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Penn State Beaver Roar

News

March 2014

IST students present in Spain B. KEELER

Managing Editor bak5266@psu.edu

While some students partied in warm, sunny climates or enjoyed being home for spring break, a group of Information Science and Technology students traveled to Spain to present the results of a research project.

Kay Wijekumar, associate professor of Information Sciences and Technology, escorted five undergraduates – seniors Nick Bruce, Dorian Gilliam and Joe Benscoter and juniors Alex Boguszewski and Spencer Conklin – to a conference in Spain, where they presented a research project they completed last semester.

For the project, the students conducted a hierarchical task analysis of E-lion, followed by a usability test of the site. The group presented the results at the Eighth International Technology, Education and Development Conference in Valencia.

The students were all enrolled in IST 440W: IST Integration and Problem Solving, which focuses on real-world problems faced by an organization.

Benscoter said he was amazed at how recognized the Penn State name was. At the conference the group had lunch with two women from Belgium and Australia. The two immediately recognized the Penn State name, but when the group suggested other American universities like Ohio State and Kent State, they hadn’t heard of them.

“They consider Penn State a very prestigious university,” Benscoter said.

Wijekumar said in an email that students presented the entire project themselves, and that they spoke without hesitation to a room full of professors and graduate students from around the world.

Bruce said it was an honor to participate in the conference. “It looked like we were the only undergraduate students there, and the presentation went really well.”

Wijekumar said that her favorite

Photos courtesy of Kay Wijekumar

From left, Nick Bruce, Spencer Conklin, Joe Benescoter, Alex Boguszewski and Dorian Gilliam visit the Museu Nacional D’art De Catalunya.

Above, Kay Wijekumar, Joe Benscoter and Alex Boguszewski, left, relax after their presentation. Right, the students dodge traffic to et their picture taken in a street in Valencia.

part of the trip was seeing how each student adapted to a foreign country, the people and culture.

“This group was particularly adventurous in tasting all kinds of food, including fried lamb brains, and participating in (as many) activities (as they could),” Wijekumar said.

Benscoter ordered the fried lamb brains at La Clara in Barcelona, a restaurant recommended by chef Mario Batali in his book “Spain...A Culi-

nary Road Trip,” because Batali said the brains were the best thing on the menu.

“I thought it was awesome, like an explosion of slimy pudding in my mouth,” Benscoter said.

Bruce also tried the fried lambs brains after some friendly persuasion from the group, but he regretted the decision.

“It was slimy and mushy and just plain nasty,” Bruce said.

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

News

Wellness Center named in honor of Keefer AMANDA PALOMBO Senior Staff Writer

amp5831@psu.edu

When Penn State’s Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Madlyn Hanes visited Beaver campus in February with Provost Nick Jones, she shared a little secret with the Campus Advisory Board: The Wellness Center would be named after Chancellor Gary Keefer.

On March 7, the news became official when the Penn State Board of Trustees voted to authorize the name change.

“With all that he’s done for the campus, we felt that this was the least thing we could do,” said Hanes.

The idea to name the Wellness Center in Keefer’s honor came from the campus directors.

“We thought, what would be the best way to honor Dr. Keefer for all that he’s done for the campus? The Wellness Center was a perfect idea,’” said Director of Development Diana Patterson.

Originally, they thought about naming a garden for him.

“I wanted something more permanent, instead of a garden. I mentioned it to (Director of Business and Finance) Luke Taiclet, and he thought it was a great idea,” Patterson continued.

Taiclet said he knew it would take

Courtesy of Penn State Beaver

Chancellor Gary Keefer’s name will be added above the check-in desk at the Wellness Center entrance, similar to the illustration above.

Chancellor Gary Keefer, left, Provost Nick Jones and Vice President of Commonwealth Campuses Madalyn Haines listen to student comments and concerns during Jones’ and Haines’ visit to campus in early March.

“a lot of convincing” to get university officials to agree.

“It takes special permission to name a facility for an active employee and is rarely done, so we were only mildly optimistic that we could get this to happen.”

According to Hanes and Taiclet, Keefer has been a huge part of the $3.1 million Wellness Center project from day one.

The center opened in fall 2012; construction began in early 2011,

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though planning for the project began in earnest in 2007.

“He really wanted this project to go through. He cares about the students and he felt that this would be a good addition to the campus, and he was right,” Hanes said.

“As a former athlete, I worked out all the time, and I knew it was a vital part for them,” said Keefer. “Having a good college experience is extremely important, next to academics of course.”

Keefer, who has been chancellor at Penn State Beaver for 18 years, said he was passionate about the project since he arrived here.

Keefer has been Beaver’s longestterm chancellor in history, making the decision to name the Wellness Center after him even easier.

“They did a really good job of keeping it a secret from me,” Keefer said of the campus directors.

“They stalled me in my office while they put together a party for me,” Keefer added.

In addition to renaming the Wellness Center, Keefer has also been honored with an endowed scholarship in his name announced last fall.

“The first award will be given out in the fall semester of 2014,” said Patterson. “We’ve already been reaching out to people looking for donations to build the scholarship.”

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Penn State Beaver Roar

News

March 2014

Web classes convenient but hard JENNIFER BACVINSKAS Staff Writer

jlb6257@psu.edu

As Senior Lauren Pier sits at a computer to begin her work for the day, she talks about how she liked taking speech online and how flexible it was.

“There was a lot of busy work in my online class because you had to teach yourself everything, but the professor was nice and helped me when I needed it,” said Pier.

Pier said she likes learning in traditional classes, but she found online classes to be more convenient with the workload she already had. Even though the online classes Pier needs aren’t offered at Penn State Beaver, she is trying to enroll in the World Campus.

Students registering for online classes seem to be having a dilemma: convenience or more work.

Through Karen Barr’s 11 years of teaching online classes, she has noticed more online classes becoming available to students. She refers to it as “staying with the times.”

Barr, senior instructor in business, is teaching two online classes and has learned that it is difficult to communicate with students in online classes because they can’t see each other in person. However, with new technol-

The ROAR/Kathline Wherry

Amy Arnold looks over her PowerPoint notes for an online class.

ogy, it is easy to restore that communication.

Barr recommends that everyone try at least one class online to gain the experience.

Junior Elizabeth Pompe hasn’t taken an online class yet and doesn’t

think she ever will because of her experience in high school.

“I took English 15 my junior year of high school through the Community College of Allegheny County because I wanted to get a jump-start on my college courses,” said Pompe.

Pompe realized online classes were harder than she thought. However, she would recommend them to someone with a job or a family to take care of, like a non-traditional student.

Freshman basketball player Ignacio Alleyne wasn’t going to take an online class until his coach recommended it.

By taking Criminal Justice online, Alleyne can get his work done before he travels for his games. He finds the class he is taking online to be easy because he can teach himself.

Alleyne wants to take another course and recommends online classes to everyone, as long as they keep up with their e-mail.

Freshman Kyle Daltner, who is taking his first online class, found out it takes a lot more time and effort to complete.

Daltner compares his online class to a double edge sword: “On one hand it’s more convenient and on the other it’s more confusing.”

Still undecided if he will take another, he said he wants everyone to know that online classes are convenient, but you have to be able to teach yourself.

Senior Instructor of Psychology Kevin Bennett has been teaching Psychology 100 online for two

years now and puts a lot of effort into making the class.

“I have to be involved and stay in constant contact with my students,” said Bennett.

Bennett puts up videos, audio recordings and has discussion forums to accommodate his students’ needs.

He makes his classes as convenient and flexible as he can, but doesn’t think they are for everyone.

“Just try it. My online classes aren’t scary,” said Bennett.

Being the only neuroscience major on campus, sophomore Amanda Donatelli had to find a way to take Forensics 210 before transferring to University Park because it wasn’t offered at Penn State Beaver.

After finding the class online, Donatelli realized how hard it was for her.

“Just like any class being taught for the first time, it can be a bit hard not only on us as students, but also on the professor as well,” said Donatelli.

Much like Donatelli’s experience, sophomore Vamshi Reddy didn’t like the online class he took. Reddy took Art 001 online for two weeks before dropping it.

“I didn’t turn in any assignments; I found it difficult because no one was there to guide me,” said Reddy.

Computer equipment missing from classrooms

In two incidents, $5,100 in computer equipment went missing.

An instructor reported to University Police Feb. 12 that a computer and its periphery equipment were missing from a classroom in the Michael Baker Building.

According to Information Technology Manager Ted Froats, the computer in room 001 is valued at $700, monitor at $200, Blu-ray player at $200 and document camera at $1,700.

A smart technology monitor valued at $2,300 was also reported missing from room 13.

An employee reported another computer and monitor missing from the General Class Room Building on Feb. 13.

Campus Police are investigating.

Anyone with information should contact the Penn State University Police at (724) 773-3888. Persons providing information that leads to an arrest may be eligible for a reward.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN HARMONY HALL

A resident student reported that her prescription medication had been stolen from her room on March 18.

University Police said the incident is still under investigation and refused further comment.

In a separate incident, police charged a resident student Feb. 9 with using illegally obtained prescription drugs.

Police charged freshman Dalia

Arreola of Whittier, Calif. with possession of a controlled substance on Feb. 27.

HOLE IN THE WALL

During a patrol of campus March 6, a campus police officer found a damaged wall in the hallway outside room 105 in the Ross Administration building.

Police say the wall appears to have been punched by someone. Repairs to the hole have been made. Police

are still investigating.

CHARGES FILED FOR WEED IN THE WOODS

Police charged two students with possession of marijuana after they were found in the woods near parking lot C, close to the gym.

Police charged freshmen residents Andrew Schild of Norwalk, Ohio, and Thomas Headley of Elko, Nev., on Feb. 27 with possession of a small amount of marijuana.

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Viewpoint

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 kjw250@psu.edu

Morgan Zelkovic mlz155@psu.edu

ADVISORS Terrie Baumgardner tbm2@psu.edu

Cathy Benscoter cub15@psu.edu

Daniel Pinchot djp114@psu.edu

We need to get away from casual ‘dating’ Casual sex and gaming replace romance and formal dinners

What has happened to formal dating in college? You know, moonlight walks, movies, dinners at semi-formal restaurants and the all-important taking someone home at Thanksgiving to meet your family.

Dating appears to have been replaced by nights in, playing Call of Duty Black Ops, cool pizza and Skype dates over the holidays and casual sex.

Why? Where has our generation gone so horribly wrong?

To start with, poor communication is part of the problem.

Whether it’s communicating your interest, your feelings, or your

wants and needs, some college students seem to clam up. Social media and technology aren’t helping, either.

A professor once told a story about the modern decline of communication. He was talking with a student who had just broken up with her boyfriend.

The boyfriend had broken up with her via a text message.

The professor thought that was low of him to breakup via a text.

The female student, however, said she preferred it because it minimized the pain of the break-up.

Getting your heart broken is part of life, and the time to learn to

cope is while you’re young and can easily bounce back.

But too often it’s not a fear of rejection that stops students from formally dating; it’s just easier to keep things casual.

The problem doesn’t end with communication. College students need to be willing to commit the time and energy to a long-term relationship, not just a short-term hook up.

Students say they do not have time for a committed relationship, but they need to make time.

Even if you and the person you are interested in can only spend an hour a day, it’s a start.

Dancing through adversity

Student shares story of an emotional loss, finding happiness Last month inspirational speaker Deo Mwano spoke to students about his struggles and his journey to happiness.

He struck a chord in me because we had both struggled with the loss of parents and found music and dance as an escape from that.

Mwano was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and grew up there during a period of unrest, a childhood that no child deserves but not unlike my own.

I was born in a community that wasn’t nearly as bad but hearing gunshots outside my door was just a reality. When I was very young I saw one of my mother’s friends get shot. That’s when my mother chose to get us out of there.

When Mwano was seven, his father was

Dante Massey assassinated for being involved with a government that no longer needed him. His mother decided that they could no longer fear for their lives and America was the best option for her children. Mwano lost his father, the head of his family, but he chose to conquer adversity.

In 2008 my mother died of a brain aneurism. Imagine a gunshot straight

through my heart, because that’s what I felt that day. I was there when it happened, her life crumbled through my fingers, but this is not about sadness.

I am not writing this for anyone’s pity, I am writing this so that you can read it and hopefully realize struggles are temporary.

My grandfather always says life is like a mountain range. We have our peaks and valleys, but as long as we try to stay in the calm valleys then we can be happy.

Adversity is only an obstacle to make you stronger, be it a loss of a loved one or broken bone you can never stop pushing to be better.

You have to find your music and dance to it like Mwano and me.

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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

Features

March 2014

The evolution of dating Dating over the years has gone from a formal setting to a lazy night in

JULIANNE BOSLEY Staff Writer

jeb474@psu.edu

Freshman Brianna D’Itri has been on more “first” dates than “second” ones.

Some were more formal, with restaurants and a boyfriend-to-be holding open a car door, while others were not.

Once, instead of going to a planned dinner, D’Itri and her boyfriend bought a frozen pizza before watching part of ABC Family’s Harry Potter movie marathon together.

“It was a lovely time,” D’Itri said.

The conflict of formal and informal dating certainly is an issue for other Penn State Beaver students, but students say it all depends on how someone prefers to date.

Sophomore Brent Crider used to date in high school, but has stopped not only because of time restraints, but also because potential partners don’t take dating seriously.

“It is hard enough planning your own future, let alone a future with someone who doesn’t think getting to know you personally is important,” Crider said.

Crider said that he thinks a mix of hanging out and formality is acceptable, and that fellow students don’t see formal dating as an important endeavor.

They would much rather bypass that part altogether.

“Finding people who are serious is hard in a college setting,” Crider said. “You know each other already, so you hang out instead of going out to dinner.”

Senior Instructor of Psychology Kevin Bennett may not be able to speak for his students, but he said that he has noticed how various students approach romance.

Bennett has observed that some students still commit themselves to long-term relationships and seek formal dinners and seriousness in a part-

ROAR Photo Illistration by Dante Massey

Andrew and Maria demonstrate a more formal date by going out to dinner versus playing video games by today’s standards.

ner.

“There are still students who wear promise rings,” Bennett said, “but that sort of thing has fallen out of favor.”

In a college setting where men and women freely interact, more and more students get together as friends.

This leads to crossovers from friendship into romantic interest, whether that includes formal dinners, dates in front of the Xbox or just sex.

“In formal dating, the rules are laid out, and you know you’re supposed to be with one person,” Bennett said.

However, as students first interact through a casual setting, they get confused as to whether they are actually dating the person or if they are just friends, and this leads to stress.

Junior Josh Nussbaum spent the past couple years with a girl named Kate, who preferred casual dating.

Although the couple spent time going out to small dinners and mov-

ies, she suddenly told him one day that they were, in fact, not together.

“As far as I knew,” Nussbaum said, “we weren’t not dating.”

Nussbaum said that this caused him plenty of anxiety over the years because he and Kate had different ideas of what they wanted.

“For me, it’s more about spending time with your loved one, not about what you buy or do,” Nussbaum said.

Bennett said that he thinks it depends on the individual student as to what they want. Each student has his or her own personal preferences, which decide their “romantic strategy.”

Freshman Christopher Border said that dating can start as being formal, then move on to watching movies together at home.

“I’d probably say more people actually date in college,” Border said. “They have more freedom to do whatever they want to whenever they

want to.”

For Border, however, dating has become harder in college.

As a full-time student who works two jobs, he said that he thinks there can be a mix in how students approach dating because of having less time.

D’Itri actually broke up with her boyfriend because she could juggle dating and college commitments while he could not.

“I think it goes on a case-by-case basis,” D’Itri said. “Some people can do it; others can’t.”

D’Itri said that even though most students treat dating as more informal, it should be formal – at least in the beginning.

D’Itri’s ideal first date would be something personal, such as coffee, ice cream or a walk.

It might not be as classic as a dinner for two, but it has the formality of in-person time.

She has dated many people for the

first time, but has found that very few continue into a long-term relationship where such conversation is important.

“I wouldn’t want my first date to be a movie,” D’Itri said, “because you can’t talk to each other in the theater.”

Technology and social media has nearly eliminated verbal interaction, which has blurred the lines between formal and casual dating for some students, but everyone has a different goal.

Some students may want to hook up or hang out, while others may look for a committed relationship.

However, Bennett said that what truly matters is not what students seek or do in the pursuit of romance, but whether or not they are interacting in person.

“There’s value in every style because it’s still face-to-face interaction,” Bennett said. “That’s what is critical.”

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

Say what?!

Students use new slang terms on campus

3589 Brodhead Road, Lucci Plaza Center Township

Staff Writer

emw5343@psu.edu

“We Aim to Please at Mama D’s”

724-770-2222 Italian Food Take Out Restaurant Party Catering www.mamadscasadipasta.com

EMILY WINTERS Though Penn State Beaver is close to Pittsburgh, the constant exposure to “Pittsburghese” — yinz, nebby, jagoff — has done little to prepare some for all the unknown slang they hear on campus.

Whether you are walking down the halls in the residence hall, sitting in class or chilling at the Brodhead Bistro, you will hear words you do not know.

“Ratchet,” for example.

Sophomore Nick Masci was quick to say what he thought it meant.

“I think it is almost like ghetto, but a step better than that,” Masci said.

Urban Dictionary says ratchet is another word for a whore, a dirty or nasty person, a person who is ghetto or a person who is annoying.

Masci also said that trifflin’ is another common word at Penn State Beaver.

Sophomore Amanda Donatelli said she hears trifflin’ used a lot.

“I’ve been told I was trifflin’ before. I felt bullied and it didn’t feel good,” Donatelli said.

Urban Dictionary says being trifflin’ means you are shady and dirty.

The Huffington Post said the top trending slang words of 2013 were selfie, salty and yolo.

A selfie is a photo taken by yourself, salty means you are mad and yolo is an acronym for “you only live once.”

Some students use words

“It’s Mama D-licious!”

Monday: Closed Tuesday – Friday: 11:30 am -- 6:30 pm Saturday: 1:00 pm -- 5:00 pm Sunday: 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

DAILY MENU ITEMS PASTA

Mama D’s Spaghetti or Penne & Meatballs with dinner roll ....................................................................... $7.00 Frankie’s Buttered Spaghetti or Penne with dinner roll................................................................................$5.00 “Tour of Italy” 3 cheese and 3 meat ravioli, 1 sausage, 1 meatball, 1 roll with spaghetti or penne..............$11.50 Gnocchi & Meatballs with dinner roll.................................... ½ pound.........$7.50 1 pound........$11.50 Ravioli with dinner roll...8 large cheese ......... $8.00 8 large meat..........$8.00 8 large mixed.......$8.00 4 large cheese ..........$4.00 4 large meat..........$4.00 4 large mixed.......$4.00

SUBS & SANDWICHES 8” Meatball Sub with Mama D’s delicious sauce & melted mozzarella cheese........$6.50 6” Sub...... $5.00 6” Sausage Sub with peppers, onions, and melted provolone cheese; with or without sauce.........................$6.00 8” Italian Sub ham, salami, pepperoni, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, & Italian dressing: served hot or cold...........$7.00 extra meat..........$2.00 extra cheese .......... $1.00

PIZZA & CALZONES

ROAR Photo Illistration by Dan Fisher

that only they know and understand.

Freshman Jessie Mesina uses the word oppy. “Oppy means odd looking and not proportional,” said Mesina.

She also said a lot of the students at Beaver are using the phrase, “You mad, or nah?”

If you type “you mad, or nah” on Google, it will show you many videos from the Smartphone app, Vine.

Other words and phrases Mesina mentioned include turn up and turnt.

“Turn up means you are getting pumped up or getting drunk, while turnt means you are getting under the influence,” said Mesina.

Tiffany MacQuarrie,

English instructor, said she hardly knew what these words meant.

“Salty and trippin’ are old.

My husband used to say salty all the time and trippin’ isn’t old,” said MacQuarrie.

MacQuarrie said she did not understand how some of the other words were used by students. “I think a ratchet is a tool you use.”

MacQuarrie said she never heard of turnt or turn up, and she did not know what trifflin’ meant.

If you hear a word, you do not know, type it into urbandictionary.com, and it will tell you what it means.

New words are introduced every day.

Pizza (square).....Plain w/cheese....$.75 per slice minimum 4 slices ½ sheet (12 slices) ......................$9.00 Toppings: cheese, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, green or hot peppers, onions, olives..........$.25 each per slice Panella Pizza...Olive oil, seasonings, and cheese ........$.75 per slice minimum 4 slices ½ sheet ............$9.00 14” Thin Crust Pizza- cheese baked on crust with Mama D’s sauce & cheese..$10.00 Toppings: $2.00 each Anthony’s Calzone- ham, salami, pepperoni, sauce, parmesan & mozzarella cheese ..................................$10.00 Cassie’s Calzone- meatballs, sausage, green peppers, onions, sauce, parmesan & mozzarella cheese.........$10.00

Friday Specials During Lent Hand-Breaded Fish Dinner $8.95 Taking orders for: Easter Bread and Easter Frittata

15% discount for Penn State Beaver students, faculty, and staff with ID. (Not valid on holiday items)

Visit our website for weekly specials and our catering menu!

www.mamadscasadipasta.com

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Penn State Beaver Roar

March 2014

Features Beaver student finds ho by Fontes to return to Brazil in building his own computers LYDIA AQUINO Staff Writer

LYDIA AQUINO Staff Writer

lra137@psu.edu

Back in 2006, freshman Patrick Lynch took on his first task of building a computer alongside his uncle, though that mostly involved watching his uncle work.

“He really did most of the work, but it was a learning experience,” said Lynch.

From then on Lynch watched his uncle build computers and learned the ropes himself.

Lynch wanted his own computer that ran smooth and fast. He realized the best way to make that happen was to make it himself.

So he did just that and built his own. He has built several since then and has made a hobby of building and fixing computers.

Contrary to what his hobby might imply for his future, Lynch is studying vertebrate physiology and plans to attend medical school.

“Patrick is really quiet at first, but once you get to know him he is bright and funny. He is intellectually curious and he likes to study,” said Carol Schafer, associate professor of theatre and women’s studies, who has had Lynch in class.

Lynch has been building and fixing computers for five years now. He said he has always been interested in computers and how they work.

The inside of the computer and how it all comes together fascinates him, he said.

“All the parts in a computer work as the organs in the human body, to ensure that it all works,” said Lynch.

Lynch did a process speech about building computers in his Effective Speech class. Freshman Jason Dickson, a fellow member of the class, said, “He spoke on all the technical aspects with ease. It’s his natural element speaking about computers.”

Since first learning from his uncle Lynch has built a computer for himself three times and fixed and put together six of his friends’ computers.

Two had to be fixed twice.

Lynch said he sometimes charges people for his work, but he usually just lets them off paying for the parts.

To build the computers, Lynch first has to determine what he or the owner wants the computer to do, and then he goes onto newegg.com to purchase the parts, which can be very expensive.

He puts all the parts where they need to be to function, and then he

adds programs and software.

To paint this picture, Lynch has to lay out all the parts he has purchased like a doctor would before he is going to perform surgery.

After that, he takes the computer tower and sets it on the table to place the parts inside it.

The assembly is almost like a game of operation where precision is crucial and mistakes could literally be quite costly depending on the purchased parts.

First comes the power supply which screws into the panel; this part makes everything turn on to work properly, Lynch said.

Next is the “motherboard” or Central Processing Unit, which integrates everything that is plugged into it, kind of like the human brain, he added.

After the brain comes the eyes, the graphics card that goes into the motherboard, followed by the DVD drive. Lastly, he puts the hard drive in the tower which stores all the data for the computer.

After this process, Lynch presses start and hopefully everything works as it should, Lynch said, or back to the drawing board to see what went wrong.

lra137@psu.edu

For two years Assistant Professor Ana Fontes has been teaching psychology and conducting research at Penn State Beaver.

Fontes recently announced her decision to leave campus and return to her home country of Brazil.

“I want to be closer to my family,” said Fontes.

Fontes has been teaching classes in learning and cognition, which includes Cognitive Psychology, Psychology of Learning and Psychology of Language.

This semester, she’s also taught her first section of Research Methods in Psychology.

“She is a great professor, a fun person and a good friend,” said sophomore John Fletcher. “She helped me out a ton and gave me a chance I will never regret. She is pretty awesome and I will miss her.”

Fletcher is the primary researcher for Fontes and has been working with her for two years. Fontes let Fletcher join her research team on bilingual word recognition, assisting on a study of implicit racial stereotypes.

Now that Fletcher is the primary researcher, it means he knows all the

Ana Fontes

procedures and methods. Fletcher trained the other researchers on how to use the equipment and Fontes entrusts him with tasks that need a little more experience to handle.

Fontes will continue to teach psycholinguistics at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, a large public university in Brazil. She plans to continue her research on bilingualism and second language acquisition.

Fontes said the best memories she will have from Beaver campus are of the friends she has made.

“I met some wonderful people here and they became very good friends. I will miss them dearly.”

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

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Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

March 2014

Beaver effort raises $15,400 for the kids AMANDA PALOMBO Senior Staff Writer

amp5831@psu.edu

This year’s Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon held at University Park in late February raised a record-breaking $13.3 million for the fight against pediatric cancer, including a record-breaking $15,400 from Beaver campus.

THON weekend, held Feb. 21 to 23, is a time when knee-high socks, fanny packs and weird hats are not only acceptable, but considered stylish.

The 46-hour dance marathon took place in the Bryce Jordan Center with a whopping attendance of 15,000 Penn State students and 702 dancers from organizations and Commonwealth Campuses.

The weekend’s sights were filled with beach balls, sorority and fraternity signs and even a baby powder slide, with a few water gun fights thrown in.

Two dozen students from Penn State Beaver traveled not only to enjoy the weekend, but also to be mesmerized from the sea of colors coming from each organization’s shirts.

“It’s a really lively environment.

It’s definitely keeping us awake,” said junior Jenni Bacvinskas, who is also a Roar staffer. This is her second experience at THON. Sophomore Hailey Pletz described her first THON experience in a few more words.

“Overall, the energy is just off the wall. People have always told me it’s about cancer, but getting here and seeing it personally, it’s so much more than that,” Pletz said.

“It’s incredible seeing this many people getting together to fight for one specific cause like this,” she added.

THON raises money for kids and families that may be burdened with pediatric cancer.

Since THON’s inception in 1973, the organization has raised more than

$114 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State’s Hershey Medical Center.

All of the money raised has all gone to the families of children suffering from pediatric cancer – including help with hospital bills, travel to the Hershey Medical Center, and even food and lodging – as well as support for the medical teams conducting research and providing care.

In the eyes of Penn State students, THON is not only one of the most awaited for weekends of the year, but it’s a top priority to check off of their Penn State bucket list.

“It’s an awesome cause,” said freshman Jessica Spina. “We have such a powerful impact, and it’s a great influence.”

Spina and freshman Paula Sequeira attended their first THON this year.

“THON is just amazing,” Sequeira said. “You can actually see two semesters of hard work and fundraising money here. It’s all for them.

It’s like a giant party with 15,000 people!”

This year, sophomores Matt Downing and Audrey Zanath were chosen as dancers for Penn State Beaver.

“Being a dancer was an amazing experience,” Downing said. “To be able to interact with the kids and see the people the Four Diamonds Fund helps was the best part.”

Zanath had a slightly different opinion.

“Being a dancer means to me that I was able to stand with and for every single child and family member who has been affected by cancer,” Zanath said.

“I was able to support them, celebrate with them and get an idea of what it feels like to go through constant pain.”

Downing said that his favorite part of THON weekend was the water gun fights.

“The kids go through a great deal of pain fighting this disease. It

is great to watch them have fun at THON weekend,” Downing said.

Despite all of the fun and games, being a dancer is no easy task.

Dancers are not allowed to sit or lie down and have to remain on their feet for the entire 46 hours, making the marathon not only long, but challenging.

“I actually felt better than I thought I would. At one point pretty early on, though, I got tired,” Zanath said. “I think it was at the point where it was past bedtime and I should have been ready to sleep,” “I struggled a great deal Sunday. I was delirious, hallucinating, and my ankles were swollen,” Downing said.

“When I was able to play with the kids, the pain would go away.”

As the weekend wound down, embraces among students became stronger as Family Hour was in full swing. Families told their stories of bravery, loss, sorrow and success thanks to THON and every student who helped in some way.

A video played honoring the kids who lost the fight, and no dry eye could be found.

Penn State students joined arms and swayed back and forth as they celebrated the life that they had and the lives that had been spared thanks to the Four Diamonds Fund.

Finally, the THON Overall Committee took the stage and told the dancers they could finally sit.

As the large, almost life-sized cards were flipped one-by-one, each representing a number in the grand total raised, students held their breath and stood silent.

As the last card was flipped, the crowd erupted with a roar and tears were shed and hugs were spread in celebration of the $13,343,517.33 that had been raised.

“It blows my mind that we set another fundraising record this year,” Zanath said. “I feel extremely honored and proud to be part of THON and to have helped accomplish that feat.”

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

11

Photo courtesy of J. Parker Goolsby

From left, Audrey Zanath, Nikki Nuske, one of the kids and Matt Downing have a water gun fight during the 46-hour dance marathon.

THON dancer helps kids forget about illness AUDREY ZANATH Staff Writer

aaz120@psu.edu

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Top, the overall THON committee members reveal the $13,343,517.33 raised

by Penn State for the fight against pediatric cance . Bottom left, Jennifer Bacvinskas and Ana Garcia pose for a photo amidst the dancing and moralling. Bottom right, the band “Go Go Gadget” brings pediatric cancer patients on stage for a few minutes in the spotlight during its performance.

711 dancers. 711 stories. Many may seem similar, but they are all unique. This is my story about THON 2014.

It may sound cliché, but that weekend changed my life.

The whole reason everyone was there was the kids. Everything we do during the year is to raise money for their treatments and cures.

THON weekend allows us to celebrate their lives with them and help them forget about their sicknesses. Dancers stand for these kids in order to help them fight, and to get an idea of the pain they suffer.

What’s funny is that, when my partner Matt Downing and I got to play with some of them, my pain disappeared, and it looked like theirs did too. I actually had trouble telling who was sick and who was a sibling because they all were so joyful and lively.

I wish I would have played with them more, though. I should have followed in Matt’s steps. He carried a squirt gun at almost all times.

Every time he saw a kid, he opened fire.

We were lucky enough to meet one girl on the first day. We had an intense water gun battle on the floor until it was time for her to go. She remembered us after, and every time she popped up and said “hi” to me, I felt so honored. It was like a celebrity remembered who I was.

Unfortunately, not every moment was so blissful.

On what I think was early Saturday morning, we were lucky enough to have five members of our campus’ club come down to see us, which was so great.

The bad part was that, eventually, they had to leave. When they did, Matt was showing his dad and grandpa around.

I was left alone. It probably wasn’t too long, but it felt like years

to me.

So I was alone on the floor, alone, and I was getting tired.

Things were not great for me.

Luckily, Dr. Chris Rizzo, Beaver’s director of student affairs, made a surprise appearance. I was happy to have someone down there for me, but unfortunately, I didn’t know how to entertain him and I really needed someone else.

I think this is when I started feeling attached to my moraler, Jesse Poljak, a sophomore at University Park. It wasn’t too long until he returned for his next shift, though.

Soon after, I cried my first THON tears. I was sad about being alone, but I was happy that he was back with us again.

I cried a lot, and I don’t know all the reasons why.

I was in foot pain, but I knew that I was in better shape than Matt.

THON See Page 12

12

Penn State Beaver Roar

News

March 2014

Dancers form emotional bond with patients Continued from Page 11

So I just walked around the floor crying my eyes out, not really sure why, while Matt traipsed around like a zombie.

What a pair.

Thankfully, I finally found the dancers from Penn State Shenango, Kelsey Zurawsky and Meagan Hardy.

Of course, I cried when I did.

They had been there with us all weekend, and I knew we weren’t alone when I found them.

Unfortunately, Matt wasn’t getting any better. As soon as we got settled for the final four hours, he had to go back and get his feet unwrapped.

At this point, he could barely walk. He got his feet unwrapped, stepped in an ice bath, and left the EMS room.

I still don’t know how they let him limp out of there, but they did.

Matt didn’t get much better, and we lost the Shenango dancers when we went back to the floor, but we did find other support.

Thankfully, we ended up next to the Penn State New Kensington dancers and they had an adult with them who could help Matt more than I could.

Soon after, I experienced my first THON family hour.

It was the saddest and most painful part of THON, but it was also my favorite. I knew why I was crying those tears.

NO child should ever have to go through what all of those Four Diamonds kids have had to.

This difficult hour reminded me

why I was standing and why I could never give up.

They also helped make the rest of THON so sweet.

Finally, I was told some great news: Matt was all right and by the stands with sophomore Nikki Nuske, Beaver’s THON chair, and Residence Life Coordinator Parker Goolsby, Beaver’s THON adviser.

Shortly before the grand finale, I started crying almost nonstop until the total was revealed.

I couldn’t believe it was almost over, and I didn’t want it to be! Even though it was hard, I wanted it to start over again. We did one last line dance and then sat down.

Matt got some relief. I just kept crying.

When we stood back up, my tears

“

It was the best and hardest weekend of my life. I am extremely honored to have been a part of it and I couldn’t have done it without so many people.”

subsided long enough for them to recharge for one final round. Slowly, the executive board raised the numbers. $13,343,517.33 FOR THE KIDS! I have never been so happy in my life.

We did it! We broke another record! We stood for 46 hours! All for the kids.

It was the best and hardest weekend of my life. I am extremely honored to have been a part of it and

Audrey Zanath Sophomore

I couldn’t have done it without so many people.

It would take a whole paper to properly recognize them all.

Without every single person related to anything THON, we couldn’t have done it. But we did.

We will all keep on until the world is cancer free.

And even then ...

Editor’s note: Roar staffer Audrey Zanath, a 2014 Beaver dancer, shared her personal THON experience.

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14

Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

March 2014

Eat eastern in western Pa. at Taiwan 101 COLBY HILL Staff Writer

clh5675@psu.edu

Are you looking for a relaxing environment to enjoy lunch or dinner and are hungry for authentic Asian cuisine?

You don’t have to travel far. Taiwan 101 Asian Cuisine is located a few minutes away from campus in the Wal-Mart Plaza.

It’s open seven days a week and also delivers. This family-owned restaurant makes everything fresh to order with the highest quality ingredients.

Taiwan 101 has been a Gold Winner for the past four years, chosen by the readers of The Beaver County Times as the Best of the Valley among Asian restaurants.

Manager Mike Huang said he takes pride in his parents’ restaurant.

His parents opened Taiwan 101 in August 2008, after selling Empire

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Though Taiwan 101 has many dishes, one of the most popular is the Amazing Chicken, shown with vegetable lo mein and white rice.

Palace in Hopewell Township in 2000.

The lunch menu is available daily

until 3 p.m. All lunch entrees cost between $7 and $9, served with choice of soup and rice. There are

even special selections offered to the dieter without having to sacrifice great taste.

“Our busiest time of day is usually Friday and Saturdays during dinner hours,” said Huang.

Taiwan 101 has a variety of items to choose from such as Sichuan, Hunan, Peking and Thai specialties.

Priced at $12.95, Huang said their most popular meal is the “Amazing Chicken,” which is sliced chicken breast dipped in a light batter and lightly fried to a crispy perfection, accompanied by a tangy, delicious sauce.

Senior Abby Filippi said it is her favorite dish.

“Perfect amount of crispiness and the sauce on it is so good. Plus, they give you a good portion. I highly recommend it.”

Tucked on the far side of the plaza, don’t let the outside appearance fool you. Once you are inside

you will find a modern and spacious Asian sit-down restaurant, not like many of the Chinese restaurants where you walk in and order at a counter. There is a fairly large bar in the front entrance, with a black marble countertop which is neat and clean.

Taiwan 101 has a peaceful and pleasant environment with a friendly staff. The attractive décor, purple hues and dimmed lighting makes for a cozy and quiet ambiance.

Seniors Shannon McCullough and Nick Miller are fans of the restaurant, citing both the food and atmosphere.

McCullough said she likes the environment and appetizers. “(It’s a) peaceful environment. It’s very kept.

Good portion sizes. They have really good egg rolls.”

Miller says it is the best Chinese restaurant in Beaver County, adding they have excellent service.

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Features

15

Broadcast team brings Beaver sports talk to video MORGAN ZELKOVIC Staff Writer

mlz155@psu.edu

Senior Dante Massey is trying to bring new entertainment to the campus through a new web series on Penn State Beaver athletics.

Massey, who started the broadcast team, is a sports information intern writing the recaps for the campus sporting events.

The web series is a variety show featuring interviews with coaches and players plus game highlights, including the score, previews and recaps of the games. For a two-week period, a web episode is posted to YouTube and can be viewed from a link on the athletics web site, psubeaverathletics. com.

“So far it has been a soft hit,” Massey said. “The first episode had a little over 300 views. I feel that it can take off if we keep doing what we are doing now.”

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Rob Trhlin and Amanda Palombo interview wrestler Devante Philip, one of many athletes featured on the show.

Massey added, “Anytime I get involved with something, I try to look at what we have not done.”

There is a live broadcast available of the home games also via

Beaver’s athletics web site through “USTREAM,” which offers streaming of live video.

Senior Amanda Palombo shoots live tapings of the web episodes and

interviews players in the studio.

Interviews consist of getting to know the players and how the team is doing. “This is positive for the campus that has a newspaper and now a

broadcasting team,” Palombo said.

Both Massey and Palombo are Roar staff members.

Athletic Director Andy Kirschner said he feels they are doing a great job with the broadcasting team.

Kirschner works with the team behind the scenes and provides the necessary equipment and support.

In the future, Kirschner said he hopes to expand the broadcast team to all sports instead of just basketball and wrestling as of now.

Anyone can join the broadcast team, but communication majors will gain video and broadcast experience. Anyone working under Massey will gain experience such as hosting, field reporting and working behind the scenes.

The latest episode will out on Monday, March 24. It will feature a wrap-up of both Men’s and Women’s basketball seasons and will preview baseball and softball.

16

Penn State Beaver Roar

March 2014

Sports

Men take second in USCAA DANTE MASSEY

Senior Staff Writer dwm5299@psu.edu

The Penn State Beaver men’s basketball team lost in the first round of the Penn State University Athletic Conference championship to rival Penn State Mont Alto, but made it all the way to the last round of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association tournament before falling short.

The team came together strong this season, and both players and coach say the seniors on the roster were a huge factor to the team’s success. “(Seniors) Markes Royster, Chris Weathers, Roger Rhoden and I let it be known that we want to go out swinging,” said senior Nick Miller.

“We buckled down and really tuned into what Coach (Marcess) Williams taught us.”

The team had an overall record of 22-8, which pushed them through to the USCAA tournament.

In the tournament, No. 8-seed Beaver fought their way into the final round – narrowly defeating Berkeley-New York City 76-68, Central Maine Community College 103-101 in overtime and Penn State Mont Alto 85-61 – but fell to Andrews University, 73-59. The game was Beaver’s most physical of the tournament.

With the loss, Beaver took second in the nation in the USCAA, while Andrews claimed its third national title in four years.

“We gave it our all, but the team was visibly tired in that (final) game,” Williams said.

Beaver took an early 8-5 lead in the game, but this would be the only lead the Lions held. Andrews build a lead of 16 in the first half, but Beaver battled to cut it to 37-26 at the break. In the second half, Beaver tried to claw its way back, but at every turn Andrews turned it up as well, building leads of 16, 17, and 16. Beaver gave one final push, cutting it to 10 with about a minute to play, but could not get any closer.

Sophomore Rob Agurs led all

Above, Chris Weathers shoots against the Cardinals in the USCAA championship game held at Penn State Fayette.

Penn State Beaver photos by Cathy Benscoter

Above, men’s baasketball captains Chris Weathers, Nick Miller, Markes Royster and Roger Rhoden accept the second-place trophy from a USCAA official. At left, Rob Agurs jumps to make a basket.

scorers with 21 points, while Weathers added 20. Andrews controlled the boards, out rebounding Beaver 49-30.

In the PSUAC tournament, No. 3-seed Beaver lost 90-84 to No.

2-seed Mont Alto on the road in a back-and-forth battle.

With just 1:18 left on the clock and the game tied at 82, a Beaver team in foul trouble just couldn't hang on to earn the win.

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

17

Sports

Ladies win PSUAC title again DANTE MASSEY

Senior Staff Writer

dwm5229@psu.edu

Despite a rough start to the season, the Penn State Beaver women’s basketball team pushed its way to its second consecutive Penn State University Athletic Conference tournament.

After losing four of their first five games, the Lady Lions turned the season around, losing only one of 10 games in February alone. The team ended the season with a 19-11 overall record, 15-3 in conference.

Coach Tim Moore says time is what gave them the ability to turn the season around.

“We had a very young group of girls this year and it just took some time for them to learn our philosophy and get comfortable on the court,” said Moore. “I kept telling the girls the important thing is to ‘peak at the right time’.”

The team certainly peaked in enough time to win another conference title. “It’s not about winning the regular season, it’s about winning the championship,” said Moore.

Junior Natalie Gamble said, “We all shared the same goals; we wanted to win the conference and nationals.”

The team bested Penn State Brandywine for the conference championship, 100-74.

At the start of the first half, Beaver exploded out of the gate building an early lead. Beaver closed the half with a 20-point lead. Brandywine chipped away at the lead in the second half, but was never able to get closer than 15 points.

Sophomore Morgan Kurtz led with 20 points. Freshman Sydnee Abernathy had 19, while sophomore Cassandra Flowers scored a doubledouble, 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Beaver’s defense out-rebounded Brandywine 42-27.

The Lady Lions came into the tournament as the underdogs and Moore says that is a huge accomplishment.

Gamble agreed. “We had all the odds stacked against us. What drove us was to prove everyone wrong that

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Sydnee Abernathy makes a rush for the hoop against Penn State Brandywine in the Penn State University Athletic Conference championship.

ever doubted us.”

“We played a team who was ranked in the top 5 of the USCAA all year and had every player back for a team that was the national championship runners-up the previous year,” said Moore. “We went out and played really well.”

“Without the entire team we wouldn’t have been in the situation we were in,” Moore added. “This year every player we had on the team sparked us at one point in time which helped us be successful.”

The PSUAC championship win propelled the Lady Lions to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, but the team fell to Berkeley College in a tough 77-75 loss in the first round.

The lead changed hands five times

in the first half alone, with Beaver holding a 9-point lead at halftime.

Flowers had a double-double in the first half alone, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

But after an early 14-point lead in the second half, Berkeley chipped away until it took the lead with seven minutes to go. Beaver pushed the game into overtime with a layup by sophomore Khalia Adams with three second remaining. But back-andforth leads in overtime left Berkeley with the win.

Kurtz led with 23 points and Flowers finished with 23 rebounds, a USCAA women’s DII tournament record, and 20 points.

In the consolation game, Beaver closed out its season with a 69-44 win over Warren Wilson College.

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

The Lady Lions pose after winning their second consecutive PSUAC championship.

18

Penn State Beaver Roar

Sports

March 2014

Fightin’ Beavs battle in the playoffs TYLER THELLMAN Staff Writer

tmt5197@psu.edu

The Fightin’ Beavs took down Duquense in the first round of the the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Hockey League playoffs on March 19.

The team was up 5-1 by the end of the first period and closed out the game 9-5.

They advance into the semifinals to face Clarion on Wednesday, March 26.

After a rough start at the beginning of the season, the team has bounced back with a 10-4 regular season record and the No. 2 spot in the league.

The team has a balanced attack between offense and defense. Additionally with a different core group, the Fightin’ Beavs are having more success this year.

The Fightin’ Beavs finished their last regular season game with a blowout win against Grove City College 8-0, with exceptional play by senior Cliff Bryant, as well as sophomore defenseman Devin Baker.

With 21 shots on goal by Grove City, not one slid by junior goalie

Nick Coleman.

Contributing to the win was sophomore defenseman Mike Harrington with several steals in Grove City’s offensive zone to break up their offensive push.

Following the win over Grove City, Coach Steve Turyan said he is confident in what his team can do this year in the playoff push starting after spring break.

“Our aura is exciting. Our guys are skating with an edge. We seem to be dumping the puck in the right areas and grinding out minutes on the ice,” said Turyan.

Harrington agreed. “I feel so confident in our guys to get the job done this year; we are so much more talented and have really fast skaters out there, not to mention our chemistry has made leaps and bounds from last year.”

Sophomore Devin Baker said he believes the Fightin’ Beavs can beat any team. “I’m not being arrogant, but I just feel you have to bring your A game every game in this league,” said Baker.

“Using our combination of speed and power, we can beat a lot of teams up and down the ice.”

Kody Hogan fights off a defensemen in the game against Grove Ci y College on Feb. 26.

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Softball prepares for season to defend titles

FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Penn State Beaver softball team kicked off its pre-season with a four-game losing streak at the United States Collegiate Athletic Association Pre-Season Tournament in Elizabethtown, Ken., over spring break.

The Lady Lions lost to Roosevelt University 13-4 and Robert Morris University-Springfield 15-2 on their first day of play.

The team followed up with a 10-2 loss to St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and a 6-0 loss to Lindenwood University on day two.

Beaver’s team took the Penn State University Athletic Conference tournament in 2013 with a 23-17 record

overall, 13-6 in conference.

The team went on to lose three of four games in the USCAA tournament, finishing eighth.

The Lady Lions are also looking forward to defending their PSUAC title from 2012 as well.

Beaver is bringing back three top players, seniors Lauren Pier and Nicole Bowersox and junior Rachel Borrell.

Pier and Bowersox both received USCAA All-American honors, while Borrell earned a PSUAC All-Academic award.

Rounding out the 13-woman roster are five freshmen and five sophomores.

“With the returning players and their leadership, I think we should have a great season. I see so much potential in my team,” Coach Andy Kirschner said.

The Lady Lions begin conference play with a double-header at home March 30 against Penn State Fayette.

“We have a lot of pressure on our shoulders but we are doing a great job at accepting this challenge,” Pier said. “We came together as a team and pointed out our weaknesses and that’s important. I’m proud of our team and it will be an exciting season.”

Staff Writer Khalia Adams contributed to this report.

The ROAR/ Dante Massey

Nicole Bowersox and Rachel Borrell prepare at practice for their game on March 20 against Thiel College.

March 2014 Penn State Beaver Roar

Sports

19

Men stay optimistic despite spring training CHRIS WASHINGTON Staff Writer

csw5222@psu.edu

After a 13-16 record in 2013 season, the Penn State Beaver baseball team is back at it with eight returning players.

The team took a week-long road trip over spring break to Vero Beach, Fla. Playing seven games in a fiveday span, this relatively young team came back with a 2-5 record over the break.

Coach Jack Hilfinger graded the team a B+, despite the pre-season record.

With 17 new players on the team this season, the lack of experience leads to questions about how the team will pan out.

“Coming back our focus would be

“

I told the team, the time is now! All the jitters are gone.

We know what we have to do. Let’s relax. We had a good run, we know what we are capable of.”

Rob Trhlin Junior

communication and cage work,” said Hilfinger.

With only a few returning players, Hilfinger is looking for players to step up, whether it be a freshman or upperclassman.

“Seniors Grant Scott and Tyler Schuster will be the key to our communication, which will be the base of success this season,” said Hilfinger.

Junior Rob Trhlin is also excited about the season and is ready and

willing to be one of the returning players to step up.

“Maturity will come. After playing (NCAA) Division 2 teams that have played with each other for four-plus years and holding our own, I know we can be great,” said Trhlin.

“I told the team, the time is now!

All the jitters are gone. We know what we have to do. Let’s relax. We had a good run, we know what we are capable of. It’s time to get our swagger back because now it’s real!”

Trhlin continued.

The team will open up Penn State University Athletic Conference play on Saturday, March 29 with a double-header at home against Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

The following games will be a double header at home against Penn State Fayette March 30.

Penn State Beaver/ Andrew Schild

Brad Verlihay awaits a fly ball during a game during spring training n Vero Beach, Fla.

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