10.29.21

The Penn

STUDENTS DECORATE HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS FOR RED RIBBON WEEK EVENT

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021

CULTURE | PAGE 12

VOL. 114 NO. 19

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NIUPEW S Self-Care Day announced

News Editor: Benjamin Brumbaugh – msqy@iup.edu

Focuses on student mental health, alleviation of stress

KAYLEE KASSA Contributing Writer bvmy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP An IUP self-care day has been scheduled across the university for students on Nov. 5.

The purpose of a self-care day is to “mentally and physically rest, decompress and relieve some stress,” Dr. Thomas Segar, IUP’s vice president for Student Affairs, said.

According to the Mayo Clinic, about 44 percent of college students have reported symptoms of anxiety and depression in September. It also reported that suicide is the third leading cause

of death for college students.

Compounding the issue, up to 75 percent of struggling students are reluctant to seek help. Social pressures, like living away from home for the first time, and skill deficits, such as the lack of experience in handling relationships and heavy academic workloads, are cited as the source of poor mental health in students.

Segar thanked students for their hard work so far during this difficult and challenging semester.

He acknowledged their efforts in following IUP’s COVID-19 protocols which includes wearing a mask in all indoor spaces.

Segar suggested connecting with friends, eating well and exer-

(iup.edu) IUP’s Student Government Association strongly recommended the Self-Care Day after carefully considering feedback from students regarding their level of stress at this point in the semester.

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cising as things for students to do to focus on their mental health on Nov. 5.

Although classes are still scheduled for Nov. 5, faculty has been asked to work with students to ensure that they have the opportunity to take care of themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.

“The provost has strongly encouraged faculty to consider canceling their class on that day, or perhaps extending the deadline for an assignment due on that day,” Michelle Fryling, IUP’s executive director of Media Relations, said.

Fryling said that faculty members are not required to cancel class or push back deadlines, but they are asked to encourage students to participate in Self-Care Day events and take some time for themselves.

“I appreciate the thought of providing us with a self-care day,” Lindsey Griffith (senior, athletic training) said, “but I don’t see how we can relax and take a break if classes are still happening as scheduled.”

With the semester winding

October 29, 2021

down, students are welcoming the idea of a break from classes if only for a few hours.

“I think the Self-Care Day is a great idea,” Kyle Mowid (junior, biology/Spanish) said. “This has been a long stretch of classes, and everyone has earned a break.

“If possible, I think it would be good if self-care days were planned prior to the beginning of the semester to allow professors time to plan around this well-needed day of relaxation.”

The idea of a “self-care day” came from the last fall semester in 2020 after students voiced that they were feeling pressure and anxiety from schoolwork which was made worse due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During last November’s Self-Care Day, 215 students participated in a contest in which they were asked to write a self-care tip on a poster to be entered in a drawing to giveaways of various IUP items. In addition, over 200 de-stress kits were handed out and more than 300 students took advantage of the hot chocolate and apple cider provided by the university.

The implementation of this year’s Self-Care Day is due to success of last year’s in addition to a strong recommendation for another one by IUP’s Student Government Association.

This year, students are encouraged to stop by the Center for Health and Well-Being from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for free stress relief kits, snacks and drinks in honor of Self-Care Day. The Center for Health and Well-Being is located in the Suites on Maple East.

The Center for Health and Well-Being always has resources available for students such as the Counseling Center. The Counseling Center offers individual and group sessions which can be made by appointment or during its walk-in hours. More information can be found on its website.

In addition, Fryling mentions that the Student Activity Committee (STATIC) often plans events in efforts to relieve the stress of schoolwork and build a healthy community on campus.

She also said that the gyms are open for exercise and the intramural programs are busy if students prefer physical activity to relieve stress.

More information on IUP’s SelfCare Day events will be posted in IUP Now and on the university’s central calendar.

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News

IUP appears in another ranking list University highly ranked in student engagement, environment BEN BRUMBAUGH News Editor msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP has been ranked as a top university in the nation as part of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings for 2022.

According to https://www. timeshighereducation.com/rankings/united-states/2021#!/ page/0/length/25/ sort_by/rank/sort_ order/asc/cols/ stats, “The ‘Wall Street Journal/ Times Higher Education’ College Rankings, based on 15 performance indicators, is designed to answer the questions that matter most to students and their families: How likely am I to graduate, pay off my loans and get a good job? Does the college have plenty of resources to teach me

properly? Will I be engaged and stretched in the classroom and get good access to my teachers?

Is there a diverse campus community?”

According to https://www. wsj.com/articles/college-rankings-list-2022-11632246093, these 15 indicators assess colleges in four areas: outcomes, resources, engagement and environment.

This is yet another prestigious accolade for IUP this year.

“Being a more fully student-centered university is one of our major initiatives in our Strategic Plan,” Michelle Fryling, IUP’s executive director of Media Relations, said.

IUP was ranked highly on this list for engagement which focuses on student engagement and opportunities.

“We have worked hard to put students front and center in what we do, and we’ve also worked

(wsj.com) The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings have been determined using the same methodology to determine the rankings since the 2010-2011 academic year.

(iup.edu) IUP consistently finds itself on college ranking lists similar to the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings for 2022. The university has also been featured in college ranking lists done by the Princeton Review, U.S. News World and Report, Forbes, and several others. hard – and continue to work hard – to build a true community where students are involved with activities, interact in a positive manner with faculty and staff, and have the opportunity to be involved in one of our 200 plus organizations and groups, usually as leaders,” Fryling said.

Students and alumni were surveyed about the university as part of these rankings. Their positive feedback in these surveys contributes to IUP’s high ranking.

“I continue to be so impressed with how passionate our alumni and our students are about IUP,” she said.

“They tell us that this university truly changed their lives for the better and provided opportunities and successes for them that they never thought possible – student leadership roles, winning scholarships like Fulbrights and Goldwaters, travel abroad opportunities in their programs and the financial help to make their academic dreams happen, internships, research opportunities – and fantastic faculty that mentored them and helped them on their path.”

IUP offers its students a wide variety of opportunities in the classroom.

“IUP has more than 140 under-

graduate majors, more than 60 master’s programs and 12 doctoral programs,” Fryling said.

“That means that students have so many different opportunities for majors but also for courses that lead to minors or courses that they can take to just broaden their experiences and make themselves more career and job ready.”

The opportunities that the university offers its students are not limited to inside the classroom.

“Many majors require an internship type experience, so that also offers students new opportunities to find the career path that is right for them,” Fryling said.

On top of internship opportunities, IUP has an array of extracurricular activities that students can be a part of.

“IUP has more than 200 clubs and organizations for students – we tell students that if they can’t find a club or group that works for them, they can make their own,” Fryling said.

“Because of the diversity of activities – and students and faculty – there is a place here for everyone; a place where you fit and can find community and common interests.”

This ranking, in combination with similarly high rankings on

lists from the Princeton Review, Forbes, and U.S. News World and Report can serve to show current and future students that IUP is a quality university that values its students and one that can put them on a path to a successful professional life.

“It’s wonderful to see external, unbiased educational experts come to know what we know – that IUP is a place of excellence, and we’re very proud to have these recognitions,” Fryling said.

“It helps to market IUP for prospective students, to new faculty who are looking for jobs and it adds to alumni pride.”

IUP was also ranked highly in the environment portion of these rankings which focuses on student inclusion and diversity.

“Again, this is a nice recognition of our ongoing work,” Fryling said.

“We are continuing to focus on diversity and inclusion, but it is gratifying to see some of our current and past work recognized in this way.”

For a complete list of the 2022 rankings and more information about the rankings, you can visit https://www.wsj. com/articles/college-rankings-list-2022-11632246093.

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October 29, 2021

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IUP Alumni Association selects two new members

By IUP News Information

(iup.edu) George Kelly’s (above) company, Imageone Uniforms, creates uniforms and promotional items for various companies and is based in North Jackson, Ohio.

George Kelly, of Aurora, Ohio, and originally from Beaver County, a 1982 business graduate, and Ryan Miller, of McLean, Virginia, originally from Altoona, a 2002 human resource management graduate, began service as board members at the fall 2021 meeting of the group.

The IUP Alumni Association Board of Directors is the governing board for the IUP Alumni Association, which includes all graduates of IUP. Directors are nominated by the Governance Committee and elected by a majority vote of the board membership.

The mission of the IUP Alumni Association is to create and enrich relationships to engage current and future alumni in the advancement of IUP. IUP has more than 140,000 graduates living and working all over the world.

George KellyKelly is the president and owner of ImageOne Uniforms. Prior to his current work,

he was a regional sales manager for Administaff; a regional benefits specialist at Paychex; and a sales manager for Pittsburgh and Cleveland for Unifirst Corporation.

Since 2003, Kelly has been a member of the Entrepreneurs Association at John Carroll University; he is also a College Now mentor. Kelly is a sponsor for the Cleveland Baseball Federation and also has been a volunteer IUP Alumni Ambassador for the Cleveland area. He is a member of IUP’s Gridiron Club and is active in football reunions and golf outings for IUP. Raised in Industry, Kelly is the son of the late George Kelly and Delores Kelly. He and his wife, Lisa Kelly, are the parents of four children.

Miller most recently served as an EVP/market leader/managing principal for NewMark. He has also worked for CBRE and NAI Global.

Miller holds memberships in the Economic Club of Washington, DC, and is the former chairman of the board and a member of

the Associates Board of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts. He is a volunteer board member of Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Washington, DC, an organization of professionals advancing the real estate profession for its members through education, networking, and recognition.

In addition to his IUP degree, he completed the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School in 2010.

At IUP, Miller was selected for the Alumni Ambassador Award, for the Bartolomucci Scholarship award, for membership in Phi Kappa Phi honor society, and was a provost scholar. He was a member and president of IUP’s chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity and was a student worker in the Office of the President.

Son of Andy and Mary Jo Miller of Altoona, he is married to Krista Hughes Miller, a 2003 graduate of IUP. A link to this article can be found here.

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News

(IUP Institute for Regional Health and Safety/Facebook/iup.edu) According to https://www.iup.edu/rural-health-safety/, “The IUP Institute for Rural Health and Safety brings together university personnel from various disciplines and professional backgrounds to solve problems related to rural health and safety.” Dr. Timothy Runge (above), a professor of psychology, collaborates with the institute on various projects including “Novice Driver Statewide Program Support” project.

IUP safe driving program renewed

Project has received more than $1 million in funding in three years RACHEL KOVACH Staff Writer rsrbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP “It is one thing to know how to drive safely, but it is an entirely different thing to actually exhibit those safe driving behaviors,” Dr. Timothy Runge (psychology) said.

“Don't just know what to do … actually do it.”

Runge has been working on a project titled, “Novice Driver Statewide Program Support.”

The project has received more than $1 million in grants over the past three years. This year, it was renewed with a grant of $300,000.

This project was created by Louis Pesci, executive director of IUP’s Center for Rural Health and Safety, and Runge in hopes to better educate teen drivers and to improve their safety practices while on the roads. This project came to be in October of 2018 and has grown exponentially since then.

The four main goals of this project as stated by Runge are as follows: “1. Reduce the number of drivers aged 16 to 20 in all fatal crashes from 11.4 percent in 2017 to 9.9 percent in 2025.

“2. Increase the number of public schools offering driver education using the Perceptual Driving Program and Stop-ThinkGo Decision curriculums.

“3. Increase the number of contacts that Community Traffic Safety Project (CTSP) staff have with schools offering driver education in their districts.

“4. Sustain the existing pilot program investigating the extent to which School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) and Drivers’ Education curriculum in four participating high schools are effective at reducing teens’ cell phone use while driving and drivers’/passengers’ seatbelt use.”

Runge is passionate about this program for an array of reasons, but the main one being that most car accidents are preventable if proper education is given.

“We must provide adequate instruction and incentives for drivers to do the things they know they should do to reduce risk of car crashes, injuries and fatalities,” Runge said. “We must do more to prevent such occurrences, particularly in novice drivers.

If we help novice drivers develop safe driving behaviors at a young age, they will carry these safe

driving behaviors well into their adult years.

“The main rewards of this project are mentoring graduate students through the research enterprise, including data collection, analysis and generating reports; also, being a part of something innovative that, we hope, will quite literally get more teen drivers to drive safely. We don't have data yet to confirm number two above, but that is why we continue to collect and analyze data to test this hypothesis.”

Runge also gave insight to how the project came to be instated.

“Dr. Louis Pesci and his predecessors at the IUP Institute for Rural Health and Safety have been training driver education instructors for decades,” Runge said. “They have received many grants in the past to support this effort. They also were aware of my work in schools across Pennsylvania focused on creating school environments where positive behaviors were both taught and regularly acknowledged.

“Dr. Pesci and his staff thought a collaboration between my work around SWPBIS would provide an innovative opportunity to integrate this work with driver education. Thus, the current project

was born.”

Runge is the co-investigator on this project, and his main objective is to support high schools that implement the SWPBIS program and how it is combined with drivers’ education.

Pesci is the other co-investigator for this project and focuses on supporting high school drivers’ education instructors. Both Runge and Pesci are involved in data collection and analysis in relation to this project as well.

Mr. Kevin Wolford is the director of the project, and, as maintained

by Runge, Wolford does all the work behind the scenes. He is also responsible for keeping the Drivers’ Education curriculum up to date and relays it the teachers of the program. Wolford is also constantly in contact with schools and state funding agencies and is a part of the data collection process, too.

Ms. Kathleen Ammerman (graduate student, psychology), a candidate for a doctorate in school psychology, worked on the project for the past two years. Now, she has an internship with the Indiana Area School District. While she worked on the project, she helped with data collection and according to Runge “created a training mod-

ule and evaluation plan to ensure that current and future data collectors gather data in an accurate and appropriate manner.” He said her work was invaluable to the project.

Ms. Kaitlyn Mazor (graduate student, psychology) and Ms. Hunter Fisher (graduate student, educational psychology) were recently hired to help take over Ammerman’s position on the project.

The entire team of this project is hopeful that someday it may be mandatory for all Pennsylvania schools to require drivers’ education.

“We hope so,” Runge said, “but, again, we are still collecting data to test whether this work actually improves driving behaviors and other outcomes for novice drivers.

If it works, then we would hope that the decision makers in Harrisburg consider making driver education and this integrated model of driver education – mandatory, but that is for someone else to decide.

“We just keep our heads down and do the research.”

More information about the program can be found at https:// www.iup.edu/news-events/ news/2021/10/center-for-ruralhealth-and-safety-secures-thirdyear-of-grant-funds-to-improveteen-driver-education.html.

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October 29, 2021

2021 Cybersecurity Day at IUP

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(Braden Murray/Chase Fulmer/The Penn) The 2021 IUP Cybersecurity Day was held in the Hadley Union Building’s (HUB) Ohio Room on Tuesday. According to https://www.iup.edu/events/cybersecurity/2021/10/2021-cyber-security-day.html, “a number of recognized security experts from academia, industry and government, including the Academic Outreach lead for the NSA’s Cybersecurity Directorate’s Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, professors from Pittsburgh University, the founder of Reclamere Inc., the chief security and technology officer for CyberSN and IUP security personnel will provide insight into cybersecurity—from tips on ransomware to keep you cyber safe to the changing landscape of cybersecurity.” This was the 14th annual Cybersecurity Day event at IUP.

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing fields in the country. The need for cybersecurity professionals has never been higher. For more information about pursuing a career in cybersecurity at IUP, students can visit https://www.iup.edu/ cybersecurity/. IUP’s state of the art Institute for Cybersecurity can help prepare you for a long and rewarding career in this highly sought after field.

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October 29, 2021

Former U.S. representatives visit IUP Renacci, Critz discuss civility in politics

(commons.wikimedia.org) James Renacci (R-Ohio) (above) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio’s 16th District from January 2011 to January 2019.

TANNER SCHELL Staff Writer dsqcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP On Monday, the Six O’Clock Series featured two former U.S. representatives talking about civility in politics.

Both representatives are graduates of IUP. “I truly love public service,” Mark Critz, a Democrat, said.

Critz ran in a special election and then ran again to serve in the 112th Congress.

“In 2013, my term ended,” Critz said.

In 2019 Critz took on the role of regional director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I never thought I’d serve in Congress,” James Renacci, a Republican, said. “Entrepreneurship is where I always wanted to be.”

Graduating from IUP gave Renacci an opportunity to get a job in the 1980s. Renacci started his first business at the age of 24 and went on to have many successful business ventures.

“I had everything I wanted,” Renacci said.

In 2009, Renacci was dealt with a life-altering setback: one of his General Motors dealerships shut down.

“To have something taken away from you is the worst thing possible,” Renacci said.

Renacci said that he quickly became disillusioned with public service.

“After six years of serving, I re-

alized that [Washington] D.C. was broken, and even then there was no civility in Congress,” Critz said, “and I realized I had to get out of here.

“I didn’t come to Congress to argue with others. I came to get stuff done.”

Critz was asked to define civility in his own words.

“Civility is about listening,” Critz said.

He went on to discuss the news and how it has become a “show” in the halls of Congress and in media in general.

“The discussion that's happening outside of those offices affects what happens [inside],” Critz said.

Renacci said that television and news media has prevented less congressional actions. He suggested that “even if you disagree, don’t call each other names.”

“A Republican could get stuff done back in the day and now we have C-SPAN (network),” Renacci said.

Previous respect for elected officials has noticeably declined over the years for many reasons that the speakers took to comment on during the event.

“If constituents are yelling about something, we (elected officials) should be listening,” Critz said.

Renacci indicated that public discourse polarizes those in office.

“If we could get back to the days of no press coverage, then stuff could get done and we’d be back to a level of civility,” Renacci said.

Critz had advice for civil public discourse.

“Know what you’re talking about, but be empathetic,” Critz said.

One issue younger people face is the amount of misinformation and lies that they are exposed to through social media.

“You have no idea what’s real, what’s not anymore,” Critz said.

“If you want to debate on policies, you should know about who is writing the legislation.”

One way to have an impact in your area is holding elected officials accountable.

“Talk to them, write to them,” Critz said. “Be active.”

“If they won’t listen, then you make sure they don’t get elected again,” Renacci added.

Bipartisan cooperation has support from both sides.

“Bipartisanship is, ‘If you believe in it, you fight for it,” Renacci said.

The speakers discussed how

being bipartisan is not promoted or encouraged anymore in Congress.

“Bipartisanship has become a dirty word due to the talking heads that have taken control of the narrative,” Critz said. “From Gingrich onward, the power has been sort of vacuumed up by leadership.”

“The power needs to go back to the committees, or it will remain broken,” Renacci said.

Critz held a different view on the idea of a broken system.

“I do not think our system is broken,” Critz said. “Flawed, but not broken.”

Both candidates agreed that regardless of one’s views, respect should still be given and received.

“It's all about the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated,” Critz said.

(http://critz.house.gov/images/OP.JPG) Mark Critz (D-Pa.) (above) was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 12th District from May 2010 to January 2013.

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News

IUP holds annual Panhellenic meeting 11 Greek life chapters take part in meeting of association KELLY BLANKENBICKER Staff Writer svcy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP Panhellenic Association held the annual Panhellenic meeting Tuesday in Leonard Hall.

All 11 chapters that make up the IUP Panhellenic community were in attendance. Everyone was split into one of two groups.

The attire for the meeting was business casual. Attendees had the choice to pay $3.00 to dress down.

The meeting's agenda focused on three activities: recruitment review, career and professional development, and a sisterhood event.

“I think it is important for all of us to be there and be reminded that we are all a community,” Valori Klick (sophomore, management) said.

“It is easy to focus on your chapter and forget about other chapters, so I think it was a great reminder that we are all in this together and we are a community.”

During the recruitment review, members of the Panhellenic executive board presented a review of the rules of recruitment which includes what you can and cannot say to potential new members, review of what formal spring recruitment consists of, and how the recruitment process works.

During the career and professional development portion of the meeting, Jennifer Abraham, a

graduate staff member from the Career and Professional Development program, presented how highlighting one being a member of Greek life and the work that one does as a member can be applicable on a resume, in an interview and on job networking sites like LinkedIn. During the sisterhood event, members of the Panhellenic community played Kahoot to become more aware of the other chapters besides their own.

“As a new member, I thought the meeting was most useful to me,” Hannah O’Donnell (junior, nursing) said, “considering I was unaware of any of the recruitment rules, never really thought about how I could use being in a sorority on job applications or the history of other chapters on campus.”

The recognized chapters under the campus Panhellenic Association are the following: Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Sigma Tau, Alpha Xi Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Zeta, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Theta Phi Alpha and Zeta Tau Alpha.

“I feel closer to other chapters on campus now,” Natalie Anglemyer (sophomore, business education) said. “After the presentations, it just shows that all 11 chapters make up one community.”

According to the Panhellenic Association, the goal of the alliance is to develop and assist sorority life and inter-sorority relations in the process of maintaining a high level of accomplishment.

IUP’s Panhellenic Association is part of the larger National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) which according to its website, https://www. npcwomen.org/about/, is “made up of 26 women’s-only inter/national member organizations, [and] is

the world’s largest umbrella organization specifically charged with advancing the sorority experience.

“Through its advocacy, NPC seeks to enlist nearly five million sorority women in its efforts to showcase the transformational

power of the sorority experience.

“NPC also supports a national network of collegiate and alumnae Panhellenic associations that are crucial to nurturing healthy fraternity and sorority communities,” the website said.

(iup.edu) IUP’s Fraternity and Sorority Life and Student Engagement supports and guides more than 30 fraternities and sororities at the university. Eleven of these are culturally based Greek letter organizations.

Opinion (Enodo Economics/Facebook) Taiwan’s independence and status as a country is hard to articulate. There are many countries that recognizes it as a sovereign state while others do not.

Tensions between China, Taiwan increase Two weeks ago, Taiwan’s Minister of Defense, Chi Kuo-cheng, said that by 2025 China will be able to invade Taiwan in an attempt to regain control of the country.

The former Chinese Nationalist government fled to Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War ended in 1949.

Since then, Taiwan has claimed its independence and sovereignty while China disputes this claim saying that the island is a part of China and that it must be reunified with the mainland.

The comments from Kuo-cheng come shortly after Chinese president, Xi Jinping, stated that anyone advocating for the independence of Taiwan would be condemned to history. Jinping has repeatedly made comments like this one directed at Taiwan.

According to https://www. cnbc.com/2021/10/09/china-president-xi-jinping-on-reunification-with-taiwan.html, Jinping recently said, “Taiwan independence separatism is the biggest obstacle to achieving the reunification of the motherland, and the most serious hidden danger to national rejuvenation.”

The conflict seems to be reaching a boiling point instead of just dying to these inflammatory comments from the Chinese government.

According to https://www.cbsnews. com/news/china-taiwan-bidenunited-states-defense/, in October,

Opinion

China sent 149 aircraft into the air defense zone of the small island nation.

This show of military might is viewed by many in Taiwan as a threat to the independence of their nation.

According to https://www. washingtonpost.com/world/ asia_pacific/taiwan-china-us-marines/2021/10/08/20378918-27d811ec-8739-5cb6aba30a30_story. html, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen stated that developments in the region were creating new tensions that “could have a devastating effect on international security and the global economy if they are not handled carefully.”

This situation does not just have ramifications for Taiwan and China.

If a conflict between the two nations occurred, it could trigger a conflict bigger than any that we have seen since World War II. Although the United States does not technically recognize Taiwan as a nation, the two countries have long held a diplomatic and economic relationship.

According to https://www. cbsnews.com/news/china-taiwanbiden-united-states-defense/, “The Taiwan Relations Act, ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1979, states: ‘The United States will make available to Taiwan such defense articles and defense services in such quantity as may be necessary to enable Taiwan

to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.’”

While this act does not directly state that the United States is obliged to defend Taiwan if it faces an attack, it would appear that the United States would be obliged to help in some way in the event of a Chinese invasion.

Furthermore, President Joe Biden indicated recently that the United States has an obligation to defend the nation if it were to come under attack by China or anyone else.

The United States has frequently sold weaponry to Taiwan and has done so for nearly 40 years.

The United States would also have a vested economic interest in the conflict. Much of the clothing and technology that the United States relies so heavily on is produced in Taiwan for export to the United States.

According to https://www. bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-01-25/the-world-is-dangerously-dependent-on-taiwan-for-semiconductors, “Taiwan, which China regards as a province, is being courted for its capacity to make leading-edge computer chips. That’s mostly down to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world’s largest foundry and goto producer of chips for Apple Inc. smartphones, artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.”

October 29,, 2021

This dependence on Taiwan for semiconductors is not limited to the United States as much of Europe and Asia also rely heavily on the small island nation as a source for their technological semiconductors.

The United States also has a military presence in Taiwan.

According to https://nymag.com/ intelligencer/2021/10/u-s-troopshave-reportedly-been-in-taiwanfor-over-a-year.html#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Wall%20 Street%20Journal%2C%20a%20 small,maritime%20forces%20on%20 training%20missions%20involving%20small%20boats, “...a small contingent of American troops has been deployed in Taiwan for over a year involving a special-operations unit of around two dozen with supporting Marines.”

China is aware of this fact, and, according to https://www. washingtonpost.com/world/ asia_pacific/taiwan-china-us-marines/2021/10/08/20378918-27d811ec-8739-5cb6aba30a30_story. html, China recently stated that it would not hesitate to eliminate American troops when Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, “China will take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

This represents a direct threat to American lives by the Chinese military and government.

When one considers all of these

aspects, the U.S./Taiwan agreement, the presence of U.S. troops in Taiwan, and the world’s reliance on Taiwan for economic and technological purposes, it is not hard to see how a Chinese invasion could very quickly unravel into a conflict involving much of the world.

The United States has many allies in the area including South Korea and Japan. Furthermore, U.S. allies around the world such as the United Kingdom and Germany would also likely assist Taiwan and the United States due to their interest is maintaining an economic partnership with the small island nation.

If a conflict between North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries and China and its allies were to occur, it could have a devastating effect.

If this comes to pass, the conflict has the potential to be worse than any that the world has seen since the events of World War II nearly eight decades ago.

Hopefully, none of this does, in fact, come to pass, but it would seem as though the tensions between China and Taiwan are not going to diminish anytime soon, and that could be bad news for the United States and large portions of the world.

Brought to you By The Penn Editorial Board

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Culture

Culture Editor: Lane Lannan – ffpcc@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Caio Gomes – hysbc@iup.edu

Students prepare for spooky weekend

(history.com) The celebration of Halloween originated from the Catholic Church celebration of the saints, dubbed “All Saints’ Day” but more popularly known as “All Hallows’ Day.” The holiday was originally celebrated on Nov. 1 before being moved to Oct. 31.

ALYSSA MINERD Contributing Writer nnrz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Halloween will be here before we know it.

From excited children that are anticipating trick-or-treating to get the most candy possible to adults throwing costume parties, there are many reasons why Halloween brings joy to all age groups.

From the perspective of a college student, Halloween weekend is the perfect time to get together with friends and celebrate more than an average night out.

“My friends and I are getting dressed in cute costumes,” Emily Beyer (sophomore, early childhood/special education) said.

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“I’m looking forward to going out and having a good time.”

Dressing up in costumes seems to be a big hit when it comes to people going out in large groups together. Costume contests and parties tend to be very popular to participate in with friends and family.

“I’m looking forward to my uncle’s Halloween party on Saturday night,” Aliyah Kasecky (junior, fashion merchandising) said.

“Everyone must wear a costume to the party so I can’t wait to see what group costume my family will wear this year. I’ll be hiding out in my ‘Tomb Raider’ costume all weekend.”

If you are expecting to have a more laid-back weekend, you can still participate in activities to get into the Halloween spirit. Going to costume parades or nearby

haunted houses, sitting outside to pass out candy, or staying in for scary movie marathons are some favored ideas shared by students.

If you are someone who wants to go out and is still searching for plans this weekend, you may want to check out a Halloween-themed event happening right on Philadelphia Street.

Voodoo Brewing Co., a well-known pub among students, is hosting a Halloween party on Saturday evening. In addition to its costume party, there will also be live music to enjoy. All of the excitement begins at 7 p.m.

October 29, 2021

Rather than staying and celebrating in Indiana, students may be choosing to spend their weekend elsewhere.

“I’m going to Philadelphia for the weekend with my friends,” Isabella Benson (senior, journalism) said. “There is a bar crawl and a costume contest. I’m really looking forward to it.”

It is evident that students may have an agenda full of weekend plans and parties. As a result, it can be difficult not to put your school responsibilities off to the side.

“For the weekend, my plans are to study and go out after-

wards,” Mariah Andrejchak (junior, nursing) said. “I have an exam on Tuesday, but I don’t want to miss out on Halloween.

I am trying to find that happy medium.”

Since the actual day of Halloween falls on a Sunday this year, a majority of celebrations will occur on Friday and Saturday.

If most activities and nights out take place during the previous evenings, having an extra day after long nights of celebrating can be convenient. Sunday can be viewed as the perfect day to relax and get ready for the week ahead.

No matter how you choose to spend your weekend, The Penn would like to remind you to stay safe, especially if you travel, and have a good time over the weekend.

Culture

Culture

October 29, 2021

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Mass hauntings hit IUP campus EVA TILLICH Managing Editor jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Crimson Hoax is a weekly column detailing humorous fictional stories from the IUP community. *This story is fictional Get ready for some real-life haunts and horror.

Indiana, Pa., might seem like a relatively little college town but there is a history of ghosts and paranormal activity. IUP’s campus is rumored to be the most haunted place in the entire town, having several of its building considered to be “haunted.”

Some buildings that students say are haunted by spirits are Maple East Hall (specifically the stairwell with the clock), Sutton Hall, Breezedale Hall, the former Leonard Hall and Whitmyre Hall.

According to https://oneclass. com/blog/indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/12466-haunted-buildings-at-iup.en.html, Leonard Hall was probably the most infamous place for alleged paranormal activity. Professors and students alike have reported hearing voices outside of classrooms, slamming doors and footsteps when there is nobody there. Some individuals have even seen shadowy, human-like figures either walking around or lingering from far away.

Sutton Hall has its fair shares of hauntings according to https://oneclass.com/blog/ indiana-university-of-pennsylvania/12466-haunted-buildings-at-iup.en.html. After hours,

(The Penn Archives) Suites on Maple East is normally home to students that are attending IUP for the variety of health programs; however, in recent months, the residence hall has become more and more infested with spirits and ghosts. it has been rumored that the janitorial staff has heard music coming from stairwells. It has also been said that a man is sometimes standing in the bell tower window. Footsteps, voices and other unexplainable phenomena have occurred as well.

Some outdoor areas of IUP’s campus are also deemed as haunted. The most infamous one is the “walk” from the football field to the Robershaw parking lot by the train tracks.

According to folk stories spread through campus, this

infamous walk is haunted by the ghost of a former student who dropped out but got hit by the train when she was on her way to the car. Since then, her soul has stayed on campus and acquired enough knowledge to graduate from all undergraduate programs from IUP. “My cousin said that his girlfriend’s dad’s friend attended IUP way back in the day and that the story is true,” Amelia Pond (sophomore, criminology) said.

“According to them, if you go to that area and say, ‘I drop out’

three times the spirit comes to throw a book at you.”

“I never tried because I don’t wish to be hit by a book.”

Other variations of the myth say that the spirt, kindly nicknamed “Nerdy Mary” as an ode to her bathroom counterpart “Bloody Mary,” can possess your body and take an exam for you, but you first must pass her test.

It is not known what exactly Nerdy Mary’s test consists of as nobody has ever succeeded in it; however, it is known that if one fails her test, she kills them.

“I am divided over whether I would risk taking her test or not,” Patrick Estrela (freshman, oceanology) said. “On one hand it would be nice to get a genius spirit to ace an exam for me, but on the other I would rather not risk my life.”

“Also, it doesn’t make much sense to take a test in order to avoid taking a test. At this point, I would just study for the test that won’t literally kill me.”

Even though there is no evidence that any of these ghosts are real, students are advised to avoid summoning them.

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Culture

Students share favorite candy types LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP As Halloween approaches, the penultimate question gets asked: What candy should you get?

Ever since the trick-or-treat tradition has existed, there has been a need for a lot of candy to be bought to give to anyone that comes asking for it.

“Honestly, I think that harder candy is a good way to go,” Matthew Levenson (sophomore, accounting) said. “I think it just stays safer. Like, chocolate can melt or get crushed, but that is harder to do with candy like ‘Jolly Ranchers’.”

This mindset by Levenson can be seen with the country as a whole. According to USA Today, https://www.usatoday.com/ story/money/food/2021/10/10/ reeses-starburst-sour-patchkids-top-candy-candy-cornworst/5930166001/, some of the most popular candies in America are “M&M’s” and “Skittles,” both candy that match the hard description. That being said, “Reese’s Cups” prove to be the most popular.

“The fact that they’re the most popular of the different candy types does not surprise me at all,” Isaac Ryer (sophomore, nursing) said. “I mean, they’re definitely a classic candy, and I think their popularity also has a lot to do with the Halloween variant.”

Ryer is talking about the “Reese’s Cups” pumpkin variant that is only sold during the Halloween season. There is a lot of appeal in the shaped chocolate likely leading to it becoming the most popular.

In addition to the candy mentioned, there are some other rather popular heavy hitters that students are fans of.

“I think that ‘Sour Patch Kids’ are a big one,” Levenson said. “I don’t have them often anymore, but I remember loving them as a kid. They are a favorite of mine for sure.”

In the same USA Today article, “Sour Patch Kids” came out in the number five spot of most popular candy in the country, being beaten to the number four spot by “Snickers.”

With the best types of candy in mind, which are the ones that most people agree should be avoided?

“I would say that candy corn is probably my least favorite that I still see a lot of places,” Thomas Valcukas (sophomore, biology) said.

“I don’t eat candy too often, but the times I have tried candy corn I didn’t like it.”

Valcukas is not the only one to harbor a dislike towards candy corn. As per the USA Today article, candy corn holds the number one spot as the least popular candy in the United States to the surprise of very few IUP students.

“It isn’t that surprising,” Ryer said. “I know a lot of people that either really hate candy corn or just would rather not have it. I don’t think I really know anyone that really chooses it over other options, especially if stuff like ‘Reese’s Cups’ or ‘Twix’ are there.”

With the student opinions on the best candy to have for Halloween, go out and grab some before it is gone. Whether it is for a Halloween-themed party, to appease the trick-or-treaters that will be roaming neighborhoods, or just to have a quiet night in with candy and a good movie, there is a benefit to knowing what is the best and most popular candy to grab for the season.

(latimes.com) In the United States, the tradition of trick-or-treating started in the 1930s with the first official appearance of the term in a publication coming out in 1939.

Culture

October 29, 2021

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(iup.edu/Nick Schmidt/The Penn) Dr. Moore (left) works with various different archaeological projects in addition to his position as the department chairperson for the history department at IUP. His work has garnered him several awards like the IUP Distinguished Faculty Award for Research he won in 2019.

Dr. Moore reveals best strategies, tactics for zombie apocalypse PATRICK HOUGH Contributing Writer mqycc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP What would you do if you were trapped in a zombie apocalypse?

On Wednesday, the History Club and Dr. Scott Moore, the head of the history department, answered that very question.

The presentation occurred in Leonard Hall, formerly known as the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The special Halloween lecture’s purpose was to discuss a fitting topic for the season: zombies.

The presentation was conducted by Moore, a horror and zombie enthusiast seeking to start a new course, HIST 240, on the history of zombies in world culture.

Moore began his presentation with an in-depth look into zombie movies, one of the horror genre’s favorite focal points.

He talked about the lengthy history of zombie movies, starting with “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” the first zombie movie, to the more recent additions to zombie culture such as “The Walking Dead.”

This segment of the presentation also explored how the culture has changed over the years with zombies seen as voodoo magic creatures to predatory flesh eaters.

Moore shared some of his personal favorites.

“My top five favorites are ‘Train to Busan,’ ‘Night of the Living Dead,’ ‘Shaun of the Dead,’ ‘Dead Snow’ and ‘Zombieland,’” Moore said.

Moore then delved into the question of whether or not any

of us could survive the zombie apocalypse.

“I, like everyone else, have pretty high confidence in my chances of survival,” Moore said.

One may be inclined to believe him as a zombie enthusiast and consumer in the genre. The main focus of this segment was on where to go, where to hide and what not to do. For example, stay away from hospitals; that is likely where a lot of the infected is going to be. Additionally, avoid the cities as they have large populations, meaning they are essentially a zombie’s all-you-can-eat buffet.

Weapon choice is critical when trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. There are multiple choices one can make in choosing his weapon.

A big rule in the zombie

apocalypse is that anything can be a weapon. It does not matter if it is a desk, a pen or a garden gnome; anything can be a weapon.

Moore listed some of his personal favorites: the machete, an old favorite which is especially great if it has a red handle; the crossbow, popularized by Daryl Dixon on “The Walking Dead”; and the hatchet, the reliable tool.

Guns are also a heavily talked about defense, especially the shotgun. Guns, however, would not be the most reliable form of defense compared to a melee weapon, mainly because a melee

weapon does not need to be reloaded.

The last part of his discussion was about the course itself and some of the movies and books that he would discuss. He grouped these films and books into categories based on what type of zombie was discussed.

For example, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” is about the classic voodoo zombie and “Night of the Living Dead” is about the fast flesh eaters that have become the most familiar in modern times.

“I’m hoping that students will be able to better understand world history and other cultures better through zombie media,” Moore said.

He hopes to teach HIST 240 in the fall semester of 2022.

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October 29, 2021

Key tips for fun Halloween CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP As Halloween season approaches, students might be wondering what the best choices of movies to watch this Halloween are.

In order to pick the best movie, a student must decide what kind of Halloween night they want to have.

Options can be a solo Halloween night, Halloween night with family and friends, or a Halloween night with a significant other.

These are some tips, as well as some movie recommendations, of how to pick a movie that would best suit your type of Halloween night.

Solo Halloween night This is the easiest type of night to pick a movie because it all depends on your personal preference.

Whether you want a scary movie or a lighter movie will depend solely on your mood. Having said that, it might be a good idea to refrain from watching certain movies if you are the type of person who cannot handle horror movies alone.

It could be a good idea to take advantage of not having to please anyone to pick a more recent movie that may not necessarily “play to the crowd,” but that may expand your knowledge in recent films. Movies such as “Old” (2021), “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (2021) and “Candyman” (2021) are good choices because they are all contenders for a nomination in this Oscar season.

By picking one of these movies, you not only have a bit of Halloween fun but also stay up to date with what is going on in the current Oscar season scenario. It kills two birds with one stone.

Halloween night with friends and family Picking a movie for a Halloween night with friends is a little trickier

than solo because you will have to appeal to a larger group of people.

For this kind of night, the best thing to do would be going with the classics as they are easier to appeal to a group of people.

Among classics, some of the higher rated are “The Shining” (1980), “Saw” (2004), “The Exorcist” (1973) and “The Conjuring” (2013).

How scary the movies should be will depend on how much scary your guests can handle. You do not want to give nightmares to your friends.

Another option for those spending Halloween night with friends would be picking a fun Halloween movie as opposed to a scary one.

Cult classic horror comedies like “Beetlejuice” (1988), “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) and “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986) might be a good choice to have fun during Halloween. It will maintain the “spooky” theme but without scaring anyone.

Additionally, since “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a musical, it might be a good choice for those who are spending the night with recently made friends. It can bring everyone together when it is time to sing the lyrics.

Halloween night with significant other The process for picking a movie to spend a night with a significant other is fairly similar to picking a movie to spend with friends. It depends on your dynamic and whether you two want a fun night or a scary night.

While the suggestions for a fun night remain the same as it would for a night with friends, for scary nights it might be better to pick movies that may not be scary but have a lot of “jump scares.” Horror movies with “jump scares” are good to watch with a significant other because it gives an excuse to hold their hand or cuddle. Good options may be “Annabelle” (2014), “Child’s Play” (2019) and “Us” (2019).

(Ticketmaster.com) Making its appearance on Hulu every October, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a musical that has received the cult classic label.

Culture

Culture

October 29, 2021

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IUP Health and Wellness Promotion hosts first ‘Residential Ruckus’ LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Students decorate Halloween pumpkins for Red Ribbon Week event (Braden Murray/The Penn) On Wednesday, students were able to decorate pumpkins in the Folger Student Center. The event was held in conjunction with the Indiana, Armstrong and Clarion Drug and Alcohol Commission to discuss the importance of Red Ribbon Week.

There was also the ability for students to win a Starbucks gift card for the best decorated pumpkin.

Mobility and exercise are important parts of a healthy lifestyle. One way to support them is through games and activities.

Last week, the IUP Health and Wellness Promotion staff hosted the first annual “Residential Ruckus.” The event was held in front of Wallwork Hall from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a lot of things for students to do as well as prizes to win.

“There was a giant board game where students were the game pieces,” Sara Dillon, the assistant director for the Health and Wellness Promotion, said.

“After rolling the dice and moving to new spaces, they would find out if they had to answer a question or participate in an activity.”

There is also something to gain for the winning team. Since the event was designed to pit the different residence halls against each other, there is a trophy that could be taken by the winning hall and displayed.

“Students can win prizes and the winning ‘Res Hall’ wins an engraved trophy,” Dillon said.

“Residential Ruckus is going to be held each semester, so the resident halls have the opportunity to steal the trophy away from the previous winner.”

Despite the ability to win prizes and have bragging rights over the other residence halls, there was a rather low turnout for the event. Dillon said the turnout was lower than the staff had hoped for, but it has inspired them to take a different approach for advertising and promoting the event so that more students see it.

Although the turnout was not what was expected, the goal of the event still stands and will

(IUP Housing) The event was hosted to give students the chance to get more involved with the IUP student life as well as giving them a chance to exercise and meet new people. Despite the low turnout, there are plans for the event to return next semester. continue to be the driving force behind its continuation.

“The Health and Wellness staff wanted to hold an event regarding physical fitness and more, and also doing a friendly competition among the resident halls, getting the students out and moving,” Dillon said. “I believe it helps get the students out of their rooms, interacting with others, meeting new friends and learning new ways to include healthy choices in their lives.

“And who doesn’t like a little friendly competition?”

Dillon continued that, while there are no specifics at the cur-

rent time, the Health and Wellness Promotion staff is working on brainstorming new ideas and activities that could help grow the event in the coming semesters as well as making it more noticeable to the wider student body.

Whether you participated in the first Residential Ruckus or not, there is a lot in the works for the event to make it bigger and better than it was this time around.

Be sure to stay up to date on the plans from the Health and Wellness Promotion to know where the next Residential Ruckus will be held as well as any new games or activities that are added to the mix. Even if you do not go to the event, be sure to get out and about on campus.

Exercise and being social are important for the mental health of students and overall physical health, which is the reason the event was planned in the first place.

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Culture

Sports

Editor-in-Chief: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu

IUP looks to take down Edinboro, make playoff push Crimson Hawks ranked No. 7 in NCAA Super Region One Rankings BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

There is little room for error.

NCAA Super Region One rankings were released earlier this week and IUP football clocked in at No. 7 overall.

Only the top seven teams in each region make the NCAA playoff tournament when the final edition is released on Nov. 8.

With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Crimson Hawks must either hold that No. 7 spot or improve upon it in order to get a ticket to the big dance.

Head coach Paul Tortorella is not yet ready to speak on regional rankings and playoff scenarios.

“As far as the regional rankings, there is still too much football left to be played therefore we do not spend a lot of time talking about the rankings,” Tortorella said.

IUP will host Edinboro this weekend then travel to Greensburg a week later to finish off the regular season with a matchup against Seton Hill.

Most likely the team will need to win both games in order to qualify for that possible playoff bid.

IUP football has made the NCAA playoffs five out of the past six years.

Things must be taken one week at a time though.

Edinboro University football will be in town this weekend looking for an upset.

The Fighting Scots have fallen on hard times.

They are 1-6 overall, 1-4 in the conference and have lost three straight games.

Their last win came against Seton Hill and, apart from their game against Slippery Rock, Edinboro's record does not tell their whole story.

They have played competitive football every week, rarely getting blown out.

The chips just have not fallen in their favor.

Edinboro’s offense has exper-

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imented with multiple quarterbacks throughout the year in search of a spark.

Last week Jordan Castelli started under center. Castelli has completed 20 of 34 attempts for two touchdowns and one interception on the season.

The leader in receptions is Mike Watkins. Watkins has hauled in 13 receptions for 173 yards and two touchdowns so far in 2021.

In the ground game, Anfre Williams has seen the most action.

Williams has run for 198 yards and one touchdown on 54 attempts.

He has played in only four games.

Edinboro’s offense averages only 19 points per game.

On defense, the Fighting Scots are vulnerable, giving up an average of 26 points per game.

Saige Loy leads the unit with 20 solo tackles.

Defensive end Tarique Smith

has been productive on the edge tallying 3.5 sacks.

Edinboro is led by head coach Jake Nulph as he enters his first season at the helm. Nulph is a former IUP assistant who coached defensive backs and special teams as recently as 2019.

IUP football has been locked in all week long in preparation for a must-win game.

“Practice is going well,” Tortorella said. “Our team continues to put all our efforts into the next game and is not worrying about what's down the road.”

We will soon find out what is down the road as this season quickly closes.

IUP and the community hope to be cheering on their team in the NCAA playoff tournament well into November.

Kickoff this Saturday against Edinboro is set for 2 p.m.

(IUP Athletics) The IUP football team has not lost to the Fighting Scots since 2013 where the Hawks lost by a score of 20-7.

October 29, 2021

Sports

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October 29, 2021

Sports

Hawks shutout Lakers, must win final game to make playoffs

(IUP Athletics) This is the program’s first 10-win season since 2016 and its fourth over the last 10 years.

JEFFERY HART Editor-in-Chief J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Nothing is more dangerous than an animal when it is pushed into a corner.

The IUP field hockey team players, with their backs up against the wall, put on a fierce display on Wednesday against the Mercyhurst Lakers.

The Hawks garnered their 10th win of the season in a 2-0 shutout over the Lakers. This game was crucial to keep the Hawks’ playoff chances

alive as they need to win out to make the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) playoffs.

The game was an offensive struggle for a majority of the matchup. Neither team was able to put up a goal in the first half. With a sense of urgency, the Hawks knew that they needed to get their offense going in the second half if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive.

The Crimson Hawks got on the board from a Rory Cahill (sophomore, athletic training) goal in the fourth quarter. This goal opened

up the offense for IUP because another goal was put up less than two minutes later at the hand of veteran player Blaise Cugini (junior, early childhood/special education).

The Hawks shut down the Mercyhurst offense with an outshoot of 29-6. It was a very clean game with zero fouls committed by either team.

“The Lakers are in rebuilding mode, but they played with a passion,” head coach Gary Agard said. “We

played well, but we wanted to focus on our tactical awareness on the field.”

The Hawks currently sit in a three-way tie for sixth place in the PSAC playoff race with Mansfield and Slippery Rock.

IUP holds the tiebreaker with both teams and would take the sixth spot in the playoffs if the season were to end today.

IUP’s playoff fate sits in its own hands as the team must take on a daunting No. 6 Kutztown this Saturday in its last

regular-season game.

“We know what’s at stake on Saturday,” Agard said. “It’s a must-win game for us.”

The last time these two teams met up in 2019, the Golden Bears took a commanding 2-0 victory over the Hawks.

History is on IUP’s side as the Crimson Hawks own a 9-4 advantage over Kutztown in their matchup history.

With so much on the line, the Hawks will have to bring their A-game if they want to have a chance at the postseason.

“We just have to continue to pay attention to details and commit to what we want to achieve in order to be victorious this weekend,” Agard said.

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October 29, 2021

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Cross country prepares for Atlantic Regional Championships MATT GLOVER Staff Writer htpz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

While the Crimson Hawks’ cross country teams are between championship races, they will race on Saturday at the Go-Fast River Run in Lock Haven.

The top seven on each team will stay back and rest for the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships next weekend while the remainder of the team races.

“The guys are pretty excited to go there because it’s a fast course,” Marco Cardone (sophomore, exercise science) said, “and it’ll be their last race of the season, so they’re just trying to get a good time while the top seven are going to rest for regionals in two weeks.”

“I think, overall, the next two weeks of practice will be very crucial so we can all compete at the best of our ability,” Paige Wess (junior, nursing) said.

The men are coming off a fourth-place Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships finish where they lost to Lock Haven University by nine points.

Cardone finished second for IUP and placed 22nd overall.

“I think we’re satisfied with it,” Cardone said. “We wanted to beat Lock Haven, so I think we definitely have a chip on our shoulders

(IUP Athletics) Before Atlantic Regionals, everyone aside from the top seven runners from each team will be running in the Go-Fast River Run in Lock Haven, Pa., this Saturday.

after that.”

The men’s team is itching to get back out there and take Lock Haven down.

“I know we wanted to get into the top three,” Cardone said, “but we came in fourth. I think we can do better.”

The women are coming off a 12th-place finish at the PSAC Championships.

Wess crossed the finish line third for IUP and placed 44th overall.

“I think everyone was pretty satisfied for the most part,” Wess said. “The PSAC is definitely a very competitive conference. I think we placed pretty good as a team, and a lot of individuals were happy with how they ran.”

After this weekend in Lock Haven, the teams will turn their focus toward the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships.

All PSAC teams are invited as well as teams from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).

“As a team,” Cardone said, “we’re going for top five. We want to get top three in our conference at regionals.”

Cardone has never raced in a NCAA Atlantic Regional before, so he said he does not know exactly what the competition is going to be like.

“We just want to make sure we beat the local teams around here,” Cardone said, “then if we can get anybody to nationals we’re going to try to do that.”

Despite the competition they face and however they place, the teams are happy with how far they have progressed this season.

“We’ve definitely made a lot of progress from the beginning where some people had never ran a 6k before,” Wess said. “Each meet they have slowly cut off their time.”

“I think we’ve come pretty far,” Cardone said. “We were pretty inconsistent in the beginning.

“We had three or four different guys get sick on our team at different times, and we didn’t know the exact order of the top group until now at least.”

It is rare for the order of the top group to be undecided this late in the season, he said.

“I think that now we’re getting more consistent, more into it and more serious, we’re going to start running the best times we can,” Cardone said.

The Go-Fast River Run will start at 1:45 p.m. on the West Branch Cross Country Course.

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October 29, 2021

Sports

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October 29, 2021

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Hawks looking forward to Senior Night matchup Volleyball looking to take down Edinboro and Mercyhurst this weekend JAY McGARY Staff Writer fwzt@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP volleyball returns home this Friday in hopes of keeping its playoff chances alive. With a game both Friday and Saturday nights, this weekend will play a crucial part in determining the Crimson Hawks’ eligibility for the postseason.

The first matchup is against Mercyhurst.

IUP was the last team to defeat Mercyhurst only 27 days ago. Since then, the Lakers have won six in a row, including a 3-0 victory over Gannon, who IUP recently defeated handily.

Mercyhurst has found its stride at the exact time that IUP is struggling to find its own. Though the teams’ win percentages are very

similar, Mercyhurst boasts a 6-4 conference record compared to the Crimson Hawks’ 3-7.

Although IUP was the most recent loss for the Lakers, that game went all five sets and was extremely contested: 23-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-14 and 15-11 were the scores from the Oct. 2 matchup.

“Our team has gotten better; however, so has Mercyhurst,” head coach Julie Torbett said. “In fact, they have not lost since they lost to us. It will be a tough match.”

If IUP manages to usurp the Lakers once again on Friday night, the team then moves to Saturday afternoon with playoff hopes still alive where the Hawks will take on the Edinboro Fighting Scots again at home and for Senior Night.

The Hawks also played Edinboro at the very beginning of October,

but the similarities between the two matchups end there. IUP lost in a 3-0 sweep against the Fighting Scots, dropping sets 26-24, 25-16 and 25-21.

At that time, Edinboro was on a five-game winning streak, and after the win against Indiana they continued to win two more.

The Fighting Scots lead the entirety of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in conference win percentage and come into the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC) sporting, again, a five-game winning streak.

IUP could not ask for a tougher

opponent to face on Senior Night.

Sometimes, however, that type of challenge can manifest itself into miraculous results.

“I think Senior Night can go either way,” Torbett said. “Sometimes emotions can hurt you and sometimes it can help. We have four seniors that have been here four years that we are honoring. Edinboro is the top team in the league. I am hoping we can battle and come out on top.

“We need the wins this weekend for a chance to make the PSAC Tournament.”

The four seniors that Torbett mentioned are: Lexi Hraga (senior,

natural science) – outside hitter, Gia Cannavino (senior, natural science) – outside hitter, Kylie Osborn (senior, natural science pre-pharmacy) – middle blocker and Jaden Fuller (senior, natural science) – middle hitter/opposite. All four of these women have been with the team for four years and predate the head coach herself.

Over the 2021 senior season, this group has contributed heavily to anchoring the defensive side of the game, specifically the front row. These seniors have produced over 58 percent of the teams’ total blocks as a unit; a jaw-dropping number when you consider there are 22 players on the roster. Osborn also leads the team in service aces.

The seniors will be able to put their blocking prowess to the test as they will look to upset Edinboro this Saturday, 4 p.m., at the KCAC.

(IUP Athletics) IUP currently sits at No. 7 in the PSAC West, sitting one spot behind Cal U.

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October 29, 2021

Sports

Soccer falls against Mountain Cats, drops third consecutive game AUSTIN SMITH Staff Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Crimson Hawks fell short again and lost a close game to the University of Pitt-Johnstown (UPJ) and dropped their third straight game. The offensive battle was very tight until the end when the Mountain Cats took the 2-1 advantage. They managed to score the opening goal a little over six minutes into the game.

The offensive continued to shine with both teams as IUP had 18 shots in total and UPJ had 14 shots in total. UPJ had the advantage with the shots on goal leading that category in the 8-6 favor.

IUP had a multitude of chances to take advantage of the 11 fouls UPJ had, but the Hawks just could not seem to capitalize on any of those chances in the first half of

the game.

The two star players that stood out the most were Hannah Scardina (sophomore, pre-physical therapy) and Samantha Nemeth (sophomore, nursing). Scardina had six shots in total and Nemeth had five shots in total. The biggest contribution from Scardina was her penalty kick goal which tied the game up at the 76th minute.

The game was tied for no longer than a minute until UPJ took the lead again. It was too little, too late as the Hawks fell short of pushing the game into overtime. Missed opportunities are what cause the Hawks to lose, and they have to quickly regain focus as the standings are getting even tighter and the games are winding down.

“We had more shots than they did,” head coach Adel Heder said. “After we tied the game, we controlled the game and a mistake from our side costed us the game.

We need to score more goals, and that’s what we worked on in every practice.

“We need to win every game.”

IUP currently stands at a 7-6-1 overall record.

The teams that are currently ahead of IUP are Edinboro, Mercyhurst, Slippery Rock and Gannon.

The Hawks will play Seton Hill, Mercyhurst and Clarion. They will essentially have to win out to get that fourth spot and have Edinboro lose most of its remaining games.

It is easier said than done when trying to climb up in the standings and trying to secure a playoff spot.

The Hawks are in a tough situation where their playoff fate is out of their own hands, but they can only focus on the games that lie ahead.

Mercyhurst will be the toughest game for IUP to win as it sits at 9-31, but, from the talent the Hawks have on their roster, records do not mean everything when in the standings.

The Crimson Hawks will have their talons set up against Seton Hill on Saturday and look to take it one game at a time.

(IUP Athletics) Hannah Scardina has contributed to 22 goals this season.