The Slate 10-4-22

MSA reveals quilt for Diversity Week 2022

Students and faculty flocked to the lawn of Gilbert Hall on Friday to witness the unveiling of the Quilt to Cover Us All, an annual proj ect organized by the office of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA).

This year’s quilt theme was “Hate Has No Home Here,” a slogan that is posted in many locations through out campus. The event began with the crowd joining to gether in singing “Imagine” by John Lennon, a song that resonates with what the quilt represents — togetherness and world peace. Students sang and laughed together as the quilt swayed in the late September breeze.

First to present was Kurt Dunkel, coordinator for Shippensburg’s Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) pro gram, who promoted physi cal and spiritual wellness on

campus and educated stu dents on substance use. The program’s panel was purple, acknowledging the month of September as National Re covery Month.

“No matter your race, gen der, ethnicity; helping people move through suffering is what we aim to do,” Dunkel said during his speech.

A slew of other groups pre sented their panels, includ ing the Latino Student Orga nization (LSO), celebrating Hispanic Heritate Month, and the Asian American Pa cific Islander Organization (AAPIO), led by President Jeremy Satyawan-Putra and Vice President Haven Tuata galoa.

“I’m thankful to the stu dent body and to the exec utive board for helping to reignite the passion for this organization,” Satyawan-Pu tra said before explaining the symbolism behind their panel. “It is a trinity of flags from multiple different cul

tures coming together,” Tu atagaloa said. “We flow into one area. We’re all together.”

“I’m excited that we’re finally getting AAPIO back on its feet,” Satyawan-Putra said. “We’re thrilled to let people know we’re back on campus. If they ever want to learn more about their cul ture or want a place to call home, we’ll be more than happy to take them into our arms.”

Next to present was Manny Ruiz, assistant vice president for Inclusion and Belonging and director of Equity.

“Together, we can con tinue bringing transforma tive change to our campus community if we simply do three things — listen, talk, and respect one another. Re member — within diversity, there is beauty, and there is strength,” Ruiz said.

Afterward, the mike was turned over to Diane Jeffer son, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

(MSA), who shared touching words as she acknowledged her admiration and passion for the event.

“There are those of us who believe that of our outside appearances, it is important for us to stand together, be cause together we really are stronger,” Jefferson said.

Certificates of appreciation were presented to Niky Kee seman and Professor Samuel Benbow for their contribu tions toward the event.

“I am humbled by this ac knowledgement, because I know that we do this not for the awards, but to support, guide, and direct each other,” Benbow said as he accepted his certificate.

After the certificates were awarded, Jefferson then gave the announcement that thrilled everyone in atten dance.

“Everyone, get to the food trucks and be blessed.”

SGA hears students’ concerns at third meeting

Margaret Sobotta A&E Editor

The Student Government Associa tion (SGA) at Shippensburg University heard concerns from students about a variety of on-campus issues at its meet ing on Thursday.

During the meeting, Vice President of Finance Chase Slenker filled in for Pres ident Kennedy Holt. New senators were added to the panel. The other senators quickly covered and discussed the end ing to Diversity Week and what events were still upcoming.

During the open discussion, students brought their campus concerns to the board. One student discussed how the Fireside Lounge has slowly lost furni ture over the years that they have been

attending Shippensburg University. This affects student organizations and meetings due to the lack of seating with in the lounge, the student said.

The student later went on to talk about how the Ceddia Union Building (CUB) management has been closing earlier than the times that are posted and kicking individuals out.

“CUB student managers have been really rude, not just to other students but also tech crew and other CUB staff. They are abusing their power,” the stu dent said. They also mentioned that a member of the tech crew quit due to the management.

Another student took the stand and discussed their issues with the on-cam pus “food desert” with dining, in which they gave various examples. They stated that it is hard to find proper times to eat,

especially with the very limited hours and options this semester.

“A worker was serving me my food in my reusable container. Another work er raised his voice and yelled at me. He stated that I was not allowed to use re usable Tupperware in the dining hall. I have been doing this since the start of the semester to work on my Eco friend liness. Then the server dumped the food that was already in my container into the pot of food to serve to other people,” the student said.

This student later discussed their concern of “why can we not buy food with a meal swipe?” The SGA committee stated that they are starting to discuss this and are creating a food commit tee to tackle some of these issues. The nextSGA meeting is on Oct. 13, in the CUB MPR A at 4 p.m.

SU celebrates naming of Milton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineering

The naming ceremony for Shippensburg University’s School of Engineering took place on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 11 a.m., and all stu dents and faculty were invited to attend.

Milton K. Morgan III is a Shippensburg alumnus who graduated in 1976 with a de gree in business administration. Through Milton’s career at J. Walter Miller Co., a bass and bronze casting company started by his great-grandfather in 1887, he and his wife Doreen became inspired to support the School of Engineering.

Guest speakers at the ceremony included Leslie Folmer Clinton, president & CEO of the Shippensburg University Foundation; Charles E. Patterson, president of Shippens burg University; Milton and Doreen Morgan and many more. Each speaker discussed the honor and privilege it is to have the Morgan family present and for their generous dona tion to Shippensburg University.

The School of Engineering opened in 2018. In 2020, it moved into the building that sits at the base of the hill that holds Old Main. Years before that, the building used to be a steam plant. It transformed into a state-ofthe-art laboratory with the space to perform hands-on tactics that will help students pre pare for real-world experiences.

The Milton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineering offers six programs, four of which are accredited by the Accredita tion Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The ABET accreditation ensures that the programs that are provided by the school are of the highest standards from their professionals.

The programs that are provid ed are computer science, computer engineer ing, software engineering and electrical engi neering — all of which are ABET accredited — as well as civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

“A strong engineering program coupled with a little creative thinking is a powerful combination.

We look forward to a bright future for Shippensburg University, its stu dents, and the impact they will have on our community, our country, and on the world,”

Milton Morgan said.

It will be exciting to see the memories and achievements that will take place in the Mil ton and Doreen Morgan School of Engineer ing.

Madi Shively

Adam Beam/The Slate Diane Jefferson speaking at the quilt unveiling.

Mavis Anderson/The Slate

Bailey Cassada/The Slate

President Charles Patterson and members of the campus community celebrat ed the naming of the School of Engineering Laboratory

week.

Hurricane Ian wreaks havoc across Florida

Luke Rainey Staff Contributor

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cayo Cos ta, Florida, on the afternoon of Sept. 28. As a Category 4 system, Ian is the third major hur ricane since 2017 to make landfall in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis called the damage “histor ic.”

DeSantis said the state had never seen a flood event like what Ian caused. According to DeSantis Florida never seen storm surge of that magnitude, and it hit an area where there were a lot of people living in low-lying areas.

Ian formed as a tropical depression in the Caribbean Sea on Friday, Sept. 23. By mid night, it strengthened into a tropical storm, and forecasts predicted it would become a major hurricane before reaching Cuba.

Landfall trajectories varied greatly in the days leading to Ian’s arrival. On Sept. 24, the National Hurricane Center’s forecasting cone predicted landfall on the Florida Panhandle near Apalachicola as a Category 1 hurricane. Gradually, however, Ian’s forecast shifted ex pected landfall toward southwestern areas of the state with greater intensity.

Concerns were especially concentrated in the Tampa Bay area. The region includes over three million people within Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and other adjacent communities. Additionally, it surrounds four bays that lead to the Gulf of Mexico, making it especially vulnerable to flooding. By Sept. 27, the center of the cone shifted 100 miles south of Tampa, with landfall expected near Saraso ta and Fort Myers as a Category 3 hurricane. Outer bands from Hurricane Ian reached south Florida less than two days before the storm made landfall.

Over 2.5 million Floridians were ordered to evacuate. Ian intensified to a Category 4 hur ricane on Sept. 28 with peak wind speeds of 155 mph, persisting from 7 a.m. to landfall at

3:05 p.m. The duration of the storm, its slow movement at 9 mph over Florida and heavy winds combined to wreak havoc along the coast.

Over a million customers were left with out power by 5 p.m., and the figure doubled by the following morning. Storm surge broke records in Fort Myers at 7.26 feet. Rainfall to tals varied throughout the state, but several areas reported totals above 12 inches.

Some residents who did not evacuate cap tured shocking footage of the hurricane’s im pacts. One video showed an unmanned mo tor yacht moving through flooded roadways in the town of Sanibel. In Naples, a resident filmed a house that was removed from its foundation floating adrift in several feet of rushing water.

In Tampa Bay, counterclockwise winds took water out of the bay and into the Gulf of Mexico, lowering water levels in the city by at least 6 feet. Some residents walked on exposed surfaces that would normally be un derwater.

Justin Michaels of The Weather Channel reported from Tampa Bay as he watched the phenomenon unfold.

“It’s amazing to watch it with your naked eye, to be able to see it actually happening,” Michaels said.

Images and footage after the storm cap tured widespread destruction in Fort Myers and neighboring areas that experienced the most severe impacts. Buildings were de stroyed, debris littered the city’s streets and boats were piled together along the edges of docks.

Additionally, isolated tornadoes inflicted damage in areas hundreds of miles away from Ian’s center. As of 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 29, NBC News reported ten deaths related to the hur ricane.

Your World Today

Commentary: Climbing Ladders

to be. But for some, we’re here because it’s what is expected from us. Growing up, I always knew that I was going to go to college. It was something that I was al ways encouraged to do, but I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to study.

here because of a deep de sire. I came here because I was unsure of what I want ed to study, and SU was not too far from my hometown and looked welcoming. I came to see what I could learn.

Paige Shope Managing Editor

Like everyone else, I reg ularly binge watch Netflix. One of my favorite shows I used to watch before it was removed from Netflix was “The Office.” I rewatched that series more times that I can count. It was comfort ing to turn it on and have something familiar and fun ny to settle the background noise in my head. This show wasn’t deep, and it wasn’t for philosophers. However, there is a quote from one of the episodes that I think of often.

“It’s better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than halfway up one you don’t.” Pam, the office receptionist, said this when she was deciding whether or not to pursue art school. This quote has meant a lot to me, and when I am struggling to pursue my passions, it reminds me to make a choice that works for me.

For most of us at Ship pensburg University, we are here because we want

I came here without a plan, but the vague sense that I may want to study journalism. What I didn’t know was that there were endless routes that I could take to find my future ca reer. In the Communi cation, Journalism and Media department at Ship pensburg, you have four different options for an emphasis. Public relations, journalism, broadcast me dia production and visual media.

Through this depart ment I tried many different things. Hanging out in the radio station, checking out SUTV, writing for The Slate, and attending many differ ent meetings to find which one I liked the most. In the end, I decided to climb the public relations ladder so I could spend time being more creative and interact ing with the public.

Shippensburg University has been a wonderful place where I have met some of my best friends and had many new and exciting ex periences. But I didn’t come

When you become a col lege student, you are faced with having to make what feels like life-altering deci sions pertaining to your fu ture career. For many, this is a scary step. But every time I get worried that what I’m doing won’t be worth while, I remind myself of that quote. It’s OK to give up. It’s ok to realize halfway through that we don’t want to study this specific ma jor, we aren’t a good fit for this club or maybe we don’t want to be at college at all.

You always have a choice, and in time you will find your way. When you’re standing at a fork in the road and you walk down your chosen path, if half way through you realize this route is leading you somewhere you don’t want to go, its ok to turn around and begin again. Pursue the things that you are pas sionate about, and always remember that’s its “It’s better to be at the bottom of a ladder you want to climb than halfway up one you don’t.”

Diversity Week guest speaker on combating ableism, racism

Jade Pennyman Staff Contributor

Shippensburg University celebrated Diver sity Week from Sept. 26-Oct. 1, and to kick off the events, guest speaker and advocate for persons with disabilities, Theo Braddy, shared his story and advice on how students can combat racist and ableist stereotypes.

Braddy brought awareness to how stereo typical worldviews shape people’s perspec tives. Whether through social media, what we read, what we experience or even through our education, it can hinder one’s view on how others treat people. “Racist ideas are based on misconceptions, misinformation, false hood myths, stereotypes and biases which produces a social construct,” Braddy said. He emphasized how social constructs can lead to discrimination and how oppression becomes a way of life and factors in on the mistreat ment of people.

He brought attention to how non-disabled people can project ableist views on people with disabilities and said, “being judged as less intelligent because you have a disability, I’ve went through that one many times and still go through it.” At age fifteen, Braddy be came disabled due to a high school football accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, and he is now a wheelchair user. “Wait resses would talk to my wife in a second, and I’m sitting right there. I can even pay the bill with my credit card; they still will talk to her,” Braddy said. After he shared those words, the room became silent.

Braddy encouraged Shippensburg students

to interact with people with disabilities be cause their disability does not define them.

Disabled people have interests, hobbies and personalities many overlook because of social construct or one’s flawed worldview. “A miss ing limb is just a missing limb; a wheelchair is just something that we use just like you use laptops and vehicles,” Braddy said. He explained to the students how the equipment disabled people use is “stuff to make life more efficient, that’s all this is.”

Braddy engaged with students and asked hard-hitting questions to see if they were “stinking up the place.” He calls it “Stink ing Thinking,” a term he uses for students to check their behaviors concerning these issues. Braddy believes education is key to combating and changing stereotypes: “We can’t be uncomfortable around certain peo ple. We become less effective.”

He showed slides of marginalized groups and asked students to describe stereotypes that people who are not as aware of might la bel them.

After Braddy concluded his event, Ship pensburg University senior Tyler Hill re marked how meaningful Braddy’s words were and that his biggest takeaway was “to re-word things, have to be mindful, have to feel the emotions, can’t be blind to things.”

For over 40 years, Theo Braddy has advo cated for people with diverse disabilities. He has served on several boards and committees over his career. Three different governors ap pointed him as commissioner for the Penn sylvania Human Relation Commission. Sen ator Robert Casey selected him in 2022 as

one of four black leaders in Pennsylvania who have demonstrated power and persistency in overcoming challenges and creating mean ingful change in Pennsylvania.

Braddy attended Edinboro University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in so

cial work, and is a Temple University gradu ate, where he received his master’s in social work in 1988. Braddy is now a retiree, works in private consulting, and is president of Theo Braddy Consulting.

Adam Beam/The Slate

Theo Braddy speaking to students on the Shippensburg University campus.

The Slate Speaks: Can you separate the art from the artist?

Admit it. It hurts when an actor, musician, artist or any type of ce lebrity you looked up to turns out to have a few skeletons in the clos et.

It seems like a tragic part of fame we’ve come to accept is there’s always the possibility that these individuals we look up to are still human and more than capable of doing unspeakable things. How ever, as more and more promi nent celebrities have their more problematic sides revealed, the question rises about what should be done with their previous works.

Do we completely write them off, or do we try to ignore the horrors of real-life and enjoy their art as a separate entity?

There is a lot of nuance (hence why there are plenty of books written on the subject). Take Mi

necraft for example. The creator, Notch, may promote Q-Anon and transphobic beliefs, but the game doesn’t reflect his views. It’s had a decade of development without him, and Microsoft has cut out all mention of him. So in that case, sure, you can fully separate the artist and the art. But something like the Harry Potter books have themes that are so intertwined with J.K. Rowling’s ignorant world view that it is almost impossible to separate the two.

There is no clean and clear one size fits all solution to the question. It is possible to separate art from the artist, and at the same time it’s kind of impossible. The circum stances of the situation play a big role in whether or not the two can be separated. The biggest circum stance is whether or not the art played a major role in the actions

of the artist. For instance, John Mulaney. He’s a comedian, and he cheated on his wife. Mulaney did not joke about or lie about the cheating in any of his comedy acts. Some of his sketches, includ ing but not limited to the “salt and pepper diner” or “the bittenbinder method,” are not related to those actions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have people like Ryan Haywood, who was formerly a member of Achievement Hunter and Rooster Teeth. He similarly cheated on his wife, among other allegations involving under age fans, and this is an instance of you cannot separate the art, vid eo game related content, from the artist.

It definitely depends on the art ist and what type of mess they are in. When Kendrick Lamar released his album and in one of his songs

he repeatedly said the F-slur and there was a big conversation about that. He was 100% wrong but as an artist he has definitely done a lot specifically for the black communi ty and just music in general which should be considered.

It becomes difficult with mon etization. One can try actively to not stream artists that have done things that go against their morals (ie. Michael Jackson, Adam Levine, etc.) because they gain profit from your listenership. However, you can still appreciate their work for what it is and its influence. You can’t say Michael Jackson did not impact pop music and the pres ence of Black artists in mainstream media, and you can respect that. But you should not give money to people who have done bad things all the same.

What it seems to come down to

is acknowledging the wrong do ings. Blindly trying to ignore the actions, whether good or bad, of an individual is risky. Many of these artists have done terrible things, but many have also blazed trails for newer artists to rise and learn from their mistakes. We acknowl edge and know that Elvis meeting his wife Priscilla when she was 14 years old is wrong. And it was a mistake of the 2022 film to ignore this fact, but there’s no denying that Elvis did have an impact on music that gave rise to many other artists that we listen to today. And these artists may do their own ter rible things, but the art they make now could inspire someone to one day make their own great art. Some may call it a cycle, but if we continue to learn and adapt, then it becomes more and more of an evolution.

Biopics: Loving tributes or exploitations of the dead?

Adam Beam Asst. Opinion Editor

When you look back at the past few Oscar seasons, what trends do you see? The ac tors and actresses who nor mally lead the award season stretches are those playing real-life figures. Biopics are films centered around his toric and public figures and they’re all the rage nowadays. Every major studio wants to get their hands on one. Re

ally think about how many have been released just in the past few years. “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Rocketman,” “RESPECT,” “Straight Out ta Compton” and “Elvis’ are some of the biggest biopics — and that only covers mu sicians. Politicians, royalty, athletes, serial killers; if you had some kind of presence in history, chances are a studio will want your film rights. However, one of the newest biopics, “Blonde,” starring

Ana De Armas as Marilyn Monroe, has left me ponder ing the question: Where do we draw the line?

This is not a review of “Blonde,” but rather a re flection on the ethical na ture of biopics and how they depict and use these de ceased celebrities for a profit.

“Blonde” is an unwaveringly brutal three-hour film, show ing every terrible moment in Marilyn Monroe’s short life. Oftentimes, the film be

comes so cruel that it feels dehumanizing. This is what I mean. Biopics usually suf fer from falling into two ex tremes, glamorizing their subject and glazing over the low points in their career, or the opposite, focusing on the worst aspects to an extent that if feels exploitative.

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Slate

Adam Beam/The Slate John Mulaney, Adam Levine, and Ned Fulmer are just some of the celebrities who have divided their massive fanbases following public adultery scandals

Photo courtesy of Netflix Ana de Armas is Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s biopic

Take for example, “Bohe mian Rhapsody.” The film virtually ignores much of the hardships that Freddie Mer cury endured and stream lines a fascinating figure in music history. On the other hand, you have the latest Netflix series, “Dahmer,” which grossly dedicates it self to recreating the horrific murders in excruciating de tail. Naturally, this has upset the families of the victims.

Eric Perry, the cousin of Dahmer victim Errol Lind sey, took to Twitter with to say “when they say they’re doing this ‘with respect to the victims’ or ‘honoring the dignity of the families,’ no one contacts them,” he wrote. “My cousins wake up every few months at this point with a bunch of calls and messages and they know there’s another Dahmer show. It’s cruel.”

Now that is not to say that biopics should not explore the dark sides of their sub ject, but it makes them seem far less complex and inter esting when they choose to only explore one or the oth er.

Back to “Blonde,” the rea son I feel so strongly that it does Marilyn Monroe a disservice is because it only shows one side of her. It shows Marilyn at the low est points of her life, which should not be ignored, but takes away the moments of her life that did bring her joy and makes her feel less human. Monroe was intelli gent, she was witty, she had

interests, and while she had her tragedies, it was not the sole factor that based every decision she made. Despite what this movie would want you to believe.

Elvis Presley may have been manipulated by Col onel Tom Parker, but El vis was still an adult, who was more than capable of making decisions for him self: “Elvis” says that isn’t so. “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Rocketman” are both guilty of having an evil lov er leading our heroes down the wrong path. While I enjoy these films, I cannot deny that these are gross oversimplifications, and re moves any feeling that these figures could make decisions for themselves, which in re al-life, they clearly could.

Look, I understand that in the end, some things are going to be changed for the sake of entertainment, but we come to see these mov ies or shows to see what these icons were like. And by simplifying, romanticizing, or downright removing the aspects that make them so complex and interesting to begin with, it just feels like they’re being used to sell tickets or soundtracks. Deep down, we must realize that these biopics aren’t made at the consent of their subjects, they’re made at the consent of whoever owns their es tates. It’s a business in the end, not done out of respect or by a studio that cares to tell the story of a real human being, but rather a bidding war of who gets dibs on the next dead celebrity.

Aaron Milligan Staff Contributor

The first time I stepped onto the turf field at Shippensburg University, I was a senior in high school at the district championships for track and field. I hurdled, so I usually would race toward the beginning of most meets. I looked over the schedule and noticed that the events ended earlier in the day com pared to most invitationals and note worthy meets. I asked my coach, an in tense man who I needed to ask at a very specific time, why they ended everything so early. He looked at me and smiled, knowing I was going to school here in just a few months, and said, “Look up. They don’t have any lights.” I can’t think of a word severe enough to describe the thoughts in my head. Dumbfounded? Astounded? Flabbergasted? I had many questions and many more to come.

Shippensburg is the location for both districts and states in track and field at

what do you mean there are no lights?

the high school level, which means the facilities are considered high end; oth erwise, they would find a different col lege for the venue. However, almost ev ery high school in the country has lights above the football field and track. Why is a Division II college letting its field be behind the times? It gets worse when you consider the dirt recreational fields. They are all perfectly lit with lights that seem to have been gifted by Ra, God of the Sun.

The high temperatures and direct sunlight don’t help the experience of the Saturday football games; many people leave before halftime regardless of the score, but 21-44 was how we ended our home game against IUP. If the stadium had lights that would open the possi bility for night games in the schedule, which would add excitement on many levels.

When asked how he would feel about lights being introduced to the stadium after his graduation, Kobe “Bubba” Car

baugh said, “Who gets to be the first victim to the Red Raiders at Seth Grove Stadium after dark?”

Clearly there would be some excite ment from alumni that would engage the community. Darien Ressler, a mem ber of the track team for this upcoming season, commented about the idea of lights, saying, “Personally, I would love having lights because I enjoy working out late, and although I could run in the dark it’s not enjoyable.”

I do not claim to know the finances of the school, nor do I intend to disrespect the stadium (it truly is a nice field) but the difference that lights could make for this school is hard to ignore. While it wouldn’t make a difference for me as I am expecting to be graduating in the Spring semester, it would bring a smile to my face years down the road to hear that Shippensburg is finally getting out of the dark ages.

The Republican Party is a danger to democracy

There is an often-repeat ed historical anecdote about Benjamin Franklin: As the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was wrapping up, crowds gathered on the steps of In dependence Hall. A woman asked Franklin what sort of government the founders had crafted. His response has last ed centuries, to be repeated by politicians from Nancy Pelosi to Neil Gorsuch: “a republic, if you can keep it.”

American democracy has been an evolving institution since its inception. It has sur vived many challenges to its continued existence, from early party politics to the Civil War.

But the 21st century presents a challenge that I feel we are not prepared to weather — the rise of modern fascism. Over the last decade, as a country we have witnessed a far-right movement spring forth and take the reins of the Repub lican Party. I’ll admit, I have never been much of a fan of the Republican Party, but over the last few years it has evolved from a party of good-faith con servative opposition to a genu ine danger to democracy.

Elected officials like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.14), Rep. Lauren Boebert (Co.-

3) and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri have shifted the over tone window of the Republican party so far to the right that politicians like Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney are considered too moderate to even be in the par ty.

Many Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would like to believe that the Repub lican Party is still the party of those like Cheney, and that such opposition is necessary for robust debate. But the re ality of the situation is much grimmer, and liberals like Pe losi are being willfully ignorant to brush it aside. The Repub lican Party is not the party of Lincoln, nor the party of those like Cheney. It is the party of Trump and the party of the farright.

This idea that Republican politicians are bona fide states men who just have a differing view of how best to govern is outdated and ignores reality.

The Republican Party did not even publish a party platform in 2020 — a thing functional parties have traditionally done — instead choosing to support “whatever Trump wants.”

Republican candidates across the country have refused to accept the legitimate results of the 2020 election, and have made “The Big Lie” a core ten et of their political campaigns.

Shippensburg’s very own State

The denial of election results has trickled down to state and local races. Many Republican candidates have said outright that they will refuse to accept the results if they lose in No vember, including Mastriano. This refusal to concede and allow the peaceful transfer of power — one of the most im portant parts of our democracy — erodes our political system and greatly increases the risk of politically-motivated vio lence.

We are less than two years out from the deadly insurrec tion that occurred on Jan. 6, 2021.

On that day, millions watched in horror as a crowd of Trump supporters — egged on by the former president — stormed the United States Capitol Building in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

Future historians will view this moment in a similar light to the Munich Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, a failed coup d’état by the nascent Nazi Party. Ten years later, the Nazis gained power through Germany’s po litical processes and went on to ban all other political parties. While the Nazi’s first attempt to gain power failed, their sec ond succeeded, and with that

success came the end of de mocracy in Germany.

Americans have always liked to believe that they are immune to fascism. Novelist Sinclair Lewis responded to this belief in his aptly titled 1935 novel “It Can’t Happen Here.” The novel describes an alternate universe where a populist wins the 1936 presidential election on a plat form of restoring the country to greatness, traditional Amer ican values, and by presenting himself as a champion of the forgotten man.

If any of that sounds familiar to you, it should; it’s effectively Trump’s campaign playbook.

Since 2016, Republican poli ticians have latched on to this ideology that some have come to call “Trumpism.” It is a dan gerous combination of populist messaging and far-right policy, and if it is allowed to gain pow er, it will result in horrors not seen since the 1940s.

The similarities between the rise of Trump’s brand of fas cism and other fascist move ments — Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, Franco’s Spain — are striking. Those ringing the alarm bells are of ten besmirched as alarmists, but they are right to do so. There’s a fire inside the house, and if we do not address it, we will all burn.

Photo courtesy of Pexels.com

Senator and Pennsylvania gu bernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano played a key part in the propagation of these lies and the events on Jan. 6.

Ian Thompson Staff Contributor

Photo courtesy of Brian Snyder/Reuters

Former President Donald J. Trump has been teasing another run for office in 2024 despite the numerous controversies surrounding his time in The White House.

Photo courtesy of Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc

Rep. Majorie Taylor Green, a vocal Trump sup porter, is one who made many false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Photo courtesy of J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Rep. Liz Cheney is one of the few Republicans to be a vocal critic of former President Trump following the insurrection on January 6th. Cheney is now an active member of House panel investigating the events of that day.

Ship Life

Slater of the Month: Margaret Sobotta

Horoscopes by two mean Scorpios: October

Aries (Mar. 21-Apr. 19):

Having trouble forming connections? We get it (or we would if we burned as many bridges as you). However, there is good news for you, as this month you will be refreshed with the ability to form meaningful relationships. If you don’t come off too demanding and aggressive, things might just work out. Don’t force it, and please try not to run back to the relation ships you cut off. We can’t keep watching that endless loop.

Taurus (Apr. 19-May 20):

Relax. You have to relax this month. You may have noticed that you’ve bit off more than you can chew. Start with the stuff you understand, like calming down and not doing so much. Take the break that you know your body and mind are crav ing. Give into that so we can stop watching you freak out every other day. You are striving for perfection; it is okay to settle for mediocre. That is really the best you can do right now.

Gemini (May 21-June 21):

Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate Elizabeth Peters Managing Editor

The Slater of the month for September is Margaret Sobotta, the Arts and Entertainment editor. Sobotta is recognized based on her assistance with all sections of the newspaper.

Sobotta made graphics, took pictures and wrote articles for most of The Slate’s sections over the past two months, all while performing her standard weekly tasks as the A&E head editor.

Sobotta is a senior communication, journalism and media major. Because of her passion in photography, Margaret chose the visual media track and actively takes photos. She joined The Slate in the spring of 2022 and after dipping her toe into writing for the publication, Sobotta applied to become the A&E editor. “[As the A&E editor] I ensure that all stories are covered and do layout for the pages,” Sobotta said.

In addition to keeping her own section in check, Sobotta actively writes articles for publication. “I write stories about things that I want to be published,” Sobotta joked. As an avid reader, she regularly gives input on the stories she reads. Her current favorite books are from the series “A Court of Thorns and Roses” by Sarah J. Mass, which she wrote a review on earlier this semester.

Sobotta is graduating this winter after only three semesters at Shippensburg University. She transferred to SU after spending time at both Millersville and Harrisburg Community College. After graduation, Sobotta will work for MBishin Media in Harrisburg as the head of their podcast. She will also do social media work for their clients, as well as some freelance work in photography.

The Slate management would like to recognize Sobotta for her flexibility and dedication to the success of The Slate. As Slater of the Month, the entire staff congratulates her on her accomplishments and looks forward to her continued involvement.

Latino Student Organization hosts 30th annual Latino Explosion event

On Saturday, Oct. 1, the 30th annual LSO Latino Explosion was held in the Ceddia Union Building MPR.

Students of all backgrounds were invited to enjoy Latin American music, food and dance. The event was help by Shippensburg’s Latino Student Organi zation (LSO) to celebrate Hispanic Her itage Month, which goes until Oct. 15.

According to LSO’s secretary Cassi dy Vangas, Latino Explosion “gives us an opportunity to express our culture and share it with others. A lot of people come out to embrace it.” The sharing of culture brought out dozens of students and families to celebrate with good food and music. The event’s festivities lasted from 4–6 p.m.

Among the dances performed at the event was the traditional Colombian cumbia dance. Cumbia originated as a mixing of indigenous, African and Eu

ropean cultures on the Caribbean coast of the South American country Colom bia. Volunteers from the crowd were in vited to come to the front to learn how to perform the dance.

A few students from the crowd chimed in on their thoughts on the importance of cultural diversity and cultural events like Latino Explosion.

One student said, “It shows represen tation of the diversity of Shippensburg culture. Students are making sure that Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated at Shippensburg.”

Pride in their shared ancestry was a topic brought up by students and LSO organizers. Another important thing for Latin-American students is finding a sense of community on the Shippens burg campus.

“When I first came to Shippensburg, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be here,” Vangas said. “Coming to LSO made me feel a home away from home. LSO

made me feel like I wanted to be here.”

Finding a sense of community is im portant for students on the Shippens burg campus. One commuter student said that Latino Explosion meant feel ing more comfortable at school. “(Lati no Explosion) brings people together,” she said. “I do plan on joining LSO.”

Shippensburg’s Latino Student Or ganization is a club run to promote Latin-American inclusivity and culture on campus. According to Vangas, one of the goals of LSO is, “Getting the His panic community together and discuss ing things we go through on campus.” LSO also holds Hispanic summits.

The Latino Explosion is just one ex ample of campus groups getting togeth er to promote diversity and community at Shippensburg University. The Latino Student Organization will hold more events throughout the year to promote and share their culture.

Take a deep breath and remember that you can’t do every thing. You may have to choose between your academics/ca reer and a social life, so you better make the right choice. Your communication this month will be splendid, but that doesn’t stop the fact that you are far too busy for any form of commu nication. Watch out for that. Taking a break may save us all from your inevitable wrath.

Cancer (June 22-July 22):

Enough with the instability. We can’t keep watching the crocodile tears. The future is yours for the taking, so you should make a plan and stick to it for once. You have one chance to make things right for yourself going forward and this month is the best time to do it. Find your goals and ac tually take steps toward them, don’t push them away just be cause it is “too hard.” Life is hard, babe. You can’t stay twoyears-old forever.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):

You’ve never shied away from the spotlight, but now is a good time to actually do something meaningful with that at tention for once. Ditch the tendencies to reach for mindless recognition and try to work towards your goals. You have the confidence, but do you have the courage to take the risks? Be ing productive socially is easy for you, now it is time to be come productive in the more tangible aspects of life.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

You’ve been in a slump lately, and it is not a good look. Make use of the new motivation this season in order to build your future. It is easy for you to criticize others for not reach ing their full potential, but maybe it is time to take a hard look at yourself. You can’t keep being hypocritical. Build your own success instead of piggybacking off of others. Get off of your social media accounts and focus on your work.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23):

Happy Libra season. Love and communication are in the air for you. We can’t wait to see which of the 10 Tinder dates you went on will be “the one” this week. You love romance, so it’s time to assert your needs – to yourself. What do you want? Do you even know? We are not sure you do. As you are manifesting relationships, perhaps you should manifest some stability as well. You won’t find yourself if you only look at other people.

Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21):

Be prepared for a lot of relationship changes this month, babe. Just remember, sometimes if you love something you have to let it go for both of your sakes. We know you’ll get through it just fine, especially with your season starting later this month. While last month was fairly stressful, this month gives you many reasons to celebrate. Surround yourself with your ride-or-dies and give in to your cravings. It’s time to in dulge and be satisfied. Treat yourself and be rewarded.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

You can’t control everything (and we are so glad you don’t), so stop trying to. When people say that they want to end con nections with you, let it happen. Perhaps it will be a blessing in disguise. You have the ability to get through it if you can let go for once. These connections may have been on the rocks for a while now; you can’t control people. Let them go. You weren’t even sure about them to begin with, so why do you keep holding onto people who don’t want you?

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

We get it, you like to be in charge all the time. Maybe it is time to let someone else take the reins. We promise that it won’t kill you to listen to someone else’s idea. Your goals are almost all coming to fruition, so let someone else share the success. You had help you know, so they deserve it as much as you do. Accept your reward and then move on. We can’t “worship the ground you walk on” all of the time. We have lives too, even if you can’t comprehend that.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Use your annoying uniqueness to your advantage this month. If you have an idea, share it. Continue to share it until someone actually listens to you (it’ll be hard to find someone). You’ve been experiencing a lot of roadblocks, but the commu nication line is clear. All of social media is ready for you to share your half-baked thoughts. Use that to your advantage and annoy everyone (just not us).

Pisces (Feb. 19-Mar. 20):

Struggling to find order in your life because of all the emo tions circling you right now? This month will be the perfect time for you to take control. Stop letting everyone walk all over you because you are stressed out and voice your opin ions. It’ll take a lot of effort, but maybe it is time to let some toxic people go. It’ll be emotionally draining, but that’s not anything you aren’t used to already. Grow a backbone and maybe you won’t be so stressed out by others.

Evan Dillow

Many

‘How to Find a DEI Employer:’ a lecture on diversity and inclusion in the workplace

Diversity Week and the Career Center had a collaboration last Wednesday that involved a speaker session on “How to find a DEI em ployer.” Manuel Ruiz, the assistant vice pres ident for Inclusion & Belonging, and Jessica Henning, director of Selection and Develop ment at Northwestern Mutual, lead the con versation.

Ruiz started the class by encouraging ques tions, as “no question is a dumb question.” Diversity and inclusion are used interchange ably but have two different definitions. De mographics and physical characteristics are what define diversity. On the other hand, inclusion is “what an organization is doing to make everyone feel like a part of the dis course” or “everyone is involved at the table.”

Ruiz emphasized that to find a company that best fits, students need to know what their core values are. While money is import ant and many people tend to make a beeline for the salary information on a job listing, money does not buy happiness. With each statement that Ruiz made, he gave an exam ple immediately after from his personal expe rience.

When he came to Shippensburg Univer sity, Ruiz had an offer at another institution that many of his friends told him to go for as it paid more. He chose Shippensburg Universi ty because he felt like he was back at his alma mater as he interacted with the students. “It was about culture and fit,” Ruiz said.

Ruiz had audience members take a few moments to write down their core values.

Henning does a similar exercise with any in coming organization member (Northwestern Mutual) in which they would have to nar row down value cards to what they deemed important to themselves. When she started working with Northwestern Mutual, Henning discovered that she “cherishes and values benevolence, impact, and selflessness.” Au dience members were then invited to share their core values with the rest of the room.

An audience member brings up equity and Ruiz discussed how “you can tell when some one is transparent.” Referring to the previous story of why Ruiz chose Shippensburg Uni versity over the competitor, he valued how

Shippensburg University would include stu dents in the decision-making processes.

Ruiz highlights the Career Center’s reflec tive exercises, mock interviews, and various other resources. He placed importance on students knowing what their strengths are. According to Henning, the first thing that an employer will ask a candidate is, “What’s your story?” Students need to know who they are as a person so that during interviews, they are not reading things off directly from their resume.

Besides using diversity and inclusion as buzzwords, Ruiz wants students to look through a company’s website and decide for

themselves if they take their diversity, equity, and inclusion statements to the heart within their community (at work or in the area they are in). Utilizing www.glassdoor.com, Ruiz says students can find reviews from employ ees (past and current) on employers they’re interested in. However, he warns his students as well that the site may have reviews from “negative Nancies.”

Ruiz focused on how employers need to revisit their DEI goals and statements often while also “including you (employees) all in the decision-making process).” This goes hand-in-hand with students holding them selves and colleagues accountable. Ruiz asked “what does that look like in a classroom set ting through a DEI lens? What does that syl labus look like? Is it using gender-inclusive language? Are you choosing the appropriate books?”

He noted how 20 years ago, jobs were all about GPA, but nowadays, employers want to know about your activities outside of the classroom. Henning said, “I want to know what you’re doing and not how well you take a test.” For students who are involved in var ious things and find trouble with what to fo cus on, Henning said to tailor the resume to what you’re passionate about. Ruiz also said to look at a company’s mission statement and align your resume to that. According to a study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average employ er takes 30 seconds to look at a resume and some companies have an algorithm that can cut chances short if a resume does not use specific keywords.

Another successful year politically speed dating

Students across the political spectrum were invited to attend a Political Speed Dating ses sion on Thursday in the Ceddia Union Building (CUB) Multipur pose room (MPR).

Allison Dagnes, SU professor of political science, asked stu dents to reach across the politi cal aisle and get to know some one with different viewpoints. Students were also requested to find similar interests and hob bies, such as favorite movie, food or music.

According to Dagnes, politi cal speed dating is about more than just debating. The goal is for students to meet people who see things differently than they do. Dagnes shared her concerns that too many students today stick to crowds that have similar political viewpoints. “We have a lot more in common and there are more reasons to get to know somebody than finding some thing disagreeable,” she said, “It is okay to talk, and it is okay to disagree.”

Students were tasked with sit ting across from someone who

was on the opposite side of the political spectrum. They then picked from a list of currently hot-button issues, such as repro ductive rights, immigration, in come inequality and foreign pol icy. The instructions were clear that it was not a debate and stu dents were not there to challenge each other, but rather to listen to what others think and why they think that way.

After having five minutes of political discussion, students were encouraged to find things they both agreed upon. For po litical science major Joey D’Am brosio, it was getting to meet two fellow fans of the Philadelphia Eagles.

It is hard to ignore how po larized politics in the United States is right now, especially as a young adult. Getting to meet others and understand their po litical views adds to the diversity of Shippensburg University. As senator for student government Ali Sina Sharifi puts it, political speed dating “adds to diversi ty and leads us to changing the country’s situation.” According to Dagnes, who has held this event for the past four years, “I hear about it every year from

students who learn things from college that they’ve never heard before. To me, that is what diver sity is all about.”

Dagnes recounted a specific conversation from a past politi cal speed dating session where a student from Somalia and a stu dent born and raised in Pennsyl vania got to become friends. The student from Pennsylvania was initially against immigration and had never met an immigrant be fore. The two were able to move past their political opinions and teach each other about life. Mo ments like that are incredibly important for Shippensburg University and the country at large.

Thursday’s event was not the last. Dagnes plans to hold po litical speed dating nights every year to foster communication between students of differing viewpoints. “I hope that we do this every year, a couple times a year,” she said, “Students really like it; they get to meet people. It is a good way to sit across from somebody and get to talk to them.” Getting to meet new people from beyond our political spheres creates a healthier cam pus for all.

Taste of Africa’

The CMPDC holds fall job and internship fair

The Career, Mentoring, and Professional Development Center held the Fall Job and Internship Fair at the ShipRec on Friday afternoon. Over 120 employers were in attendance to look for potential employees. There were job opportunities for various majors, ranging from law enforcement to health care. There were even options for students to continue their education at grad school. There was an opportunity for every student, no matter their career goals.

Students were encouraged to bring their resumes and dress professionally for the event. Upon entry, students checked in and created name tags. They were given guidebooks which included a map of the fair and tips on how to talk to the employers. Before meeting employers, students were encouraged to take a professional headshot at the LinkedIn Photo Booth.

The fair gave students a chance to network with potential employers.

“It’s great we can get a chance at employment before graduation,” SU senior Abigail Robillard said. The event allowed students to get an idea of what opportunities are out there before they graduate.

“I hope to find an industry that is appealing to me and figure out my life from there,” SU senior Kristen Zellner said. Senior Mackenzie Delosier agreed and said, “I want to get my foot in the door of finding my career path.” Job fairs are beneficial because they can be the first step you take in figuring out your career.

Although I am a sophomore, I still benefited from attending the career fair. I talked to a couple of employers that interested me, like Cumulus Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group. It was a great opportunity for me to learn about career options before I become an upperclassman next year.

Job fairs can also give you practice in professional settings. They allow you to gain public speaking confidence when you introduce yourself to employers. You can gain interview skills since they may ask you questions on the spot. Employers can look over your resume and give you advice. Career fairs allow students to get a glimpse into the real world before they leave college.

If you missed the Fall 2022 Job and Internship Fair, keep an eye out for future events held by the Career, Mentoring, and Professional Development Center by following them on Instagram @shipcareers.

Jeremy Satyawan

Evan Dillow Staff Contributor

Grace Harbour Staff Contributor

Jayden Pohlman/The Slate

The CMPDC fall job fair featured over 120 employers for students to speak with in order to explore their post-graduation options.

A&E

‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is mediocrity run amok, amok, amok

1993’s “Hocus Pocus” may not have garnered the warmest critical reviews when originally released, nor was it a darling at the box-office. However, thanks to years of reruns on tele vision and DVD sales, the film has grown beyond a cult fol lowing and become an essential part of the Halloween season. Despite this rise in popularity over the years, a sequel always seemed to be mere whisperings and rumors amongst fans. Even with the three leads — Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Park er and Kathy Najimy — showing plenty of interest in return ing to their roles, the film never seemed to get off the ground. That was until 2022, nearly 30 years after the original. The Sanderson Sisters are back to run amok in Salem in “Hocus Pocus 2.”

If you have seen the original, then chances are the plot of this new film will seem familiar. The witchcraft obsessed Bec ca (Whitney Peak) is celebrating her 16th birthday. However, instead of your normal birthday candle she’s instead given the black flame candle; once it is lit, the Sanderson Sisters return. Now the witches are on the loose again, trying to retrieve their magic spell book before sunrise.

To start this review on a positive note, the returning Mid ler, Parker and Najimy are still great and fall right back into their iconic roles. The chemistry between the three is just as strong as it was back in 1993, and it’s great to see them to gether again. The film is centered around sisterhood, which in turn leads the film to make the Sanderson Sisters more sym pathetic. You could argue this is a weird choice since they are technically child murderers, but the film decides to tone down their desire to suck the souls out of the children of Salem. An other returning cast member who gets to shine is Doug Jones as Billy Butcherson. In the original he had his mouth sewn

shut until the final 15 minutes, but here he is able to get much more speaking time and gets to show off some strong physical comedy chops.

Unfortunately, I have such complicated feelings toward this new sequel that these positives are all I could muster from my viewing. Going into the film, I was hesitant since the orig inal is one of my all-time favorites, and Disney legacy sequels can truly be hit or miss. The first 15 minutes did not ease my hesitancy as we are given a very awkward origin story for the Sanderson Sisters. Awkward child acting aside, it immediate ly signaled the film’s biggest weakness. The performances are unusually bad. I do not mean the three witches, obviously, or our leads — Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo and Lilia Buck ingham — but rather every other character surrounding them. Everyone is overreacting and exaggerated, and it is just not funny. Tony Hale in particular, who plays the dual role of the Reverend in the opening origin story and his descendant in the present day, easily had the worst lines and jokes in the movie.

Another major issue with the film is that it tries to recap ture the magic of the original. For the most part, the nostalgia is not too blatant and obnoxious. However, the film is essen tially taking jokes and scenes from the original and trying to make them “bigger” and “better,” and they just come off as lame. A perfect example is the big song and dance sequence. In the original, the “I Put A Spell on You” scene is simple and it makes sense why they are singing that song. In this new film, without any kind of context or reasoning behind it, they suddenly have this big number set to Blondie’s “One Way or Another.”

Overall, I do not want to be too harsh on the film as it is clear that everyone involved was passionate in making it, and admittedly there are some fun highlights sprinkled through out. I do not know if I can say there is enough to make it worth

‘Dahmer’ receives backlash and praise in the media

to relive their trauma.

Ryan Murphy has done it again with another Net flix hit that has everyone talking. This time with the story of one of America’s most horrific serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer.

Consisting of 10 epi sodes, “Monster: The Jef frey Dahmer Story” displays insight about the victims of the monster. Niecy Nash and Evan Peters are two of the stars who stole the show in this psychological mad house. Nash played the role of Glenda Cleveland, one of Dahmers victims, while Pe ters played the role of Jeffrey Dahmer. Though it has been a popular series around the world and received praise, it has been controversial as well. Fans love how the se ries highlights the tragic kill ings of Black LGBTQ+ men and their stories; however, others feel the series is caus ing victims’ family members

With this debate going on in the media, one cannot ig nore the impeccable acting and extraordinary cinema tography of the series. “I was very scared about all of the things that Dahmer did, and diving into that and trying to commit to [playing this character] was absolutely going to be one of the hard est things I’ve ever had to do in my life because I wanted it to be very authentic,” Pe ters said in a promotional video released by Netflix. Peters was correct. His portrayal of this character was indeed his darkest and sent many viewers on an emotional roller coaster.

Nash gave a soft and emo tional performance that was absolutely stunning. Nash felt Glenda was one of the people who was overlooked in that year of terror, and she wanted her story to be presented to the world in the best way.

“When you hear the dif ferent things that happened

with regards to Jeffrey Dahmer and his victims, Glenda was one of his vic tims, too, and her story has been told the least,” Nash said in an interview with Netflix.

The cinematography was breathtaking and sent so many feelings through the screen. In the first episode, there is a scene where some one appears to be cleaning up a house, and though we only see the backside of this character, the audience can see that it is Dahmer. The scenes throughout the series focus on dark rooms and colors with hints of light. These can represent a deep er meaning of the hell that Dahmer put many of his vic tims through.

Overall, the 10-episode series was a twisted thriller that both kept its viewers on the edge of their seats and educated many on the hor rors this monster caused.

Review: ‘Mistakes Were

Made’ by Meryl Wilsner

Katie Huston Business Manager

The critically acclaimed author of “Some thing to Talk About,” Meryl Wilsner wrote another queer romance story for the shelves. The new book, “Mistakes Were Made” utilizes the “one night stand who you meet the next day in a new setting” trope while avoiding any version of the “bury your gays” trope.

“Mistakes Were Made” follows Cassie Klein and Erin Bennett as they are brought togeth er over and over again, ultimately realizing that what they are feeling is love. When they first meet, Cassie is avoiding Family Week end at her college and Erin is trying to pass the time while her ex-husband spends the evening with their daughter. Things can only get worse when they meet again — the next morning, at breakfast with Erin’s daughter.

Cassie and Erin’s story is told from both perspectives that helps reader’s see into their thought process as they navigate through the minefield of their relationship. With passion and great one-liner humor, the story itself is able to make light of the uncomfortable situa tion that they are in.

In the novel, both Erin and Cassie are al ready fully out of the closet. This made for a nice change because many queer novels have the main conflict as the characters coming to terms with their sexuality. Instead, in “Mis takes Were Made,” the main point of friction seems to be the maternal conflict that Erin has throughout the novel while secretly dat ing her daughter’s friend.

Though, that is not to say that there were not several points in the story that were hard to read. Perhaps some of the uncomfortable ness of a few scenes was intentional given the situation that Cassie and Erin are in, but oth ers felt completely unnecessary. For example, toward the beginning of the novel, the pair have a rendezvous in the bathroom during an event that Erin’s daughter was a part of.

Additionally, the resolution with Erin’s daughter fell pretty flat. While we get some what of an explanation of her daughter’s thoughts throughout the entire novel, it

all happened at once. In reading, it felt like rushed writing that was left until the last min ute.

Despite this, the misunderstandings are resolved in a sweet way and the book is still enjoyable. Friendships and mother/daughter relationships are restored, and we get a queer happy ending.

Overall, “Mistakes Were Made” is a heart warming, passionate romantic comedy ex ploring a relationship that seems destined to fail from the beginning. Wilsner writes a story for queer people everywhere to enjoy.

Look for Meryl Wilsner’s “Mistakes Were Made” in stores for $16.99 on Oct. 11. This novel does contain graphic sexual content.

a watch. All and all, it is a harmless little romp that comes right in time for Halloween, but you are better off sticking with the original.

“Hocus Pocus 2” is streaming exclusively on Disney+.

Adam Beam

Image courtesy

imdb.com

Cover Courtesy of St. Martin’s Publishing Group

Bailey Cassada/The Slate

Review: ‘Straight No Chaser’ is straight-up entertaining in concert

Bailey Cassada Staff Contributor

“If the phrase ‘male a cap pella group’ conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties and khakis sing ing traditional college songs on ivied campuses…think again.”

That quote comes from the website of Straight No Chas er, a professional male a cap pella group who rose to fame with their comedic cover of “The 12 Days of Christmas.” Even if you do not know their name, you will most certainly recognize their covers — es pecially around the holidays.

The group of nine includes original members Randy Stine (bass), Jerome Collins (tenor), Steve Morgan (ten or), Walter Chase (tenor), and newer members Mike Luginbill (tenor), Seggie Isho (baritone), Tyler Trepp (ten or), Jasper Smith (baritone) and Freedom Young (percus sion).

The original group con sisted of Indiana University students from 1996, but as they approach their 25th an niversary, all of the members are now alumni from a vari ety of graduating classes.

I have wanted to see this group for a few years, so I was excited to see them perform at the Maryland Theater in Hagerstown, Maryland, on Tuesday, Sept. 20.

I was sitting in the upper balcony, five rows from the back. In this seat, I still had a great view of the stage; however, sometimes the mi crophone volume was too low, and I had trouble un derstanding what they were singing.

Nonetheless, the group was still very entertaining and energetic. A particular

standout was tenor Jerome Collins. He is incredibly tal ented with a soulful, jazzy tone and flawless vocal runs. Not only was he musical ly talented, but he had the perfect personality for the group. From his physical humor through his dancing to his witty comments in be tween songs.

Straight No Chaser start ed the concert off with a bang with a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” This was a great opener, but the crowd really began to make their presence known during a cover of “Levitating” by Dua Lipa remixed with other popular songs.

The a cappella group had a wide variety of genres such as pop, R&B and country that they performed. My favor ites included “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, “Africa” by Toto, “Proud Mary” by Tina Turner and the “Movie Medley” by Straight No Chaser.

As much as I enjoyed each performance, I wish they sang more of their comedic covers. Those such as the “Movie Medley” just before intermission and “Proud Mary” as the opener to the second half were definitely the showstoppers, and the audience reacted to it with laughs and clapping along. I just found myself waiting for the next song when they were singing the slower songs such as “Tequila” by Dan & Shay.

However, that does not make them weak performers.

A cappella is an art form that I have always appreci ated. As someone who did choir and musical theater growing up, I understand how difficult harmonizing can be. But without a band or backing track? It makes mat ters much more difficult, yet

so impressive. Every single person must perform their best, otherwise the song can fall apart.

There were a variety of ages in attendance, from families with young kids to a group from a retirement home. Just three rows ahead of me, there was a little girl who stood out to me in that crowd.

She sat up straight on the edge of her seat the whole time. She danced, cried and laughed louder than anyone else in the room. It was like her dream come true to see Straight No Chaser live.

I mention this because I could see myself in that little excited girl. The thrill of see ing your favorite artist live in concert is unlike any other feeling. Straight No Chaser was arguably the first group that made that a cappella “cool,” so to see younger gen erations being excited about the style of music is truly special. It really goes to show that this band has made an impact on all ages.

Overall, this was a sol id concert that I think just about anyone can enjoy. Con sidering that it was a Tuesday night, the crowd of “Chasers” — the name for fans of the group — were lively and en ergetic and gave a standing ovation at the end. With the genres, comedy and enthu siasm, Straight No Chaser truly puts on an entertaining performance.

Straight No Chaser will be back on tour starting on Oct. 20, for their 25th Anniver sary Celebration Tour. You can browse tour dates and purchase tickets at https:// sncmusic.com/tour.

Kauffman Gallery presents

‘Stitchless’ exhibit

Contributor

Anthony Cervino renews his whimsical and distinctive vision with “Stitchless,” an exhibition at the Kauffman Gallery at Ship pensburg University.

Cervino has a well-established artis tic presence that comes from his previous shows such as “Long Lost,” “Ejecta” and “Absence & Evidence.” Cervino is local to the area as the co-director and curator of Ejecta Projects, an art gallery and collabo rative space in Carlisle.

The Kauffman Gallery is a well-lit, mod

and contradictions which face us, all ex plored through found and altered objects. This infuses a sense of kitsch and Ameri cana into the exhibit.

The piece titled “At Long Last” is made of collected copies of “The Secret of Skull Mountain,” the 27th volume of the “Hardy Boys” collection, along with cedar shims, cedar, plywood, shellac, linen, paint and glass.

The sculpture immediately stands out in the gallery with its rich evergreen frame, especially with the multiplicity of the book cover’s skull image. It conjures memories and images of scouting, with the green

Review: Netflix’s

‘Do Revenge’

tics. The plot is very reminiscent of cult fa vorites such as “Clueless” and “Mean Girls.”

Netflix’s new film “Do Revenge” is about two psychotic females, Drea (Camila Mendes) and Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who band together to conduct revenge on their tormentors.

Drea is a popular student attending Rose hill Country Day High School, but her social status crumbles after her boyfriend Max (Austin Abrams) leaks an intimate video of her. Drea gets a job at a tennis camp over the summer where she meets Eleanor, a new student at Rosehill. The girls quickly become close and devise a plan to get re venge on those who have slighted them. Eleanor plots against Drea’s former clique while Drea volunteers on the campus farm to seek revenge on Carissa, the girl who out ed Eleanor as a lesbian and painted her as a predator years earlier.

In a series of scandalous events, the girls manage to tear down their enemies one at a time. While the whole point in seeking re venge was to feel better, Drea spirals after being rejected from her dream school, Yale. Eleanor falls into the trap of popularity and friendship with Drea’s old friends, leading to a fallout between the two girls. By the end of the movie, they become friends again and team up one last time to expose Max for leaking Drea’s video.

This movie was a fun twist on a comingof-age film. It highlights the insanity buried deep within teenage girls and emphasizes the importance in women sticking together and having each other’s backs.

“Do Revenge” is a perfect blend of con temporary pop culture references while maintaining classic teen flick characteris

There is also an unpredictable plot twist that will leave viewers shocked. One attri bute to this film that deserves recognition is the LGBTQ+ representation. Some films display representation but do it in a way that feels artificial, or they do not include LGBTQ+ characters at all. “Do Revenge” beautifully gives queer women representa tion in an authentic way too which viewers can connect.

Overall, this comedy based on patriarchal wrongdoings is very lighthearted, and when viewed for entertainment over plot, is a well-rounded movie that is sure to make you laugh and keep you hooked until the end.

Easy Sudoku

Hard Sudoku

Caitlyn

Courtesy

Olivia Chovanes

Olivia

Above

photo

the

gallery located in the Kauffman

Comic by Elizabeth Peters

Sports

No. 3 Field hockey gets 1-0 win over No. 2 East Stroudsburg

Shippensburg’s No. 3ranked field hockey team got a gritty 1-0 win over No. 2 East Stroudsburg on Satur day in a rainy Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup at Robb Sports Complex.

The first half of the game went scoreless as SU came out aggressive, but ESU was able to make four saves in the first two periods.

However, the Raiders stayed aggressive in the sec ond half and three minutes into the third period, soph omore Valu Paul rocketed a ball into the bottom left of the cage off a pass from freshman Agus Garibaldi.

Paul’s goal was the first

goal allowed on the season by East Stroudsburg goalkeeper Amy Supey, who had four saves on the day. Sophomore goalkeeper Lindsay Tripodo had two saves in front of the net for the Raiders.

SU had a 5-3 penalty ad vantage and a 9-3 shots advantage with five shots on goal. Neither team com mitted a foul and neither team attempted a shot in the fourth period.

Shippensburg will look to move to 2-0 in PSAC play on Friday as the Raiders travel to Slippery Rock for a 6 p.m. contest with The Rock.

Football drops rain soaked contest to No. 4 Shepherd 30-13

Isaiah Snead Sports Editor

Shippensburg University’s football team fell to 1-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play af ter falling at home to No. 4 Shepherd 30-13.

The SU defense held Shep herd’s top-ranked offense to just seven points in the first half, partly thanks to heavy rainfall, but a 16-0 third quarter catapulted the Rams to a win.

The Raiders struck first in the contest after sophomore Khalid Dorsey got loose on an 80-yard touchdown run with 2:05 remaining in the first half.

Shepherd quickly re sponded, however, as reign ing Harlon Hill-winning quarterback Tyson Bagent threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to even the score 7-7 go ing into halftime.

The second half began sloppy for Shippensburg as

the Raiders gave up a safe ty after a snap flew over the head of redshirt-freshman punter Tanner Luther and out of the end zone. Bagent would then throw another touchdown pass on the ensu ing possession to stretch the Rams lead to 16-7.

After redshirt-freshman quarterback Sam Johnson III threw the first of his two second-half interceptions, Shepherd capitalized with another touchdown courtesy of a Ronnie Brown 20-yard touchdown scamper. The Rams led 23-7 heading into the final frame.

SU tried to climb back into the game in the fourth quar ter, with Johnson III deliver ing a strike to redshirt-fresh man wide receiver Alex Rufe for a 57-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10.

Brown would essentially put the game away for Shep herd though with a 43-yard touchdown with just 1:33 re maining.

Begent finished the game 27-45 for 252 yards and two touchdowns and Brown finished the game with 171 yards rushing.

Johnson III completed the game 17-29 for 197 yards and a touchdown, along with two interceptions. Dorsey set a new career-high with 119 yards rushing.

The Raiders defense was led by redshirt-junior line backer Tyler Simon, who finished with 13 tackles and a forced fumble. Red shirt-sophomore defensive back Khi’on Smith followed up with seven tackles and two pass breakups.

SU’s defense was not able to get key stops however as Shepherd converted 8-16 third downs on their way to victory.

Shippensburg will return to the field next week as it travels to West Chester to take on the Golden Rams during their homecoming, on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Dailey paces cross country at Paul Short Run

freshman season at the 2019 NCAA Atlantic Region Championships — a 10K race.

The Shippensburg University men’s cross-country team delivered a consistent performance on Friday afternoon in 8K com petition at the 47th Annual Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University.

Senior Drew Dailey served as the team’s No. 1 runner on Friday, marking just the second time in his SU cross-country career that he has paced the Raider pack. Dailey delivered an 8K time of 25:08, a new cross country 8K PR of 41 seconds that significant ly enhances his previous 8K best set at last year’s Paul Short Run. Dailey passed about 20 runners over his final 1,500 meters to lead the Raider scorers for the first time since his

Junior Hayden Hunt was the No. 2 run ner and finished an evenly paced run in 86th place with a time of 25:15. Hunt finished just six seconds shy of his 8K PR that was set at last year’s Paul Short Run.

Senior Kevin Wagner and junior Joey Cin tavey finished within five-tenths of a second of each other, placing consecutively with a time of 25:23. Wagner destroyed his previous 8K PR by more than a minute, as his previous 8K best set at last year’s Paul Short Run came in 26:27. Cintavey, running cross country this season for the first time since his 2019 fresh man campaign, obliterated his 8K collegiate cross-country best by more than two minutes. Freshman Garett Quinan rounded out the

Raider scoring runners with a time of 25:31, crossing the finish line just eight seconds behind Wagner and Cintavey. Junior Aidan Gonder ran 25:42.

The prestigious Paul Short Run featured more than 130 colleges and universities and is annually broken down into three tiers of 6K races based on the registered teams, as the field includes a significant number of Division I schools.

SU competed in the “Brown” race, the middle of the three tiers, and finished in 15th place in the team standings. Regional opponents Concord (12th place) and Davis & Elkins (14th place) finished 53 points and two points ahead of the Raiders in the team standings; however, the Raiders did rank the highest of the four Pennsylvania State Athlet

Shippensburg returns to action next week end at Mansfield, in a meet that will afford the Raiders a chance to run on the same course that will host the PSAC Championships and the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships in November.

ic Conference (PSAC) schools that were also amongst the field. Lock Haven finished 36th, IUP was 37th and East Stroudsburg was 42nd.

Isaiah Snead Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller/SU Sports Info.

SU sophomore Valu Paul celebrates after scoring the game’s lone goal in the third period against ESU.

Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller/SU Sports Info. Shippensburg University’s football team dropped its first PSAC matchup this season against No. 4 Shepherd University after losing the second half 23-6.

SU wide receiver Alex Rufe celebrates after scoring a 57-yard touchdown.

Volleyball splits weekend games

Raiders sweep West Chester; fall to Millersville

Raider

Shippensburg University’s volleyball team swept West Chester University on Satur day afternoon but suffered defeat against Millersville in four sets on Friday night on a road trip last weekend. Both games were Pennsylva nia State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division matchups.

Against West Chester, the set scores were 25-20, 25-22 and 26-24.

In the first set, the Raiders led 4-1, but then the Golden Rams took the lead after a 10-2 run. With an 11-2 run, the Raiders took the lead again and finally won the set with a kill from senior Jor dan Bowen.

The Raiders never trailed in the second set, but they let the Golden Rams tie five times. SU won the second set

off a service ace by freshman Erica Lampus. Sophomore Kat Negron had seven kills in the set.

SU secured the third set with back-to-back kills from senior Oyinda Agbale, after being tied at 19-19 and at 2424.

Sophomore Kelsie Baus set a new career high with five service aces and led the team in that statistic. Negron led the Raiders in kills with 13, she added one service ace and six digs. Agbale totaled nine kills and two blocks. Lampus finished the game with four aces and a team high of nine digs.

SU had a total of 13 ser vice aces in the game, which helped it defeat West Ches ter, even though the Golden Rams had a better hitting percentage with 0.211.

Against Millersville on Fri day, the Raiders did not trail in the first set and took it by a

score of 25-19.

After taking the lead 22-20 with a 10-0 run, SU lost the second set 23-25.

In the third set, the Raid ers took the lead, but after a tie at 5-5, Millersville took the lead and won the set 2523.

The fourth was full of ties and lead changes, but the Raiders lost in the end by a score of 17-25.

Agbale led the team with 14 kills, had a hitting per centage of 0.464 and added four blocks. Negron had a team high of 16 digs, while freshman Kearstin Davis led the Raiders with 36 assists. Davis also had 10 digs.

Shippensburg now has an even record of 9-9, and a 3-2 record in the PSAC.

On Tuesday, the Raiders will travel to Pitt-Johnstown for a non-conference match up at 7 p.m.

Men’s soccer drops match to Bloomsburg 4-3

The Shippensburg Uni versity men’s soccer team traveled to Bloomsburg on Wednesday night for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchup against the Huskies.

The Raiders were not able to hold on to their two-goal lead in the second half and lost to the Huskies 4-3.

The Huskies got on the board first in the 13th minute when Patrick Walsh scored to give the Huskies an early 1-0 lead.

The Raiders respond ed two minutes later when Chase Estes scored his sec

ond goal of the season. The goal tied the game at one. In the 31st minute, BU’s An thony Schlee was awarded a penalty kick after he was fouled by a Raider defender.

Schlee scored on the pen alty kick opportunity and gave the Huskies the lead 2-1. However, the Raiders would tie the game in the 39th minute when Ashton Davies scored on a penalty kick goal, knotting the score at 2-2.

In the 57th minute, the Raiders extended the lead when Harry Kershaw scored, which stretched the Raider lead to 3-2.

The Huskies began to comeback in the 60th minute

when Stephen Hollis scored to tie the game at three.

Three minutes later the Hus kies struck again when Walsh scored his second goal of the game, creating the final 4-3 scoring margin.

The Raiders dropped their fourth game of the season and fell to 2-4-2 on the year.

The Raiders have not won a game against a team from the PSAC, dropping to an 0-4-2 conference record.

The Raiders will travel to Chestnut Hill University on Monday to play the Griffins.

Photo courtesy of Pearllan Cipriano/SU Sports Info.

Shippensburg University’s volleyball team split its PSAC road trip this past weekend getting a sweep over West Chester and losing to Millersville University.

Nicola Pugge Staff Contributor

Photo courtesy of Brenna White/SU Sports Info.

SU Sophomore Kelsie Baus had a career-high five service aces against WCU.

Jack Ansley

the defeat.

Engineering Building Named

Latino Explosion Gallery

Former steam plant renamed the Milton and Doreen Morgan Engineering Laboratory

Photos by Bailey Cassada

MSA holds “Latino Explosion” event to celebrate Latino Heritage Month

Photos by Carmine Scicchitano

‘I Love My Hair’Coloring Contest

Students from Grace B. Luhrs Elemetary School (GBLUES) created the following pictures in celebration of National Hair Day on Oct. 1. These are some of The Slate staff’s favorites.