehigh Valley Feb. 8, a 89-62 win over Penn State DuBois Feb. 10, and the Feb. 12 victory.

“We expected to be competitive in the league and have a chance to win the league championship, so we are right where we thought we would be at,” Coach Marcess Williams said.

Senior Markus Allen said, “The time I have been at the Beave, they have built a winning reputation and it’s really cool to see them year in and year out continue to live up to the hype.”

With a relatively young team, the men of Penn State Beaver are dominating on their home turf with a record of 8-0.

“We are just really trying to find our rotation with the guys we have now,” Williams said.

Allen, who ended his run on the team last year when his eligibility

ended, said he thinks that the losing streak came at just the right time, and now the team has time to “learn from their mistakes and grow into the team they really want to be.”

In the Feb. 5 win over Penn State Fayette, Agurs led the team with 27 points, 13 rebounds and a doubledouble. Senior Nick Miller added 19 points and 8 rebounds.

After a sluggish start against Penn State Lehigh Valley Feb. 8, Agurs led Beaver to the win with 28 points followed by Weathers with 21 and junior Chris Best with 19.

In the victory over Penn State DuBois Feb. 10, Beaver jumped to a quick lead and maintained it throughout. Agurs had a doubledouble with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Junior Tiere Phillips added 20 points and senior Markes Royster, Miller and Weathers each had 10.

“Scoring is not the ultimate goal.

You want to be the winner when you play basketball,” Weathers said.

Allen lamented how the national championship has eluded the team.

“With the caliber of players they have, they should be able to break that streak and achieve all their goals this year.”

Agurs said he is really gunning for that championship title because it would be his first.

“To get a championship is really my biggest goal,” Agurs said. “I came second a lot of times and I’m tired of being second.”

Penn State Beaver is ranked No. 6 in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. Two other Penn State campuses are ranked ahead of Beaver, Penn State York at No. 2 and Penn State Mont Alto at No. 3.

The ROAR/Dante Massey

Above, Nick Miller fights over the ball against two players from Penn State DuBois on Feb. 10. At left, Markus Royster shoots a free throw against Penn State DuBois.

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Sports

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The ROAR/ Dante Massey

At left, Chris Weathers fights for a jump ball and, at right, Rob Agurs brings the ball up the court in the game against Penn State DuBois.

Two players reach 1,000 career points Kayla Wagner Staff Writer

krw5239@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team made school history this season when two players hit the 1,000-point milestone, giving the team a total of three players in its 2013-2014 starting line-up with this achievement.

Hitting 1,000 points has long been considered a great achievement in the world of basketball.

It is an accomplishment that every player strives for and yet few actually achieve.

Players have to score a solid number of points each game to come close to hitting the 1,000 points, so having three players at that mark on the same team simultaneously is an achievement.

Previously, senior Nick Miller hit this milestone during his junior year in 2013. This year senior Chris Weathers and sophomore Rob Agurs joined the club.

“The unique thing is to have three guys

on the floor, all with 1,000 points,” Coach Marcess Williams said. “All three guys, they deserve it.”

Most recently, Agurs hit the 1,000-point mark during a 103-67 victory against Penn State New Kensington Jan. 22.

Williams said he was very excited to see it happen to a sophomore. “Rob did it as a sophomore, so that makes it a little more unique.”

“It was a goal that I had set coming in,” Agurs said. “It was a milestone that I reached and I feel honored to be capable to do that, blessed that I was able to score 1,000 points.”

When asked about future goals, Agurs seemed to be all about the team. “I’m not really big on individual accolades. I’m about the championships.”

Weathers is on the same page as he hit his milestone late in the fall semester.

“It’s something you can always look back on. I’m proud of it. I’m happy, but our wins are more important than my 1,000 points,” Weathers said.

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Penn State Beaver Roar February 2014

Sports

Lady Lions stay strong in conference Christian Best Staff Writer

ckb5141@psu.edu

Despite an overall record of 13-10, the Penn State Beaver Lady Lions basketball team still manages to hold onto a conference record of 10-3 and a strong hope for a conference championship.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Lady Lions on the hardwood, as they started the season losing four of their first five games. A four-game winning streak in December helped them to bounce back, but the team has continued its roller coaster ride since the holiday break.

“We’ve run into some adversity this season,” said sophomore shooting guard Morgan Kurtz. “Unfortunately it affected our record, but we can still finish strong in our conference as we head into playoffs.”

Coach Tim Moore remains optimistic.

“We’ve certainly hit a rough patch in the month of January,” Moore said. “But it’s still early. Teams strive to play their best basketball in the month of February. At the end of the day, that’s what we strive to do, play great when it counts.”

Since January, the Lady Lions have certainly strengthened their bench depth. By adding freshman transfer Sydnee Abernathy, the Lady Lions are equipped with more skilled guards off the bench, and in turn are taking some of the pressure off of prominent guards sophomore Khalia Adams and freshman Mason Depetro.

Since the new year, the team has been competing well in conference.

Beaver has only fallen short two games in conference play, losing to Penn State Greater Allegheny Jan. 27 and Penn State Fayette Feb. 5.

Most recently, the Lady Lions defeated Penn State Wilkes-Barre by a resounding 76-48 at home Feb. 12.

Beaver dominated with 35 turnovers on 28 steals. Freshman Kelsey Brooks scored a career-high 17 points, with sophomore Cassandra Flowers earning 12 points, 15 rebounds and a double-double.

In other recent wins, Beaver beat

The ROAR/Dante Massey

Above, Morgan Kurtz shoots a foul shot on Feb. 10 against Penn State DuBois. Below left, Kelsey Brooks attempts a shot. Below right, Mason DePetro dribbles the ball up the court.

Penn State Lehigh Valley 90-53 Feb. 8, and Penn State DuBois 102-66 Feb. 10.

In the Lehigh Valley matchup, the first half saw several lead changes, while Beaver dominated in the second half. Sophomore Cassandra Flowers led with 20 points and 8 rebounds, while Adams had 18 points and 6 rebounds. On defense, senior Kalynn Hill and freshmen Kelsey Brooks and Asia Borders each had double-digit rebounds.

Beaver had a strong start against DuBois, hanging onto the lead through most of the first half and then pummeling DuBois in the second half. Flowers again led the offense with a double-double,

27 points and 11 rebounds. Kurtz and Depetro had 19 and 17 points respectively.

The team’s 9-3 conference record puts it in a perfect spot for the Penn State University Athletic Conference playoffs.

“It’s just been a roller coaster season for us,” said Adams. “I’m confident that we can go far. We’re starting to perform better as a team and reaching our goal every day.”

“We have four games left until we start conference playoffs and it’s our job as a unit to finish off the regular season strong,” Adams added.

The Lady Lions are ranked No. 14 in the nation in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association.

February 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Sports

15

Wrestling team endures injury and defeat Anthony Lamont Staff Writer

ajl5715@psu.edu

This season started the same as the past three have for the Penn State Beaver wrestling team: a full roster, high expectations and nothing but smooth sailing ahead.

Unfortunately, throughout the season the team has battled hardship and injury in the Penn State University Athletic Conference.

The team ended the season with a 3-0 loss in the PSUAC tournament Feb. 9 and a record of 2-8 overall and 2-2 in conference.

“If I could use one word to describe this season, it would be ‘building,’” Coach Jeff Winkle said.

Sophomore Devante Phillip suffered a season-ending ankle injury in a match earlier in the season against Penn State Mont Alto. Though he tried to return, he was unable, Winkle said.

Freshman Cortland Woodard is wrestling for the first time far from his hometown in New Orleans. “I miss home but I need to be here.

The Roar/Dante Massey

Sean Newkirk faces off against a wrestler from Penn State Mont Alto on Jan.15 at the Penn State Quad Match.

It helps me focus better,” Woodard said.

Winkle said he thinks this season has afforded his wrestlers a great opportunity in the PSUAC championships, regardless of earlier setbacks.

“There are good chances for the

wrestlers going; they have all peaked at the right time,” he said.

On Feb. 9 the men’s wrestling team, with a limited roster, attended the combined PSUAC/United States Collegiate Athletic Association tournament at University Park. The team

took wrestlers Woodard, freshman Wendell Rubright and senior Dylan Winkle.

Winkle wrestled two matches, one against an opponent from West Virginia University Institute of Technology and the other against an oppo-

nent from Penn State DuBois, but was defeated in both.

The same applied to Woodard, who fell to opponents from Penn College of Technology and Alfred State College.

Rubright provided the day’s spark.

After falling in his first two matches, Rubright found himself in competition for fifth place in the 141-pound weight class, but was unable to defeat his Alfred State opponent. Rubright finished sixth.

“I’ve got no complaints about the season other than it goes too fast,” coach Winkle said. “We had a great start. Unfortunately we lost several wrestlers, but it still has been a great ride.”

Dylan Winkle, son of Coach Jeff Winkle, is the first wrestler to graduate from Penn State Beaver’s wrestling program since its inception four years ago. He has wrestled all four years.

“It feels really good,” Winkle said of being the first varsity wrestler to graduate from the team. “It’s something to be proud of.”

Fightin’ Beavs skate over competition and into playoff run Andy Germani Staff Writer

arg5226@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver Fightin’ Beavs are one of the hottest teams in the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Roller Hockey League, rattling off eight straight wins after a 0-3 start.

The Fightin’ Beavs have been outscoring opponents by an average of 4.6 goals per game during their streak, including their most recent 5-4 victory over Geneva College on Jan. 29.

The recent surge has moved the team into second place behind the undefeated Slippery Rock University Black.

Freshman forward Chris Lutz has a reason for why things have changed. “We had tryouts then went straight into games, and it took a few

The ROAR/Kathline Wherry

Chris Lutz moves the puck against Geneva College Jan. 29.

games for us to get familiar with each other.”

Lutz said he thinks that this familiarity and chemistry makes them one

of the best, if not the best team in the league.

The Fightin’ Beavs have been led to victory by freshman Elias Fochler,

Lutz and sophomore Mike Harrington, who rank No. 2, 3 and 4 respectively in the league for goals and points scored.

In their Jan. 29 game against Geneva, the team had a rough first period that ended tied at 1. It could have been worse if it had not been for great goaltending from junior Nick Coleman.

The Fightin’ Beavs battled back with a dominating second period, scoring four times and gaining a 5-1 lead with two goals from Fochler.

The third period was a completely different story. The Fightin’ Beavs appeared content with their four-goal lead and with about eight minutes left, Geneva added a goal followed by another goal two minutes later. With 45 seconds left in the period, Geneva scored again, narrowing Penn State

Beaver’s lead to just a single goal.

The Fightin’ Beavs were able to fend off several good scoring chances to hold on for a one-goal victory.

The team has come together since its early season struggles.

“This is the most fun I have had in a season since I started coaching,” said Assistant Coach Justin Vorbach.

The playoffs are nearing, and the biggest factor, according to freshman Dominic Rossi, is for the team to not become selfish for the playoff run, and to continue playing as a team.

The Fightin’ Beavs next game Feb. 13 could determine who finishes the regular season in first place. The final two games of the season are Feb. 20 and 26.

All games are played at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center on Neville Island.

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