11.8.21

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NEWS | PAGE 3

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

PREPARING ATHLETIC TRAINERS OF TOMORROW: PROFESSION ONE OF FASTEST GROWING IN COUNTRY

CULTURE | PAGE 10

VOL. 114 NO. 22

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Preparing athletic trainers of tomorrow Profession one of fastest growing in country RACHEL KOVACH Staff Writer rsrbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

trainers do quite a few tasks, such as “daily treatments for injuries that occur in or out of season, building rehabilitation programs for short or long-term injuries, monitoring weather conditions to make sure practices or games can proceed, and most recently performing COVID-19 testing to make sure the spread of the virus doesn’t become an outbreak,” Wolfe said.

“We learn many skills throughout our education here at IUP,” Wolfe said. “With that being said, the program may not be the same as it was when I was a student, but I’m sure it will continue to produce young AT professionals out in the world of sports.”

Michelle Fryling, IUP’s executive director of Media Relations, emphasized what sets IUP’s AT program apart from other similar

programs in the same field.

“I think that IUP’s excellent faculty, including the faculty’s relationships with so many different internship and experiential sites, is something that advantages IUP students,” Fryling said. “IUP has an excellent undergraduate program, ranked highly for excellence, and an outstanding, highly regarded master’s program, and many students choose to go right into the master’s program.

That’s a great advantage to our students.

“Because our alumni are successful in their careers, that also builds our reputation and keeps our students in demand.”

Fryling additionally said that the clinical experience that AT students receive at a high school, rehab or therapy location sets them apart from other students because of the real-world experiences they have.

She also believed that this program would continue to grow in popularity as the years go on.

“While I don’t have a crystal ball, I think our program’s well-deserved reputation – which continues to grow because of the excellence of our graduates – will help this program to grow,” Fryling said.

Dr. James Racchini,

“We do it because we love it, and we enjoy working with the athletic population. There’s no more satisfying feeling than being able to help an injured athlete back to their sport and watching them succeed,” Mark Wolfe, one of IUP’s full-time athletic trainers, said.

Wolfe is a 2011 graduate of the athletic training program at IUP, and he said that a lot has changed about the program since he was a student. For example, the program is now a Master of Science rather than a Bachelor of Science degree program.

Athletic training (AT) is one of the fastest growing professions in the United States right now.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for athletic trainers is projected to grow 23 percent from 2020 to 2030.

Wolfe also hoped that the profession grew, but, along with the profession itself growing, he hoped that people gain more knowledge about what athletic trainers do.

“I hope that the enrollment at IUP for athletic training grows as the demand for the profession does, but that all starts with exposure and educating people on what we do as health care professionals,” Wolfe said.

“Many people only see a small portion of what we are educated to do. The main perception of athletic trainers is that we hand out water and tape ankles or we’re ‘personal trainers’ which is entirely a different career. We do much more than that, but most (iup.edu) of it happens behind the scenes.

Students who hope to get their master’s degree in athletic training can do so in just five years with There’s no glory behind what we IUP’s 3+2 program by applying for early admission. Visit https://www.iup.edu/kines/grad/athletic-traindo.” ing-ms/ for more information.

Behind the scenes, athletic

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November 9, 2021

the assistant chairperson of the Kinesiology, Health and Sport Science Department, commented on the real-world experience that students in this major gain.

“We require our undergraduate pre-athletic training students to undergo a minimum of 40 observational hours in order to provide them some insight into the profession,” Racchini said.

“Formal clinical education does not begin until students are in the graduate program during which students engage in four semesters of clinical experience.

These experiences include rotations in high schools, colleges, health centers, orthopedic physician clinics and outpatient rehabilitation clinics.

“As students gain knowledge in the classroom, they are expected to apply that knowledge during their clinical rotations.”

IUP’s AT program is different from those at other schools as it is on a more accelerated track.

“We offer an accelerated route towards the master’s program with our undergraduate students,” Racchini said. “Through our early admission process, students can finish both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years rather than six.”

Racchini also gave insight to the most rewarding parts of being an athletic trainer.

“Most athletic trainers will say that seeing their patients progress the injury recovery process and returning to the activity that they love is a great experience,” Racchini said. “ATs work with a highly motivated patient population who typically brings a lot of energy and motivation to the recovery process.

“ATs are also in a field that is conducive to a lot of great close professional relationships.”

For more information about the program, students can visit https://www.iup.edu/kines/grad/ athletic-training-ms/.

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November 9, 2021

News

(The Penn Archives) IUP has regularly appeared on top college ranking lists in 2021. It has appeared on lists from the Princeton Review to U.S. News World and Report this year. The university is regularly commended for its supportive staff, diversity initiatives on campus, variety of programs and extracurricular options.

IUP selected as top college by Forbes Magazine BEN BRUMBAUGH News Editor msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of “America’s Top Colleges 2021.”

The university is one of 35 colleges and universities within the state of Pennsylvania to receive this recognition. IUP is also one of just six public universities within the state to be selected.

Forbes Magazine has been releasing its annual college ranking list since 2008, but the publication used a slightly new methodology this year.

According to https://www. forbes.com/top-colleges/, Forbes began “using a new methodology that counts low-income student outcomes and adds a giant federal database to Forbes’ tally of graduate earnings for the first time ever [in 2021].”

The list focuses on several different categories.

According to https://www. forbes.com/sites/christiankreznar/2021/09/08/how-we-rankamericas-top-colleges/?sh=19be6a0743e0, 20 percent of the ranking was based on alumni salary while 15 percent was based on student debt levels. The next

two categories that at an affordable cost.

Forbes considers are That’s our pledge to return on investment students, families and and graduation rate to employers,” Fryling with both accounting said. for 15 percent of the Fryling said that this ranking. The publiaspect of the universication also looks at ty is one that is central carious Forbes Amerto its mission and ican leaders’ lists to goals. look for alumni from “We continue to various school. This work to become more portion also counts student-centered in (forbes.com) everything that we for 15 percent of the Forbes Magazine is well known for its ranking lists of the do so that when ranking consideration. Finally, Forbes world’s richest people and celebrities. students are here, looks at retention they get the bigmeaningful to many IUP students, rate and academic gest return on their staff members and alumni. success levels, attributing 10 perinvestment of an education as “I think it definitely builds pride cent of the ranking consideration possible – great faculty, great fafor students, staff and alumni – it to each of those categories. cilities, faculty who really mentor recognizes what IUP is doing and and help them, an alumni network After considering these catthat IUP is competitive with colthat is almost 180,000 strong, and egories, IUP was selected for leges and universities throughout a great Career and Professional the list. The university was also the nation – and in many cases, Development Office that helps selected for the publication’s ranked more highly than other students to be prepared to get best “research universities,” best those jobs that they want,” Fryling “public colleges” and best “in the institutions,” Michelle Fryling, IUP’s executive director of Media said. northeast” listings.

Relations, said.

The university is especially The selection continues a IUP prides itself on being a low- proud of its appearance of the stretch of success for the univercost, quality education option for best “research universities” lists. sity with selections on various students.

“Being able to do research – be ranking lists including those by “We have a responsibility to it scientific research or research the Princeton Review, U.S. News our students – and to our alumni, in the humanities field – is an exWorld and Report, and the Wall to our donors, and to the state tremely important skill. Thinking Street Journal/Times Higher and others who support us – to carefully, being able to research Education. provide a high-quality education information, distill that informaThese various recognitions are

tion and compile the results of your research is applicable to almost every discipline and type of work,” she said.

Fryling added that this research can also benefit public safety.

“Research is incredibly important to helping people lead better lives – from driver education that could save lives to safety in the workplace – it’s all part of being a careful thinker and communicator,” Fryling said.

The university relies on feedback from students and faculty in making various directional decisions.

“We keep focused on our strategic plan and we keep talking with students, parents, alumni [and] employers to make sure we’re moving in the right direction,” Fryling said.

Fryling hopes that recognition like this will lead prospective students to consider IUP for their college education.

“Read and study the rankings, our website, but definitely come here and see if it’s the right fit for you,” she said.

“We think we will be.”

The full Forbes 2021 college ranking list can be found by visiting https://www.forbes.com/ top-colleges/.

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November 9, 2021

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Psychology Department holds colloquium Guest speaker talks about effects of COVID-19 KAYLEE KASSA Staff Writer bvmy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP’s Psychology Department Colloquium was held on Friday at 11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

Dr. Robin Goodwin from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, presented his research in an event titled, “Six things you knew about coronavirus (but didn't realize you did)."

As part of his research for Warwick’s Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Group, Goodwin is interested in how “COVID-19 drives our lives.” Much of his scholarly work is centered around “the question of

what impacts large-scale societal and environmental transitions and threats have on everyday psychological processes.”

IUP’s Psychology Department traditionally holds two to four colloquia per semester. Speakers are invited from different universities from anywhere in the world to talk to IUP students and faculty.

Earlier this semester, Dr. Tad T. Gorske, director of Outpatient Neuropsychology and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and assistant professor, spoke on neuropsychological assessments of COVID-19 long-haulers. During past years, professors from both Ireland and New Zealand have presented at IUP. “We want to expose our students and faculty to what is happening in

(Facebook/IUP psychology) Students with a bachelor’s degree in psychology will be prepared for a career in social work, personnel work, advertising, medicine, law or theology.

the world of psychology, specifically in empirical research,” Dr. Krys Kaniasty (psychology) said.

Kaniasty has a network of peers with which he often collaborates.

He has previously studied terrorism and psychological distress in France with Goodwin. They both are in the same area of research, so they are friendly and work together often.

Kaniasty said that colloquia are meant to “broaden the horizons of students and faculty, create opportunities for collaborating, and show students how we can communicate through research across departments and across borders.”

Common in the research fields, colloquia provide ways for ideas to be shared and for people to get connected.

Kaniasty said that he was previously invited to Warwick to speak, along with visits to England, Poland and Ireland. He said that experiencing different cultures and sharing perspectives are important parts of research.

Goodwin’s research focused on Thailand, China, the United Kingdom, Israel, Hungary and Japan. He collected data on factors related to COVID-19, such as pandemic behavior, daily routines, vaccine willingness, anxiety and depression, political beliefs, relationships, and trauma.

There is already a lot of research available about COVID-19 for it still being relatively new to the world; however, Goodwin pointed out the first thing we knew about COVID-19 is that we knew it was coming and we tried to prepare. As

claimed by Goodwin, our downfall was not knowing enough about the “interaction between infectious diseases and human response.”

This raised questions about the reliability of the data for Dr. Bitna Kim, professor and doctorial coordinator of IUP’s Criminology and Criminal Justice Department.

Goodwin acknowledged the concern and agreed that the data may still be premature, and things may change as we continue to work through COVID-19.

COVID-19 became a problem because of the inability to predict human behavior and human response to it.

Goodwin was then prompted to describe the “hygiene theatre.”

While showing a picture of an outdoor restaurant setting where employees were seen scrubbing the legs of the chairs, Goodwin pointed out that none of them were wearing a mask.

“We have these hygiene mechanisms that don’t really make a difference,” Goodwin said.

As an example of unpredictable human behavior, Goodwin questioned the chances of employees and customers catching COVID-19 from an outdoor chair leg or from not wearing a mask.

The second thing of the six things already known is that, in terms on mental health, most people will be alright. Goodwin recognized that it was a blatant way to express such a statement.

He tied it in with the third thing: the poor and vulnerable are at a higher risk for not only disease but

poor mental health as well.

Goodwin made sure to point out that in his research he found severe mental illness to be associated with less willingness to social distance, specifically in China.

He found that the severely anxious wanted to avoid crowds but also wanted to stockpile resources like food and medicine. Sometimes these behaviors conflicted when it required the severely anxious to leave their homes for resources.

Politics being associated with trust is the fourth thing about COVID-19 that was already known.

To support this, Goodwin presented statistics comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated people with their political affiliations in Thailand to conclude that a greater number of antigovernment people are vaccinated.

Culture and relationships round out numbers five and six on the list.

Goodwin talked about how disasters affect relationships with people close to us and distant from us. The shared trauma may help people cope and seek comfort with others. In the United Kingdom, for example, 70 percent of people said they experienced “increased kindness and sense on national unity” early on in the first lockdown.

Having a better sense of human behaviors and COVID-19’s impact may help us better prepare for the future and act in the present.

For information on the events in the Psychology Department, check its website.

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November 9, 2021

News

Nov. 2 elections show trends Rural, urban divide continues to grow

CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP My name is Caio and I am a political science major covering D.C. politics.

Nov. 2 marked election day for several cities and states across the United States.

Many may think that local elections only matter when it takes place in their own communities.

This is not the case. Because of the way the electoral college is structured, it is important to analyze and understand local trends all throughout the United States as those trends most likely will influence the next presidential election.

One trend that specialists have noticed in this election is the importance of race in politics. In the previous election, there was already an effort from both Democratic and Republican parties to “capture” votes from specific demographics for themselves.

Democrats, for the most part, attempted to gain votes among minority populations, especially in urban areas.

Republicans attempted to gain votes among whiter and more rural areas.

Local elections show that knowing which demographics to outreach to is a key factor in securing an election win.

For Republicans, this meant securing a win in Virginia. Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.)

won the state running a campaign that focused mostly on counties outside of the Richmond area and on topics that concern this demographic more than others, such as banning “critical race theory” in schools, ensuring gun rights and banning abortion.

“So many people I grew up with don’t vote Democrats anymore [because] they feel Democrats look down on rural America,” Monica Tranel (D-Mont.) said.

Last year President Joe Biden won the state by a 10 percent margin, so a Republican victory in the gubernatorial race is an indicator that Virginia will be a toss-up state in the 2024 presidential elections.

While Nov. 2 showed to Republicans that their strategy to reach out to rural areas is working for them, it has also taught some lessons to the Democratic Party.

More specifically, the landslide wins in Pittsburgh and Boston combined with the difficult win in New Jersey have taught Democrats that merely talking about race is not enough to convince minority voters; it is important to also run a diverse campaign.

In Pittsburgh, mayor-elect Ed Gainey (DPa.) became the first Black person to be elected as mayor of Pittsburgh.

Gainey defeated former police officer Tony Moreno (R-Pa.) by a 71 percent margin.

Pittsburgh’s election is evidence of how knowing one’s demographics matter in the political field because Moreno had originally filed as a Democrat for the primary election and switched parties only after losing the primary, running as a Republican for this election.

This means that as far as their politics are concerned, Moreno and Gainey are not that far away from each other; however, Gainey’s campaign focused more on racial and social inequality, which is considered a major issue for the city’s growing Black and working-class population. On the other hand, Moreno’s campaign on supporting the police department was mostly frowned upon.

“You proved that we can have a city for all [and] you proved that everybody can change," Gainey said in his acceptance speech.

“We know how people have talked about Pittsburgh, how siloed it is; how segregated it is. But today, you changed that."

Like Pittsburgh, Boston’s election has also shown that inclusivity will be the key factor as Michelle Wu (D-Mass.) became the first woman and the first person of color to become the city’s mayor.

She won with a 64 percent lead.

On the other hand, Philip Murphy’s (D-N.J.) struggle to get re-elected in New Jersey, a state that is deemed as a Democratic Party powerhouse, indicates that Democrats will face some trouble if they choose to merely glance over racial issues.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) attributed the near loss to “questions on the economy, people having [COVID-19] fatigue and minority communities not coming out in the way they should.”

Overall, the local elections this year suggest that in the next upcoming presidential election the rural-city divide will be one of the the main factors that decides who will be the next president of the United States.

The results also suggest that the Democrats have lost ground in states that Joe Biden (D-De.) won handedly in the 2020 presidential election.

(wikimedia.commons.org) Ralph Youngkin (R-Va.) (top) and Ed Gainey (D-Pa.) (bottom) won their respective elections on Nov. 2. Youngkin will be the next governor of Virginia. Gainey will be the next mayor of Pittsburgh.

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November 9, 2021

IUP looks to expand educator diversity

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University receives $50,000 planning grant for project

By IUP News Information Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be working on a project designed to expand educator diversity through a $50,000 planning grant from the McElhattan Foundation.

The project, Diversity in Education through Expanding Partnerships (Project DEEP), is a collaboration between IUP, Community College of Allegheny County, and a Pittsburgh parent group.

Lara Luetkehans, dean of IUP’s College of Education and Communications, together with team members from IUP including Kaitlyn Brennan, Emily Wender, and Dan Wissinger, wrote the proposal.

The overarching goal of Project DEEP is to create a P20 community of educators that is situated to address barriers and provide multiple pathways for developing teachers that are more representative of the communities they serve, Luetkehans said.

“A P20 community of educators includes aspiring teachers, teacher candidates enrolled in a certification program, practicing teachers, and teacher education faculty working together to teach and learn with the communities they serve,”

she said.

“By supporting a developing teacher at all points across their career, we hope to recruit and retain more Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) teachers,” Luetkehans said. “Expanding educator diversity is a complex problem with significant implications for the learning of students at all levels, and creating this complex ecosystem of teacher development requires strong relationships and a shared vision among the stakeholders.”

“The McElhattan Foundation believes that expanding educator diversity within learning environments helps students to thrive,” said Gina Evans, program officer for the McElhattan Foundation. “We are pleased to support IUP’s partnership-focused planning effort to develop lasting strategies to expand diversity within its teacher preparation programs.”

According to Research for Action, a Philadelphia-based, nonprofit education research organization, in 2019–20, 50 percent of Pennsylvania’s public schools and 37 percent of all school districts employed only white teachers. There were 138 school

(The Penn Archives) Dr. Lara Luetkehans is the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at IUP. She was previously the dean of the College of Education and Communications at the university.

districts and 1,078 of Pennsylvania’s public schools that had no BIPOC teachers over any of the last seven school years. In these schools, an average of 15 percent of students were BIPOC students.

Project DEEP proposes to build this foundation with two initiatives: hosting a series of Listening and Envisioning Workshops to investigate and build a deeper understanding of the barriers that limit equitable access to teacher preparation for BIPOC teacher candidates; and creating the blueprints for a community-based Parent University (ParentU), a key component of a P20 Community of Educators.

ParentU will work to empower families as partners, advocates, and educators. Family members will be recruited to participate in paraprofessional/teacher training through CCAC or pursue certification through one of IUP’s educator preparation programs.

As part of the process, project leaders will work to strengthen partnerships with Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and establish a new partnership with Lincoln University. Cheyney University was the first of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities; HBCUs are institutions of higher

education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African American community. Cheyney and Lincoln are Pennsylvania’s two HBCUs. “Team members will be initiating faculty-to-faculty collaborations with educator preparation and related majors at both institutions to discuss certification options for their students at IUP,” Luetkehans said. “Based on these conversations, we plan to visit Lincoln and Cheyney to foster interest in the teaching profession, share certification options at IUP, and determine potential concerns and barriers for existing Lincoln and Cheyney students.”

Team members will offer a series of workshop events with a number of groups, including graduated teacher candidates and non-graduated BIPOC teacher candidates at IUP and CCAC, and with community members who may be interested in programming through Parent University. These Listening and Envisioning Workshops are designed to provide a foundation for the development and early pilot of ParentU. In-person sessions are planned

for IUP, at CCAC, and at a Pittsburgh area community center.

Virtual sessions are also planned.

To prepare for the workshops, the team members will conduct an analysis of existing data for students at IUP and CCAC who completed their studies and for those students who did not complete their studies.

“These workshops will be focused on more precisely determining the barriers our BIPOC candidates face and identify key supports,” Luetkehans said. “We also aim to encourage BIPOC candidates to imagine themselves as future teachers or teacher leaders, to reflect on their own motivations for wanting to join the profession, and to consider the unique ways they may be positioned to positively impact young people.

Finally, in reaching out to our BIPOC graduates, we also hope to establish relationships with BIPOC teacher-mentors for supporting BIPOC teacher candidates in the future.”

“This planning grant allows us to be more systematic and inclusive in addressing the dire educator shortage and lack of educator diversity across the Pittsburgh region,” Luetkehans said.

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November 9, 2021

News

Opinion

Dangers of drunk driving highlighted by fatal DUI incident The trajectory of a person’s life can change in an instant.

To find proof of the above statement, one needs to look no further than the heartbreaking case of Henry Ruggs III. According to https://www. cnn.com/2021/11/02/us/las-vegas-raiders-henry-ruggs-iii-dui/ index.html, “LVMPD (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department) responded to the crash early Tuesday - around 3:39 a.m.

- near an intersection where they found a Chevrolet Corvette and a Toyota RAV4 that was on fire.

Firefighters responded and found a person dead inside the Toyota.

“A LVMPD news release said the Corvette was in the center lane driving at a high rate of speed before veering to the right lane, where the Toyota was, and rear-ended the Toyota. The Toyota came to a stop and caught fire with the driver trapped in the driver’s seat, the release said.”

According to https://www. iheart.com/content/2021-11-03henry-ruggs-iiis-mugshot-moredetails-released-after-fatal-crash/, Ruggs was traveling in his Corvette at a speed of 156 milesper-hour before rear-ending the Toyota RAV4. His blood-alcohol content was 0.16, which is twice the 0.08 legal limit in the state of Nevada.

In a matter of seconds, the family of 23-year-old Tina Tintor was devastated by a loss of life that most people can imagine. A young woman with her whole life ahead of her is now dead. Her family is left with only memories.

This is a situation that could have easily been avoided.

Ruggs, who was in his second year in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders, had every resource at his disposal.

Plenty of money to call for an Uber, plenty of teammates and friends to reach out to, and plenty of time to decide that he was not okay to drive.

He did not elect to use these resources. He has since been cut by the Raiders and he faces decades of jail time for his actions on that fateful night. His NFL

Opinion

career is likely over.

The Ruggs incident has once against thrust drunk driving into the national spotlight.

We have all heard someone rationalize this behavior. They say, “I’ve done it before and been fine. This time will be no different.” They say, “I’m a good driver and I feel fine.” They say, “I’m only driving a short distance.

What is the worst that could happen?”

It is misguided thinking like this that leads to so many preventable accidents in the United States.

According to https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving, “Every day, about 28 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that’s one person every 52 minutes. In 2019, these deaths reached the lowest percentage since 1982 when NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) started reporting alcohol data — but still 10,142 people lost their lives. These deaths were all preventable.”

These statistics are startling, and they are so very sad.

In an era of Uber and Lyft and smartphones, there is no reason at all that anyone should choose to drive after they have been drinking. There is a way to get home that does not involve putting your life and other people’s lives in danger.

Also according to https:// www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/ drunk-driving, “Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

“Driving after drinking is deadly. Yet it still continues to happen across the United States.

If you drive while impaired, you could get arrested, or worse — be involved in a traffic crash that causes serious injury or death.”

Even if you have done it before, the reality is that it does not matter. It only takes one split second for your life, or someone else’s life, to be ruined or ended.

Even if you feel okay, remem-

(Thomas Cooke/Facebook) According to https://tinyurl.com/44p62ekn, first time DUI penalties include a minimum of a $300 fine, six months of probation, a misdemeanor on your permanent record and more. ber: alcohol impairs your judgement and may cause you to make a poor decision.

The legal penalty for drunk driving is bad enough on its own.

According to https://www.nhtsa. gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving, “Driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime. Tough enforcement of drunk-driving laws has been a major factor in reducing drunk-driving deaths since the 1980s. Charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines and jail time. It’s also extremely expen-

November 9, 2021

sive. A first-time offense can cost the driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees.”

The consequences for one’s life and the lives of others can be even worse. Not only do you risk bodily harm to yourself, but you can also harm or kill someone else.

Not only do the legal penalties get worse in these instances, but you have to live with the fact that you have ended someone’s life.

Their family and yours have to live with this fact, too.

All because you did not want to pay for an Uber or call a friend.

All because you thought that you

were okay to drive.

These situations are heartbreaking, and they are so easily avoided.

Next time you are intoxicated and want to drive home, consider the story of Henry Ruggs III and Tina Tintor. Two lives shattered by a poor decision.

Call an Uber, call a friend, call a cab or just walk. It may be a decision that will save your life, the life of someone else or both.

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

(lakewoodcity.org) According to https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/native-american-population, Alaska, Oklahoma, New Mexico, South Dakota and Montana are the top five U.S. states with largest most Native American population.

November celebrates Native American heritage LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The beginning of November marks the start of Native American Heritage Month.

In a statement released on Oct. 29, President Joe Biden announced that the month of November will be known as Native American Heritage Month.

“Native American roots are deeply embedded in this land,” Biden said in a White House press release. “Therefore, I, President Joseph R. Biden Jr., president of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 2021 as National Native American Heritage Month.”

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Since President Ronald Reagan proclaimed Nov. 23-30 as “American Indian Week” in 1986 and President George H.W. Bush designating November as Native American Heritage Month in 1990, every president since has followed that standard.

“Native American Heritage Month attests to the resilience and strength of the Gila River Indian Community, tribes across the state of Arizona and across Indian Country,” Gila River Tribal Governor Stephen Lewis said.

“I appreciate President Biden’s proclamation designating the month of November as Native American Heritage Month.”

Lewis continued by saying that the month of November is not the only time that Native Americans should be celebrated and honored. Every month should be a time to honor the contributions and cultures of all Native Americans.

According to https://www. acf.hhs.gov/ana/fact-sheet/ american-indians-and-alaska-na-

tives-numbers, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives make up about two percent of the total U.S. population, coming to an estimated 6.79 million total people. There are also about 574 officially recognized tribes in the United States.

“Native American history is American history,” Deb Haaland, the first Indigenous person to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior, said.

Despite the gains that native groups in the United States have made, there are still major issues that plague their communities.

For example, issues persist with land claims for the various tribes across the country. Couple that with treaties that are not ratified, and the abundance of issues

November 9, 2021

become more present.

“November is a month ‘to honor the hope, future and resilience of Indigenous people’,” Johnathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation, said.

“The month is a time to cherish and celebrate our rich and diverse cultures.”

Nez went on to say that the cultures of native populations in the United States are very much alive and being practiced. There is also a need for the future generation of native populations to continue the teachings and practices of the culture for the future.

“This month brings awareness to celebrate and recognize the many contributions made by native people in the United States,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the vice

chairman of the Senate Committee of Indian Affairs (SCIA), said, “Alaska Natives, American Indians and Native Hawaiians – along with other Indigenous peoples in our country from across the globe.

“November, Native American Heritage Month, is a time to honor the culture and heritage that millions of native people share with us daily.”

At IUP, there is the Native American Awareness Council that exists on campus to educate the student body on the historical and contemporary issues in the Native American community as well as the modern-day situations.

With that in mind, The Penn wishes every Native American or Indigenous student a safe and honorable Native American Heritage Month. Be sure to enjoy your time and celebrate your culture and heritage. It is a beautiful thing that deserves to be represented and shown in the correct light.

Culture

Culture

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November 9, 2021

Students rejoice over STATIC event hosted by Bob Ross 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.

(kurl8.com) In addition to his extensive art career, Ross spent 20 years in the United States Air Force.

The Student Activity Committee (STATIC) worked hard to bring yet another big name to its programming this semester and is delighted to have Bob Ross join in.

STATIC is hosting its popu-

lar Masterpieces & Mocktails event which will be hosted by the world-renowned and skillful painter.

Ross is most well known for his instructional painting show called “The Joy of Painting.” His show premiered on Public Broadcasting

Service (PBS) on Jan. 11, 1983. It was aired until May 17, 1994.

“I love watching his show,” Amelia Pond (sophomore, criminology) said. “His voice is so relaxing, and watching him painting is like watching ASMR videos. Sometimes I have paint nights with my roommates and boyfriend, and we try to recreate Bob Ross’s paintings. Our paintings are never as good as his but it’s still fun to try and recreate them.”

Each episode, Ross started with a blank canvas and described what he would be doing. He typically painted nature and landscapes in a variety of seasons. As he began to paint his “happy little clouds,” he instructed viewers how to match his techniques.

In recent years, Ross has not made any painting videos, so this

event is going to be monumental.

The event will be held via Zoom on Thursday. There will be two separate painting sessions as well. The first one is from 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

The second session is from 7 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Students can sign up for whatever session.

Last year, STATIC hosted two Masterpieces & Mocktails events; one each semester.

“I attended STATIC’s paint night last year with my ex-girlfriend Amelia and I had a lot of fun,” Matt Smith (junior, Earth and space science education) said. “I don’t think my ex had fun because her painting didn’t look good, no other reason. I remember that I accidentally spilled paint on her, the floor and her painting. I think it made her painting look way better though so I don’t even

know why she was mad.”

For the event, STATIC will provide a small canvas, various colors of paint and brushes.

“I’m glad that STATIC brought this event back,” Sherry Williams (senior, studio art/painting) said. “I love art and I think it brings people together. Also, having Bob Ross come to IUP to host a painting night is a great way to get students involved. Everyone loves Bob Ross.”

The event is free and open to all IUP students, but spots are limited so be sure to sign up as soon as possible. In order to register for the event, head over to STATIC’s website (http://www.staticatiup.com/ upcoming/2021/11/11/virtual-masterpieces-amp-mocktails) and fill out the registration form.

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November 9, 2021

Culture

India Day returns to IUP (Eva Tillich/The Penn) India Day returned to IUP after its hiatus for the 2020 academic year. Tickets costed $15 and allowed students and other members of the community to engage in and experience Indian culture.

The event was held in the Ohio Room of the Hadley Union Building (HUB) and was sponsored by the Eberly College of Business. Students were able to watch traditional solo and group Indian dances as well as a men’s and women’s fashion show to demonstrate traditional Indian apparel. A variety of songs were also sung by a student who dedicated them to everyone in attendance. In between the performances there were trivia questions asked by the hosts about the country and culture of India. A series of authentic Indian appetizers kicked off the event with a dinner following the performances to close out the event.

Culture

November 9, 2021

It’s On Us hits IUP with tabling event PATRICK HOUGH Contributing Writer mqycc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The Haven Project representatives set up shop in the library on Wednesday for its first major event in the month of November: the It’s On Us table event.

At this event, Haven Project representatives seek to educate students on the mission of the It’s On Us philanthropy organization.

“We hope that this event will help bring more awareness to assault and increase safety on campus,” Aaron Reeves said.

It’s On Us is the largest philanthropy in America that focuses on and spreads awareness on the issue of sexual assault on campuses and supporting survivors of campus sexual assault. It was created by former President Barrack Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls to engage students in combating sexual assault.

The efforts of this philanthropy have motivated students across hundreds of college campuses all over America to take action against the issue of sexual assault on campus.

The students in attendance manning the table sought to provide information on the services that It’s On Us and the Haven Project can provide for those who have been the victims of sexual assault or sexual harassment. They also work to aide those who suffer from violent and abusive relationships as well as stalking and other forms of violence.

They often find themselves working in close tandem with IUP campus police.

“Our department on campus

seeks to educate students on sexual violence and healthy relationships,” Jasir Dash (freshman, English) said.

The Haven Project and It’s On Us also works with various other large organizations on campus.

Some of these organizations that they cooperate with include both the Sigma Chi and the Phi Kappa Tau fraternities and the Theta Phi Alpha sorority.

The It’s On Us organization has even earned the respect and attention of Gov. Tom Wolf who has awarded it the grant three times.

The group’s signature event that was promoted at the table was its Green Dot training. Green Dot training is a series of training sessions throughout the semester that seek to educate students and help them to learn how to deal with situations of relationship violence and sexual assault.

A key part of the training is bystander intervention and how one may be able to deescalate a situation. The training is named for the fact that the green dot is symbolic for any action that is taken to reduce or stop any form of violence in the moment, supports survivors or creates a culture less tolerant of violence.

The Haven Project has numerous other events lined up for the month of November. These included the Behind the Post on Wednesday with Theta Phi Alpha, an It’s On Us Presentation on Nov. 16 alongside Phi Kappa Tau and another It’s On Us table on Nov. 17.

Any individual who has experienced or know someone who has experienced sexual or domestic violence, please call the Haven Project at (724) 357-3947 or email

(Patrick Hough/The Penn) According to itsonus.org, 20-25 percent of undergraduate women are survivors of sexual violence, but more than 90 percent do not report it.

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Culture

Open mic nights return to IUP FLORA KELLY Staff Writer pzzy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Open mic nights at the Hadley Union Building (HUB) are finally back this semester with the hope to host any and all local talent that IUP and the Indiana area have to offer.

EJ Fabiszewski (senior, marketing) works with Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students (BACCHUS) to bring open mic nights to life every Monday night at 8 p.m. in Ohio Room of the HUB. The goal of BACCHUS is to provide students with healthy and safe activities to attend as an alternative to getting involved with drugs or alcohol. This includes the popular BACCHUS bingo nights and, of course, the open mic nights.

“It’s the BACCHUS open mic, so [it is] stuff that you can do on campus that aren’t drugs or alcohol,” Fabiszewski said. “They also run game nights and things like that, so they provide us with all the speakers and equipment that we need for the performers.”

Fabiszewski went on to say that, like with the majority of university organizations and activities, COVID-19 has taken a toll on the attendance for the open mics. Since activities like these have not happened for so long and the promotion of them has been scarce, incoming students have not been made aware that they even exist.

As IUP has returned to being in person again, an attempt is being made to spread the word and get students in the know about this great opportunity to see local talent and even to perform themselves.

“I ran [the open mics] the semester before the pandemic; before the world kind of shut down.

But before that I was a regular

(BACCHUS) The event is open to any IUP student who wishes to participate. All they have to do is show up to the event. It is held in the Ohio Room in the HUB every Monday for students that are interested. [performer],” Fabiszewski said.

“It’s too bad I didn’t have more time doing it before everything happened. It’s not how it used to be, of course, but we’re getting there again. I’m hoping that more people can find

it this semester and find a place there.

“I was lucky enough to have that, and I’m sad we had to close it down for so long.”

Most often, participants will opt to perform music, including both covers and their own original songs; however, participants are certainly not limited to this.

“Pretty much anything you want to do, I’m down. The stage is yours,” Fabiszewski said. “Poetry happens a lot, and sometimes people do standup comedy that they’ve written. We’ve had

people read essays of theirs, and we’ve recently had a dancer perform, which is cool. There’ve even been people in the past be like, ‘I’m going to read a mashed potato recipe and make it funny.’

There was also someone who read their potato tier list and played the banjo to it.”

Those who have been involved in the BACCHUS open mics for a long time will tell you about the great memories they have made and the friendships they have formed through being involved.

“Nathan Janov was the per-

son that used to run [open mic nights] before me, and he’s like my best friend now,” Fabiszewski said. “He graduated, but I still talk to him literally every day. Him and I ended up actually forming a band at one point. He came up to me, [on] open mic, sat next to me and asked me what kind of guitar I play and stuff, and he goes, ‘Well, we’re a band now.’

It’s so funny; he says he doesn’t remember it, but it happened.

And at the last open mic during my first year here, we sang a song together.”

Jadon Donaldson is not a student at IUP but is a resident of Indiana and has been attending open mic nights for over four years now. In that time, Donaldson has made many memories and friendships there.

“Open mic has opened the door for connecting people with one another,” Donaldson said. “It’s led to the formation of friendships, bands and some great performances. It’s filled me with plenty of memories and friendships throughout my teen years.

“One of the most gracious memories was years back when my dear friend, Joe Kukula, hosted open mic and would always start with a soft-spoken greeting and a joke or two before playing originals from his band, Zoom Grand Caravan. It was a treat that truly never got old.”

Donaldson also expressed that they think open mics are valuable to have on campus for both local artists and the audience.

“I believe open mics are a useful and productive activity due to the ability it creates for people to openly express themselves through whatever artform they desire in front if a live audience, or simply attend for free and enjoy the performances,” Donaldson said. “This is a useful recourse in many ways, such as helping someone overcome their stage fright, rehearse something for class or just sing their heart out.

“I think everyone should attend an open mic at some point or another. Artist or not, there’s always something to be performed or admired.”

Culture

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15

Sports

Editor-in-Chief: Jeffery Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Matt Glover – htpz@iup.edu

IUP men’s rugby claims championship AUSTIN SMITH Staff Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The IUP men’s rugby team was ready to play this past weekend against Kent State as the Hawks blanked the opposing team 47-0 on the pitch. They put together a huge offensive and defensive showdown in the Allegheny Rugby Union Championship Division II. From start to finish, the whole matchup was a complete effort from the entire team.

The Hawks wasted no time early on in the matchup with tries from Brian Arnold (junior, kinesiology, health and sport science) and Barry Ashway (senior, management). Ashway played the wing position during the game because of his rib injury sustained a few weeks ago in a different matchup.

By playing the wing, it allowed him to stay out of the middle of the field and not take as many hits as Ashway’s normal position usually entails.

“I am very pleased with my own personal performance and my team's performance,” Ashway said. “This was the first time I played the position of wing since 2016, so that was about five years ago. I really did not know how it was going to go at first, but once I settled into the game it was over.”

“Overall, the team played great from start to finish. Fortunately, I was able to complement the team by having explosive plays that put points on the board allowing my team to perform under less pressure and do their jobs.”

The Hawks were already up 13-0 about 10 minutes into the match.

It seemed that as the game went on longer, the more people got involved with scoring and offensive chances.

“We have been a second half team all year,” Dalton Cain (graduate student, management)

16

said. “Against Kent State, we emphasized the fact that we must come out fast. As we got right into our dynamic offense, the flow and continuity really came together for us.

“Fifteen players played as one.

For the first time this season we played a full 80-minute match to our standards.”

Cameron Taylor (junior, academic affairs), along with many other players, got involved in the mix of the offensive showdown. With Ashway playing at the wing position, it allowed for those scoring opportunities to happen.

“Barry Ashway normally plays fly-half,” Cain said. “Since coming back from a rib injury, our coaches thought it would be smart to put him on the edge to eliminate the chances of taking a big hit. He brought a huge presence in this game on the outside. Lots of great line breaks and assists as well. He has been remarkable in every game.

“Cameron Taylor, Hunter Bizjak (graduate, accounting) and Colton Moyer (graduate student, biology) also had excellent games. Their hard runs and ability to break tackles helped set up a majority of our scoring opportunities. Additionally, RJ Beach (junior, academic affairs), Brian Arnold and Dominic Holmes (freshman, kinesiology, health and sport science) have played lights out all year. Their athleticism and knowledge were key contributors to our success.”

The “lights out” defense kept Kent State at the line the entire game, preventing the opposing team from scoring on the Hawks. Every time Kent State was knocking at the door, the Hawks answered.

“Probably one of my favorite pre-match sayings of all time now,” Cain said, “was said to us by our head coach, Seth Erwin: ‘Don’t blink and finish!’ When he said that, he meant it. Don’t blink refers

to our mentality, our focus and our tenacity. We came out strong and finished strong.

“Yes, we won the game, but it was how we won. We left everything we had on the field from the first whistle to the last. It has been an amazing journey this year, but it’s time we get back to work and focus on making a run for the national championship.”

The Crimson Hawks are right where they are supposed to be this season. The entire coaching staff, Erwin, Larry Bouma and Sean Zimmerman have made sure that the Hawks score and play a strong defense the entirety of the 80-minute game match.

“It feels amazing to compete for a national championship and go on a run, but it does not get any easier from here,” Ashway said.

“Everything that happened in the past happened and it is the start of a new chapter of this season.

“It only will get more difficult from here.”

(Facebook/IUP men’s rugby) The Hawks will have a chance to compete for a national title after beating Kent State this weekend.

November 9, 2021

Sports

Sports

November 9, 2021

17

IUP diving is back, ready to impress MATT GLOVER

Lead Sports Writer htpz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The IUP swimming teams outswam St. Vincent as the diving team put on a show that no one expected after a 15-year hiatus.

Allison Brownlee (graduate student, M.A. employment and labor relations/MBA) scored 418.85 points in the one-meter dive qualifying for NCAA Championships her first time out and setting a program record.

“Allison was determined to dive with being off the board two and a half years after a small diving stint as an undergrad,” diving coach Patricia Brownlee said.

She is believed to be the first female IUP diver to qualify for NCAA Championships.

The two other divers, Jordyn Burkey (sophomore, early child-

hood education and special education) and Allie McKinney (freshman, criminology) scored a 297.65 and 142.10 respectively.

“Jordyn did very well and started diving for the first time two months ago,” Brownlee said.

“Being a former gymnast helped to learn her skills quickly.

“Allie also did very well being a former diver on injury list in high school. It was great having her back on the board and diving for IUP.” This meet also marked the return of the 400 individual medley (IM) for the swimmers.

Rachel Johnson (graduate student, M.A. employment and labor relations), Heather Hartmann (graduate student, strategic com-

munication) and Lindsey Griffith (senior, athletic training) raced in the event for the women.

For the men, David McLean (sophomore, biochemistry), Luke Emmerling (senior, biology) and Taylor Auger (senior, Management, information systems) raced.

“They’re very versatile swimmers,” head coach Chris Villa said. “It was a good first swim, and they posted some solid times they can improve upon.”

In the end, IUP swimmers won 24 out of 25 events. The women won 168-29, and the men won 155-50.

In addition to Johnson winning the 400 IM, the women won the 50 free, 100 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 100 fly, 100 breast, 100 back,

and both the 200 free and medley relays.

Along with McLean winning the 400 IM, the men also won the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 1,000 free, 100 back and both the 200 free and medley relays.

The men also had two winners for the 100 fly.

“They performed great,” Villa said. “We’ve been working really hard the last couple of weeks in practice, so they were pretty broken down and tired but were able to swim well even though.”

The teams are happy with their success right now but are always looking forward to what is to come closer to the end of the semester.

“Once we get into more of a rivalry or tightly contested swim meet, we will be looking for people that kind of step out and outperform where they should be, but we’re not at that point yet,” Villa said.

“I definitely want to go my best times at the end of my conference, but I really just want to keep the Pennslyvania Sports Athletic Conference (PSAC) title for the girls,” Rachel Blackburn (sophomore, pre-physician’s assistant) said.

“I want our boys to do just as well as we are, too, but, for myself, I want to push myself to my absolute best ability and get the best times I know I can.”

“Toward the end of the semester when we have Gannon and Clarion, we’ll have some kids step up against those schools,” Villa said.

These teams’ meets on Dec. 3 and Dec. 11 will also be the first chance for the diving team to compete against outside competition.

Before then, the teams will travel to Cleveland to compete in the Magnus Cup Nov. 18.

Hawks get back on track, take down Seton Hill Griffins BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The month of October did not treat IUP football kindly.

It included a two-week span that brought back-to-back disappointing and deflating conference losses at home.

IUP football finally got back on track this past weekend with a victory to start off the new month.

In what seems to be becoming a recurrent theme, the Hawks found success on the road.

IUP routed the Seton Hill Griffins by a score of 38-3 on Saturday and solidified its record to 6-3 overall.

The biggest difference in this game compared to the loss to Edinboro was that IUP was able to convert for touchdowns rather than settle for field goals.

“We were very effective running the ball with over 200 yards rushing and converted two long pass plays to Irvin Charles (senior, unclassified) that practically accounted for 14 points, and Duane Brown (redshirt junior, sports administration) caught two touchdown passes in the red zone,” Tortorella said.

Redzone threat Charles returned to play following being ruled out as

a game-time decision last weekend with a hand injury.

Charles had a monster game catching two long strikes, one of which was 85 yards, to accumulate 155 total yards and a touchdown.

Brown also contributed two touchdowns in the receiving game.

Delivering the ball at quarterback, Harry Woodbery (senior, business administration) threw for 220 yards on eight completions.

He tallied three touchdowns and an interception.

IUP was able to effectively run the ball.

Dayjur Stewart (redshirt freshman, unclassified) rushed for 139 yards on 20 attempts while adding a touchdown.

The defensive unit played sound in an effort that surrendered just three opposing points.

The players were able to put pressure on the quarterback and registered five sacks.

In the grand scheme of things, the win does not change anything.

The Crimson Hawks will not qualify for a NCAA postseason playoffs spot, but there is some positive in the situation.

Head coach Paul Tortorella righted the ship following a rocky October skid and will have the opportunity to see his team compete

to finish the season on a two-game winning streak.

The final win will not come easy.

IUP will take the long bus ride to West Chester, Pa., this Saturday to face a quality opponent.

The Rams are 6-4 overall and have been tested all year long as they played through a strong schedule. “[The Rams are a] very good team that has won a lot of games over the last 2-3 years,” Tortorella said, “[and] can score a lot of points with a balanced offense both

running the ball and throwing the ball.”

On offense, West Chester features lead running back Ja’Den McKenzie.

McKenzie has rushed for nine touchdowns and nearly a thousand yards so far this season.

The Rams’ offense averages 32.4 points a game and is led by quarterback Shane Dooley.

Dooley has thrown for over 1,400 yards on 90 completions. He has converted for 20 touchdowns.

On defense, the Rams revolve

around linebacker Jackson Taylor.

Taylor leads their efforts with 56 solo tackles and 3.5 sacks on the season.

IUP will need to continue its offensive success for the second weekend in a row in order to keep pace with the Rams in what very well could turn into a shootout.

The Hawks will look to cap off a disappointing season, that showed much potential, with a big win this Saturday against a quality opponent.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at West Chester, Pa.

(IUP Athletics) The 85-yard pass from Woodbery to Charles is tied for the sixth-longest pass play in IUP history

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November 9, 2021

Sports

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Sports

November 9, 2021

19

(IUP Athletics) The top three teams at each Division II regional earn spots to the 2021 NCAA Championships in Tampa, Fl. on Nov. 20.

IUP competes at Atlantic Regional Championships Beckwith finishes No. 25, takes home all-region honors

MATT GLOVER

Lead Sports Writer htpz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP The top seven from each Crimson Hawks cross country teams ran Saturday in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championships where one achieved all-region honors.

Joel Beckwith (freshman, environmental engineering) finished 25th overall earning all-region honors and propelling the men’s team to eighth place.

“It’s an incredible accomplishment for a true freshman in his first ever 10K,” head coach Joey Zins said. “He ran a very smart and mature race with a savvy you wouldn’t necessarily expect for his lack of experience.

“He was able to move himself into that top 25 position late in the race.”

The competitors consisted of teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and the Mountain East Conference (MEC).

The men placed eighth out of 23 on the 10K course, and the women placed 15th out of 22 on the 6K course. The top-three teams advanced to the NCAA Championships in Tampa, Fla. “When you’re up against some regionally ranked teams,” Emma Alexy (junior, pre-physical therapy) said, “it’s not like we were expecting to go to nationals, so it was more of a chance to really show our skills and how much we’ve improved and developed over the year.”

Beckwith was one of four runners for the men that came in the top 60. Marco Cardone (sophomore, exercise science) placed 48th, Kendall Branan (freshman, history) placed 52nd and Daniel Gibney (freshman, safety, health and environmental applied sciences) placed

53rd.

Evan Weaver (graduate student, pre-physical therapy) placed 56th, Nate Skodi (graduate student, geography) placed 82nd and Ethan Ribelin (sophomore, business management) placed 88th.

On the women’s side, four runners placed in the top 100.

Tori James (sophomore, nursing) placed 39th, and Paige Wess (junior, nursing) placed 57th.

Bri Herr (graduate student, nutrition and dietetics) placed 73rd, and Erin McGrath (junior, accounting) placed 94th.

Alexy clocked in at 24:32.9, Kalynne Ziegler (freshman, health and physical education) clocked in at 25:23.6 and Mia Elmore (freshman, nursing) clocked in at 25:52.

The men went into this race with two main goals: beat Lock Haven, who finished a placing above them in the PSAC Championships, and finish in the top five.

IUP missed the top five but beat

Lock Haven by 10 points.

“I think they were happy to narrowly edge out Lock Haven. It came down to late in the race, and we were extremely close. A few guys came through in some critical spots,” Zins said.

The men previously lost to them at the California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) Marty Uher Invitational to open the season and at the PSAC Championships.

They still placed fourth among the PSAC teams, though, after Slippery Rock, a team they had beaten in previous meets, finished ahead of them.

“We wanted to get fifth, but, individually, we did really well,” Cardone said. “Our top five was very close together. Our second through fifth were all within, like, 18 seconds, so we were happy with that.”

With how young both teams are, they are already excited and optimistic for the next season.

“Six out of our seven top guys are returning next year,” Cardone said, “so we’re looking to have those same guys with added recruits and other guys on our team getting better so we can be that tight as a pack but further up in the race.”

“It was great to have a true cross country season again with everyone out there with some really fierce competition,” Alexy said.

Now that the season is over, the runners have two weeks off to rest, catch up on classes and prepare for the track season.

The first track meet will be Dec. 3 indoors at Youngstown State. The cross country runners will have off this meet and join for the second after winter break.

“Nationals wasn’t really the goal this year for our team,” Zins said, “but it’s definitely a long-term goal that we’re working toward yearround. We hope that we’re there within the next few years.”

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Sports

Volleyball splits weekend games with Cal U, Slippery Rock BEN SPRIGGS Staff Writer dzbbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

IUP women’s volleyball traveled away this weekend for a pivotal two-game Pennsylvania Sports Athletic Conference (PSAC) road trip as the team continues its fight for a playoffs spot.

The Hawks participated in two matches over the weekend.

They were defeated by California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) on Friday night but then bounced back with a much-needed victory against Slippery Rock University the following day.

Breaking even on the road trip improved their overall record to 16-14 and 6-8 in PSAC play.

The loss to Cal U on Friday

came despite a strong first set that saw IUP take control with a 25-23 victory.

The Vulcans then answered with three straight wins by scores of 2513, 26-24 and 25-17.

Brooke Little (junior, sports administration) continued her dominating play for the Hawks by leading them with 13 kills on 31 attacks while hitting .258.

Nicole Peterson (junior, sports administration) also had 12 kills on 30 attacks along with seven digs.

The IUP loss to Cal U came at a tough time.

The Hawks are currently chasing the Vulcans in the PSAC standings for the final playoffs spot.

Head coach Julie Torbett evaluated her team's efforts following the first game of the weekend.

“I felt the team came out strong against [Cal U] in the first set and

came back from behind to take the first set,” Torbett said, “however, Cal U bounced back and served very aggressively, taking us out of our offensive game.”

The race for that final PSAC playoffs spot continues to tighten as the season winds down.

After dropping a conference matchup on Friday, the Hawks desperately needed a victory the following day to stay above water.

They did just that in a strong showing.

IUP swept the Rock in three straight sets by scores of 26-24, 25-23 and finally 25-13.

Peterson led the Hawks in of-

fense this game.

She would finish with 13 kills while hitting .273 on the day.

The effort put her at over 300 kills for just this season and a career total of 617.

IUP as a team hit for .284 against Slippery Rock.

“We came back the next day and won against rival Slippery Rock,” Torbett said. “Nicole Peterson has been more consistent lately in the front row and Bailey Flowerdew (sophomore, psychology) has been solid in the back court.”

The victory keeps IUP women’s volleyball playoffs hopes alive.

Two regular season games

remain for the Hawks.

They will welcome Pitt Johnstown on Tuesday at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Center (KCAC) and then travel to Clarion on Friday evening.

Winning both games would present their best shot at clinching that final playoff spot.

IUP is currently tied with Mercyhurst for fifth in the division; both teams are 6-8 in conference play.

Both programs are actively chasing Cal U who currently holds the fourth and final spot in the West Division.

We will see what the future holds for IUP women’s volleyball as the fight for a postseason berth continues on into its final week of the regular season.

Gametime against Pitt Johnstown is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the KCAC.

(IUP Athletics) IUP is looking to grasp its PSAC tournament berth since 2017 when the team won the Southwest Division and advanced to the semifinals.