10.8.21

The Penn

NEWS | PAGE 3

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021

CARJACKING INCIDENT NEAR CAMPUS

CULTURE | PAGE 10

VOL. 114 NO. 13

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SPORTS | PAGE 16

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NEWS

News Editor: Benjamin Brumbaugh – msqy@iup.edu

Police report safe Homecoming Carjacking incident weekend in IUP community near campus BEN BRUMBAUGH News Editor msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

MOLLY CUNNINGHAM Staff Writer kydy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Homecoming this year was patrolled by the IUP Police Department (IUPPD) and the Indiana Borough Police Department (IBPD).

Both departments worked together to ensure the safety of the community on and off campus.

“The IUP sponsored events appeared to be well attended, the weather cooperated, and everyone from students to faculty and staff appeared to have an enjoyable Homecoming weekend,” Anthony J. Clement, IUP’s interim director of public safety and IUP police, said.

“From a police perspective, Homecoming was relatively mild compared to years past; however, that has been the trend for the last several years. There was noticeable reduction in calls for service as well as criminal activity.”

The reports to IUPPD were standard with noise complaints, one or two vandalism reports, a few public drunkenness reports, and underage drinking incidents. For it being Homecoming, the number of calls for normal reports were relatively low in comparison to previous Homecoming weekends at the university.

IUPPD had officers scheduled on varying shifts with overlapping coverage during anticipated busy times. It utilized a mix of foot patrol and vehicle patrol as well as officers assigned to some of the sponsored events.

Planning had been ongoing for several weeks, collaborating with all partners involved and not limited to law enforcement but all emergency services, ambulance, emergency management, community members and community organizations. Being informed of what everyone was doing and knowing who to contact related to certain needs and situations allowed operations to flow smoothly and to rapidly provide needed

News

(https://www.indianaboro.com/police) The Indiana Borough Police Department works in conjunction with the IUP Police Department to keep IUP students safe. services to the community.

“All stakeholders took an active role to participate and collaborate to ensure a safe and enjoyable weekend,” Clement said.

IBPD began planning for IUP Homecoming months prior with stakeholder meetings and planning discussions with partners in order to best understand the potential public safety needs and concerns that would be prompted by the events.

Homecoming weekend typically leads to an increase in traffic, alcohol consumption, visitors and large gatherings which can present a challenging environment for community safety.

“The Indiana Borough Police Department attended IUP Homecoming planning meetings, l-ACT executive board and all stakeholders’ meetings, community safety and public health meetings, and police service specific meetings,” Justin W. Schawl, IBPD chief, said.

Members of IBPD followed a strategic operational plan for public safety needs throughout the weekend which were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They worked with IUPPD by sharing operational strategies, and both departments worked together to best support students, community members, visitors and police officers.

“The IUP Police Department is a tremendous campus and community public safety resource,” Schawl said.

Campus police had little to no contact with the fraternities during Homecoming. The IBPD has maintained an open and positive relationship with IUP Greek life throughout the semester and through past semesters.

“I have met with individual fraternity presidents on wide ranging topics, and we have all been open with each other regarding expectations,” Schawl said.

“Specific to this year, I joined Chief Clement to speak with the Student Government Association and asked that they disseminate a letter from me to all student residents.”

IBPD made four DUI arrests over the event weekend. Its operational plan had generally positive results.

Schawl said that most gatherings that did exist were mindful of the community and residents around them. The serious incidents and negative activity that did occur was isolated and “not indicative of the weekend conduct as a whole.”

Overall, Homecoming was a relatively safe and crime free weekend for students, faculty, community members and visitors who came to the university and its surrounding community.

October 8, 2021

Despite a relatively safe Homecoming weekend, one incident of concern in the community is being investigated.

A carjacking occurred in the parking lot south of 220 West Ave. in Indiana shortly after 8 p.m.

The Indiana Borough Police Department (IBPD) responded and located the victims.

According to a press release from the IBPD, the victim was identified as an 18-year-old IUP student. The passenger in the vehicle was also an IUP student.

The victims said that they were approached by a group of three men and were told to hand over the keys.

After initially refusing, one of the assailants pulled up his waistband to expose a handgun at which point the driver handed over his keys.

The victim exited the car, and all three assailants got into the vehicle.

According to the press release, the suspect drove north onto West Avenue and then continued westbound on School Street toward Oakland Avenue.

“The stolen vehicle was a 2011 Toyota Camry with a Pennsylvania license plate: KDW5596,” Justin Schawl, IBPD chief, said.

Schawl said that incidents like this are not very common in the area, but the community is not immune to these types of events.

“Large crowds, increased alcohol consumption, high volumes of visitor traffic and increases in latenight activity leave no community

immune to occasions of serious crime or tragedy,” he said.

“Although this incident occurred near campus and within Indiana Borough, neither are locations in which robbery nor acts of stranger violence occur frequently.

“No one within Indiana Borough or IUP’s campus should consider this common or accepted conduct.”

Authorities are investigating the incident and asking students with information to come forward.

“Any student with information regarding this incident should contact Indiana Borough Police Department at (724) 349-2121.

“We can also be reached in person at 80 North 8th St., Indiana, Pa., or will respond to any campus location to gather the information,” Schawl said.

There are three suspects in this case, and all of them are male. Digital images of the suspects can be found at https:// twitter.com/IndianaBorough/status/1445805796487405568. The photos can also be found on The Penn’s website along with this article.

“We are now seeking public support with their identities and travels before/after the event,” Schawl said.

“It is possible that students were engaging with the three [suspects] before the robbery occurred and during Homecoming weekend activities.”

Anyone who recognizes the suspects should contact the IBPD immediately.

No suspects have been identified as of this time.

The IBPD will continue to investigate this incident until a resolution is reached.

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News

English professor works with police cadets Program incorporates humanities into policing RACHEL KOVACH Staff Writer rsrbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP “I love what I do; I’m blessed every day,” Dr. Veronica Watson, an English professor, said.

“I love working with students, and I love the potential that literature has to really open up important conversations in our nation and to help us bridge divides.”

Watson is the leader and creator of the Humanities in Law Enforcement Initiative (HTLE). She has been a part of IUP’s faculty for 24 years.

“I’m in my 24th year … Nobody’s more surprised than I am,” Watson said.

“It went by very quickly.”

HTLE aims to teach young cadets how to incorporate the humanities into their work instead

of just focusing on the traditional law enforcement aspects of their training.

The idea for the HTLE initiative was not obtained in a traditional way.

“Well, it was a dream,” Watson said. “I had been reading and focusing on Black detective fiction before I had the dream. It was after George Floyd’s death, and I had a lot on my mind. I don’t know what exactly prompted the idea in the dream, but I knew I had to act on it.

“It was amazing to have a group of people join a dream. Just to see the potential and to recognize the need and be willing to devote time and attention to it was so fulfilling.”

After Watson had this dream, the idea kept resurfacing in her thoughts, and she knew she had to start planning the curriculum.

“The first thing that needed to happen is that I needed a site for the project. I had made some con-

(iup.edu) The English department at IUP offers students a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.

nections to folks in the criminology department, and they introduced me to the leadership at the police academy,” Watson said.

“Basically, I went down and told them what the project was and, by the end of an hour of conversation, they had signed on to be our first pilot site.”

After a pilot site had been secured, the specifics of the program began to take shape.

“When the police academy signed on as our first pilot site, we began to develop the curriculum. It was lucky for us because at the time that we had the conversation they hadn’t started their new class yet, so we got to work all through the summer, and then we started with the first class in the fall of 2020. We just finished up our second group over the summer of 2021,” Watson said.

“We have three goals: the first is to help the cadets to understand Black (Veronica Watson/Twitter) and brown Veronica Watson is a professor in the English department at IUP, and she is the diand queer rector of the graduate studies in literature and criticism program at the university. communities.”

The second was to focus on helping cadets imagine police practices that would lead to equity and work collaboratively in Black and brown communities.

“Number three,” Watson said, “as far as content, we do a lot about the history of policing in Black and brown communities.”

Watson said that a focus on history can help ensure that future situations turn out well.

“Knowing the history is the first step to helping [the cadets] to imagine more equitable practices and ones that give better outcomes than we sometimes see,” Watson said.

“We do a lot of work to help them understand the different value systems that are in play in those communities that will help them to perhaps be more sensitive to the challenges those communities face, the way they think about law and order, and what kind of policing they expect in their communities.”

Although creating this group and being a part of it has been overwhelming for Watson and her team of colleagues at times, there have been some positive outcomes as well.

“It has done me some good, some healing has happened … I will say that HTLE has allowed me to think a lot more carefully about how to do humanities work in communities,” Watson said.

“Something that is happening at so many colleges and universities all over the world is that we’ve gotten away from the idea that the humanities have a real purpose in our lives.”

She continued, saying that moving away from an emphasis on humanities, like many colleges have been doing, just produces people that are able to get jobs. In-

stead, colleges should be focusing on how important their knowledge of the humanities is before they get into the workforce.

Not only did Watson share how this program will shape the cadets into the honest and caring law enforcement officers they should be, but she also spoke on a personal experience she had.

“It’s vital that when you understand that when you pull me over as an African American woman, am I anxious? Am I nervous? Am I calling someone and leaving the line open in case something goes sideways? Yes, I’m doing all of that.

I’m not doing it out of paranoia. I’m doing it because there’s a history there that’s real,” Watson said.

“If I don’t do those things, there’s a chance that things could go wrong and the story that gets told about why they go wrong could be something that is far from complete.”

Watson’s experience working with the cadets has changed her perspective.

“I will say that one of the things I didn’t know I needed was to see the genuine desire of [the cadets] in that room to help, to make a difference, and to be the upstanding person with a lot of integrity who’s trying to do the right thing and better their community,” Watson said.

“I needed to see that in a really desperate way because, for a while, it didn’t feel like that at all.”

She hopes to continue to expand the program and adapt it to the needs of the future.

“We’re just at the beginning, and I hope it continues and expands,” Watson said, “and I hope that we’re able to meet the need that’s out there to help people think better about these things.”

News

October 8, 2021

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October 8, 2021

IUP Marching Band check-in

News

New leadership takes control for 2021 academic year JULIA ROBINS Staff Writer spxbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Dr. David Martynuik was the director of the marching band and a professor of music at IUP since 2001. He retired this September.

Replacing him as the interim director is Nevin Saylor, an IUP graduate who got his Bachelor of Science in music education from IUP in 1980 and has 34 years of experience teaching music.

“It’s one of the greatest honors that has ever been given to me,” Saylor said.

“I feel like I am really conveying the love and concern of hundreds of alumni. I am sort of representing them in taking this position and hoping that I adequately convey their zeal and love of the IUP band to the students of this year.”

For 30 years, Saylor led the high school band, orchestra, chorus and jazz for the Indiana Area School District.

In 2000, he founded the Indiana Area School District’s Jazz Artist in Residence program.

His ensembles have performed at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association State Conventions in Philadelphia and Hershey, and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haag, Netherlands.

“Nevin’s availability and will-

ingness to step into this new role made it so that our students – and the marching band – never missed a beat,” Dr. Kevin Eisensmith, professor of trumpet at IUP and former marching band member, said in the article.

“Not only is he extremely qualified to serve in this interim position, his love and passion for IUP makes this a perfect fit.”

The IUP Marching Band, which contains about 100 students, is the class Music 125. It features woodwinds, brass and drumline instruments as well as flags and a color guard. Ten days before the first day of classes in the semester, Band camp is held where the auditions take place. All instruments and related costs are covered by the university.

According to the article “History of the Legend: Years of Tradition and Grace” on the IUP website, “A combination of exuberance, excellence and extraordinary imagination has produced magic that has made the IUP Marching Band the pride of the university and the Indiana community and keeps it in demand for special appearances around Pennsylvania and neighboring states.”

Locally, they have performed at halftime for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Colts and the Washington Football Team. In addition to performing in local concerts, festivals and

sporting events, the marching band also performs at national and even international venues. “‘The Legend’ is a nickname that the marching band came to be known [as] because of its excellence and its almost 100-year tradition at IUP,” Michelle Fryling, IUP;s director of media relations, said.

“For many students, the marching band is one of the traditions at IUP for which they hold the most dear.”

In 1987, the band performed at the U.S. Constitution Bicentennial Celebration. The group was then invited to Paris by Jacques Chirac, the mayor of Paris, to perform at the French Bicentennial in the summer of 1989. That September, the band went on tour in Washington, D.C., and performed at the Lincoln Memorial. In 1996, the band performed at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

This semester, there will be one field show with the theme of 1970s music. In addition, on Oct. 23 the marching band will travel for a festival in Dubois, Pa., to perform for hundreds of high school band students.

“This particular band, the 2021 IUP Marching Band, is absolutely amazing and has absolutely amazing student leadership,” Saylor said. “And that student leadership is what makes them like all the great IUP bands of the past. They are living up to that legend.”

The 100th anniversary of the IUP Marching Band took place this year in 2021, and a grand celebration will be held in 2022. It was postponed due to the pandemic.

(Michelle Fryling/IUP) Mr. Saylor unexpectedly assumed the role of interim band director when an unanticipated change in leadership occurred in September.

(iup.edu) The IUP Marching Band is known as “The Legend.” According to https://www.iup.edu/music/ensembles/marching-band/index.html, “Innovative, state-of-the-art drills, original choreographies and a rich variety of musical styles, all executed with great precision, equal an entertainment event of awesome emotional power.”

News

October 8, 2021

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Six O’Clock Series talks about body language IUP’s Dr. Tammy Manko speaks to students TANNER SCHELL Staff Writer dsqcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Dr. Tammy Manko, the director of the Career and Professional Development Center, gave a speech on the powerful effects of positive body language on Monday as a part of the Six O’Clock Series on IUP’s campus.

This event was also presented by the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and attendance was mandatory for all members of Sigma Chi. “Body language is critical to professional effectiveness,” Manko said.

“Pretty much, no matter where we go, most gestures communicate the same thing basically everywhere with a few exceptions.”

Within the first 30 seconds of a conversation, people begin to make impressions on each other.

“These impressions are very important for our life decisions as it heavily influences people's opinions of you,” Manko said.

Body language is our primary form of conversation, and people

use it without even being aware of it.

“If you were able to learn and control your body language, you could have the best social interactions every time,” Manko said.

Body language involves the whole body, not just gestures. It is used to influence other people, either subconsciously or consciously.

The presentation examined the differences between the ways that men and women use body language and how many interpret it differently from one another.

“Women have the brain power to out organize any man on the planet whether we like it or not,” Manko said. “Harvard research suggests that women were accurately able to tell you what was happening in a muted video 87 percent of the time compared to men.”

Individuals bring various biases into situations without even realizing that they are doing so.

“If we can realize our biases, our conversations will be much better,” Manko added.

Humans have a baseline when it comes to how we interact with

(Tammy Manko/Twitter) Tammy Manko is the director of IUP’s Career and Professional Development Center, which prepares students for their careers.

others in different situations.

“One way to tell someone's baseline is to see when they are relaxed,” she said.

When conversations occur, people use gestures without trying to do so, and these gestures can affect the meaning of the conversation.

“Try and use more than one gesture when talking,” Manko said.

Facial expressions also play a role in how people interact with others and may in fact cause a feeling of laughter or other emotions depending on the expressions portrayed by an individual.

“Being happy makes you live longer according to Wayne State University,” Manko said.

This statement was refuted by one student.

“This was just false science. Half of these studies presented had a clear bias going into them that is just undeniable,” Mike Rochman (junior, nursing) said.

Understanding body language can allow one to exhibit more body positivity in their daily life.

“When we mimic or mirror people, we do this because we

like or respect that person,” Manko said.

On the other hand, when people are on their phones, their body language closes up.

“This can release cortisol, the stress chemical, into our bodies,” Manko said.

“Try and not be on your phone during a conversation with someone.”

(Career and Professional Development Center/ When you Facebook) are on the The center can help students search for jobs and phone during internships. a conversation with someone, change the way that they are it can cause the other person to understood and perceived. feel as though you are disinterestFor more information about the ed, even if you are not.

Six O’Clock Series events, visit By understanding body lanhttps://www.iup.edu/mcsle/events/ guage and positivity, one can sixoclockseries/index.html.

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October 8, 2021

News

Therapy dogs comfort students Dogs can be visited in front of Folger Hall

(Chase Fulmer/The Penn) Dogs have been proven to improve the mood and mental state of many people under high levels of stress. Furthermore, many students miss their dogs when they are away at school. To offer these students some support and happiness, IUP offers therapy dog events for students. During these events, students have an opportunity to bond with, pet and cuddle with dogs. These events are known as Just PAWS therapy dog events and they occur on a variety of occasions throughout the semesters. The therapy dog events have been among the most popular events on campus since their debut. The service is provided by the Health and Wellness Center which is located inside the ground floor of the Suites on Maple East across from Folger Hall. According to https://www.nami.org/Blogs/ NAMI-Blog/February-2018/How-Dogs-Can-Help-with-Depression, “Dogs can contribute to your happiness. Studies show that dogs reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise, and improve your all-around health. For example, people with dogs have lower blood pressure and are less likely to develop heart disease—just playing with dogs has been shown to elevate oxytocin and dopamine, creating positive feelings and bonding for both the person and their pet.” Come reduce your stress and anxiety by visiting the therapy dogs when they make their next appearance.

Opinion

It is time for legal weed in Pennsylvania It is time for Pennsylvania to legalize marijuana for recreational use.

While federal legalization is also overdue, this piece will focus on Pennsylvania specifically.

A study from the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in the spring of 2021 found that 58 percent of Pennsylvania citizens favor the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. Fourteen percent neither favor nor oppose legalization and just 26 percent oppose it. The numbers in this study mark an eighth consecutive year that support for legalization has increased in our state.

Despite this majority of people in favor of recreational marijuana legalization, legislators in Pennsylvania have failed to act on the will of the people.

The state took a big step when it legalized the use of marijuana for medical purposes in 2016, but many feel that marijuana legislation in the state needs to go further as indicated by the aforementioned poll.

According to https://norml.org/ blog/2021/03/18/pennsylvania-police-arrested-20200-adults-for-marijuana-possession-during-pandemic/, Pennsylvania police departments arrested over 20,000 adults for marijuana-related violations in 2020. These arrests appear to disproportionately affect Black people.

Black people make up just 12 percent of Pennsylvania’s population, but they account for 32 percent of the marijuana-related arrests in the state. These numbers indicate that the state’s marijuana laws are affecting the Black community in a very negative way.

When someone is arrested for a marijuana-related offense, their life is affected tremendously.

People with a criminal record are far less likely to be able to get a good-paying job. On top of that, citizens of our state are paying tax dollars for the police to enforce a law that the majority do not support.

This increases the probability that people with criminal records will be economically disadvantaged, which could lead them to

Opinion

commit more crimes and become reoffenders, according to any entry-level criminology course.

In other words, marijuana-related offenses seem to perpetuate the cycle of poverty and turning back to more crime that is typically caused by one having a criminal record.

All of these arrests are being made to protect the public from a relatively harmless plant?

To be clear, marijuana use is not harmless, and anyone who argues such is probably biased.

It is unclear how certain methods of consumption affect our lungs, and it is becoming more and more clear that certain individuals can become mentally dependent on the substance.

With all of that being considered, let us look at substances that are currently legal in Pennsylvania and compare them to marijuana.

Alcohol is legal in our state for anyone aged 21 and older to purchase and consume. According to https://www.statista.com/ statistics/1168729/number-annual-deaths-alcohol-use-related-con-

ditions-state/, between 2011 and 2015, an average of 3,768 Pennsylvania citizens died per year due to alcohol-related diseases and automobile accidents. Nationwide, alcohol-related deaths are the third leading cause of preventable deaths.

Cigarettes are also legal to purchase in Pennsylvania for anyone aged 21 and older to own and consume. According to https:// jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2571615, in 2014, nearly 8,000 people died due to smoking-related cancers in the state. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States each year.

Taking all of these statistics into account, let us now examine marijuana. According to https:// www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327126#weed-and-pregnancy, marijuana poses a significantly decreased risk compared to alcohol and cigarettes. While isolated cases of death due to marijuana have occurred, it is nearly impossible to overdose on the substance. Some estimates indicate less than 1,000

marijuana-related deaths nationwide each year, and most of these are car accidents. For reference, the 1,000 deaths nationwide each year are less than the alcohol-related and tobacco-related deaths just in Pennsylvania each year.

These numbers indicate a serious problem. It would appear that there are legal, more harmful substances available in our state while marijuana remains illegal for recreational use.

You may be asking yourself, why?

One big issue is that Pennsylvania does not have a statewide ballot initiative process, meaning everything has to go through the legislature.

According to https://www.ydr. com/story/news/2021/02/25/ marijuana-has-been-legalizedmany-states-why-pa-hasnt-joinedthem/4513018001/, “Pennsylvania is one of 24 states that do not have initiative and referendum processes that would allow citizens to vote on measures like marijuana legalization. Any change would have to go through the state Legislature.”

(pxfuel.com) Marijuana legalization has picked up increasing support from the public in the last two decades.

October 8, 2021

Both Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman have voiced their support for legalizing marijuana recreationally in the state, but the Republican-led legislature has been hesitant to do so.

Wolf has repeatedly touted the financial benefits of legislation for legalization, especially as it pertains to helping the economy recover in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of 2020, Colorado has collected $1.63 billion in tax and fee revenue since the state legalized marijuana in 2014. This money has been used to support other programs in the state.

On top of that, Pennsylvania’s neighbors have begun to legalize the substance. New York and New Jersey legalized recreational marijuana this year. Inevitably what will occur is that citizens of Pennsylvania will travel to these states and bring marijuana back to sell.

This means that Pennsylvania will see an influx of marijuana arrests and will miss out on tax money that New York and New Jersey will benefit from.

With everything considered, the time for weed legalization in Pennsylvania is now. Whether or not it occurs remains to be seen, but there is hope.

According to https://www.inquirer.com/business/weed/weed-legalization-pennsylvania-republican-democratic-20211006.html, legislation to legalize marijuana is currently in the works: “A Republican state senator from central Pennsylvania and a Democratic state representative from West Philadelphia are teaming up on a bill to make Pennsylvania the 19th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults.”

Hopefully, this legislation will be well received by the rest of the legislature, and this madness of marijuana prohibition will end in our state once and for all.

Federal prohibition must also end, and that time has also come, but that is a conversation for a different piece.

Brought to you By The Penn Editorial Board

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Culture Scheduling starts again for IUP Culture Editor: Lane Lannan – ffpcc@iup.edu

Lead Culture Writer: Caio Gomes – hysbc@iup.edu

Students share thoughts on optimal time for classes

(The Penn Archives) The university library and Leonard Hall (formerly the College of Humanities and Social Sciences) are locations on campus that are home to a lot of classes for students.

LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP There is one thing that is incredibly important for all students: their schedule.

Scheduling for classes is starting up with advisors reaching out to start preparing students for the coming semester. While there is no correct way to formulate a schedule, there is a lot of different preferences to take into account.

“I think that having classes earlier in the day is really nice,” Gabrielle Probst (sophomore, early childhood education) said.

“It really keeps the rest of the day free.”

Probst went on to say that,

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despite the drawback of waking up earlier, the free time gained is well worth it. It can also help with sleeping habits as waking up early will likely condition the student into going to sleep at a reasonable time.

Getting enough sleep is something that a lot of college students struggle with. A study done by Dr. Sue Adams, a professor at the University of Rhode Island, found that 25 percent of college students are not meeting the recommended amount of sleep per night, which is eight to nine hours.

This large amount of sleep deprivation can be chalked up to staying up late to party, social media or stress over school assignments.

In order to try to obtain enough sleep while still having late-night fun, some students opt for later classes.

“Currently, I have classes for some of the week that do not start until noon,” Matthew Levenson (sophomore, accounting) said. “It is honestly really nice to just get to sleep in for an extra hour or so and take

October 8, 2021

my time in the morning.”

Levenson is not the only one that likes having classes later in the day. Having a morning block open allows for students to potentially get more sleep or do homework in the morning as opposed to working on it at night.

Whether you prefer having classes in the morning or in the afternoon, there is one looming threat that many students can not avoid: classes that only meet once a week.

At first, that does not sound too ominous, but normally these classes are about two and a half hours long to compensate for the lack of any other meeting times during the week.

“I have not had to take a lecture class yet,” Isaac Ryer (sophomore, nursing) said. “It kind of sounds pretty annoying to be

honest. I think I would get bored having to sit there for two hours at a time.”

Many students could lose interest in the class the longer that it goes on. Luckily, to counter this, some professors have put in place breaks at around the halfway point. This is done to help students pause the learning and relax, allowing them to be refreshed and ready to continue the class.

No matter your major, and no matter what classes you are required to take, there are ups and downs throughout the scheduling process. Be sure to select times that you think you will like because nobody wants to be stuck with a bad schedule for months on end. Good luck with your advisor meetings and scheduling, Hawks.

Culture

Culture

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October 8, 2021

Students share ways to combat homesickness KIARA WASHINGTON

Contributing Writer mfmy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Living on campus is not only a big change in one’s life but also an exciting time where students finally get a taste of freedom; however, sometimes this newfound freedom comes with homesickness later down the line.

Homesickness is a feeling of being out of place.

This typically occurs when students miss their usual way of life, or when they miss people back from where they originally resided from.

Feeling homesick is normal for a college student. For some students, it is easier to handle because they can just pack up their bags and visit their home, but not every student’s situation is similar.

Some students’ homesickness

kicks in heavily due to them living further away from home and not being able to go back when they want to.

“I live in England, so it’s really hard to travel back and forth,” Katy Graydon (sophomore, math) said.

While living in another country is an issue for on-the-spot home traveling, there are examples of this that can be seen for interstate travels as well.

“I am from Philly (Philadelphia) which is five hours away,” Stephanie Zynn (sophomore, early education/ special education) said.

“That means it’s not so easy to just pick up, pack a bag and go back home for a weekend visit.”

It can be tough to not be able to simply get up and travel back home, so it is important to stay in contact with family members. That way, even if you can not be with them physically, you can still hear from them every now and again.

“When I begin to feel homesick,

(IUP/Twitter) As the fall season sets in, many start feeling more homesick as the promise of being able to return home for Thanksgiving break becomes a potential reality.

(Facebook) College is a time many feel homesick as there are long breaks where meeting with family is difficult or impossible.

I will typically call my parents or someone from home just to hear their voice,” Zynn said.

While talking to family members from back home can be helpful, some students prefer to keep themselves busy.

Activities keep the brain moving, which can be helpful because it takes the mind off of the fact that someone may be experiencing a sense of homesickness.

“I like to keep myself busy,” Kenya Mouning (sophomore, early education/special education) said.

“I’m in a lot of activities on campus.

If you’re busy doing an activity, then you don’t have time to stop and think about missing home.”

Some students gave their own advice to those that are in that predicament of not having the option to return home when feeling a sense of homesickness.

“If you’re homesick but cannot go home, make sure you get out of your room. This helps you not think about it,” Graydon said.

Other students find that being more in touch with campus life is a great way to distract yourself from

feeling homesick.

“Get involved in on-campus activities because then it’ll help you.

If you decide to go home, then you won’t be able to do those activities unless you’re up at school,” Mouning said.

Experiencing homesickness is normal for anyone, and getting over being homesick is not an easy thing to do. That is why it is important to make an effort to stay in contact with family members and to also get involved in outside activities.

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October 8, 2021

Culture

IUP English plans publications, creativity FLORA KELLY Staff Writer pzzy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Did you know that IUP’s English department offers three publications that feature the artistic and literary accomplishments of students and faculty?

They include the English Chronicle, New Growth Arts Review (NGAR) and the Crimson Quill, and the publications look to finally make a comeback in the wake of online learning. Anyone can submit their work to these campus journals in the hopes of getting published.

After more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing them to halt publications, these campus journals are ready to make a resurgence.

The first of these publications is the English Chronicle. Together, Master of Arts for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) graduate assistant Madison Murphy and Dr. John Marsden co-edit the English Chronicle. Coming out once a month, readers of the chronicle can expect content keeping them in the loop on all of the events in the English department.

“The newsletter used to just be a record of people’s publications and presentations,” Marsden said, “but now we’re a little more ambitious, and what we’re trying to do post-COVID-19 and post-isolation is create a unified English department where we can all contribute to this newsletter and hopefully distribute it to everybody. Everybody from freshmen English majors to the dean’s office.”

“It’s partly a record of what we’re up to. There are [also]

interviews with faculty so that we can get to know them a little better.”

As the chronicle begins to evolve, Marsden also expressed plans to expand the journal to include the work and perspectives of students as well.

“I really hope that students will be able to contribute, and [we can] celebrate their accomplishments,” Marsden said. “I’d like it instead of it being simply a record of faculty research, whose audience is only other faculty, to [be for] a much broader audience for our department, so that we can record student accomplishments and try to keep track of those [accomplishments].

So even though the audience has been historically faculty in the department only, I hope to expand that.”

The second publication offered through the English department is the New Growth Arts Review, a student-run literary magazine. Published annually, the magazine contains short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, photography and other visual artwork submitted by students.

“It’s a really great place where students can share their creative works,” Leah Bogert (senior, English), the magazine’s editor-in-chief, said. “It really celebrates the creative minds of students on campus.”

Bogert went on to say that she thinks that it is easier in an academic setting for creativity to spread.

“The goal of New Growth Arts Review is to share creativity because I know that often times our creative expressions, at least for me, I keep very private. But

(IUP.edu) The IUP English Department has a lot of hopes to spread more creativity across campus through new productions. seeing what other people have done together in this neat little book, in terms of composition and artwork, is really encouraging.”

Bogert shared that another goal of NGAR is to provide its staff members with the opportunity to garner hands-on experience in every step of the publishing process.

“It’s a great way to participate in editing and publishing with going through submissions and discussing with a board of other staff editors and saying, ‘What should we suggest to this person?’ So that, when it is printed, it is in the best possible form that it can be. So, I think that’s a really great opportunity for English and communications media students in particular,” Bogert said.

The English Chronicle publishes online via its mailing list, and the NGAR publishes annually in print during the spring semester but does have plans to possibly make content available online as well.

While there is not much concrete information at the moment regarding the status of the Crimson Quill, the English department’s third publication that focuses on publishing the writing of students from English 100, 101, 121 and 202 classes, Marsden shared his hopes that it would return from hiatus soon.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing, a shared

sentiment amongst the staff of these publications is that they are feeling a renewed enthusiasm in the wake of remote learning and are excited for the opportunity to reinvent themselves as IUP returns to in-person learning.

“This has kind of renewed efforts,” Bogert said. “I think that people are ready to put everything they have into recreating and revitalizing these clubs and groups all over again.”

You can submit news, announcements, reflections, reminders, photographs and more for future issues of the English Chronicle to co-editors Murphy at zfrx@iup.edu and Marsden at marsden@iup.edu. In order to receive issues from the English Chronicle each month, send an email their way and ask to be put the mailing list.

You can also submit your own poetry, prose and any visual art to NGAR for the chance to have your piece selected and published in the spring 2022 issue. If you wish to submit work or have interest in joining the publication’s staff, contact Bogert at lzmx@iup.edu. NGAR currently has many new members as well as officer positions available, so now is the perfect time to get involved.

“I would like to stress that anybody in the university can contribute to the New Growth Arts Review; it’s not at all limited to English majors or minors,” Marsden said. “We’re trying to

do what we can to create some sense of community in the midst of COVID-19.”

“If you have anything that you want to share, please submit it,” Bogert said. “The more involvement we have, whether that’s editing the magazine or submitting to it, any kind of support would be greatly appreciated.”

Across the board, regardless of department, organizations at IUP are doing everything they can to recover from the blow that the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt them, but the English Chronicle as well as NGAR are among those that strive to see this low point as the perfect opportunity to rebuild and come back better than ever.

(Hawk Eye News) Professor John Marsden is hoping to open productions up to more people in the English department.

Culture

October 8, 2021

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October 8, 2021

Culture

STATIC brings fright for themed movie night STATIc CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP My name is Caio and I won’t be static when it comes to covering STATIC’s many events.

(Eva Tillich/The Penn) The rules of the game were slid under participants’ doors and a team picture was taped to the door.

Wallwork Hall hit with mysterious game

The Crimson Hoax 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 satirical stories from the IUP community.

“Welcome to our game. You have been rightfully chosen to participate.”

That is what a mysterious note titled “Game Rules” said.

“Squid Game” has taken over Netflix and now it seems to have taken over IUP, specifically Wallwork Hall. While this new game is not the “Squid Game” on Netflix, it is similar in the sense of a mystery person having stranger competing against stranger through several rounds of gaming.

On Wednesday, several students in Wallwork Hall were given a mysterious set of game rules and directions in the late afternoon. The papers were slid under participants’ doors. The directions on the paper tasked several teams, or dorms, to com-

pete against each other.

The teams were divided into four groups: Poot, Family, Ginge and Flavortown. Groups were determined by which picture students had on their dorm doors.

The teams within those groups were competing against each other.

Team Poot was represented by a picture of the meme “Poot Lovato.” Flavortown was represented by Guy Fieri and team Ginge was represented by a picture of the singer Ed Sheeran.

It is unclear what picture Family was represented as.

“There are twenty dorms per group,” the note said.

Each team had to search the halls of Wallwork to find five pictures that matched whichever group that they were put in.

There were only 15 total pictures per group in the hall, so the teams had to be fast. Only the first three teams per group could win. All other teams that failed to finish their task would be eliminated.

It is still unknown what exactly elimination entails which has worried some students.

“In the Netflix version of ‘Squid Game,’ the loser has to die,” River Song (sophomore, anthropology) said. “I don’t think that this would be a good rule if played at IUP. “My friends and I are playing it, but I don’t wish to die.”

Song is a member of team Poot.

Upon finding all five pictures for your team, players had to write their room number and initials on the papers and slide them under room 380’s door.

There was a sign posted on the door so players could easily find the room.

All players had until 9 p.m. on Wednesday to 9 p.m. on Thursday to complete their tasks. What happens in the next round has not yet been announced to the players.

“Next round information and qualifiers will be posted on room 380 on Sunday morning,” the note said.

It is still unclear why certain students were selected to participate, but several students have a variety of speculations.

“I was one of the dorms that was selected to play this game for the team Poot,” Amelia Pond (sophomore, criminology) said.

“At first, I thought this was some kind of joke, but then I saw that the people across the hall got a team poster for Flavortown. I then started to walk around Wallwork, and I saw that there were Poot posters, so I grabbed them.

I figured I might as well play so I can figure out what this is and who’s behind it.”

Pond is not sure if her dorm will advance in the game or not yet so she will have to wait until Sunday for the results.

After hosting a successful Homecoming concert, IUP’s Student Activity Committee (STATIC) is hosting more fun events for students on campus this semester.

This week, STATIC hosted a “Netflix & Chill” double feature on Thursday. The event took place in the Hadley Union Building (HUB) Ohio room at 6 p.m. Besides watching the movie, students had the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card by participating in STATIC’s Candy Jar Guessing Game.

“We are excited to offer students opportunities to gather with friends and watch new film releases while enjoying classic movie theater snacks, beverages and activities,” Ali Walker (graduate, student affairs and higher education), STATIC’s graduate student advisor, said.

The movies chosen were both parts of the “Quiet Place” series: “A Quiet Place” (2018) and “A Quiet Place Part II” (2020).

Both movies were starred by Emily Blunt, known for her roles in “Into the Woods” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” and John Krasisinski, known for his role as Jim Halpert in “The Office.” The horror series follow the story of a family that must live in absolute silence in order to avoid a mysterious creature that hunts by sound, and even a slight noise might be what dooms them.

The series is widely acclaimed by movie critics. The first movie has a 96 percent critic approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the highest scores for horror films on the review aggregator website.

It is currently placed at number four, only losing to “Us,” “Get Out” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.”

The second movie, “A Quiet Place Part II,” is not considered so much of a disappointment either.

It has a 91 percent critic approval score, placing it just outside of the top 100 highest ratings for horror movies. “[A Quiet Place is] a welcome alternative to the mind-shredding din of virtually any modern action mov-

ie,” movie critic Jeanette Catsoulis said on her review for the New York Times. “In its convincing portrayal of a situation where a rusty nail is as lethal as an unexploded bomb, and the few remaining inhabitants seem more likely to die of stress than anything else, the movie rocks.”

The movie has not only pleased the critics but also the public.

Outside of IUP, this translates to an impressive $350 million box office compared to a budget of only $17 million for the movie’s production.

At IUP, this translates to a decent student turnout at the event.

Many students felt as though the choice was really well suited for the times as October is regarded by many as the “spooky season” due to Halloween. Many felt that a horror movie goes well with the Halloween theme.

“I think it’s nice that they are doing something for Halloween,” Milady Lagunas (sophomore, political science/pre-law) said, “especially because I love Halloween; it is one of my favorite seasons.”

Students who missed “A Quiet Place” do not need to worry. STATIC will be hosting another horror “Netflix & Chill” night before the Halloween season ends.

“On Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m., we will be partnering with [the Center for Multicultural Leadership and Engagement] for [another ‘Netflix & Chill’] event and it will feature the film Candyman,” Walker said.

Students do not need to register prior to attending the event. All that is needed to do is show up and have fun.

(Facebook) “A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place Part II” both proved to be very successful entries in the horror movie scene.

Culture

October 8, 2021

(BBC) Social media platforms are popular for students across the country.

Students share favorite social media platforms DANTE ZOTTOLI Contributing Writer jkqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

For students at IUP, social media has become not just a fun activity, but a useful and necessary tool.

From instant communication, a living resume and, of course, networking, social media is something which students constantly use.

Despite the many functions that social media has, there are many students that simply use social media to communicate with others.

“I use Discord on PC and mobile,” Michael Cummings (sophomore, sociology) said. “I use them because I have a bigger social presence there than on Snapchat or Facebook. Plus, with the ability to connect to voice chats, I never have to get seven different apps.”

There are others who use social media for both entertainment and communication.

“I use YouTube and Twitch on my phone and laptop. Twitch so I can watch my brother stream, and YouTube because I like to watch my favorite YouTubers,” Ali Appleman (sophomore, communications media) said. “I use Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok on my phone.

Instagram and Snapchat [are used] to stay in touch with my family. I also use Twitter and TikTok for entertainment.”

For a lot of students, social media is a way to express themselves, from showing off their latest dance routine, showcasing a painting they have spent the last semester on or just getting the word out to others about the different organizations they are in.

The most popular and widely used social media on campus that were repeatedly mentioned were that of Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Many liked those

platforms in particular due to their intuitive design and easy use.

They represent a simple and free way to instantly communicate to anyone.

“I use Instagram and Snapchat most frequently; all other social media platforms I’ve drifted away from over the years,“Isabella Benson (senior, public relations). “I mostly use Instagram and Snapchat on my phone to stay in contact with people.”

Typing the three letters “IUP” into the search bar of any major social media will immediately bombard one with a large amount of IUP-affiliated organizations. From in-house pages like @iupdining, a page dedicated to keeping up to date on all North Dining related needs, to department-based ones like @iupcommmedia, which has throwback posts, student spotlights and news updates based around the communications media major, there are various social medias dedicated to IUP organizations.

The page @iupfootball is just what it sounds like; a page showing the football schedule, showcasing players and game highlights. Of course, there are numerous Greek life and club-based ones such as @ iupques and @iupsfa.

Students at IUP have been using social media since before there was social media, and it is not going anywhere any time soon. It is a fixture now in our everyday life, and it has the ability when used properly to help students.

“I use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram,” Kaitlyn Marie (sophomore, communications media) said. “I use them because it is a way to stay in touch with friends and family I don’t normally see.”

So, whether it is for entertainment or for communication, social media is a tool that is widely used by students to stay in touch and have fun.

15

Sports

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

Historic weekend for Hawks, sweep PSAC tournament Kirchtag leads way for Crimson Hawks dominating PSAC tournament, ITA Regionals MATT GLOVER Staff Writer htpz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP tennis dominated the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) as one player became the second in history to sweep the PSAC Championships and Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regionals.

Karolin Kirchtag (senior, sports administration) proved she cannot be stopped as she brought home the trophy in singles and doubles for the second weekend in a row.

“I honestly cannot really believe it,” Kirchtag said. “It is obviously a really good feeling and definitely gives me a lot of confidence. I’m still trying to take everything in and understand how unbelievable the last two weeks were.”

“They did a fantastic job of competing hard, keeping their composure and playing their best tennis under pressure,” head coach Larry Peterson said.

Due to the Hawks’ standout performance this weekend, they were also able to get a second doubles team into the ITA national championship. This is almost unheard of and speaks to the program’s excellence this season with standout performances.

The weekend began Saturday in Bloomsburg when the Hawks won all 10 of their opening matches.

They went 4-0 in doubles and 6-0 in singles.

“Going into PSAC’s meant reaffirming that we have the players to be the best team in our conference and region,” former PSAC singles champion Joanna Stralka (junior, pre-medicine) said. “After being in [ITA] Regionals and IUP being the leading team in doubles, and winning the singles and doubles, we sent a message.”

“We felt pretty confident,” Kirchtag said. “We had really good results at [ITA] Regionals, so we had high expectations.”

No. 1 seeded doubles team Kirchtag and Katy Graydon (sophomore, undecided) beat both their first opponents of Seton Hill University and their second opponents of Edinboro 8-3.

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No. 2-seeded Stralka and Natasha Munday (graduate student, sports management) beat their first matchup of California University of Pennsylvania 8-2 and their second of West Chester University 8-1.

“We dominated the doubles tournament again,” Kirchtag said. “None of us were really struggling in any rounds.”

In singles, No. 1 seed Kirchtag advanced after beating Carmen Duran of Cal U twice at 6-0 and Rea Hagishima of Bloomsburg University twice (IUP Athletics) at 6-2.

Kirchtag has had an outstanding season going a combined 19-0 this fall: 9-0 in singles play and 10-0 in doubles.

No. 2 seed Graydon and two doubles teams and two singles Doubles pair Kirchtag and Graytown University Friday and West number four-seed Munday also adplayers in the final,” Peterson said. don beat their teammates Stralka Chester on Saturday. vanced beating players from Ship“For me, I think that was the ultiand Munday for the doubles title.

They will then look forward to the pensburg University and Edinboro mate satisfaction.”

Kirchtag also beat Munday for ITA Cup starting Oct. 14. then Seton Hill and Bloomsburg.

“It felt a bit weird since it was an the singles title, joining Stralka and “Wednesday, we head down to On day two, IUP went 6-1 with all-IUP final,” Kirchtag said. “We becoming the third in IUP history to Georgia with Karolin [Kirchtag] and Kirchtag and Munday both going drove home Sunday, so it felt like bring home a singles title.

Katy [Graydon] for the ITA Cup,” 3-0. the tournament was over.”

“We practice almost every day Peterson said, “so they will play “We really played well at “It’s a conference championtogether,” Kirchtag said. “Although doubles matches Thursday, Friday Bloomsburg and got it going parship,” Peterson said. “It’s so much you are alone on the tennis court, and Saturday, and Karolin will do ticularly [on] day two when there’s different than playing an opponent you cannot practice tennis alone. the same in singles.” no place to hide in a draw,” Peterfrom another school, so I think that I would not be here today without Each regional champion along son said. “Natasha had a lights-out changed their energy a little bit on the team.” with eight wildcards from around match against SRU’s (Slippery Rock both sides and in singles as well.”

“As a former PSAC champion,” the country compete at the event, University) number one player. The Out of respect for their teamStralka said, “I really wanted to he said. The team gets three scores were 6-1, 6-1; she dominatmates, it is very hard to treat them represent IUP in both singles and matches guaranteed. ed the match and was too tough the same way as any other match, doubles, but due to an injury, [I] “I think we are ready,” Kirchtag that day. he said. could not do both. I am glad that said. “There will be the best dou“We competed very well against “Competing against my teama member of my team got the title bles teams in the nation, so it will some of the top players from mates is never fun and nobody likes which means it stays at home.” be interesting to see where we’re Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst in it,” Stralka said. “We are part of the “In the end, as a coach,” Peat.” singles, and in doubles it was Slipsame team, we are not supposed terson said, “I think all I’m really “I’m really looking forward to pery Rock and Millersville.” to play each other, but if we do in looking for in that situation is that seeing how our top players do Conquering the PSAC in Blooms- the final it means we are the best everybody plays so they can be against the best players in the burg brought home the trophies teams in the draw. proud of each other, proud of country,” Peterson said. and set up a second all-IUP final “We all know how everyone themselves and walk off the court “An excellent byproduct of the on Tuesday at the Maple Street plays. That’s always a tricky part of with their heads held high.” fall season is that we’ve played Courts. playing your teammates, but someWith two tournaments down, IUP well, and that’s going to build more “I was incredibly proud that we times [it] can help you win some tennis will compete this weekend at confidence and more motivation to got to this moment where we had extra points.” the Maple East Courts against Kutz- work harder to have more success.”

October 8, 2021

Sports

Sports

October 8, 2021

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Crimson Hawks are looking to be party crashers on Saturday IUP to take on Clarion in its Homecoming game BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The 2021 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) football season continues to move right along.

IUP football sits at 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference play as it enters week five.

The team, led by head coach Paul Tortorella, will travel north this Saturday to play another conference matchup.

This time will be against the Clarion University Golden Eagles.

It is fair to say that many players, including reserves and backups, should be prepared to receive an opportunity to play on Saturday.

Clarion University is a struggling football program.

The Golden Eagles hold a 0-5 record including a loss last weekend to the hands of Slippery Rock University by a score of 75-0.

Prior to that loss, Clarion was defeated by Gannon, Shippensburg, Millersville and Lake Erie College.

The closest of those games came early in the season against Millersville where the Golden Eagles were defeated by a score of 21-17.

Things then proceeded to get out of hand over the past three weeks for Clarion defensively.

The Golden Eagles defense has given up 193 points in just three games.

Despite Clarion’s struggles this season, Tortorella and his squad are going to take this team seriously.

“The one dynamic we have in our program is that the most important game is always the next one,” Tortorella said.

The high flying IUP offense will look to pile on to that total this Saturday.

The Crimson Hawks are aware of what awaits them just a bit further down the road.

A monumental conference matchup against Slippery Rock on Oct. 16 comes with massive playoff position implications for both the winner and loser.

Despite that, it would be irresponsible for IUP to look past a struggling and desperate football team that has nothing to lose.

Tortorella and the Hawks continued to prepare this week at Miller Stadium for the opponent that lies directly in front of them, avoiding looking ahead.

Clarion is led by head coach Chris Weibel. Weibel enters his seventh season holding the head coaching position.

Weibel played quarterback for Clarion in college and then went on to play professionally.

He has been unable to bring stability to the program as it has struggled mightily in recent years.

On the offensive side of the ball, Clarion is led by quarterback Zech Sanderson.

Sanderson had a tough day against Slippery Rock, completing only six passes for 41 yards. He threw an interception and was sacked twice.

The Golden Eagles’ main featured running back is Khyre Marshall.

Marshall rushed for 40 yards on 12 attempts last Saturday.

IUP will look to shut down the Golden Eagles’ running attack.

“We need to do a good job running the ball and stopping them from running the ball as well,” Tortorella said.

The opposing team’s receiving core includes Terrell Ford, Quinn Zinobile, Jimmy Johnson and Ty Corbin.

Corbin led the team last week with three receptions.

Despite giving up points in abundance, Clarion has demonstrated the ability to tackle efficiently.

Three separate Clarion defenders accounted for at least six solo tackles last week.

Those defenders will be tested by an IUP offense led by transfer quarterback Harry Woodbery (graduate, business administration) who has thrown for multiple touchdowns two weeks straight.

The last time the Crimson Hawks and Golden Eagles faced off was in 2019.

IUP was victorious at Clarion by a score of 59-21.

The rematch is set for this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Clarion, Pa., and IUP will look to bolster its record as playoffs come ever closer.

(IUP Athletics) The Hawks have not lost to the Golden Eagles since 2010.

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October 8, 2021

Sports

Sports

October 8, 2021

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(Molly Cunningham/The Penn) The Hawks are undefeated at home this season and have been on a 3-0 stretch as of late.

Sometimes you have to win ugly, Hawks take down Seton Hill 2-0 JEFFERY HART Editor-in-Chief J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP “No team in this league is an easy win,” Gary Agard, IUP’s field hockey head coach, said. “Sometimes you have to win ugly, [and] this is definitely one of those times.”

These words come after IUP’s 2-0 shutout over 1-9 Seton Hill on Tuesday. The Hawks may have come out with a win, but they would have liked to have performed better against a team that is sitting at the bottom of the standings in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

The Hawks took 20 shots and only converted on two of them.

IUP also gave the Griffins too

many opportunities to get their offense going with the 21 fouls it committed in the matchup.

“They made some good adjustments,” Agard said.

“We got away from what we wanted to do, and they exploited that. We didn’t stick to our game plan.”

“I think that it wasn’t our strongest performance,” forward Georgianna Chiavacci (graduate student, human resources and general management) said. “I think a win is a win, and this is a good game to learn from our mistakes. . . and we just have to take this into the weekend and keep winning.”

Chiavacci, the PSAC assists leader with six on the season,

contributed to the team’s first goal after roughly eight minutes of play.

She was assisted on the goal by forward Blaise Cugini (junior, early childhood education).

Cugini had a hand in both goals that were scored as she put up the game-clenching second goal off a deflection on a corner play in the second half.

The Crimson Hawks will look to learn from this victory and improve on some things going into their next matchup against divisional opponent 7-4 Bloomsburg.

The No. 9 Huskies are coming

into Saturday’s matchup fresh off a 5-0 blowout loss against No. 6 East Stroudsburg.

This next game will be a test for IUP as the Hawks will go up against a team that just sits one place behind them in the PSAC standings. The Hawks sit at six and the Huskies at seven.

This game could potentially have big playoff implications as both teams are vying for a top spot in what is arguably the toughest division in Division II field hockey.

The last time these two teams faced off in 2019, IUP came away with a narrow 2-1 victory.

IUP is anticipating the tough

matchup that lies ahead.

“I think that we are going to be tested this weekend against Bloomsburg,” Agard said. “We need to play better. When we win on Saturday, that will put us in contention with where we want to be.”

“We all have a game before the game,” Chiavacci said. “If we stick to them and work as a unit and stick to our positions together, I think that we will be successful.”

The game will take place at George P. Miller Stadium at 1 p.m.

Hawk Nation, go show your IUP field hockey team some support against a tough divisional opponent this weekend.

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October 8, 2021

Sports

Volleyball prepares for stretch of division rivalry games JAY McGARY Staff Writer fwtz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP women’s volleyball is coming up on an important part of the season: an avalanche of rivalry games.

In the final leg of the season, IUP meets local rival teams Slippery Rock, California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U), Clarion and Pitt-Johnstown twice each. Every one of these games holds significance in the context of IUP’s playoff chances.

Friday, IUP will meet Slippery Rock for the first time this season.

Slippery Rock is 4-13 thus far, and

against common opponents with IUP, only has a single win that came against a Mercyhurst team two weeks ago.

As a team with only four seniors, The Rock has had trouble finding its ground this season.

Only having a single player over 6’2” should bode well for the Crimson Hawks’ offensive attack led by outside hitter Nicole Peterson (junior, sports administration).

After that, IUP faces the Cal U Vulcans on Oct. 12. This game will be played at home as well as the aforementioned Slippery Rock game.

Cal U will come into the contest with a similar win percentage as IUP. Sitting at a 7-6 record in the season so far, one of the players

to watch will be Cal U’s own Chelsea Howard, a middle hitter out of Atlanta, Ga. She is a multifaceted player who has earned 67 kills and 47 blocks on the season.

As these are home games, crowd sizes may reach quadruple digits at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC), and the value of these large crowds at home is not lost on head coach Julie Torbett.

“I am happy we do not travel for the next few matches; however, I am a coach who likes to play on the road. It is less work and road trips are great bonding opportunities for the team,” Torbett said. “Our games are all close and the parents go to everything, so it really comes down to being comfortable wherever we play.

I would love to continue to get 800-plus people for our matches and create a following. That is when it can help to be at home.”

With the locality of the opponents in the coming games, it would not be a surprise to see

the stands packed as the women make a run for playoff positioning in the waning hours of the 2021 season.

Torbett also adds some perspective on the different environment that Division II volleyball provides. Coming from Eastern Carolina University, which is a Division I school, the crowd animosity is noticeably different in smaller market competitions.

“I do not think we have hostile environments like in some sports that make a road trip difficult,” Torbett said.

After facing off against the Vulcans and The Rock, IUP travels to another local rival in Pitt-Johnstown and then finishes the four-

game rivalry stretch with another home game against the Clarion Golden Eagles.

Torbett also understands the importance of these rivalries in the context of the competitive fire her players approach the games with.

“I do know the players have certain teams that they play up for,” Torbett said. “I like to approach every team the same, but rivalries are great to get the best out of your team.”

If you would like to see the best that IUP volleyball has to offer, make time to see the Hawks kick off this rivalry marathon at the KCAC this Friday at 7 p.m. where they begin that streak against The Rock.

Crimson Hawks take down Golden Eagles in impressive comeback AUSTIN SMITH Staff Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Hawks found their mojo and got back on the winning train after defeating the Clarion University Golden Eagles squad at South Campus Field.

This was a tight matchup all around and was a comeback win for the Hawks. IUP was down 1-0 and unable to provide a second half comeback or keep in pace in the division with the rest of its divisional rivals.

This game was evenly matched with shots on goal and shots in total. Both the Hawks and the Golden Eagles had 12 shots in total. IUP had the upper hand on shots on goal with an 8-7 advantage. As far as fouls were concerned, both teams had two each.

The first goal in the game was

scored by Clarion at the 37th minute mark of the first half. The second half was all IUP with a score at the start of the second half at the 45th minute. Kristen Finnerty (sophomore, interior design) struck the first goal for the Hawks and was assisted by Hannah Scardina (sophomore, pre-physical therapy).

The comeback did not take long for IUP as the team was able get the second goal on the board.

Scardina booted one in the net to put the Crimson Hawks over.

Finnerty managed to assist on Scardina’s goal this time.

IUP’s defense was tightening up as it only allowed four shots the rest of the game after managing the comeback.

“In the second half, we were down, we never quit and we came back,” head coach Adel Heder said.

“We scored two goals, and that was the key to win the game.”

Samantha Gildner (junior, athlet-

ic training) was in net to hold down the fort for the Hawks defensively.

Gildner made a total of six saves and allowed one goal.

Besides the big offensive game for both Scardina and Finnerty, there were a few other players that had noteable offensive games.

Samantha Nemeth (sophomore, nursing) had two shots and one shot on goal, and Natalie DiCureia (senior, physical education/exercise science) also had one shot on goal.

IUP did what it needed to get the win against Clarion even though the Hawks did not have the start they wanted to and played from behind for a bit.

“First half, we didn’t play well,” Heder said. “We had a few chances to score but we didn’t. That’s the key: You score first, you have a moment and motivation to win the game.”

The Hawks will take that into consideration and try to get on the board first instead of playing behind which can be very risky.

IUP will need to get off to a hot start against a tough California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) team as it is the Hawks’ turn to host this Saturday at South Campus Field and look to improve to a 6-31 record this season.

(IUP Athletics) The Hawks have not lost a game to the upcoming Cal U Vulcans since 2014.