February 6, 2015 - Digital Edition by Clock Staff

THECLOCK

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February, 6 2015

• Vol. 60, Issue 7•

The official independent, student-run publication of Plymouth State University since 1952 Know The Times, Read The Clock

December 12, 2014

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NEWS

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FEATURES Students speak out about class cancellations

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A&E Editor announces his OSCAR predictions.

Waterville Valley Resort talks free ski day, and other upcoming events - Pg. 2

"Mixed Emotions" to Compete at ICCA Nina Weinstein Photo Editor

his week, Plymouth State UniT versity’s all-female a cappella PAGE 13 group “Mixed Emotions” is rehears-

SPORTS

Women's hockey looks to make late run in ECAC.

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ing every night in preparation for their set in this year’s International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. This is the group’s second year being accepted and competing in the competition, which showcases talent from all over the country. PSU is one of many schools competing in the Northeast Quarterfinal regional lineup, along with Ithaca College, New York University, Harvard College, and Cornell University. The regional competition will be held this Saturday, February 7th at Berklee College of Music. Typically “Mixed Emotions” rehearses a few nights per week in preparation for their winter and spring concerts here in Plymouth. However, after they were notified of their acceptance in December, the group has been rehearsing nearly every day since the start of the semester in preparation for the competition. The group’s set list tells the story

of a romantic relationship. The set begins with Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” followed by the classic “Stand By Me.” The doo-wop harmonies soon turn somber with the transition into Rascal Flatt’s “What Hurts the Most” and takes a powerful twist with the finale number: a mash-up of Destiny’s Child’s throwback “Independent Women” and Ariana Grande’s contemporary hit song “Problem.” The set features choreography by Bradleigh Bleeker, solo performances by Rachel Perelli, Melodey Mathews, Amanda Harrington, and Sarah Kelly, vocal percussion by Mathews and Harrington, as well as a rap segment performed by Chelsea Merritt. The group has been feeling extremely confident and proud to be given this opportunity to contend with some of the most competitive schools in the region. Music Director Amanda Harrington says, “What is so unique about our group is that we're a group of sixteen intelligent girls, which is something you do not see a lot of at the ICCA. We've man-Continued on pg. 9

CLOCK PHOTO/ JENNIFER TEPPER

Waterville Valley releases upcoming events on the mountain.

CoBa Names New Dean Elizabeth Barden Editor-in-Chief The College of Business Administration has just named Robyn E. Parker, Ph.D. a professor of Business and Director of Instruction of the College of Business Administration, Dean

of the department. With 25 years of experience in higher education, 15 years of management experience and five years teaching at Plymouth State University, Dr. Parker will be bringing her expertise to the table as she enters her new role. - Continued on Pg. 2

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February, 6 2015

The Clock Editor in Chief Elizabeth Barden eab1010@plymouth.edu Managing Editor

Production Manager Tim Waugh kagoodwin2@plymouth.edu

Rachel Perelli rcperelli@plymouth.edu

Sports Editor Eric Brill edbrill@mail.plymouth.edu

Photo Editor Nina Weinstein neweinstein@plymouth.edu

News Editor Nichole Currier ndc1010@plymouth.edu

Media Manager Bobby Costanzo rncostanzo@plymouth.edu

Assistant Features Editor Cassie Pearson clpearson@plymouth.edu

Features Editor Benjamin Hunton bh1010@plymouth.edu

Assistant Photo Editor Colby Aubut cmaubut@plymouth.edu

Sports Photo Editor Field Martin fkmartin@plymouth.edu

A&E Editor Tim Waugh tswaugh@plymouth.edu

Assistant Sports Editor Justin Siewierski js2010@plymouth.edu

The Time Finally Came Growing up, I was the oldest child in my family. Naturally,

I thought I knew everything because I was the first one to experience it: friendship, school, relationships, applying to college, and experiences well beyond. My sister never cared much for my acclaimed wisdom, so she always fought against me even when I thought I knew best. I was afraid of my little sister getting hurt, whether it be by receiveing a terrible grade on an assignment she worked hard on, not making a sports team, or having her heart broken. Though I tried my hardest to give her guidance, she never

wanted it because she wanted to experience life her way. Soon I gave up, hoped her the best, and took my post as the bystander. Yesterday, to my surprise, I received a call from my sister who is now in her freshman year of college. I could tell that she was on the verge of crying and suddenly she began to tell me all of her frustrations. She explained to me that she was thinking of changing her major and was feeling like she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. That's when she finally asked, "What should I do?" I almost started to cry because it was the first time I felt like all of my experiences and the lessons I've learned actually served a

Elizabeth Barden Editor in Chief

Advertising & Sales Ross Ferrulo clockads@gmail.com Contributors Addie Weller Sarah Liebowtiz Justin Siewerski Geneva Somber Becky Hardy

The Clock is an editorially independent newspaper. Opinions expressed do not reflect those of Plymouth State University or of the University System of New Hampshire. The Clock is funded in part by the Student Activity Fee and is distributed free of charge to the Campus and Community every other Friday of the Academic Calendar

Newsroom Phone • (603) 535-2279 Fax Line • (603) 535-2729 Email • mjormsbee@plymouth.edu Website • http://www.TheClockOnline.com Advertising • (603) 535-2279 clockads@gmail.com US Mail: The Clock Suite A9 Hartman Union Building Plymouth State University, Plymouth NH, 03264. All contents © 2011-2012 The Clock. All rights reserved.

Scan Code to send a letter to the Editor. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: The Clock welcomes letters to the editor, and aims to publish as many as possible. The Clock reserves the right to edit for vulgarity and libelous content. Opinions expressed in both signed and unsigned letters to the editor, opinion pieces, cartoons or columns are not necessarily those of The Clock or it's staff. If you do not see your side of the argument being represented, The Clock invites you to submit a letter to the editor to present your side.

purpose. I finally felt like I could truly help her. I calmed her down, telling her all the things that I wish someone would've told me in those moments. "I knew you would know what to say," she said, "Thank you Libby." My sweet, beautiful, stubborn sister had seen me, this whole time, as someone who could help her. It made me realize that all of the hardships I've ever faced weren't for nothing. I had something to finally share with her. It was that similiar experience that would bond us as young adults and even so, she will still be my Emma Bean.

RecycleMania Returns T

his year is Plymouth State University’s seventh consecutive year participating in RecycleMania, the national recycling competition among colleges and universities. The competition runs from February 1 to April 14 and our goal is to demonstrate that PSU is one of the most sustainable campuses in the nation. All members of the campus community are encouraged to make an extra effort to recycle during the competition (and throughout the year!). To measure our recycling performance, we record the weight of commingled recycling and trash collected each week and submit that figure to the national RecycleMania reporting system. Physical Plant and the Office of Environmental Sustainability (OES) collaborate to promote the competition, share the importance of recycling, collect recyclables, and report the data. In 2008 President Steen signed the President’s Climate Commitment, which committed PSU to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. As part of this commitment, RecycleMania is an important and required part of our efforts, especially in the waste minimization category

described below. The impact of this requirement is evident in our campus today, as PSU has reduced waste consistently each year since making this pledge. PSU par ticipates in the Gorilla Prize, Waste Minimization, Grand Champion, and Per Capita Classic categories of the competition: • Gorilla Prize - the school with the highest gross tonnage of recyclables wins. • Waste Minimization - total efforts to reduce overall waste. This category is evaluated by determining which school produces the least amount of waste, including both trash and recyclables, on a per-person basis. • Grand Champion - the amount of recycling produced at an individual school is divided by the total weight of the trash and recycling produced to determine the school’s recycling rate. • Per Capita Classic schools compete to see which can amass the most recycling on a per-person basis. Competition winners receive national recognition and the satisfaction of helping the PSU community live in a more sustainable society. Last year’s results were PSU’s best ever, and though we have a long way to go, we are

confident that with more awareness we will continue to improve. What can you do to help? Simply take your recyclables to the recycling bins located in residence halls and throughout campus buildings. If you have cardboard to recycle, be sure to flatten it before placing it behind the bins. Finally, be sure only clean, recyclable materials are placed in recycling bins. Contamination with waste can result in processing plants rejecting our recyclable materials. If everyone participates, our numbers will add up fast. The more people who participate, the higher PSU will rank in this national competition. Let’s show that at PSU, green is more than our school color! For more information about RecycleMania, or the Office of Environmental Sustainability, contact OES Director Brian Eisenhauer at bweisenhauer@ plymouth.edu or (603) 535-2497. Melissa Leszek Office of Environmental Sustainability

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February, 6 2015

Waterville's February Lineup The Exciting Events Coming Up This Month at Waterville Valley Resort

Benjamin Hunton Features Editor inter is in full swing. As is W apparent by the mile-high snow banks and armies of plow

trucks. On Wed., February 11, students at Plymouth State University will get to make use of all this snow by carving it up on the slopes of Waterville Valley Ski Resort for free. Waterville Valley Resort was the PSU student’s mountain of choice when they were asked to vote last semester on which of the four local mountains would host Ski Day during Winter Carnival Week. Waterville Valley normally charges $7 to PSU students for lift tickets, but this upcoming week, any student or faculty member that arrives at the mountain with a PSU ID will get a free lift tickets, a free group lesson, a $10 lunch voucher. All of this is included with free transportation to and from the mountain, as well as live entertainment in the afternoon from 2-5pm and a special rail jam on the mountain’s trail, Exhibition. Ski Day is something that is looked forward to every year by students who love winter sports, but it is not the only thing Waterville Valley is offering in the near future as it wraps of the last two months of the season. The mountain will also be hosting several other exciting events in the month of February, one of them being the Vans Hi-Standard Snow Series World Tour. Coming to Waterville Valley on Sat., February 7, this international contest series invites snowboarders from around the world to show off their skills by exhibiting

style and creativity in an exciting jam format. The Hi-Standard Series tours across the US, Canada, China and Austria and features an original big air format where riders are judged by individual style only, with no rotation over 720 degrees allowed. "It’s very unique, said Waterville Valley’s Marketing Communications Coordinator, Peter Sununu. “It’s a different style of judging. It’ll be really cool to see that done here." During the event, Vans will be providing free lunch vouchers and lift tickets for the day. Many of these upcoming events at Waterville Valley Resort have been popular for years. And this years annual “Starry Nights” promises to be no different. During this event, guests pay for tickets to ride up the lift at night after the trails close, and then either ski or ride down a torch-lit trail to the mountain’s Sunnyside Timberlodge, where they can enjoy a gourmet meal, live entertainment, music, and an appearance from local opera singer, Vlad. “Starry Nights has been great. It’s one of our most popular events,” said Sununu. Tickets for Starry Nights run at $125 per person. Other upcoming events include Nordic Nights; a spinoff of Starry Nights in which guests get a guided tour by ski or snowshoe of the mountains Nordic trails, followed by a gourmet buffet. Nordic Nights will take place on Sat., February 14. The following day, Sun., February 15, the Waterville Valley Conference Center will be presenting comedian Bob Marley. Marley comes to Waterville Valley Resort every year and it is always a sold out show.

Waterville Valley has a lot to offer this season, and whether the guest is a new rider, or an expert, there is always something fun for them to enjoy. “We’ve been trying to get more and more people here to see the experience that we have to provide,” said Sununu. “We feel like the experience we provide here can speak for itself. The more people who can come here and experience it the better.”

For PSU students especially, this means that they can enjoy more than just the occasional ride down the slopes. “For a group of people who are located so conveniently to us and who we expect to be a part of the community for years to come, we just want them to be here and see everything we have to offer,” said Sununu. With so much to offer, Waterville Valley Resort has really become one of the most popular go-to places in the winter season for PSU students.

For more information on events, as well as ticket prices, visit www.waterville. com.

CoBa Names New Dean Elizabeth Barden Editor-in-Chief

he College of Business Administration has just named Robyn E. Parker, Ph.D. a professor of Business and Director of Instruction of the College of Business Administration, Dean of the department. With 25 years of experience in higher education, 15 years of management experience and five years teaching at Plymouth State University, Dr. Parker will be bringing her expertise to the table as she enters her new role. “What-

ever I can do for Plymouth State I’m happy to do and the students are the heart and soul and the faculty and staff here are their biggest fans, their biggest supporters and I’m really excited to be a part of the whole thing. It’s wonderful,” said Parker. Parker earned her doctorate in Organizational Communication from Wayne State University and her master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Boston University. Throughout her career, she has worked hard to become an expert in conducting needs assessments, communication audits and designing interventions to improve organizational performance in both academic

and corporate environments. “One of the things that I think that I bring to the table is that I’ve been at a number of institutions, and what I always say is, I pay attention,” said Parker. “Everywhere you go people do things differently and so the more things you’ve seen, the more you are able to bring in.” Dr. Parker became a part of the Plymouth State family when she joined the University faculty in 2010. During her time so far, she has worked on her research, which focuses on the relational effects of new communication technologies in virtual work and educational settings, all the while working her way into

the Director of Instruction for the College of Business Administration. “I’ve always been the one who, if I can add value then I want to do that, if there’s something I can do to help,” said Parker. The College of Business Administration is a department that stresses they are an applied business program and are dedicated to their students, and in terms of planning. “I do have a lot of ideas about what we might do but the thing that I know about vision is that the leader begins the vision and then that allows the people that are going to bring it to life can then put their stamp on it.” This change within the department

is going to change the way in which it operates and the communication within that operation, which will be critical in the semesters to come. “For me, I’m very honored that people want me to serve at this particular moment because we are in a tremendous time of change. One of the things that I think helps change is to communicate about it. I think that’s the thing I’m bringing to the table at this particular moment.” Plymouth State University welcomes the new Dean of the College Administration and congratulates her on this great achievement. Dr. Robyn Parker will begin her new role on July 1, 2015. CLOCK PHOTO/JOSIAH PARRY

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February, 6 2015

The Daily Paws is Open for Business Addie Weller For the Clock n celebration of its twentieth I anniversary, the Hartman Union Building, or the “HUB” for short,

has already begun its revamp and reconfiguration. The renovation of the Sidewalk Cafe was first on the list of many updates for the upcoming 2015 season. The infamous coffee and bagel cafe is now renamed the Daily Paws, complete with a sleek layout, new fixtures, and wood flooring. The back wall of the cafe will also be lined with a beautiful Italian tile. Despite the name change, the popular spot on campus will continue to provide students and faculty with great service. Located in the same, accessible location as the Sidewalk Cafe’ “open concept” layout allows for efficient service and less wait time. Customers enter on the right side of the cafe, where they place their bagel order. The cream cheese, toppings, and bagel options haven’t changed, so there’s no need for customers to rethink their “usual.”

Next in line is the coffee counter, which is conveniently arranged and labeled by flavor. There, customers can choose from an array of Green Mountain coffee flavors such as Hazelnut, Caramel Vanilla, and Breakfast Blend. For those who prefer iced coffee, the Daily Paws now offers iced coffee machines, which brew four different flavors each day. After paying for their order, customers can turn around and walk to the cream, milk, and sugar stations, keeping them out of the line of traffic. This setup makes for more streamlined service, allowing students and faculty to arrive to class, meetings, work, and other campus commitments in a timely manner. Aside from adjusting to the name change, PSU students love the new and improved cafe. Junior Elementary Education Major, Ashley Preuss, says that the Daily Paws is “definitely better than what it was” and has “heard that the line goes so much faster.” Another Junior Communications Major, Emma Partridge, who “abso-

CLOCK PHOTO/ JACK ROBERTS lutely loves the bagel ladies,” admits that she “will miss the old Sidewalk Cafe,” but feels as though the “change is good” for the campus. Senior Meteorology Major, Tenley Sodeur says, “the flow works better in terms of traffic control” and the “teal color adds a bright, fresh change.” The employees had nothing but

great feedback about their new workspace as well. One of the returning bagel ladies, Amanda, thinks the new changes, “look better” and was even told that customers move through the line faster. She also mentioned her fellow employees, “don’t feel as busy as [they] were before.” The newest employee, Cecilia, “loves working here

so far” and “enjoys the new name.” If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the Daily Paws cafe and, of course, pay a visit to the lovely bagel ladies.

Hugs Not Drugs Waterville Ski Day Coca-Cola Promotion

Bobby Costanza Media Manager or many Plymouth State stuF dents, walking through the Hartman Union Building each and

every day invites the possibility of a new surprise. Whether it’s a celebration of lighting the Fireplace Lounge’s very first fall fire, or some environmentally themed trivia that could result in a student winning a water bottle, there is no lack of opportunity for the invested passerby. On Wednesday, February 4, students were greeted with the familiar visage of Coke’s red and white famed soda machines placed in front of the newly christened café, The Daily

Paws. What made this machine special and unique, however, is that students paid for their soda with hugs. In a move that might mirror McDonald’s latest compassion-themed promotion, the Lakes-Region CocaCola Company partnered with Plymouth State University and Waterville Ski Area to bring coke and other skirelated prizes to Plymouth Staters, all at the cost of a simple hug. Upon embracing the red coke machine, emblazoned with a white heart and the phrase ‘HUG ME’ centered in the middle, students had the opportunity to win a triad of sugary sweet prizes. “Next Wednesday is Waterville Ski Day, so we decided to come up here and give away free cokes,” said Lakes Region Coca-Cola Bottling Company District Manager George Clark. “Along with that is the opportunity to get a free coke zero, which awards a free ski ticket, and if you get

a diet coke you win a Plymouth State jacket. It’s just us trying to be part of the community.” For sophomore Ayla Steele, when asked what her main motivation was for hugging the machine, said “The thought of a prize was nice… and I was also thirsty. It was one of those experiences that seemed funny to do – how many people can say they have hugged a coke machine for free soda?” Although the event took place in the beginning half of the day, and occurred with little to no mention to students, Clark teases that “We’re going to do another event later in the year, but this one was just centered around ski day. So stay tuned.” Some students who might not enjoy sugary beverages may have found themselves left out for the opportunity to win a prize. With Clark’s promise of future events, however, there may be more on the horizon

CLOCK PHOTO/ NINA WEINSTEIN

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February, 6 2015

Club HUB Replaces PAW at PSU Cassie Pearson Assistant Features Editor

here has been much buzz about PAW after Club HUB this past weekend. One of the topics of conversation is the change in name from Plymouth Alternative Weekends. No, the new name is not Club HUB as some people have been saying; it has been changed to Plymouth Awesome Weekends. The change was made because “change is great! [PAW] wanted to change the way students looked at [them] and their events,” said Marissa Davis, a sophomore Criminal Justice major. The name is not the only change for PAW, they also created a new logo. The HUB Graphic Designer, DJ Barez designed the logo. He “incorporated The Tower of the HUB in the design,” said Davis. The HUB is the main location for many of their events so the group thought it would be nice to include the building in the logo's design. PAW anticipates that students will now look at the organization with a fresh pair of eyes. The group hosts events for PSU students every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night from 9-11 p.m. Their

goal is to “provide entertainment, activities, and a variety of games or crafts for students to participate in,” said Davis. In the past they have had a wide variety of activities such as pumpkin carving, tie-dying free PAW T-shirts, Zumba, and concerts. Club HUB was an event held the Friday after the first week of classes. The event concluded the activities fair for the spring semester. It was an opportunity for student organizations to spread the word about their groups and recruit potential new members in a fun and engaging way. There were many activities for students to partake in such as “PACE’s Dance Dance Revolution and the Inflatable Log Roll activity,” said Davis. The night ended with free Late Night Dining and a Dueling Pianos concert. Davis is the Student Activities Office Intern and member of PAW who is in charge of programming one of the three events every weekend. The other PAW events are managed by the rest of PAW, the PAW fellow, Megan Driscoll, and the PAW assistant, Adam Guy. Keep an eye out for the fun and exciting events to come this semester.

CLOCK PHOTO/ JENNIFER TEPPER

Snow Days: What’s the Cost? Benjamin Hunton Features Editor

f there is one thing students at Plymouth State University understand, it’s snow. Over the first two weeks of this semester, students have become well acquainted with the white stuff. Slipping, sliding and stomping their way to classes through piles of snow and slush has gotten a lot of students on edge, particularly on Mon., Feb 2. The first Monday of the second week Plymouth experienced eight inches of snowfall mixed with slight rain and a wind chill. On that morning students woke up to see the heavy snowfall outside their windows, and looked hopefully at their cell phones to see if they got a text saying classes were cancelled. To their dismay,

classes were not. While some students decided to go to classes regardless of the weather, others chose to stay in and take the absence. Students who commuted to school were frustrated with the decision because of the dangers and the road conditions being the way they were. “What is usually an hour of driving ended up being two hours because the roads were so bad,” said first year PSU commuter Carolyn Hart. “I don’t think the person/people making the decision were thoughtful of the safety of commuters in a bad position, having to decide whether to skip classes or not.” Even some professors chose to cancel classes rather than risk the drive. The most insulting part in student’s opinions came when they received a text saying that all classes after 3:30 that afternoon were cancelled. For many, this was far too late to be acceptable. Many of the students had

already finished their classes for the day and felt extremely disgruntled, and commuters who had driven from home in the dangerous conditions felt that they had risked their safety for no reason. “Cancelling classes in the middle of the day isn’t very helpful for the commuter who have already made the morning trek,” said Hart. “It was pretty obvious that the weather was hazardous.” Students on campus felt the same frustration as those who had to commute. Feeling that the school was not doing its job caring about the safety of those who attended. “I do think school should have been cancelled,” said sophomore Myles Parsons. "It snowed for the vast majority of the day as predicted, and it put students and teacher alike in a position of danger. Also, cancelling at 3:30 was too little, too late felt like an empty apology for not cancelling in the first place.

Many students took to social media sites to convey their discontent with the decision to hold classes in the morning. “I watched a university van fishtail the whole way up the hill near Lamson Library,” said PSU senior Megan Kelly in a Facebook post on Monday. “The safety of your students, staff, and faculty is your utmost priority? I don’t mind going to class on days like today because I have a short walk, but commuters, staff, and faculty have to drive to get here. Your priorities haven’t been shown through your actions today Plymouth.” It should be noted that it is never an easy decision to make on whether or not to cancel school. Those in charge have to factor in whether or not the weather will remain the way it is, or if it will clear up in a timely manner which would make cancelling classes a mistake. Cancelling also puts pressure on the professors who then have to adjust their respective teach-

ing schedules to account for the day of missed class. Because classes were cancelled preemptively the previous Tuesday, those in charge wanted to avoid a similar mistake. Both parties, the students and those in charge of cancellations, faced difficult decisions, and both made choices that they felt benefitted them with the conditions they were given. In the end, it was a learning experience for everyone.

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A Battle of Will

Benjamin Hunton Features Editor

Well folks, we’re all back at school and we are well into the semester. I can only assume that you have been waiting anxiously all through your winter break and first two weeks back here to read another column from your favorite editor (that’s me) and break the monotony of your everyday life. Well you can finally stop holding your breath, cause here I am! And with the flashy new title of “Features Editor,” might I add. That’s right ladies and gentlemen; your boy isn’t an assistant anymore! But enough about me. Let’s talk about something that has been weighing heavy on most of our hearts lately, but that nobody has been bold enough to speak about. It’s a serious problem that affects all

of us and has the potential to break us both physically and mentally. I am, of course, talking about that moment in the morning when you wake up and you really have to pee, but you are the most comfortable you have ever been in your life. You all know the feeling I’m talking about. Everyone has always told you “when you gotta’ go, you gotta’ go.” But when you are in your bed, in a euphoric post-dream state, and you want nothing more than to sink your head back into your fluffy pillow and drown in your sea of warm blankety goodness, the last thing you want to do is break out of this magical state and walk to bathroom. The inner turmoil you are confronted with at this crossroads in your life is when you really figure out what kind of person you are. Will you sacrifice everything to relieve yourself? Or will you brave the

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discomfort long enough to slip back into a warm doze and blissfully forget about it for however long you can? Yes, dear reader, these moments can make or break you. You could end up making a choice that you end up regretting for at least the rest of your morning. The best solution: don’t drink anything at least an hour before you go to bed. But if you are like me and have no self control over the amount of fluids you consume, prepare to wake up to a fierce battle of will. Good luck, young soldiers.

Greek Life Speaks Becky Hardy For The Clock

appa Delta Phi, Tau Omega, and Delta Zeta are the three recognized sororities here at Plymouth State University. Many students don’t know the benefits and great opportunities that sororities can give, as well as the bond among a group of girls that can last forever. Finding the right sorority can be hard, which is why each one of these groups holds 2-3 weeks of recruiting at the beginning of each semester so girls that are interested can see what Greek life is all about. Abigail Shaw of Kappa Delta Phi said recruitment includes, “smaller sister-bonding rushes, similar to the one tonight where we made tie-dye and got to know each other. We also do recruitment with other Greeks, allowing any interested girls to have a taste of Greek life on campus.” For Delta Zeta the rushing begins this week with themed activities that are held in the room between Student Apartments 110 and 112. Many students aren’t aware of the Charity events each sorority puts on and are a part of. They all require their girls to do a certain amount of community service as well. Tau Omega donates to The American Cancer Society; all three sororities volunteer and help different organizations. as well. As for Delta Zeta they work with the organization Painted

Turtle Camp. “The mission of the Painted Turtle Camp is to provide a year- round, life-changing environment and authentic camp experience for children with chronic and lifethreatening illnesses.” said Marissa Davis, Vice President of Membership for Delta Zeta. “Next week we’re actually working on making two quilts that we will be sending to the Painted Turtle Camp.” Kappa Delta Phi has one large philanthropy that they focus on. "This year we all chose Building Homes for Troops,” said Shaw. “Last year it was the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Throughout the year we hold fundraisers, such as 5K’s, trivia nights, and selling items such as t-shirts, in order to raise money for our philanthropy.” “Being in a sorority is like a home away from home,” said Kacey Montana of Tau Omega. “Having a group of sisters gives you the family you need when yours is not nearby.” Each one of these sororities provides a great environment for girls to be in. Bonding, support and spending time together are what they all love to focus on.

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February, 6 2015

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#8 February, 6 2015

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February, 6 2015

WPCR Spotlight: Nick Clifford and Jimmy Koerner

"Mixed Emotions" to Compete at ICCA Cont.

CLOCK PHOTO/ JENNIFER TEPPER aged to put together an empowering story to tell the audience, and we did it as an ensemble. This year we have an incredible group of girls, and this is the best we have sounded in years. Not only that, but everyone is committed and works extremely hard, and because of that the outcome is extraordinary.” Business Director, Meg Anchukaitis, feels pride and gratitude for the group’s acceptance into the competition two years in a row. Last year, the group’s vocal percussionist, Melodey Mathews, won the award of “Best Vocal Percussion” out of the whole regional competition. Hoping for another great display of talent, Anchukaitis says “I think our overall goal of this competition is to have fun together and show our talent. Our group is chock full of talent and being able to perform for a full auditorium of people and share our hard work is something that we don't often get to do at school in such a large scale. It is such a wonderful experience to be able to sing, dance and bond with each other.” his year the group welcomed three new younger members at auditions in September. Freshman Sarah Kelly, who will be a featured soloist in the group’s performance of

“Problem,” expressed her excitement and gratitude for being accepted and given the opportunity to compete, and also her love for the group’s unique and prevailing bond. These girls are the most beauti“ ful, amazing, kind, and of course crazy-talented people I have met. Everyone is so different and has their own gifts that make up the entirety of our group. To be put into the same category as them is truly an honor. Finding myself and my place here at Plymouth was so much easier to do and was ten times more rewarding because of Mixed Emotions,” says Kelly. nchukaitis says “It feels aweA some to know that Mixed Emotions is at the level of musical-

ity and performance that we were accepted into the ICCAs two years in a row. I am extremely proud of the group for leaving such a great impression on the competition last year that we were invited back to perform again.” or tickets and more information F about ICCA 2015 visit http:// varsityvocals.com/events/icca-northeast/.

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CLOCK PHOTO/ NINA WEINSTEIN Tim Waugh A&E Editor

s surprising as it may sound, there aren't a ton of shows on 91.7 WPCR with dual hosts. Nick Clifford and Jimmy Koerner are an exception, . The DJ duo has been hard at work at the station since their sophomore year, when the friends decided to give radio a shot. As expected, the two decided to work together on the show from the beginning of their tenure at the station. “[The show is] more fun because we get to interact with each other,” said Clifford, who is currently a member of the executive board. Clifford and Koerner both

agree that sharing a show prevents any awkward silences or moments that can result from doing a show alone. Their show, titled “When's Dinner Mom?” doesn't have a set genre. Instead, Clifford and Koerner take advantage of each other's varied musical tastes and each creates half of the week’s playlist, which they combine together. This gives their show a greater sense of variety and, conveniently, means they both only have to bring one hour of content to the table as opposed to two. Clifford and Koerner both agree that there aren't any real downsides to doing the show together, only upsides. Clifford, the training manager of the station, is in charge of introducing new mem-

bers to the station and getting them acclimated with the equipment and running their own show. If you are considering giving radio a try, he says it's worth a shot. “It's fun, you meet a lot of great people, and get to hear new music.” WPCR meets every Wednesday Night at 9pm in Memorial Hall. “When's Dinner Mom?” airs every Monday from 9pm to 11pm on 91.7 WPCR and online at www.wpcr.org

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THECLOCK

February, 6 2015

THE CLOCK'S F "I was in fourth grade. He and I were laying on a trampline, in the middle of the summer, looking up at the stars and he kissed me. We ended up dating for five years." -Elizabeth Barden, Editor-in-Chief

Freshman year of high school at a semi-formal dance.We spent much of the night together and I was ecstatic that he was giving me the time of day. He walked me to my stuff and helped me put my heels back on. He leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips. I was in gleeful shock when he leaned in for another kiss before leaving with his friends. - Cassie Pearson, Assistant Features Editor

"I sat in a movie theater with my first girlfriend, my sweaty palms clenching my oversized Mountain Dew. I knew it was coming. Any minute someone was going to kiss my chapped, 15-year old lips. I remember the credits rolling, I moved in pretty quick, and I missed and kissed her right on the nose." - Bobby Costanzo, Media Manager

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February, 6 2015

FIRST KISSES "I was in sixth grade at a birthday party. This girl who had a crush on me and I were in a room alone and she kissed me. My response: "Cool." - Tim Waugh, A&E Editor

"It was at my Freshman Spirit Week dance. He kissed me and then a bunch of people ran up screaming "I knew you were gonna kiss her tonight!" Then I realized everyone knew it was going to happen except me." - Nichole Currier, News Editor

"My first kiss came when I was 5 years old. My brother and I would get babysat at my house with another girl our age named Jazlyn. Being the young children that we were, we wanted to try all the most yucky things that we could. So Jazlyn and I gave each other the obligatory 5-year old peck kiss on the lips. Jazlyn; if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re out there reading this, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome." - Ben Hunton, Feautures Editor

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THECLOCK

February, 6 2015

Dottie: A Woman’s Descent into the World of Dementia Sarah Liebowitz For The Clock

ottie, a solo physical theater piece about a woman and her struggles with dementia, will be bringing a unique form of theater to Plymouth State University this Valentine’s Day weekend. The show, created by PSU Theater professor Robin Marcotte, originally premiered in Philadelphia in 2005 before being brought back to life this year by Marcotte, the show’s only actor, and Elizabeth Daily, director and fellow professor at the university. Marcotte’s grandmother, Dottie, inspired the show. A lot of the stories in the piece are true, including its use of mirrors and reflections. “My grandmother would see people in the mirror and talk to them,” said Marcotte. Marcotte plays three of the four characters in the play: Dottie, her friend, and a boy. The fourth character is portrayed through a projection. The characters are enhanced with masks designed by Aaron Cromie. These are quarter masks that cover only the nose and cheeks. Also featured in the show is a Balinese wooden double mask, which “plays

with the duality of the disease,” said Marcotte. The show uses other nontraditional elements including aerial work, shadow play, and projections. The projections are actual 8mm films from Marcotte’s family. Fran Page worked on most of the media and video. Marcotte said Page’s work is “remarkable in terms of how technology can interplay inside of the production”. Marcotte and Daily have worked together many times before. Marcotte was previously enrolled at the University, though Daily never directed him during his time as a student. However, they both have incredible respect for each other’s work. “Some of my favorite moments in this process have been Beth’s insights into aspects of the production,” said Marcotte. According to Daily, she only has to “guide [Marcotte] in a direction, and he takes off.” The production is very different from what the University has seen in the past. This has to do with the solo aspect as well as the physical and creative theater involved. “There’s a lot of metaphor, we don’t necessarily spoon feed people,” said Marcotte. “I’d rather an audience of 80 people take away 80 different stories rather than one specific one.”

Marcotte hopes that Dottie will open discussion about dementia and allow people to share their experiences. The show is about people with the disease, but also about their caretakers who are struggling as they watch the memories of a loved one disappear. A physician will be giving a talk after the Friday performance to further discuss the disease. Even without a personal connection to dementia, Daily said “just seeing Dottie as a person. It’s heartwarming, and it’s tough, not only for her but for us. But it’s still filled with hope.” The show is short, running at 50 minutes, but “in those 50 minutes we really span a lot of emotion, from laughter to tears, to hope and love,” said Marcotte. Dottie will be playing at the Silver Center’s Studio Theatre on Feb. 12, 13, and 14 at 8pm and on Feb. 14 at 2pm. Call (603)-535-2787 or visit www.plymouth. edu/silver-center for tickets.

CLOCK PHOTO/ NINA WEINSTEIN

The Transcendence of Trees Comes to D&M Sarah Liebowitz For The Clock

he exhibit “Transcendence of Trees: Memorials & Maquettes” is currently showing in the Karl Drerup art gallery. It features kinetic sculptures by New Hampshire artist Emile Birch, exploring trees and the relationship humans have with them. “The sculptures in this body of work are an exploration of the spiritual nature of living trees and their transformation when cut and felled,” Emiele Bich wrote in his artist statement. The sculptures are made with wood and metal, and covered with acrylics in blacks, reds, and golds. They represent trees surrounded by geometric scaffolding. “I always liked the idea of a scaffold,” said Birch, “an architectural necessity.” It represents the tree’s transformation from a living plant into lumber. The exhibit incorporates ideas of balance through the movable elements, with objects hanging and

balancing off of carefully positioned pivot points. At first the components look still, as if they are stuck there, and the viewer wonders if the piece will actually move in the way they expect it to. No one dared to touch the artwork in order to find out. Looking closely, one notices that components do indeed move, because they start to sway when someone walks by and moves the air, or a particularly engaged viewer gets close enough for her breath to disturb the balance. Birch hopes for his work to “[provide] an energy that engages viewers in the environment.” He began walking about tugging on a sculpture here and there, and it was discovered that the components move quite freely, sometimes in an expected way and other times not. Birch explained how transient the balance really is. “They will change, because the wood will actually retain moisture. Or they will evaporate the water,” he said. Over time, the sculptures move on their own as the weight of the wood changes.

CLOCK PHOTO/ DENNIS MWAURA A lot of the inspiration for this exhibit came from Birch’s trip to Thailand, where he observed the open architecture and the relationship with trees. One can see the presence of stupas, religious dome-like structures, in many of the pieces. Other elements include cracked images of faces and animals. They do not represent actual living beings, but sculptures of them. “Nobody broke them,” said Birch, over time “they just broke.” He also

represents the tree’s growth rings, seeds, and fruit through gold colored pieces to emphasize the importance of life and rebirth. “Throughout history the sacred tree has personified our understanding of life, death, knowledge, and liberty,” wrote Birch in his artist statement. If people pay attention, they will discover the secrets hidden within the wood.

Transcendence of Trees: Memorials & Maquettes will be on display until March 5. Information about the Karl Drerup Art Gallery can be found at ww.plymouth. edu/gallery

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February, 6 2015

Oscar Round-Up 2015

COURTESY PHOTO/ TIMEOUT.COM

Tim Waugh A&E Editor

his year's Superbowl may have come and gone, but for film buffs the real competition is just starting to heat up. The nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced on January 15th, and as we get closer to the actual show on Feb 22 it's time yet again to take a look at the films and performers that we expect (and hope) will walk away with a tiny gold statue that night. Best Picture: American Sniper Birdman Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Who will win: Birdman Who should win: Birdman In reverse Oscar fashion, we're starting with the category the telecast likes to save for last. As popular as American Sniper is with audiences, the controversy surrounding the film and it's perceived political leanings hurt it's chances at the big prize (the same thing happened to Zero Dark Thirty in 2012). While Boyhood is definitely a front-runner, it's widely praised

experimental storytelling will likely only net it a best directing prize for Richard Linklater, considering the Academy's recent trend of awarding that prize to more adventurous directors (like Life of Pi in 2012 and Gravity last year). Birdman may not seem like an ordinary candidate, but it's been a while since the Oscars have ventured out of their comfort zone, with No Country for Old Men or even Return of the King being the last time a truly outside the norm film won the big prize. Best Director: Alejandro G. Inarritu – Birdman Richard Linklater – Boyhood Bennet Miller – Foxcatcher Wes Anderson – The Grand Budapest Hotel Who will win: Richard Linklater Who should win: Alejandro G. Inarritu or Richard Linklater As previously stated in the best picture category, the best directing prize as of late has often been reserved for directors who have taken significant creative risks in filmmaking and succeeded. Honestly, Linklater, who directed Boyhood over the course of twelve years and Inarritu, who stylistically filmed Birdman to appear as if it is all one shot, both deserve the award. It's more or less a toss up between which film took more effort to direct in the voters' eyes. For our money that honor belongs to Bird-

man, however it's already predicted to win Best Picture, and is far less traditional than Linklater's film. Best Actor: Steve Carell – Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper – American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch – The Imitation Game Michael Keaton – Birdman Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything Who will win: Michael Keaton Who should win: Michael Keaton First thing's first: Carell mostly made it into the nominations based on the shock value that he's a comedic actor in a dead serious role. It's the same reason Jonah Hill can be referred to as a two-time Oscar nominated actor. With that out of the way, this category might be one of the easiest to call this year, as Keaton has legacy and a Golden Globe award for his Birdman performance to hold over his competitors. That doesn't mean he doesn't deserve the award. In fact, Keaton's performance truly is one of the best of the year in any category. The fact that he is 63 and has never won before is what puts him ahead of his (mostly) equally talented opposition. Best Actress: Marion Cotillard – Two Days, One Night Felicity Jones – The Theory of Everything

Julianne Moore – Still Alice Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon – Wild Who will win: Julianne Moore Who should win: Rosamund Pike This is without a doubt one of the weaker years for the best actress race, both leading and supporting, and is a trend that will continue to occur until better roles for women become the norm in the film industry. This is why Pike deserves the award here, as she effortlessly pulls off a kind of role that is rare for most actresses (to say anymore would veer into extreme spoiler territory). That said, Julianne Moore has been nominated multiple times yet has never won, and the significant praise she's received for role in Still Alice feels like the perfect storm for a long awaited win. Best Supporting Actor Robert Duvall – The Judge Ethan Hawke – Boyhood Edward Norton – Birdman Mark Ruffalo – Foxcatcher J.K. Simmons – Whiplash Who will win: Ethan Hawke Who should win: J.K. Simmons Let's just take a moment and acknowledge the fact that a former and current Hulk are competing against each other for an Oscar. Neither will probably win, however, because J.K. Simmons, formerly underrated character actor and comic book movie

alum, totally deserves the prize for Whiplash. That said Boyhood stands a strong chance of taking home all the acting nominations it's been offered. However there is still room for an upset. Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette – Boyhood Laura Dern – Wild Keira Knightley – The Imitation Game Emma Stone – Birdman Meryl Streep – Into the Woods Who will win: Patricia Arquette Who should win: Emma Stone The previous complaint about the best actress category applies here as well. While the pickings for supporting actress this year were so slim that Meryl Streep got nominated for a musical, that doesn't mean there aren't some deserving performances. Emma Stone is great in Birdman and is probably more deserving of the prize, however as stated above in the supporting actor category the performances in Boyhood will most likely take the statue in both categories.

The 87th Annual Academy Awards airs Sunday, Feb 22nd at 7pm on ABC

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THECLOCK

February, 6 2015

GhostbustHers Tim Waugh A&E Editor Can you hear that collective grumbling? It sounds like it's coming from the internet. That’s because it's thousands of Ghostbusters fans complaining in forums and comment sections about how one of their favorite film franchises and, absurdly, their childhoods, are being ruined (or other words I'm probably not allowed to use in this column) by the recent casting announcement for the new film. For those not aware, the upcoming Ghostbusters remake is being directed by Paul Feig, who also made Bridesmaids and The Heat, both comedies predominately-starring women. The recently announced cast consists of Melissa McMarthy and former and current Saturday Night Live cast members Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon. All funny ladies, even if McCarthy's type of humor has worn thin with me. Complaints like this are nothing new in nerd culture and, to set the record straight, I don't believe for a second that all of the complainers are sexist or misogynist. Most of these people were probably already complaining about the reboot before

an all women cast was even hinted at. However, it isn't hard to imagine that the outrage would be less fervent if the new cast were less diverse. I can see where some fans may imagine some form of “new world social justice” imposed on their beloved spiritual janitors, I can even see how some might feel it's a gimmick (I get that calling an all-female anything a “gimmick” can be problematic to some people, but that's a way larger topic that doesn't really belong in this column this week). The fact of the matter is, where else is a franchise like Ghostbusters to go? A full on sequel is impossible, since Bill Murray refuses to participate and Harold Ramis is dead, and no one, not even the most diehard fans, are really going to enjoy watching the old cast being forced in front of the camera for one last sad rehash of decades old material (Murray himself has said “No one wants to pay money to see fat, old men chasing ghosts”). A third Ghostbusters movie has been slowly gestating for so long now that there could probably be a more compelling movie made about the actual making of the film than the actual sequel itself. The clos-

est the world has come to getting a third Ghostbusters movie was a 2009 videogame that used parts from an unused script and brought back the entire original cast. No one’s ever really seemed on board for a film follow up, though, aside from Dan Aykroyd. Considering it’s impossible to get the entire cast back together now, even if the living members agreed to, it makes sense that the studio wants to try something new with the concept. That’s where the idea of shaking things up comes into play. If you’re going to trot out an old franchise to try and squeeze whatever money is left out of it, doesn’t it make sense to at least try something new with the concept? The fact that the Ghostbusters were all a bunch of dudes was never integral to the concept or plot anyway, so why not do a complete gender swap? They could cast actors of various ethnicities or even make the team a bunch of giant talking CGI roosters for all I care. It would at least be something different. If this reboot fails or isn’t very good that will suck, but at least it will have been something different, aside from the bland failure a lot of fans think they want.

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February, 6 2015

Panther Basketball Upsets Nationally Ranked Justin Siewierski For The Clock

ast Saturday’s Little East Conference matchup proved to be the best home game of the year for the Plymouth State Men’s basketball team, as they pulled out a huge win against #22 Eastern Connecticut. Sophomore sensation Jack Preston (Nashua, N.H.) had a career-high 25 points and connected on 11-15 shots. Classmate guard Ernie Johnson (Springfield, Mass.) chipped in 17 points, and junior forward Uche Nwokeji (Lynn, Mass.) led the team in rebounds.

ECSU hasn’t lost a conference game in over a year, and with an overall record of 16-4, this game wasn’t going to be easy. “At the beginning of the year, we did a great job moving the ball around and guys were scoring off of assists,” said Coach Andrew Novick before the game. “We need to do a better job finding the open players and feeding them the ball.” He went on to say that they needed to control the boards and have the ability to play all 40 minutes. “[Keene State] had it all over us rebounding, and we had trouble getting back in transition in the first half.”

The team that took the court last Saturday looked a lot different than the one we’ve seen all year. Plymouth State dominated all categories statistically from the first tip to final whistle, including a one rebound advantage over ECSU, 28 points inside the paint, and an overall shooting percentage of nearly 50%. Preston started the scoring (which, lately, has become a regular occurrence) but the Warriors responded with a 10-3 run. Both teams traded baskets for the majority of the middle 10 minutes before an Ernie Johnson jumper and a pair of Preston layups tied the game

up. Eastern Connecticut regained the lead at the five minute mark in the first half before the Panthers went on an 11-3 run. PSU went into halftime with a 3024 lead, despite a three-quarter court shot by Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, N.H.) that clanged off both sides of the rim and rattled out. Despite a couple of late pushes by the Warriors, Plymouth never let go of the lead in the second half. Leading by 11 after the first five minutes, ECSU made numerous pushes, cutting the lead down to a bucket at points. Sophomore Warrior guard Kevin

Leumene (who finished with 13 points) had ice in his veins, making 7-8 from the free throw line, and made three-of-four in the final two minutes of the game and did his best to keep the game as close as it was. He hit a pair at 2:24 but couldn’t connect on the last free throw attempt at 1:08. Johnson’s rebound set up for his pair of free throws that iced the game and gave Plymouth its second conference win of the year. Eastern Connecticut had won its first eight conference games of the year with an 18 point margin average.

Women’s Hockey Looks to Make Late run in ECAC T

urning the calendar to 2015 was something that the Plymouth State Women’s hockey team could not do any quicker, and 2015 has gotten off to a much better start then 2014 ended. Despite a 3-15-2 overall record, PSU has had a number of opportunities to improve their record, especially over the past seven games. Within each of these games, the Panthers have had a great opportunity to win all seven contests, but have only come away with two wins. While going 2-4-1 may not seem all that impressive, consider the fact that both wins came against two of the better teams within the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC). Against Castleton State College, the Panthers were able to jump out to a 1-0 lead after Kate Banys (Newburyport, MA) set up Marisa Zamrock (Lewiston, ME) for the goal. Despite Castleton scoring three of the next four goals, Kelsey Cosby (Walpole, MA) and Courtney Evans (Fairbanks, AK) both found the back of the net to ultimately give PSU the 4-3 come-frombehind win. In this game, Alyssa Altschuler (Cheshire, CT) and Mariah Trupp (Topeka, KS) combined to stop 43 of 46 shots that the Spartans fired on them. The two points that PSU was able to receive from this game gave them some momentum as they were heading into the 2nd half of January. In the Panthers’ next road game against Manhattanville, Plymouth got off to a great start, as captain Courtney Sollows (West

Eric Brill Sports Editor

Barnstable, MA) and Zamrock found the back of the net in the first five minutes of the game. Manhattanville was able to tie the game up at two apiece in the second period, but Frederike Brazeau Lalonde (Thetford Mines, Quebec) found the back of the net midway through the second

to give Plymouth the lead back at 3-2. In the third, Manhattanville was able to tie the game back up at three. With the game still tied at the end of three, Plymouth went into overtime not being content with coming away with only one point. Courtney Evans was able to block

two shots in the period, and PSU was eventually able to score the game-winning goal with :53 left in overtime when Kelsey Lynch (Collegeville, PA) hit Olivia Leon (Natick, MA) for the game-winner. In the team’s two most recent games, the Panthers fell to Norwich 2-1 in a game that PSU showed that they could contend with one of the best teams in the country. Plymouth followed that game up the next day with a 1-1 tie against the University of New England. In the UNE game, Leon was able to tie the game up at one with a powerplay goal with 15:30 left in the second period. “They’re refusing to settle for mediocrity, and you can see that in both practice and games,” Head Coach Ashley Kilstein explained. “It’s definitely creating a level of intensity to everything we do.” The mentality of this team is different from years past, as this team knows that they are capable of being a great team. With efforts that have been being put up over the past few weeks, this team looks to truly gain momentum heading into the last few weeks

Cosby looks to bump PSU up in the late part of the regular season PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

of the regular season. A big contributor to this effort is due to the time, and hard work that the Panthers have put into the team. “They have been putting in such hard work on and off the ice that we finally saw all of it come to fruition,” Kilstein added. Winter Break allowed a number of the players to focus on arguably the biggest reason they came to Plymouth, and that is hockey. When the time is put in, getting those few bounces go in your direction gives you confidence, which is something that the team has developed. The Panthers have scored in eight of their past nine games, which may not sound like a big deal, but when you see that they scored in only two of their prior seven games, that attention to detail makes all the difference. “It’s certainly nice to see them finding the back of the net, and there’s been contributions from every single line. We are deep now,” Kilstein said. With five games (or ten potential points) remaining in the regular season, the Panthers will look to add as many points to their total as they can. Being only three points out of 8th place in the ECAC standings, it will be crucial for PSU to defeat teams that they should, and for Plymouth to continue to grind against some of the teams that are typically better within their conference. The next home game for the Panthers will take place on Saturday (Feb. 7) night at 6:30 P.M., and PSU will look to capture another win against Castleton State.

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February, 6 2015

Eric Brill Sports Editor typically write this column in the I confines of The Clock office, or in my bedroom on Highland Street

(typically, I am in the office though). This column is usually written at 1 or 2 in the morning, but today, I am writing this column at 4 in the afternoon in the broadcast meteorology room with my main man Chris Harle. Chris is currently putting together his slides for his practice forecast, and I am here to help him, as well as give him morale support (whichever way his practicing goes). It is nice to be back in a television “studio” after being there for much of Winter Break. For those of you who don’t know (though, if you are reading this, I am sure you do), I had an internship up in Burlington, Vermont under the supervision of Michael Page. I was able to get this internship through the connection of Twitter (thanks Rob Blount), and eventually got to e-mailing Michael back-and-forth. I eventually got up to Burlington, and started the internship on January 5th. Over the two and a half week span that I was at the station, I learned A TON of stuff, and was able to capture some footage for my demo tape (just YouTube Eric Brill if you have yet to see it). Michael isn’t much older than me, but he was extremely professional

Real Sports talk with E$ with everything he did, and has FANTASTIC skill with the broadcast meteorology stuff. I was able to pick his brain big time, and have become so much more knowledgeable of so many things pertaining to weather, broadcast, and the industry within itself. I wrote a bunch of notes on my laptop, and I have no desire to share all of them with other people, as I don’t want other people to pick up some tricks that I was able to learn. Since this is a sports column, I guess I have to talk a little bit about that. Start off with Plymouth sports, and it is interesting to see the winter teams evolve over the duration of break. The Men’s hockey team was like a roller coaster, while the women’s hockey team has progressed over the past few weeks. Men’s basketball was able to defeat the #22 ranked team in the nation (in Eastern Connecticut State University), while the Women’s basketball team has been on a tough slide over the past few games. Both ski teams are progressing as the season goes on, and the wrestling team has had varying results, and last, but not least, the swimming and diving team had a three match win streak in January. As the regular season starts to come to an end for these teams, watch for each team to obviously look to improve their record for their respective post-season. In other Irrelevant (though I find

interesting) sports news: -Super Bowl 49 came, and went, and ended with a controversial call by the Seattle Seahawks at the end of the game. The ‘hawks let WAY too much time run off the clock on their last offensive play, and that ultimately led to their failure. New England fans were able to rejoice, as their team was able to get the win for their first February victory in over a decade. -The NHL all-star game is more of a joke than the Pro Bowl is for the NFL. -Early Super Bowl 50 prediction? Indianapolis Colts over the Green Bay Packers. -Very surprised to see how well the Atlanta Hawks have done the past couple of months. With that said, watch for the Cleveland Cavaliers to still come out of the Eastern Conference. -Go Spurs go, and hopefully they will beat the Miami Heat on Friday night!! I’ll be pumped, along with my boy Tyler Cote. Non-Sports Information of the Week: -Rest in piece, John Scannell. Rant of the Week: Went to go design my own sports section for this week’s paper, but had all of my ideas belittled or put down. Wasn’t too thrilled about it, since it is obviously my section, so that resulted in me not being in a real “peachy” mood.

-Can’t believe it has already rolled around to February. Crazy how time flies. -Also pretty surprised as to how much snow has fallen over the past twoish weeks. Near Boston, Massachusetts has seen over five feet of snow over that span! -Disappointed at myself that I have been skiing only once this winter. I obviously plan on going more once I get into a flow of my schedule. -Went snowmobiling with my father last weekend, and doing things like that allow me to really appreciate the little things in life. -The Military Appreciation jerseys that the Plymouth State hockey team had last weekend were BADASS. -Ormsbee, come back to Plymouth. -Annoys me when people I send emails to for “:10 Seconds” take forever to answer my e-mails. It shocks me that people don’t check their e-mail at least daily, or don’t want to be featured within the article. -Congrats to Women’s Lacrosse Coach Kristin Tracy on announcing herself and Bryan Tracy will be welcoming their second child into the world in July! -For what it’s worth, I haven’t seen that cop that gave Steve Swiatlowski and myself a tough time back in December.

-Nice to hear that Pom in the dining hall is still kickin, via my boy Matt Cann. -Writing these columns just aren’t the same as they use to be. I split this column in half between where I wrote it, as I am back in The Clock office. The office just doesn’t have the same feeling that it use to. -With that said, I am intrigued to see how my protégé Justin Siewierski. -PUMPED to go skiing with Chris Harle and Matt Cann at Whiteface in early March. Should be an absolute blast to hang with “my boys!” -I think I need to form a broomball team with some members of the BICE. -Conor Davis and myself should have quite the time over in California in March. He’s a great person, and I look forward to hanging with him on the West coast. -Always curious as to whom has read these bad boys since I started writing them. Always appreciate the fact that you have scrolled/ read down this far into this article. Real Talk with Eric- Go on adventures while you are young, as you won’t have the ability to do so once you get older. ‘Til two weeks from now, I’m outta here…..

The Plymouth State Women’s lacrosse team will be selling these "KEEP CALM AND PANTHER ON" t-shirts to WHITE OUT Hanaway Arena for the Men's Hockey game next Thursday, Feb. 12th at 6:00 P.M! These shirts will be on sale for only $10 for this night only! Come and

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February, 6 2015

Hausman and Company Too Much For Panthers Justin Siewierski For The Clock

n a tale of two halves,the Bowdoin College Polar Bears erased a 17-point deficit and captured its 14th win against the Plymouth State Men’s basketball team, 7966. Bowdoin, who was PSU’s first non-conference game in almost a month, held an overall record of 13-6 going into Wednesday’s matchup, while Plymouth (7-13 overall, 2-7 LEC) was coming off their biggest win of the year, upsetting Eastern Connecticut last Saturday. Polar Bear junior guard Lucas Hausman had a game-high 32 points in the win, while teammate and forward John Swords finished with 19 boards and 11 rebounds. From the very beginning, it looked as though Plymouth State hadn’t left the court since the Eastern Connecticut game; shooting over 65% at the half from the field and a near 55% from the floor, and had an outrageous 47 points at halftime. Mentioned previously, Coach Andrew Novick had stated that one of the biggest things that his team needed was to have the ability to move the ball well and make room for open shooters.The scoring started with an easy inside bunny by Ernie Johnson (Springfield, Mass.). Curtis Arsenault (Berlin, N.H.) connected on a threepointer, and from there scoring for Plymouth was as easy as a knife through hot butter; PSU went on a 22-10 run, sparked by threes from both Arsenault and freshman Brian Boulay (Keene, N.H.), and a layup off a steal by Alex Burt (Dover, N.H.). Johnson had eight points in the run, including a pair of threes, and Hausman contributed a quiet eight out of 10 points for the Polar Bears. Things started to get sloppy in the closing minute of the first half; with 30 seconds on the game clock and 10 seconds on the shot

clock, a three-point attempt was forced and Bowdoin converted on a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 15. Plymouth had time left for one more basket, but a series of near turnovers kept them from getting a shot off, and went into the half with a 47-32 lead. Looking good, right? Wrong. Bowdoin totally dominated the second half, in almost every aspect. The first three possessions for the home team all resulted in a bled out shot clock, and a forced attempt before a violation was called. They kept a double digit lead for the first five minutes, but the end of the court nearest the exit had some sort of black magic cast upon it that didn’t allow for the shooting percentage to drop below 65%.The pack of Polar Bears exploded for 47 second half points (eerily similar to Plymouth’s first half) and shot 68% from the floor, led by Hausman who finished with 20 points in the second half. Plymouth’s hot hand was as chilly as the Pemi River, dropping just under 23% from the floor. They kept the lead, however, until there were six minutes left in the contest, where Bowdoin capped off the game on a 19-6 run. Plymouth had five players in the double-digit scoring column; Arsenault, Boulay, Johnson, and Burt all finished with 12, while sophomore forward Jack Preston (Nashua, N.H.) finished quietly with 10 points.

Panther Power Rankings Team

Eric Brill Sports Editor

1. Men’s hockey (9-7-3 overall): It was an up and down Winter Break for this team, as they were extremely competitive against some of the best teams in the nation (tying Babson, losing to Trinity by a goal), but had some bad losses (8-2 to UMass Dartmouth, 5-3 to Curry). Momentum is currently riding on this team’s side as they enter February. 2.Men’s Basketball (7-12 overall): Last weekend, this team showed their full potential, as they knocked off #22 nationally ranked Eastern Connecticut State University. This was ECSU first conference loss in over a year, and will likely give this team a TON of momentum heading into the end of the regular season. 3.Men’s Slalom Skiing (5th/6th/13th in events this Winter): This unit has excelled over the Winter, as competing against Division I skiers across the Northeast has allowed this team to improve. A number of skiers have improved their times from last season to this year, and even improved as the 2015 season has progressed. 4.Women’s Basketball (6-12 overall): The beginning of Winterim started off well, as the Panthers won two of their first three games. Since then, the Little East Conference has been getting the best of PSU, as Plymouth has dropped their past seven games. 5.Women’s Hockey (3-15-2): Since the calendar turned to 2015, this team has been extremely competitive, as they have been in almost every game until the final whistle. Biggest conference wins against Manhattanville and Castleton have propelled this team up ECAC East conference standings.

Player

1.Andrew Wigg, Men’s Hockey: Wigg has registered a point in 11 straight games, which includes every game played in 2015 (pending Salem State, which was played this past Thursday night). Wigg is well on his way to being named 1st team All-MASCAC this season. 2.Jack Preston, Men’s Basketball: Preston had the game of the season for the Panthers, as his 25 points led the Panthers to their upset win over #22 Eastern Connecticut State University. This was a career high for the sophomore, as his previous high was 21 against Rhode Island College earlier this season. 3. Chris Perreault, Wrestling: The third best wrestler in New England has done great this season, as his 14-5 record in the 184 pound weight class has helped improve his career record to 60-23. The junior has a great shot to go to the NCAA Regionals and make some noise, and even has a good chance to advance to the NCAAs. 4.Erik Strom, Men’s Hockey. As of press time, the sophomore defender registered five points in two games to give the Panthers a big boost. Despite missing half a dozen games in the early part of the season, Strom has continued to improve his game, in which he is one of the fundamentally best players in the MASCAC. 5.Sam Carberry, Swimming & Diving: Carberry has been extremely consistent, and performing extremely well this season, especially over the past few meets. Against WCSU, Carberry won all three of her individual events, and helped her relay team win.

The Panthers will need all the support they can get from the home crowd this Saturday, as they host Western Connecticut at 3 PM.

Good luck to all Spring sports teams who started practice back up last week!!

PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

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“Wiggy Smalls” Starts to Make Opponents Fall Eric Brill Sports Editor

THECLOCK

February, 6 2015

ince Hanaway Rink Opened up a few years ago, it has been notoriously tough for opposing teams to come up to Plymouth and get the victory. The legend of Hanaway Rink continued, and while the crowd helped the Panthers to a couple of wins, a variety of goal scorers have allowed the Panthers to get on a roll. PSU had a very interesting Winterim, as they had a number of extremely tough out-ofconference games on their schedule. In the early part of the break, nationally ranked teams such as Trinity College as well as Babson University made the trip up to Plymouth. The Panthers gave both teams all they had, but Trinity was able to comeback from a twogoal deficit to defeat PSU 5-4, while the game against Babson resulted in a 2-2 tie. The tie was the first game that Babson had not recorded a victory in for the 2014-2015 season. This early season success appeared to give the Panthers some momentum, and it showed as Andrew Wigg (Lantz, Nova Scotia), Dan Dupell (Collegeville, PA) and Tommy Dowell (Olathe, KS) each scored goals in the second period to get ahead of Curry College 3-0. Unfortunately for PSU, Curry rallied, scoring four goals in the third to down Plymouth 4-3. Plymouth was able to bounce back from this tough loss, as they defeated in-conference rival Salem State 3-2 on goals by Ian McGilvrey (Omaha, NE), Chad Barthelmess (Norristown, PA) and Tord Thoresen (Oppegard, Norway). The win allowed PSU to improve their conference record to 6-0-1,

and they appeared to be on their way after a few tough games in January. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. Against Fitchburg State, the Panthers were able to get out to another lead, this time 3-2, but the Falcons were able to sneak away with a 5-3 win. Of the three goals, Wigg was able to score twice, while defensemen Erik Strom (Gothenburg, Sweden) scored as well. I n P S U ’s n e x t contest, they looked to rebound against Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference ( M A S C A C ) opponent UMass Dartmouth, but the Corsairs had different ideas, as they opened up the game scoring the first four goals. A Wigg goal brought the game to 4-1, but UMass Dartmouth ran away with the game 8-2. This was the most lopsided conference loss for Plymouth State Men’s Hockey since a 6-0 loss against Curry College back on March 1st, 2006. The Panthers needed to look themselves in the mirror, and figure out what their identity is. Are they this team that just got stomped out by UMass Dartmouth,

PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

Sophomore Ian McGilvrey looks to score or are they the team that tied Babson, and rolled through their conference the first half of the season? In PSU’s next game against Worcester State, Dupell was able to light the lamp, as he scored in the first period, while Thoresen and Josh Woody (Sunderland, MD) scored as well to propel Plymouth to a 3-2 win. This win got Plymouth’s overall record to .500 (7-7-2), and bumped their MASCAC record to 7-2-1. Up to this point of the season, PSU hasn’t truly played a 60-minute game, as their biggest margin of victory was four goals against Worcester earlier in the season. With the student body back, the Panthers absolutely exploded, as they were ahead of Framingham State 7-1 after the first period. Six different Panthers had goals in the first, including Riley Flanagan (Weymouth, MA), Strom, Wigg (with two), Colt Smelstor (Fairfax, VT), Mike Economos (Crystal Lake, IL) and Chris Zuccaro (Hudson, N.H.). The second period was just like the first, as Mike Freitag

(Westmont, IL) and Barthelmess joined the scoring party, while Economos and Zuccaro matches Wigg’s two goals.Wigg completed the hat trick in the third period, and Plymouth blew the doors off of the Rams with a 12-2 win. While the 12-2 win over Framingham was great, the Rams are one of the worst teams within the MASCAC. PSU had to put that game behind them, as Westfield State came into Plymouth last Saturday, looking to draw closer to the Panthers in the MASCAC standings. Prior to the game even starting, Plymouth had extra motivation, as this game was the annual Salute the Troops Night, in which PSU honored military members of now and the past. Former Plymouth State hockey player Chris Stuttard was honored prior to the start of the game, as he passed away unexpectedly last September. With the extra motivation to get the win, Dupell and Barthelmess were able to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead in the first, and increased the lead to 5-1 with goals by Sarig and Wigg in the second period. Despite two third period goals

by Westfield, Matt Vermillion (South Lyon, MI) was able to score his first career goal as a member of the Plymouth State hockey team to seal the deal on a 6-3 win. When asked what has allowed the offense to click as of late, Mike Economos stated, “I would have to say being in front of the crowd again definitely helped spark it. We got back to the basics of having fun being a hockey player during the week of practice and it seemed to make us closer as a team over the last week,” Economos added.This fun included when the coaching staff decided to be nostalgic, and bring the team to a pond to practice. The relaxed atmosphere allowed the Panthers to appreciate each other, and really settle down. Junior Tieg Alward (Vail, CO) agreed, saying that staying “over the night down at the lake all under one roof and really came together as a team. That has translated onto the ice, as we have showed great teamwork and willingness to sacrifice for the boys.” Another factor that has helped PSU win their past three games (Note: PSU had a game on Thursday, Feb. 5th, which was unable for press time) was the return of key role players, like Dupell and Ryan Callahan (Londonderry, N.H.). Both players truly solidify the Panthers having the ability to score on any of their respective lines. Callahan is a crucial player especially on the penalty kill, while Dupell has found the net a few times since returning. One player that appears to be on his way to at least a first team all-conference award is Andrew Wigg. Over the past 11 games, the junior has recorded at least a point in each game, and has been held pointless only twice this season. If Wigg is able to keep this streak up, look for him to potentially be named MASCAC Player of the Year. With a 9-7-3 overall record heading into the last few weeks of the regular season, look for the Panthers to make sure that they will host the MASCAC post-season tournament. PSU’s next home game will take place on Thursday, February 12th. For this game, fans/ students/faculty/animals are encouraged to wear white to “white out” the stands, as the Panthers take on UMass Dartmouth.

Strong Play from Lewis, Lawrence Not Enough as the Lady Panthers Fall Again Justin Siewierski For The Clock

senior Tiffany Lewis (Hillsboro, lymouth played their first non- N.H.) tallied 15 points and pulled conference game in nearly a month, down eight boards. and despite a valiant road effort, fell to Norwich University earning The Panthers have been in a scoring their 8th straight loss, falling to 6-13 slump, as they’ve only scored an overall on the season. Norwich had average of 38 points in their seven four players in double digits, with game losing streak, going into the forward Heather LeBlanc leading game at Norwich.The Cadets took the way with a monster night, control of the game early as senior pulling down 16 boards and posting Tory Kathro scored the first six 21 points for the Cadets. DeAsia points of the game. After an 8-0 Lawrence (Middletown, C.T.) led run, Plymouth responded with six the Panthers with 18 points, and points in less than two minutes to

pull within a basket. The majority of the first half was back and forth scoring until LeBlanc fed teammate Arianna Harrison for an easy layup, which sparked a 9-0 Norwich run. Plymouth tried to respond, and went on a 7-3 run, but Norwich capped off the half with a another nine point run and held a 12 point lead going into the half, 38-26. The lead for Norwich stayed at 10 points for the majority of the second half, and although Plymouth

put up another eight points in the closing minutes of the game, an easy layup and a set of free throws iced the game, 68-60. With Plymouth State dropping their last eight games, something needs to be done for any chance to move up in the standings and secure a spot in the LEC tournament. With five of their final six games being all in-conference, they have a lot of catching up to do.

Next game: Home vs Western Connecticut Saturday (2/7) Afternoon at 1:00 P.M.

THECLOCK

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PSU Sports Wrap-Up Eric Brill Sports Editor

he Plymouth State ski teams T participated in three different Winter Carnivals over Spring Break,

in which they traveled to Sunday River, Stowe, and Smuggler’s Notch. All of these events, which took place in January, had mixed results for Plymouth. The Men’s Slalom team has done great this season, as they finished 5th overall at Sunday River (the best of any PSU team this season), and captured 6th spot over at Stowe. A big contributor to this was sophomore Kyle Farrow (Collingwood, Ontario), as he finished 20th and 26th overall between both competitions. Takehiro Watanabe (Sapporo, Japan) also had a strong showing at Sunday River, as he finished 27th overall in the event. On the women’s side of skiing, Charlotte Lemgart (Vaerloese, Denmark)

February, 6 2015

finished 16th in the team’s most recent event, which took place last weekend over at Smuggler’s Notch. Lemgart was able to finish 16th of 81 skiers to help the women’s slalom team capture their best finish of the year, finishing in 8th for the team standing, besting colleges such as Harvard University, Williams College, and Boston College. The Panthers are midway through their season, as they have three more events left this season. This weekend, PSU will travel over to Dartmouth Skiway to participate in the Dartmouth Carnival. Watch for Plymouth to continue the momentum they have started to make, and will look to continue to improve their respective times within the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) division.

Swimming & Diving has already matched their win total from last season with three wins, and this is despite not being able to compete last weekend against Simmons College last weekend due to their bus breaking down. The previous four meets for the Panthers have been successful, though, as they have resulted in three wins for PSU. Senior Sam Carberry (Shrewsbury, PA) had a great meet in PSU’s last win, as she won three different events (the 100-yard backstroke, 200yard freestyle,and the 50-yard butterfly), while helping the relay team win their respective race. Not to be outdone, sophomore Katia Wyman (Portsmouth, N.H.) and freshman Megan Farmer (Plainville, CT) won two of their

events. The Panthers will have one more opportunity to improve their respective times this season, as the New England Championships will take place from February 13th15th. Clay Callahan (Milford, CT) was able to be one of the bright spots for the wrestling team, as the sophomore was able to win his three contests within the 165 pound class. In the WPI Quad meet, PSU dropped all three matches to WPI, University of Southern Maine, and SUNY Oneonta. Chris Perreault (St. Johnsbury,VT) had a relatively successful day as well, as he went 2-0 in the 184 pound division, but dropped his 197 pound match. The junior is now 17-4 this

season, good for third within New England. For the 2014-2015 season, other wrestlers who have had good season up to this point include Cody Carrillo (Middletown, CT, 13-6 overall at 197 pounds), and Ray Welch (Rochester, NY, 11-4 at 157 pounds). There is one more regular season meet for the Panthers, as they will attend the JWU Quad meet this weekend, in which they will face host Johnson & Wales, Trinity, and Springfield. PSU will look to rely on their top wrestlers to get them points in their respective weight divisions.

Inflated Balls, Deflated Egos A PSU Insider Look at Super Bowl XLIX

PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

Justin Siewierski For The Clock

y now, most of you know what went on Sunday.Whether you watched it or not, most of us got a play-by-play on Facebook, Instagram, or actually watched it as opposed to trolling social media for half the game. Whether you like the game or not, you probably had it on; it is, after all, the biggest TV event of the year. It’s an excuse to eat everything you see (almost literally) and have a great time with your friends watching something you may or may not actually pay attention to in the 20 weeks leading up to it. And honestly, there are two kinds of people in this world; those who like Katy Perry’s music, and those who like to watch Katy Perry sing her music (California girls ARE undeniable). As a state school in New Hampshire, it’s not hard to find a Pats fan. You get a Steelers fan here, a Giants fan there (Editors note: Watch yourself J-Swag), but we are, undeniably, Patriot Nation, Boston Strong.And it’s awesome. Living in a dorm here, Malcom Butler’s interception was the pick heard ‘round the world, with simultaneous cheering from floors 1-7. So, with inflated footballs, Goodyear blimps, and anything else needy of air, it was time to get underway, and was indisputably one of the best Super Bowl games in the not so new millennium. After a scoreless first quarter,TB12 connected with Brandon LaFell for his 50th career touchdown pass in the postseason, and a 7-0 lead. Russell Wilson responded with a 44 yard bomb to previous pine-rider Chris Matthews, with this being his first career catch (Matthews finished with four catches for 108 yards; he ain’t no rook no more).The Seahawks finished the drive with a Marshawn Lynch run from three yards out. Brady responded again before the half, hitting Rob Gronkowski to take a 14-7 lead. Seattle gambled late in the second quarter, going for a touchdown instead of kicking a field goal, and Wilson connected with none other than Matthews for a tie score. Katy Perry was beautiful during the halftime show, but I didn’t actually hear anything. Sorry… Seattle pushed the lead to 10, and to any fan of the sport, figured that by now, BeastMode Lynch would have pounded another in, or would have had a bigger impact on the game than he did. Oh well. Not again, please please please not again. The catch… Oh, the catch. I’m about 99% sure that every profanity was yelled throughout campus, throughout New England, and for that, I will not talk about it. When all hope was dim, the tide turned in a way nobody thought. Revis? No. Browner? Nope. Butler? Uhm, Butler who? The rookie made the biggest play of his life, and if you haven’t actually seen it, you probably sholdn’t read any more of my articles. Biggest play of the season. I still can’t believe it. As unexpected as it was, there’s a few more things I want to cover. Bear with me. If you read the title, I talked about deflated egos. If you weren’t sure, I was talking about Seahawks corner Richard Sherman. Oh, he’s good, but flashing 2-4 to the camera after New England’s Darrelle Revis gave up a touchdown.While some people say that he was pointing out the score, I still don’t, and neither does the rest of New England. Not cool, bro. And if you guys watched the parade on Wednesday, you would have seen Julian Edleman go ABSOLUTELY HAM on a cardboard cut-out of Sherman. Also, Gronk caught a Bud Light from a spectator and killed it. He’s pretty much my hero. So there it is. Super Bowl XLIX. I could have taken a different approach, but you all know how the game went. I could have went around and asked for opinions of different students, but I figured all I would get for a response was ‘it was f****** awesome.’ Which, it was. I would finally like to say thank you, Plymouth State, for not being completely ignorant. The celebration behind Mary Lyon was sick while it lasted, and you didn’t go totally overboard with it. It was fun while it lasted, and I look forward to another amazing season.

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Eric Brill Sports Editor

:10 Seconds with Mike Freitag

THECLOCK

ver the past three years, there have been a number of great players to step on the ice for the Plymouth State Men’s hockey team. Whether it be some of those that have graduated (Jack Astedt, J.C. Richardson, Alex Cottle, Dave Walters, Phil Arnone), or are currently on the team (Zach Sarig, Gordon Ceasar, Andrew Wigg), all of these players have been able to rely on Senior Mike Freitag to become one of the best forwards within the MASCAC. Hailing from Westmont, Illinois, Freitag is well known for putting a ridiculous move on UMass Dartmouth in the home-opener for the Panthers, as he crossed up defenders as well as the goalie. Freitag is absolutely deadly if he is able on the breakaway, as he has fantastic hand/eye coordination. The skill set that the Economics major possess has allowed him to score the second most points on the team, and scoring isn’t anything new for him, as he could eclipse 100 points for his career. 1. How long have you been playing hockey? I have been playing hockey since I was 4, so 20 years now. 2. How does the hockey team look for the rest of the 2014-2015 season? After a sweep of Framingham and Westfield this past weekend, I think our team is finally starting to hit our stride and exemplify our true potential. We have all of the right pieces to the puzzle to make a strong push for a conference championship and NCAA birth. 3. What is your most memorable moment in your hockey career? My most memorable moment in my hockey career would be winning the MASCAC championship my freshman year in front of our home fans, and earning a birth in the NCAA tournament. 4. Do you have any superstitions on game day? I’m pretty superstitious on gamedays. I wake up every gameday at 8 and have breakfast at Chase street, followed by a stretch and an hour nap. I have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as I head down to the rink, and teammate Erik Strom brings me a pre game banana. 5. What was the "Welcome to Hockey" moment in your career? My welcome to hockey moment was in 1996 when I was 6 years old. My dad took me to a Chicago Blackhawks game against the Colorado Avalanche. I was overwhelmed with the atmosphere of the game and immediately fell in love with the game. 6. If I were to look at you iPod/iTunes/etc., what would be the five most played songs? I am a huge country fan, so a majority of my top played songs are from country artists, including “Carolina” by Parmalee, “Watching Airplanes” by Gary Allen, “Fly Over States” by Jason Aldean “Clockwork” by Easton Corbin, and “Drink a Beer” by Luke Bryan 7. You have a chance to eclipse 100 points for your PSU career. What would it mean to you to be one of only ten players to do so if you get to 100? I think that eclipsing 100 points would be a direct reflection of the caliber of players I have played with in my 4 years while at PSU, and the success we have had during my time here. 8. On a few occasions this season, you have had 1-0 opportunities where the only person you have to beat is the goalie, and have been successful. What goes through your mind on those breakaway opportunities? We practice breakaways a lot in practice and our goalies challenge us players at a high level. I tend to watch whether the goalie comes out of his crease a lot and wants to play it aggressively; I’ll deke, but if he stays deep in his net I will probably shoot. 9. This is the last season that each team plays each other three times within the MASCAC. Since you play these teams so often, does it allow you to respect teams more, or is it the exact opposite and you hate them that much more? Well, I think seeing teams so often over the course of a year, you tend to know what to expect from teams the more you play them. You tend to grow rivalries and a strong dislike for certain teams, and learn to respect certain teams more than you would have expected at the start of the season. Teams like Salem that we have been battling for control of the conference since I’ve been here you grow to hate, which makes it a more heated rivalry. 10. Assuming the team gets to the MASCAC championship game, what will make this year different then years past, so that the team can move on to the NCAAs this season? I think this team is different from every year I have been here. It’s essentially the same roster as last year, but having a large sophomore class that has matured as college hockey players over the last year is huge. Having experienced many ups and downs throughout this season has prepared us for the home stretch and playoffs. Having been through adversity this year, our team is ready for whatever we will face the rest of the season in preparation for a run at our 4th straight MASCAC championship appearance.

PHOTO CREDIT:ERIC BRILL

Freitag's PSU stat line -28 career goals -56 career assists -58 wins as a Panther