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N E W S In-person classes make their return News Editor: Benjamin Brumbaugh – msqy@iup.edu

Most students glad to be back to some semblance of normalcy MOLLY CUNNINGHAM Contributing Writer kydy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Although COVID-19 is still in the picture, the education system and social life at IUP is up and running again for this fall semester.

Most students and faculty members are grateful to have in-person classes this semester.

“I feel that this semester has been better than most because of going back to in-person classes. I’ve always been a better student in in-person classes,” Morgan Heinbaugh (senior, English education) said.

“This semester is going to be better because we are in person

again. I have trouble learning when it’s not face to face because I’m a hands-on person,” Dejanae Lyles (junior, human resource management) said.

Everyone learns differently and, as such, the pandemic has forced both students and professors to learn a lot about themselves and how they learn best.

“Being in the actual classroom rather than being online is so much better because a lot of people are hands-on learners and, now, we get the opportunity to get to do the actual assignments and be in the same classroom with the teacher if you have a question rather than only having emails and having to wait for a response,” Jada Bell (sophomore, nursing major) said.

A mixture of students and professors prefer in-person classes for a better learning experience.

Although it may be awkward with the masks, professors find it better than being on Zoom with the option of having your camera off.

“Being in classes face-to-face is great and it’s way more fun than hybrid and the Zoom,” Dr. Botelho of the History Department said.

Botelho also mentioned that everyone should follow university guidelines and wear their masks.

Students look forward to this semester as they get to be on campus, and the feeling is much livelier than when everything was

(The Penn/Nick Schmidt) Many students are happy to be back because they learn more effectively in an in-person class setting; however, many are just happy to be back with their friends.

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online.

"It feels weird being back to in-person classes, but things are starting to feel back to normal," Christian Holman (senior, political science) said.

"Even with masks, everyone seems to be cool with it and the professors definitely seem appreciative seeing students again.”

IUP is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and is requiring that masks be worn inside buildings, classrooms and buses at all times.

Vaccinations are not required for students but are recommended

by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Pennsylvania’s State System

of Higher Education (PASSHE).

“I feel that in-person classes help motivate me,” Heaven Owens (junior, studio art) said.

“I interact with others more efficiently, and just getting the body active and doing something rather than sitting at home is healthier for the mind.”

“In-person classes benefit me in many ways such as, mentally, I can’t sit in my room all day and stare at a screen and, physically, I need the exercise to keep myself at a healthy weight,” Anautika Clark (junior, psychology) said.

“So, in other words, face-toface classes are suitable for me.”

Considering the welcoming social life that IUP has, having in-person classes allows for healthy interactions between students and professors. Students and faculty are happy to be on campus again, but they understand that precautions must be taken in order to keep it that way.

(iup.edu) While the majority of campus events last year were held online via Zoom, most of these events will return to a traditional in-person format this academic year.

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An unusual road to a lifelong passion: Susie Adams’ journey from criminology to geology JULIA ROBINS Staff Writer spxbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP In April, Susan “Susie” Adams (senior, geology, geoscience) won the distinguished Barry Goldwater Scholarship.

Every year, the scholarship is awarded to outstanding students planning to pursue research careers in engineering, mathematics and natural sciences.

"What I love about geology is that it is everywhere. You can walk outside, and you can see an outcrop and study it and collect the data from it and be able to tell when it formed and how it formed, and, to me, that is truly amazing,” Adams said.

Adams is an independent student, and the Goldwater Scholarship came just in time for her to cancel large loans that she took out as a last resort to pay for her fifth year of college.

“I was worried that I wasn't going to have a financial aid,” Adams said. “The Goldwater [Scholarship] funded my last year, so I was so grateful for that.”

Her journey to the Goldwater Scholarship was, as Adams puts it, “an unusual chain of events.”

Adams initially entered IUP as a criminology major in 2016. In her junior year in 2018, she took Geoscience 101 (The Dynamic Earth) with Dr. Greg Mount to satisfy her science required credit.

Mount encouraged his students to attend the Geopaths Field Camp in May 2019, which introduced near-surface geophysical techniques to non-science majors.

Just five days into the two-week camp, Adams realized that she had found her passion and that she was in the wrong major. Mount helped her with a course plan to switch her major to geology with a minor in criminology that would only take an extra year to complete.

Before this, Adams’ only science experience had been an applied chemistry class and applied biology class in high school.

In spring 2019, Adams took Geoscience 201 (Foundations of

Geology) with professor Dr. Jon Lewis.

"It was pretty clear that geology was right for her,” Lewis said. “The light bulb that had illuminated over her head was still lit up when I got to meet her.”

A few days before Lewis was set to go to Taiwan with his research group, he invited Adams. Adams explained that had she been 10 minutes later to expedite her passport, she would have missed the opportunity to go. A very hectic few days proved to be one of the “best decisions of [her] life.”

Adams became invested in working with Lewis in researching Taiwan, co-authoring research posters that she presented at the joint 2020 Japan Geoscience Union and American Geophysical Union Meeting and at the 2020 Annual Conference of the Geological Society of America.

“Taiwan has such a high exhumation rate, it's like five-toeight millimeters per year, and that's really high so we're trying to reconstruct that to understand what's going on,” Adams said.

“I was working on fault profiles showing what end-stage defamation looks like in Taiwan, so I was tracking fault data and also earthquake data and plotting and looking for changes in stereonets.”

Adams also returned to Taiwan this summer to continue her research.

“It takes some gumption to seize the opportunity to travel halfway around the world to help with field research only a few months after leaving criminology for geology,” Lewis said.

Over the summer, Adams also participated in Rutgers Newark’s Near Surface Geophysics REU (research experience for undergraduates).

“Even though it was virtual, I still got a lot out of it,” Adams said.

“We went over all different types of near surface geophysical methods, so we went over electroactivity, GPR (ground-penetrating radar) and seismology. I did my project on seismic refraction.

“1,000 years ago, there was a thin ice age and there were glaciers that covered about a third

of Pennsylvania, and when those retreated, there was wet soil on top, and it would creep down and then, after a while, it creates these lobes. Those haven't been imaged by geophysical methods before, so I got to use seismic refraction data to see what’s beneath there and what’s going on.”

One unusual, memorable experience that Adams had in the program was when they traveled to a cemetery in New Jersey and used GPR over cemetery plots.

“We are looking for unmarked graves, like where somebody could have been buried hundreds of years ago,” Adams said. “The cemetery wanted to use their empty plots for people to bury cremated remains. We had to make sure that nothing was there before they started digging.”

The group also ran into an issue when someone accidentally stepped on the ethernet cable, and they lost all the data.

“Even though we didn't find anything, it was still a good day and we still got experience working with GPR,” Adams said.

Associate Geoscience professor Dr. Katie Farnsworth spoke highly of Adams.

“She is a great team player.

She really cares about her fellow students and her department as a whole, and she is always willing to pitch in and help,” Farnsworth said. “She is dedicated academically, but she also really cares about people.”

Adams is currently serving as president of the Geological Society of IUP. This fall she is working with the Department of Geoscience to plan team hikes and, COVID-19 permitting, a cabin trip.

They also have movie nights every Wednesday night in the computer science lab.

Her main goal in her role as president is bringing the department together. In the academic restructuring plan, geography has merged with geoscience, and Adams is trying to get as many geography students as possible to join the club before she graduates in May. In October, she will be going to the Geological Society of Ameri-

(iup.edu) Adams has been on the IUP women’s hockey team since 2019. ca’s conference to present more of her Taiwan research. The location is convenient for her as she is looking at graduate schools along the west coast because she wants to work with The Ring of Fire and the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The three main schools that Adams has been in contact with are Oregon State University, University of Washington and Western Washington University. Adams has been reaching out to professors and asking if they will be accepting graduate students next fall.

Unfortunately, those professors are either retiring or not accepting new students.

“I’m going to keep looking, of course, until I find a school that will,” Adams said.

“My end game is to work for a government lab like at USGS [United States Geological Survey]

or NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] and be a part of an innovative team of seismologists that are out making a difference in the world.”

Adams hopes to study underwater landslides, earthquakes along the west coast and use seismic imaging on faults. She aims to get her master’s degree in marine geophysics and eventually her PhD in the same.

“Susie works so hard to accomplish what she has done academically that [the Goldwater Scholarship] is very well deserved for her hard work,” Farnsworth said. “I am very proud of her. I think Susie is one to watch. She has big goals for herself, and it will be interesting to see in the years to come where she ends up and how she contributes to the academic field of geology.”

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‘Common Hour’ begins Sept. 2 EVA TILLICH Managing Editor jxsbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP recently introduced a student-centered “common hour” on Aug. 23.

The idea behind it is to give students time to hold and participate in group meetings or activities, seek academic assistance, or enhance interactions between students, faculty and staff.

“I generally will spend the hour relaxing and getting lunch,” Josh Kriesman (sophomore, history) said. “The hour gives everyone a chance to relax and recharge after a busy morning.”

Another added benefit of the hour is that it provides students

with the chance to unwind and get a break between their instruction. By having an extended break between classes, students have the opportunity to focus on themselves. Self-care is beneficial to combat stress whether that is from school or work.

“I think having a set-in-stone break every day is important and is a good idea,” Kriesman said.

Despite every student having a different class schedule, the Common Hour will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday university-wide.

While the times may not work for every department, office or group, all have been asked to accommodate with the hour to the best of their ability.

For classes that are 50 minutes long on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays that are 75 minutes long, they will not meet during the designated hour.

Not all students will be able to participate in the hour, though, if they have labs or studios.

The Common Hour is apart of IUP’s 2020-25 Strategic Plan.

A livestream discussing more about the plan and IUP NextGen will be livestreamed on Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

If any students have questions regarding the Common Hour or the Strategic Plan 2020-25, they should contact Scott Moore at rsmoore@iup.edu or Paula Stossel at pstoss@iup.edu.

(iup.edu) IUP looks for and creates ways to get students more involved on campus. The “common hour” is the latest example of this.

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August 31, 2021

News

IUP graduate adds to scholarship Richard D. Caruso gifts $50,000 to the university

(kanepa.com) Margaret C. Caruso is a resident of Kane, Pa. She worked as an assistant in a medical office.

BEN BRUMBAUGH News Editor msqy@iup.edu @ThePennIUP An IUP accounting graduate donated $50,000 to the university for freshman scholarships.

Richard D. Caruso, who graduated from IUP in 1983 with a degree in accounting, gifted the funds to IUP to be added to the Richard F. and Margaret C. Caruso Scholarship, which he established in 2017 with a $100,000 gift.

According to https://www.iup. edu/fund.aspx?id=247297, the Richard F. and Margaret C. Caruso Scholarship provides scholarship support to freshmen students at IUP who are graduates of Kane High School and Chartiers-Houston High School.

Caruso established the scholarship to honor his parents, the late Richard F. Caruso, a banker, and

Margaret Caruso, who celebrated her one-hundredth birthday in July.

The gift was given as part of IUP’s Imagine Unlimited fundraising campaign.

According to https://iup.edu/ imagine-unlimited/, the campaign’s goal was to advance academic excellence, student success and diversity and inclusion at the university.

The monetary goal of the campaign was to raise $75 million, and it exceeded this goal with donations totaling over $81 million.

“I was motivated to ‘give back’ so that future students may have the same opportunity that I had,” Caruso said. “The scholarship is designed to help students who

(iup.edu) Caruso’s sister is Francene Caruso Imbrogno, a 1972 graduate of IUP.

otherwise might not be able to afford IUP. The additional donation was to provide for the expansion of the scholarships.”

“At this time, we are uncertain whether we will increase the number of scholarships that we award or increase the amount of each scholarship.”

Caruso feels motivated to give back to his alma mater because of the positive impact that it has on his life.

“I am indebted to IUP and the community for the educational foundation, both in the classroom and socially, that it provided me,” Caruso said. “With this foundation, I was able to do things in life that I otherwise would not have been able to achieve.”

“At IUP, I was able to receive a solid academic foundation along

with practical application.”

“In addition, I was raised with a hard work ethic and that was further enhanced through the professors and friends that I encountered at IUP,” Caruso added.

Since he graduated from IUP, Caruso has held various management positions.

According to https://iup.edu/ news-item.aspx?id=294856, “Caruso is an operating partner at the Calibre Group. He serves in a similar role at North Park Capital and as an independent consultant providing financing and restructuring services and has a history of serving in various interim management (CEO, CFO and COO) assignments.”

“During his 30-plus years of work, Caruso has been involved in originating and closing over $2 billion of financing transactions ranging from approximately $10 million to over $500 million.”

Caruso has also worked closely with the university during his lifetime.

“I have been on the Foundation for IUP for over a decade and served as its president for a number of years,” Caruso said.

“The Foundation is governed independently from the university but has a single focus to help make IUP a better place for all constituents.”

“In the past, I also chaired the Investment, Nominating, Audit and Executive Committees.”

“I am presently leading the restructuring committee which is aimed at making the on-campus housing program financially stable and more competitive from a cost standpoint,” Caruso said.

“The last thing that I would want to see is for my alma mater to go the way of Clarion, Edinboro and California [Universities of Pennsylvania].”

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Dueling infrastructure bills in Senate Senate considers bipartisan, Democrat-led bills CAIO GOMES Lead Culture Writer hysbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Wikipedia) Mitch McConnell (top) (R-KY) is the Senate Minority Leader.

Chuck Schumer (bottom) (D-NY) is the Senate Majority Leader.

For the past couple of weeks, the center of attention in the media and Congress were on two things: the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the Democratic-leaning “human infrastructure” bill. This leaves many students and fellow Americans wondering why those bills are such a big deal and why there are two bills focusing on infrastructure as opposed to just one.

The latter question is the easiest to explain. Democrats have been pursuing what they call a “twotrack” strategy championing two bills: one that focuses on accomplishing a bipartisan deal (something backed by the party’s moderate caucus), while the other focuses on passing Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda, which is backed by the party’s progressive caucus.

“The [Democratic] party’s two wings each need each other,” Senator Chuck Schumer, leader of the Democrats in the Senate, said in an interview. “The moderates couldn't pass a bipartisan bill without the more progressive wing of our caucus. And the progressives couldn't get a big, bold bill without the moderates.”

The first of those two bills to be introduced was the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Crafted by five Republicans and five Democrats, this bill focuses on spending money on things that have been traditionally deemed as infrastructure. Some of the provisions include $110 billion to invest in roads, bridges and other construction projects; $65 billion to expand high-speed internet access; $25 billion for airports; and the most funding for Amtrak since 1971.

The bill has passed the Senate on an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote (69-30 with one abstention) earlier this month and now waits for its final passage in the House.

Leadership from both parties have praised the landmark vote in the Senate.

“I was proud to support today’s historic bipartisan infrastructure deal and prove that both sides of the political aisle can still come together around common-sense solutions,” Senator Mitch McCo-

nnell, leader of the Republicans in the Senate, said. Sen. McConnell voted in favor of the bill despite earlier promises to stop everything in Biden’s agenda from passing.

President Biden has also expressed support for the bill and thanked the 19 Republicans who joined the Democrats in passing the bill in the Senate, while stating that “this is what the American public wants.”

While the bipartisan infrastructure bill awaits a second vote in the House, Democrats have been fighting against time to introduce and pass the second infrastructure bill, which many have called the “human infrastructure” bill. Democrats are not expecting bipartisan support for this bill and instead plan on passing it through a special process called “budget reconciliation.”

A budget reconciliation process is a tool that makes it easier to pass legislation pieces that are directly related to the congressional budget. The process starts with a budget resolution: a blueprint that directs certain committees to change spending, revenues, deficits or the debt limit by specific amounts. Different than other legislation, the budget resolution only needs a simple majority (50 votes) to pass in the Senate and cannot be filibustered.

If the resolution calls for a reconciliation bill, then each committee will write a “sub-bill” to achieve its target, and then the Budget Committee puts the bills together into one big bill. This reconciliation bill, like the budget resolution, cannot be filibustered and only needs 50 votes to pass in the Senate.

While details of what exactly will be in the reconciliation bill are still to be released, the resolution blueprint (that passed both the House and Senate last week) established maximum spending of a total of $3.5 trillion and determined how much goes into each committee.

Among the provisions outlined in the budget resolution are a $726 billion investment in education.

The provision establishes that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) must draft legislation providing tuition-free community colleges, raising investments in minority-serving institutions, raising the Federal Pell Grants and creating new student success grants.

“I feel like out of everything, this part [of the bill] is what matters the most to us [college students],” Brandon Kimmel (sophomore, premed) said. “I mean, I can see why it matters to me that new roads are being made, or that health care is more accessible, but since this is a direct investment in college-level education then I think it’s what will impact us the most.”

Other provisions established in the resolution include $198 billion for the committee on Energy and Natural Resources to invest in greener sources of energy; $107 billion for the committee on Judiciary to invest in border security and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students that arrived in the United States as children, otherwise known as Dreamers, and other qualified immigrants; and $1 billion for the committee on Finance to extend Medicare to include dental, vision, hearing benefits and extension of the Child Tax Program.

This package has raised concerns due to its $3.5 trillion price tag, but it has also drawn support from most of the American public.

A USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll published on Thursday showed that 52 percent of Americans, including one-fifth Republicans, supported the $3.5 trillion package.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, believes that the working class can see beyond the realm of partisanship and understand that the bill meets their needs, which is why it has drawn support from most people. "(Working-class Republicans) understand that they need to continue receiving that $300 stipend that makes life a lot easier when you have young children," Sanders said while pitching the bill to a conservative crowd in Iowa. "And they understand that it's important that their kids be able to get a higher education and need to make community colleges tuition free.

And the older people, believe me, understand that whether you're a Republican, Democrat or Independent, how hard it is to pay for dental care if you're a senior citizen, or hearing aides or eyeglasses."

Whether both bills will pass is something that only time can tell, and according to the deadlines set by the Democratic party, the public can expect to see the answer by Oct. 1.

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August 31, 2021

News

Opinion (CDC Facebook) To slow the spread of COVID-19, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing a mask, social distancing and getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 concerns continue Students worried about returning to virtual format

There is an overwhelmingly positive feeling on IUP’s campus as students begin in-person classes for the first time in over a year.

Students are happy to be back on campus with their friends and classmates.

Professors are happy to see students in their classrooms again where they do not have to worry that students are sleeping or not paying attention during a Zoom meeting.

It seems that nearly everyone appreciates their traditional college experience just a little bit more now that it was taken away for so long.

As good as it feels to be back, everyone, at least in the back of their minds, has had the thought, “What if we were forced to go back online again?”

Very few want this to occur but considering the continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the Delta variant, which is ravaging parts of the country, it is hard not to have thoughts like these.

While most students enjoy being back on campus, not all students are taking the necessary

Opinion

precautions to ensure that this new reality will continue throughout the duration of this academic year.

Frat house basements and bars packed with students are probably the best examples of this phenomenon.

Very few students attending these venues can be found wearing a mask.

“Students really do not seem to be taking COVID-19 very seriously any longer,” Liam Gaynor (senior, management information systems) said.

“It’s not like I blame them either; it has been a very long time since we have all been together and everyone is eager to resume their college experience, but these students have to understand that their actions may have consequences that will not be fun for anybody.”

“There is so much misinformation floating around regarding this topic that many may believe that the pandemic is over or that the vaccine does no good even when that is most certainly not the case,” he said.

What good does IUP’s indoor mask mandate do if students are

simply going to put themselves into these types of situations when they are not in class?

The tough answer to that question is probably no good at all.

Only 53 percent of eligible adults in Pennsylvania have been fully vaccinated.

The Delta variant is no longer just a threat for individuals who have not fully vaccinated however, as the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended that all individuals, vaccinated or not, wear a mask while indoors with groups of people.

Vaccinated individuals can fall victim to this variant and, while they may not become as sick as someone who is not vaccinated, this is not always the case.

The vaccine is simply not a bullet-proof vest with regards to COVID-19, but it is currently the best defense that we have.

Despite these facts and guidance, the student population of IUP does not seem to be taking the Delta variant very seriously.

In all honesty, it is hard to blame them for engaging in this type of behavior.

We have all been itching to

August 31, 2021

get back to our normal lives for many months and, until recently, it seemed as if we were on that path.

Then, vaccination rates across the country plateaued and cases of the Delta variant began to skyrocket in nearly every area of the United States.

Hospitals are reaching capacity again, doctors and nurses are reaching their breaking points, and public health organizations and medical professionals are almost begging people to wear a mask, stay away from large crowds and to get vaccinated again.

Despite this fact, life has gone back to some semblance of normalcy in recent months.

It feels that every time that we take a step forward in this pandemic, we take two steps back.

The hard reality of the above statement is that this will continue to occur until the 47 percent of eligible adults in the United States choose to be vaccinated, and until citizens choose to take the CDC’s advice.

Those who do not make these choices may be some of the loudest critics if another shut-

down occurs, but they will have no one to blame except themselves.

It certainly seems as though many people desire a return to normalcy and freedom, but many of those same people seem unwilling to take the steps necessary to make that sustainable for the days, weeks, months and year to come.

Based on behaviors prevalent around the country and at IUP, another year of online classes and indoor living does not seem unlikely.

The more comfortable people become, the more their behaviors will go back to normal and, right now, normal is what we want, but it is not what we need and what is good for the public as a whole.

We need to be extra cautious, and we need to follow the advice of the CDC and medical professionals worldwide.

In short, wear a mask and get vaccinated or our “back to normal” reality may not last very long at all.

Brought to you

By The Penn Staff

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Culture RHA board announces new

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

lineup, talks plans

(Facebook/Instagram/IUP RHA With the new board, be sure to follow the RHA social media to stay up to date on fun events and activities.

REBECCA WALKER Contributing Writer blddc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP Although life is not completely back to normal yet, members of the Resident Hall Association (RHA) board are continuing to plan events for the fall semester of 2021.

The new board includes President John Kroh, Vice President Bristol Bertram, Treasurer Makah Charles, Secretary Samantha Irvin, Advocacy Coordinator Alyssa McQuaide, National Communications Coordinator Emmy Scheg, Marketing Coordinator Kenya Mouning and RHA advisor Matt Van Etten.

With COVID-19 restrictions, students are still looking to meet new people and attend events to take a break from classes and help them unwind. The RHA is working hard to ensure students still have these opportunities

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but stay safe from the spread of the virus. Its mission remains to encourage participation and responsibility among student residents at IUP. One of the RHA’s biggest upcoming projects is the annual Resident Hall Council (RHC) Leadership Summit. This event is designed to lead and instruct the leaders of the various RHCs concerning campus housing and event planning.

“At this event, we start to build the relationship between RHA and the RHCs. We explain the structure of the organization as a whole and we introduce the pathways to higher leadership experiences that the organization has to offer,” John Kroh (sophomore, biology) said.

The RHC meets once a week to explore new ideas and plans for social events. This is also where changes or suggestions to residence buildings are discussed and implemented. Joining the

RHC is an effective way for new students to become involved at IUP, use their voices and be a part of the decision-making process in their residence halls.

Although socialization is encouraged, following the mask mandates and socially distancing on campus is encouraged as well.

Part of the mission of the RHA is encouraging responsibility within each student. The association hopes to see everyone do their part in helping to stop the spread of the pandemic and ensure in-person instruction may continue.

The board also looks to have greater participation from students this semester as well as looking for new faces and bright minds to help plan activities throughout the semester and market events to the student body.

While the board is busy planning safe in-person events, the students will have to be patient for its reveal.

August 31, 2021

(Instagram/IUP RHA) The president of the current RHA board is John Kroh.

“As of right now I will keep you guys in suspense, but be on the lookout for some wild in-person events this year,” Kroh said.

One creative event students can definitely look forward to is the annual Glitz & Glamour show. This is a favorite of many students, including the RHA president.

“This event is where RHA brings in a certain drag queen and hosts a drag show where students of IUP can show off their art, their craft and their amazing talents to the campus,” Kroh said.

Previous events planned by the RHA include The Fall Crawl, Jeopardy, The Among Us Tournament and many more.

The RHA board is working to ensure the student body has ample opportunities to have fun and enjoy their time at IUP while doing its own part to help stop the spread of COVID-19; however, the participation and personal responsibility of students to attend will help to ensure in-person events and activities may continue throughout the semester.

Culture

Culture

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August 31, 2021

(The Penn Archives) The Oak Grove is the location of the suspected abduction.

Alien abduction on campus Students recount shocking experience

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.

Like any other university, IUP has always had visitors from everywhere around the globe. This Saturday, IUP met its first visitors from another planet.

The UFO landed in the Oak Grove where Matt Smith (junior, Earth and space science education) just happened to be walking by. Smith claims he was coming back from a party with his girlfriend when the

UFO landed.

“It was like a scene from a movie,” Smith said. “I was so amazed by the sight that I couldn’t even move. I could only stand and watch them.”

Smith described the aliens as “almost human.” He said they looked like regular people except for their eyes.

“Their eyes were dull and colorless,” Smith said. “It might have been because it was dark outside, but I know what I saw: blank eyes. I have never seen anything like it before. There is no way I could be making any of this up.”

The oddest part of the interaction, however, came after the landing. Smith claims that the aliens came out of their spaceship and simply took his girlfriend, Amelia Pond (sophomore, criminology), away. Smith claims that Pond seemed to have been possessed by the aliens, as she seemingly joined them without a fight.

Pond’s friends claim that the

aliens might have cloned her as they swear that she hung out with them on Sunday. They also believe that there is a possibility that Pond was not possessed, but rather thought the aliens would be better company than her boyfriend, whom they described as “obnoxious.”

“Amelia seemed completely normal and like her usual self,” River Song (sophomore, anthropology) said. “There is no way she was possessed by an alien.”

Smith argues that it is impossible that the “people” who abducted Amelia were not aliens, claiming that apart from the “weird eyes,” they had a “strange transportation method.”

Smith claimed the UFO was

big enough to fit ten people, and it was “very large, like a stretched car.”

Smith says that while it did not seem to fly up high, it flew quick enough for him to know that it was not “regular driving.”

How the craft was able to land and fit in the Oak Grove with all the trees is still a mystery. To the knowledge of some car afficionados, the description given by Smith suggests that the UFO might have looked like something similar to a limousine.

“Look, I have a driver’s license. That means that the state recognizes me as a car expert, and that thing that the aliens rode was not a car,” Smith said.

Pond’s family does in fact own a limousine, which they claim was last used that exact Saturday.

As claimed by Pond’s parents, their daughter sent them a text begging them to come by and pick her up. Pond (whether the real or the cloned version) claims that her parents’ story is true.

“I have no idea what Matt is talking about,” Pond said. “I broke up with him after the party we went to. There weren’t any aliens, and I wasn’t abducted.

I told my parents to come and pick me up because he was just standing there for almost five minutes after I broke it off.”

“Matt wouldn’t know that I own a limousine because he never really paid attention to me,” Pond added. “So, it’s possible he thought it was an UFO because to him anything would be more believable than the fact that I could own a car.”

Whether those visitors were really aliens or simply Amelia’s parents is still unknown, however, one thing is certain: regardless of where you come from, IUP welcomes you with open arms.

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Culture

Culture

August 31, 2021

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The sound of free (time)

IUP students discuss their favorite free time activities LANE LANNAN Culture Editor ffpcc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP With classes going on, many students try to maintain a sense of a social and personal life that will balance well with their schedule.

Free time is one of the most important things for a student to have because it is what allows them to unwind and relax after classes or work.

“I enjoy hanging out with friends and playing video games,” Joey Semetkoskey (sophomore, accounting) said. “Those things let me relax and relieve the stress of school.”

Semetkoskey went on to say that activities like video games allow him to maintain contact with friends that he can not see regularly. On the other hand, Semetkoskey likes to meet up with people in person to hang out since it is hard to beat a physical dynamic.

While a student’s free time can be spent like Semetkoskey’s, there are so many other options. It all depends on the interests of the individual student as well as the time they have at their disposal and the potential of friends joining in on the fun.

“I enjoy watching Steelers’ games in my free time,” Isaac Ryer (sophomore, nursing) said. “It is a great way to spend time with friends.”

Ryer also enjoys spending time outside and playing games like Ultimate Frisbee. Games like these are favored by many students because they allow them to get out and exercise while also having a good time.

Free time is very important for students in any level as having that barrier that separates them from school work is necessary to combat stress.

According to a study titled “Intervention for Positive Use of Leisure Time Among College Students” on what students do in their free time from Penn State,

there are reasons that demonstrate the importance of leisure time.

It was found that leisure time is very important for the development of students. It can increase the mood of students, reduce stress and even promote academic engagement.

The study also found that free time can lead to more negative effects on students like substance abuse and the development of a social disconnect. Despite the potential for those negative effects, student free time is still shown to be a very important aspect of the college experience as it allows students to find their unique voice and interests that they will carry with them into their professional life.

“I think having free time is really important,” Matthew Levenson (sophomore, accounting) said. “It lets me have the time to relax with friends or study for classes.”

Levenson went on to say that he likes to spend his time watching sports and playing video games.

As was said by Levenson, free time is important to students as it allows them to have more freedom and control over their lives.

Despite the fact that there are a plethora of different activities that shape the definition of college student leisure time, it cannot be understated the value and importance of the amount of free time available for each student. As college students, there is a transition from the stricter time schedules of high school to the time framing for college.

So, whether your favorite free time activity is going on a drive with friends or just relaxing and watching something on Netflix, go out and enjoy your time.

(The Penn Archives) While some students prefer studying, others like to spend their free time playing games with friends.

(The Penn Archives) Whether you are spending time alone or with friends, free time is an important aspect of mental well-being.

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(Twitter/Harry Styles) Harry Styles is one of many artists that is popular amongst the IUP student body.

Culture

(Twitter/George Harrison) While many love more modern music, some students like to unwind with classic rock songs from artists like George Harrison.

‘All my favorite songs are slow and sad’ Students share their favorite music, artists

RACHEL KOVACH Contributing Writer rsrbc@iup.edu @ThePennIUP IUP is a place full of diverse groups of people and, by extension, diverse opinions and preferences, especially in music tastes.

There are likes and dislikes around every corner. The genres themselves vary greatly, from country to musical theater, to 70’s music, alternative, pop and everything in between.

“I listen to One Direction and the individual members from the band, specifically Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson,” Dakota Barton (sophomore, English) said.

Barton continued by revealing that she is looking forward to the release of Harry Styles’ new album. Though it has not been announced yet, there are rumors that it will be coming soon. Barton also enjoys listening to the band that led Styles to fame, that being the band One Direction.

She said her all-time favorite Harry Styles song is “Sweet

Creature,” which appears on his first solo album. One thing that Barton loves about Styles’ music is that “his songs mix different genres, and no two songs sound the same.” Another listening pleasure of Barton’s is the soundtrack from the Netflix original show called “Julie and the Phantoms.”

Brooke Henshaw’s (junior, psychology) music taste is just as unique as all the other students that were interviewed.

“I listen to everything,” Henshaw said, “but lately I’ve been listening to a lot of country music.”

Her favorite country artist, Luke Combs, is one of the most popular artists in the genre right now. He is known for songs such as “Forever After All”, “Six Feet Apart” and “She Got the Best of Me.” Though Henshaw has been in a country music mood for a little while, she still enjoys listening to other artists like Mac Miller.

Many students can relate to her reasoning behind liking those artists because everyone has variety

in their music preferences.

“I like how their songs either get me hyped up or in my feels,” Henshaw said.

At the moment, her favorite song is “Just Like You” by NF. “Since fall is coming up, I’ve been listening to more indie folk and alternative music like The Lumineers, Hozier, Vance Joy and The Head and the Heart,” Georgia Heintzman (freshman, English/writing studies) said.

Heintzman’s music taste for the day depends on her mood.

Like many other people do, she listens to music that gets her in the mood for the season to change from summer to fall and, of course, to get in the mood for the holidays, too. Heintzman is most looking forward to more of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded albums.

In addition to that, she is loving Ben Platt’s most recent album, “Reverie,” as well as the song “Jackie and Wilson” by Hozier.

“I like being able to listen to songs from different time periods and see how much music has changed over the years,” Kayla

Kishlock (sophomore, psychology) said.

Kishlock revealed that she loves listening to 70’s music. Some of her favorite artists from that time period are Queen, Aerosmith and AC/DC. Her reasoning behind loving all of those bands so much is the fact that music has evolved, and it is interesting to see how the modern music of today grew out of the music of previous decades.

Kishlock’s favorite song right now is “Meet Me At Our Spot” by Willow Smith, The Anxiety and Tyler Cole.

“She [Beyoncé] is supposed to be releasing a new album soon,” DeAvion Anderson (junior, psychology) said. “So I’m excited for that.”

Anderson continued by saying that she has been listening to a lot of throwback hip hop and

pop music. Her favorite artist at the moment is Beyoncé. Considering it has been a couple years since Beyoncé has released a new album, Anderson is excited for new music to get released. Anderson’s favorite song right now is “Go Crazy” by Chris Brown.

“I love the feeling the music gives me,” Madison Weakland (sophomore, nursing) said. “I have so many happy memories attached to the songs.”

Weakland revealed that she finds comfort in listening to 70’s music because it reminds her of times and memories spent with her mother and family. Weakland’s favorite song currently is “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison.

Regardless of what music students at IUP listen to, there is a huge amount of variation that is the cornerstone of what makes IUP a special place: the diversity of the student body.

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Sports

Sports Editor: Austin Smith – A.S.Smith7@iup.edu

Coach Tortorella, the Hawks are gearing up IUP is less than two weeks away from home opener AUSTIN SMITH Sports Editor A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(IUP Athletics) Junior Qashah Carter and senior Josh Dauberman are clawing their way through the upcoming season.

The Crimson Hawks football team is closer than ever for the season’s start up. Kickoff is a little over a week away and the Hawks are busy at practice.

“It has been going well. We have a couple injuries that we are dealing with but, overall, not bad,” head coach Paul Tortorella said.

Kutztown will be quite the task for IUP’s football team to start its season off.

“The one area we have to be better at is just doing the little things and playing smart football,” Tortorella said.

The Hawks’ special teams look to be a force to be reckoned with after the intrasquad scrimmage this past weekend.

Dylan Grubbs (sophomore, kinesiology, health and sports science) had a good outing during the scrimmage. During the punting aspect, he netted punts of 45 yards, 43 yards and another 43 yards downed at the two yard line.

Grubbs kicked a couple of bombs all in the end zone which will keep the opposing team deep in its own territory when game time comes up, Matt Burgland of the Indian Gazette, said.

In the backfield, players like Duane Brown (junior, kinesiology health and sports science) had a decent punt return in the scrimmage as well and will be a threat on special teams and, of course, wide receiver.

When it comes to the resources available to utilize on the field, the Hawks will have plenty of those.

IUP’s team looks like it will have well over three running backs to

use throughout its season. When it comes to the running back position, it is vital to rotate players to prevent injuries and spice up the offense on that specific position that may need those five or six yards to get that first down. Some of those guys are Malik Anderson (senior, school of continuing education), Justice Evans (senior, management) and Adam Houser (sophomore, finance and economics).

“I think you will see all three guys playing at different times of the games and sometimes on the field at the same time,” Tortorella said.

When it comes to the quarterback rotation, the Hawks are still unsure of who is going to start and who will be the front seat driver early on.

“Right now, we still have not named a starter and may not until the day of the game,” Tortorella said.

The Crimson Hawks team choices for its quarterback position this year are Javon Davis (sophomore, kinesiology health and sports science), Harry Woodberry (graduate, business administration?), Logan Horn (freshman, history) and Jack Krug (freshman, academic affairs division). The starter could be anyone at this point, but it is a vital position to fill.

The play calling for the Hawks will remain the same for the most part of this season.

“We have continued to run the same offense with a few adjustments the last three to four years,” Tortorella said.

In the end, whatever the Hawks have in store for the fans this season, the football team plans to deliver a strong play. Veteran faces and new faces are always exciting to see, and we will all get a full glimpse of them very soon.

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Sports

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Diversity, equity changes in the PSAC

‘My team is engaged in a commitment to equality as young females’

By The Penn Staff The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Board of Directors recently adopted a conference-wide strategic plan to support the leagues' social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The strategic plan is a product of a seven-month effort from the Social Justice Task Force that was formed in December of 2020.

In adopting the plan, the PSAC Board also endorsed nine priorities for the 2021-22 academic year for the conference and its member institutions.

The priorities were developed under four goal areas: Hiring and Information Access; Collaboration and Engagement; Activities

and Outward Expressions; and Training, Education and Conversations.

"I am very proud of the plan the Task Force has put together," PSAC Commissioner Steve Murray said. "The collaboration and thoughtfulness that the Task Force members put in over these last several months has set a high standard for our league".

Some IUP coaches and personnel are reacting to the news as well.

“I am happy the PSAC took the initiative to form a social justice task force if they felt it was needed,” women’s volleyball head coach Julie Torbett said. “My team is very engaged in a commitment to equality as young females and they are able

to speak openly about social justice.”

The Social Justice Task Force consists of 22 student-athletes, coaches, faculty members and campus administrators representing each of the conference’s 18-member institutions. The Task Force has been co-chaired by Shepherd University Vice President of Athletics Chauncey Winbush and Slippery Rock Associate Athletic Director Torry Rollins.

"Besides Chauncey and Torry's leadership," Murray added, "the coaches that are part of the Task Force have been outstanding in

helping us move this plan into fruition."

Four PSAC head coaches have served to chair the subcommittees in each of the goal areas, including West Chester Men's Basketball Coach Damien Blair, Lock Haven's Women's Lacrosse Coach Lindsay Reese, Millersville Football Coach J.C. Morgan and Clarion's Women's Basketball Coach Jana Ashley.

Highlighting the priorities of the Conference's Social Justice Strategic Plan for the coming academic year are: Surveying student-athletes, coaches and administrators to determine key areas of concerns and topics to address.

Creating conference-wide

programming to help educate campus leaders and coaches on the importance of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Maintaining a Day of Service and Civic Engagement for all teams during the week of the November General Election date.

"The creation of this plan provides our members a roadmap on how to best address and improve our teams, campuses and communities as we move forward," Murray said.

“Each individual has a right to their own opinion and fortunately diversity and inclusion has been an important part of athletics at IUP,” Torbett said. “We have players from other countries and we have varied race and ethnicities on our team. We celebrate the players' individuality, but we come together as one united group when we play volleyball.”

“I would love for there to not be a need for a task force.”

(IUP Athletics) Words were spoken about the Social Justice Task Force and, in the world of sports, diversity and equity are some of the biggest aspects of the sports world.

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August 31, 2021

Sports

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IUP men’s rugby plans to dominate on the pitch ‘Definitely going to be a promising season this year’

team with what every team wants to be players from known for. all over the With veterans world.” leaving, there “As a will be quite a team, we beWhen it comes to club sports, few names of lieve there is rugby has been a top tier program newer players no game we both on and off the field for IUP. on the roster this can’t win,” IUP is a huge athletic school, just season.

Cain said. like any other university. We tend “We are a “We feel this to forget about the other club young team, year more sports because of football and gaining a lot of than ever that basketball being high commodity talent over the we have a sports. pandemic,” Cain chance to do The time has come, and both said. “Dominic something the community and university are Holmes (freshspecial and ready for what keeps this univerman, natural prove to sity on its feet: sports action. The science and the rugby men's rugby team will square off mathematics), community against Robert Morris University a winger; Trent (IUP Rugby Facebook) that IUP is a on Saturday for its first matchup on Stalling (freshThe scrum sled in rugby is used to top tier rugby the pitch this season. man, criminolopractice rucking against players. team.”

Like many activities on campus, gy), the 8-man; The Hawks the COVID-19 pandemic took and Cameron will play Wheeling Jesuit University away all sports’ seasons.

Taylor (freshman, academic affairs on Sept. 11 which will be their first There was a lot done in the off division), a flanker, join us this year; home game of the season on the season as far as work put in by all coming from remarkable high South Campus Pitch, neighboring both the coaches and players. school rugby programs. We are the baseball field, softball field and “During the off season, Larry thrilled to have these three amazing soccer field.

Bouma and Seth Erwin (head athletes join our program and look All throughout the schedule, coaches) and myself and RJ Beach to make a name for themselves this IUP will have a fierce competition (junior, academic affairs division) year.” which brings an eventful season. used this time to revitalize our “There are also plenty of returnThe Hawks will have four scholastic connection with alumni,” Dalton ing players that have the ability to All-Americhange the outcome of a game. cans for the One in particular is senior Brian ArNational nold (kinesiology, health and sports Collegiate science) who moves from inside Rugby on center to fullback this year.” their roster: “Taking on one of the most Brent Johnimportant roles on the field, Arnold son (senior, is determined to prove himself yet criminology), again,” Cain added. “Joining the Brian Arnold list of players that will have an im(senior, pact this year is Captain RJ Beach kinesiology, playing scrum-half, Hunter Bizjak health and (graduate , accounting and info sports scisystems) playing flanker, Barry Ashence), Barett way (senior, management) playing Wiggins (sefly-half and Tyler Johnson (senior, nior, safety criminology) playing outside center. science) and Furthermore, all 15 starters this year Dalton Cain. will make an impact as this sport is Anyall about playing together and as time when a unit.” you have “Definitely going to be a promisAll-Ameriing season this year.” can players The rugby team looks forward to on a team, a dominant season with the even it shows mix of veteran talent and younger character talent throughout the season, hop(IUP Rugby) and dedicaing to see itself in a championship All-Americans Brian Arnold, Brent Johnson, Barett Wiggins, and Dalton Cain are thrilled to be back on pitch. tion which is spot come December.

AUSTIN SMITH Sports Editor A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Sports

Cain (graduate student, business said, “working together to build a better foundation in terms of funding, recruiting and scholarship opportunities for future players.”

“Additionally, we made an effort to stay in touch with one another to keep each other’s spirits up during a time where the game we put our heart and soul into was put on the back burner.”

“As for myself and many others, the pandemic took a toll on us mentally,” Cain added. “It really made us realize this opportunity, [that] we have to come back and play together, is a blessing.”

“Now returning to campus this year with a strong group of players, we look forward to making this year one that no one will forget.”

The time off for IUP’s rugby team was 20 months off the pitch and not seeing any game action for that time can take a toll on a huge team sport.

“In the fall of 2019, it was a tough season for the team,” Cain said. “We were a young team with about 30 guys, and 22 were freshman and sophomores. We faced quite a bit of adversity playing against some of the best teams in the nation at the Division I level.”

“On the flipside, though, many of the freshman and sophomore took a serious leap over the 20-month span of not playing, progressing their knowledge of the game and are physically in much better shape.”

“Every team is facing many challenges which is in our favor, possessing the chemistry we once had,” Cain said. “Since the day we returned to campus and hit the field, most practices have felt as if we didn’t skip a beat.”

“We all came back in great shape, picking up right where we left off, only with a few new faces that will be an asset to our success this year.”

As far as game action on the pitch, the Hawks will play in the Allegheny Rugby Union.

“Joining the Allegheny Rugby Union was not a step backwards, as it may have bumped us back down to Division II, it actually gives us a chance to be competitive and make a run for the national championship,” Cain said. “This upcoming season we will face Wheeling Jesuit University, a rugby powerhouse will end up being one of our biggest games this season.”

“They are a strong, well-coached

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Sports

(Nicholas Schmidt/ The Penn) The women’s volleyball team is preparing for its upcoming home tournament to start their season. The team is to start a new culture of winning after adding head coach Julie Torbett

Hawks are ready for their home tournament JAY McGARY contributing writer fwtz@iup.edu @ThePennIUP After a COVID-19 pandemic-induced hiatus, the IUP volleyball team looks to return to the regular season this week, and the team taking the floor this Thursday will be very different than the one seen nearly two years ago.

Over the course of the past year, the program has seen quite a few changes. The team’s facilities received a remodeling during the downtime, and quite a few seniors have graduated and moved on.

Perhaps most importantly, the university brought on head coach

Julie Torbett in June of 2020, who will now be accompanied by her longstanding friend and assistant coach, Michelle Jaworski.

These two coaches have quite the number of accomplishments between them. Torbett will be seeking her first program win with IUP, but she is no stranger to winning; in fact, she has coached three separate teams to a combined win tally of 447 with Jaworski aiding her every step of the way.

Jaworski has impressive background experience as the standing record holder for assists at her alma mater of Penn State.

Though there is an abundance of fresh faces, the team does have quite a few returning players from

the 2019 season. Many freshmen and sophomores from that team remain, and among them are some key players from IUP’s most recent home win against Kutztown in Oct of that year.

“We have depth in every position and will play a few different players in each position, but the key with the preseason games is to get the team ready for conference play,” Torbett said.

Now returning for her third season, Leah Henderson (junior, sports administration) lead the team with 33 assists. At the time a freshman, outside hitter Nicole Peterson (junior, sports administration) amassed a team-leading 12 kills during the game. Now Lexi Hraga (senior, natural science) also scored an ace in the team’s last home victory.

As freshmen, Henderson and Peterson led the 2019 team in

assists and kills respectively. With a combined 131 starts for the Hawk’s upperclassmen, and with the guidance of such an experienced coaching staff, it is safe to assume that the team does not head into this season unprepared.

With an extended period to get to know each other, Torbett is confident in the strides her team has made during such unprecedented times.

“I feel the players have been progressing since I arrived. They have great energy and work hard,” Torbett said. “I am excited to play. We played in a preseason scrimmage and felt good about our performance. We learned from it and are fine- tuning the lineup.”

That is not to say there is not room for improvement. Torbett stressed the importance of reliabili-

ty and an unwavering mind.

“We must be more consistent and mentally tough,” Torbett said.

The program is looking to return to the 2017 form where a 25-10 record led them to a top-seed appearance at the Pennsylvania State Athlete Conference (PSAC) Women’s Volleyball Championship.

Such an undertaking will begin this Thursday at 5 p.m. where IUP will take on Davis & Elkins university for the fourth time in program history. In previous meetings, IUP has a 2-1 lead against the Senators where the single loss came from a close 3-2 loss in September of 2019.

“The match on Sept. 2 is an actual game and will count versus Davis & Elkins at 5 p.m. We will play the best players at this point and know everyone contributes in different ways,” Torbett said.

Taking place at home in the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex, the Crimson Hawks hope to come out hot with an ace and finish the night with a win.