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The Penn

HOODIE ALLEN TO HEADLINE IUP’S SPRING CONCERT

INDIANA OFFERS NEW SCREENING OPTIONS FOR RISING STI RATES PAGE 3

NEWS | PAGE 3

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2017

CULTURE | PAGE 12

VOL. 107 NO. 34

SPORTS | PAGE 18

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The Penn // INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

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Cover By Kelsea Oravic

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ALUMNUS APPEARS ON CNN, LENDS TAX-EXEMPTION EXPERTISE

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NEWS

THE PENN

News Editor: Alexandria Mansfield – A.M.Mansfield@iup.edu Lead News Writer: Stephanie Bachman – S.L.Bachman2@iup.edu

Indiana offers new screening options for rising STI rates

By STEPHANIE BACHMAN Lead News Writer S.L.Bachman2@iup.edu

Rates of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, among young people are rising annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the CDC, people aged 15 to 24 acquire half of all new sexually transmitted infections.

Men and women aged 20 to 24 have the highest rates of chlamydia and gonorrhea compared to other age groups.

In response to the high rates of STIs among young people, the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force (PATF) is partnering with Adagio Health Indiana to offer free screenings once a month.

Justin Cobb (junior, communications media/religious studies) said that, while he knows some information about STIs, he feels the information is not readily available.

“I would say I know enough to say I definitely don’t want to contract one,” Cobb said. “Most of the information I have about STIs, other than my [own] research into HIV AIDS, came from what I learned in high school.

“I feel like most people don’t learn enough about STIs in high school due to the lack of information. You’re lucky if you get any sex ed in high school. We don’t teach kids how to practice safe sex, [including] condom usage, birth control, consent, etc.”

Forty-four percent of young people living with HIV do not know they have the virus, which makes transmission more common, according to the CDC. “The only time when you need information about STIs is when it is too late,” Cobb said.

PATF and Adagio will be offering free testing for HIV, STIs and hepatitis C from 11 a.m. to 2

News

(Pixabay) Antibiotics, both oral and injected, can be used to treat certain types of sexually transmitted infections.

We’re here to help students. We want them to get tested even if they feel they aren’t high-risk.

-Melissa Dick (Health Service nurse director) p.m. on the last Thursday of every month, starting this Thursday.

The HIV, hepatitis C and syphilis results will be available in 20 minutes, while the chlamydia and gonorrhea results take about a week.

PATF is a fairly small nonprofit that has been around since 1985 and serves 11 counties in western Pennsylvania, including Indiana County.

They have client service centers throughout the state, but their main location is in Pittsburgh.

Jason Herring, the community

health director for PATF, said this is not the first time PATF has teamed up with other organizations outside of Pittsburgh to do free testing.

“We partner with a lot of organizations in the Pittsburgh region,” Herring said. “We’ve really been trying to make a concerted effort to [do more work] in rural areas and do what we can.”

Herring said the screening process will be testing for antibodies.

He encouraged anyone to go to his or her regular doctor if the results come back positive because it could be a false positive.

He said anyone who has unprotected sex is at risk and should get tested, and that PATF will continue to offer the screenings as long as there is a need.

“Especially [with] syphilis, hepatitis C and HIV; you can have it for years and not know it,” Herring said.

“The numbers are skyrocketing for young people. The only

February 21, 2017

way you can tell is to get tested. If you’ve had unprotected sex, you are at risk.

“You want to take care of yourself, and you do these things. It’s a natural thing, and we don’t judge people. Happier, healthier people make happier, healthier communities,” he said.

Adagio Health Indiana is not the only place students can get tested for STIs. The IUP Health Service began offering screenings last fall. It has a walk-in clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month. The clinic takes 10 to 15 minutes.

Melissa Dick, nurse director at the Health Service, explained that it is just a urine sample to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and a blood draw to test for HIV and syphilis.

She said students who get the testing done through the clinic get the results in about a week, and that the Health Service offers some

counseling regarding risk reduction and keeping students safe.

“We try to think of why students don’t get tested, and I think they don’t know what’s going to happen to them when they come in,” Dick said.

Last semester, the clinic saw about 25 to 35 people each month.

In addition to the monthly clinic, Dick encouraged students to call the Health Service at 724-357-2550 with any questions.

Students can speak to nurses confidentially about sexual health if they need to.

“Most of the stuff is treatable, and we do that here,” Dick said.

“So many kids are uneducated on how to stay safe, the importance of getting tested and signs and symptoms.

“These things are treatable, but if [students] don’t get tested, they can’t be treated. We’re here to help students. We want them to get tested even if they feel they aren’t high-risk.”

While the monthly screenings at Adagio Health Indiana are free, there is a small fee for the IUPbased clinic.

“Health care is expensive,” Cobb said.

“Here at IUP, it costs $25 to get yourself tested. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but to a college student, especially one who lives on their own, paying bills, rent and food, that’s a lot.

“Sexual health is important, and I understand that is probably why there is a price tag. It’s just a fact that between the price of getting it for free and paying $25, I’m obviously going to choose the free option.

“I feel it should be made a priority when we budget, so I support any program that helps offset the cost.”

The Health Service is located on the ground floor of Suites on Maple East, while Adagio Health Indiana is located at 1097 Oak St.

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February 21, 2017

4

News

Officer dead, another injured in California shootout

By TONY BARBOZA and RICHARD WINTON Los Angeles Times TNS

One officer was killed and a second injured in a shootout with a gang member who was wounded in the Monday morning altercation in Whittier, Calif., authorities said.

Two Whittier Police Department officers responding to the scene of a traffic collision were getting out of their vehicle about 8 a.m. when a gang member driving a stolen car opened fire with a semiautomatic pistol, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Lt. John Corina.

The two officers and wounded

Police Blotter Alcohol Violation

• Maya Rubach, 18, of Garnet Valley, and Colin Hale, 19, of Washington, were cited for underage drinking at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 11 in Wallwork Hall, according to IUP University Police.

Drug Violations

• Michael Wissinger, 32, of Kittanning, was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana at 6:50 p.m. Feb. 6 in the 500 block of Philadelphia Street, according to the Indiana Borough Police Department.

• Crystal Miller, 27, of Indiana, was charged with possession of a controlled substance at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the 400 block of Water Street, according to borough police.

• Joseph Antonucci, 19, of Oakdale, was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia at 8:39 p.m. Feb. 14 in Suites on Pratt, according to university police.

• Kyhir Davis, 22, of Philadelphia, was charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia at 2:39 p.m.

Feb. 15 in the 100 block of North Sixth Street, according to borough police.

Burglary

• Jude Yackuboskey, 41, of Indiana, was charged with burglary, criminal trespass, loitering and prowling at night, possessing instruments of crime and criminal mischief at 10:35 p.m. Feb. 18 in the 700 block of Locust Street, according to borough police.

Accident

• Borough police are looking for information relative to an accident which occurred at approximately 8 p.m. Feb. 13 at 1100 Oakland Ave. Anyone with information is asked to contact borough police at 724-349-2121.

Criminal Conspiracy

• Demond Smith-Cheatham, 19, of Philadelphia, was charged with criminal conspiracy and possession of stolen property at 12:15 a.m. Feb. 12 on Grant Street, according to university police.

suspect were taken to the hospital, where one officer was pronounced dead, Corina said.

The other wounded officer and the suspect are both in stable condition.

The wounded suspect was a known gang member, Corina said.

Emergency responders at the scene near Colima Road and Mar

Vista Street performed CPR on a male officer while wheeling him into an ambulance, said Brian Feinzimer, a freelance photojournalist who was at the scene as authorities responded Monday morning.

Also visible in the eastbound lanes of Mar Vista Street east of Colima Road was a Whittier Police

SUV with shattered windows and a suspect who was handcuffed facedown on the pavement, Feinzimer said.

The Whittier Police Department has approximately 128 sworn officers that patrol cities in southeastern Los Angeles County, including the cities of Whittier and Santa Fe Springs.

February 21, 2017

News

5

Featured Graduate

Alumnus appears on CNN, lends tax-exemption expertise

By CARL WELLS

Staff Writer C.J.Wells3@iup.edu

After graduating, Robert Boston, a 1985 journalism alumnus and former editor at The Penn, went on to work for a newspaper, but found himself looking for more.

His intention was to engage in policy work that would allow him to make an impact.

It wasn’t long before he found himself with a magazine that has since allowed him to reach his goals.

“I found the perfect job at Americans United,” Boston said.

“I’ve worked here for 30 years. I was the assistant director [of] communications from 1987 to 2013, and I was promoted to director of communications when my boss retired.”

Americans United for Separation of Church and State was created in 1947 by concerned individuals who wanted to address the issue of government funding being primarily funnelled toward private religious schools.

Since then, the organization has grown to become one of the leading voices in policy coverage today.

The group also publishes a magazine that educates both members of the public and Congress about the importance of protecting the right of Americans to practice whichever religion or belief system they choose.

Boston has served as a spokesman for Americans United on NBC’s “Nightly News,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” and Fox News’ “O’Reilly Factor.”

Boston discussed tax-exemption, the importance of the separation of church and state and, briefly, President Donald Trump’s travel ban with CNN host Michael Smerconish Feb. 4.

“The dark money aspect of this has not been fully explored,” Boston said on the show. “I think it’s extremely troubling. We don’t want our houses of worship turned

We don’t want our houses of worship turned into political action committees.

-Robert Boston (Americans United for Separation of Church and State director of communications) into political action committees.”

Boston said all the polling data he has seen shows that the American people are “absolutely against the idea of churches being able to endorse or oppose candidates and being partisan because they don’t think that’s what churches are for.”

“You have to remember tax exemption is extended to lots of different types of organizations,” he said. “Obviously, lots of different houses of worship, but it’s also given to artistic societies, literary societies, various types of advocacy organizations.

“My own organization is taxexempt. We are not supposed to be telling people that they ought to be voting for or against a certain candidate.”

Boston said there are certain lobbying restrictions and many controlled factors that come with the tax exemption “because it is a benefit.”

Before he became a spokesperson for tax exemptions and separation of church and state, Boston said he “worked briefly” for a newspaper in Clearfield after graduating.

“For various reasons, I decided I’d like to try my hand in Washington, D.C., and do policy work, so I left Pennsylvania and found some writing and editing work at a trade association while I looked for a policy position,” he said.

Two years later, Boston found himself with Americans United.

Prior to graduating from IUP, Boston said he was influenced by a number of faculty that helped him navigate his years as an undergraduate.

(Wikimedia) 1985 journalism graduate Robert Boston appeared on CNN Feb. 4 to discuss tax-exemption with host Michael Smerconish.

“Bob Russell, a retired journalism professor, was a mentor to me,” Boston said. “I can’t tell you

how much I learned from him. I would also cite Pat Heilman, Randy Jesick and David Truby as impor-

tant influences.”

Boston also mentioned a course he took while at IUP that still helps him today.

“One of the best courses I took at IUP was in the English department,” he said. “It was a public speaking course taught by a professor named Dr. Cook.

“This course helped me get over the fear of public speaking that many people have.”

Despite his success as director of AU magazine, Boston still remembers much from IUP and makes it a central part of his life.

Apart from his annual donation, Boston makes on-campus appearances from time to time.

“I was on campus in March 2012 to speak to journalism students,” he said. “During that visit, I also taught two classes.

“I grew up in a family of modest means, and I appreciate the opportunities IUP gave me. I think it’s important to give back.”

February 21, 2017

6

News

Communications student lends hand for Super Bowl LI Be passionate and don’t give up. This is a very tough industry, and people are going to put you down at times.

By NICOLETTE QUERRY Staff Writer N.M.Querry@iup.edu

Fox Sports took interest in an IUP communications media major from Downingtown with a passion for sports.

Connor Joyce (senior) worked as a production assistant for Fox in Houston during Super Bowl LI. “It was an amazing experience,” Joyce said.

“When I first arrived, we had an empty field. There were no signs on buildings, and we had no trucks yet.

“After a week and a half, we had three huge sets, and every building in the area had Super Bowl postings.”

Joyce said he was hired to help anyone with anything at any time.

He did everything from moving desks to running props to shopping runs. His hours for the Super

-Connor Joyce (senior, communications media)

(Facebook) Connor Joyce (senior, communications media) worked as a production assistant during Super Bowl LI.

Bowl were 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to get where you want to be,” Joyce said.

“Be passionate and don’t give up. This is a very tough industry,

and people are going to put you down at times.”

Joyce said he built a relationship with Fox after he was a production assistant at MLB.com.

Here, he met someone who gave him the opportunity to work with the NFL Network as a production assistant of the network’s “Thursday Night Football” telecasts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

At “Thursday Night Football,” Joyce met someone who offered

him a position working with the U.S. Open in Oakmont for Fox Sports.

He said the production managers noticed his hard work and passion for sports and offered him a position for the U.S. Senior Open in Columbus, Ohio, and Elverson.

Before the Super Bowl, Joyce was offered the chance to travel for postseason baseball, but was unable to go due to classes.

This semester, Joyce is working as a production intern with Comcast Spectacor, the broadcasting company for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Joyce said one of his most influential classes was his practicum with Stephanie Keppich, the director of the center for media production and research.

“She gave me the opportunity as the pre-producer for all IUP sporting events,” Joyce said.

“I learned how to put together

highlight videos, create graphics in both [Adobe] Photoshop and After Effects, and it taught me more than most of my classes.”

Keppich was a mentor for Joyce after Gail B. Wilson, communications media chairwoman, recommended the two meet.

Between Wilson and Keppich, Joyce said he was given the freedom to find his passions.

Throughout his college career, Joyce has been involved in many extracurricular activities, including working as the audio-visual supervisor for the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

In this position, he controlled the video and audio on the KCAC screen during events.

Joyce said he would like to become the production vice president of a major network someday.

In the meantime, he said he wants to be a producer for live sporting events.

Florida wildlife officials happy with high manatee count

By MARTIN E. COMAS

Orlando Sentinel TNS

Florida wildlife officials are encouraged by the results of a recent survey that counted 6,620 manatees in the state.

It is the third straight year that the count showed more than 6,000 manatees in Florida.

The count was aided by clear water conditions, warm temperatures and sunny weather, said Dr. Holly Edwards, an FWC biologist.

That helped a team of 15 observers from 10 statewide organizations to spot manatees during this year’s count.

According to the survey, 3,488 manatees were counted in Florida’s east coast, and 3,132 on the state’s west coast.

A similar survey last year count-

(TNS) Manatees find refuge in the warm waters of Blue Spring in Florida.

ed 6,250 manatees.

And in 2015, the survey counted 6,063.

The higher than 6,000 manatee numbers can be attributed to favorable weather conditions.

Otherwise, manatees won’t be counted if they cannot be seen.

State biologists also pointed to recent conservation measures for the high manatee count.

News

February 21, 2017

Temple student and parents reconcile after tuition lawsuit

Faculty, students visit Sheetz headquarters

By MICHAEL BOREN

Eberly College of Business and Information Technology faculty, and students of the Society for Human Resource Management, visited Claysburg Feb. 13 for a tour of Sheetz headquarters.

The group was also accompanied by members of the IUP American Production and Inventory Control Society.

Both SHRM and APICS are for students pursuing future careers in business and operations management.

The trip was designed to expose students to the variety of business forms that Sheetz conducts to ensure quality service to its consumers.

These trips are very important to students because they learn about the responsibilities they can expect to take on after graduation.

Sheetz, in particular, is also looking for a number of new employees to help them keep their enterprise running smoothly.

Philadelphia Inquirer TNS

The saga of a former Temple University student who sued her parents to force them to pay tuition, causing an ugly New Jersey court battle in which a judge said he had “never seen a family torn apart the way this family is torn apart,” has ended, according to her father.

The two sides have agreed to drop the case, Michael Ricci, 46, said, following an appellate court ruling Friday that said Caitlyn Ricci’s parents do not have to pay her tuition. A lower court had originally ruled in favor of Caitlyn Ricci, 23.

Michael Ricci said Tuesday he and his ex-wife, Maura McGarvey, have reconciled with Caitlyn, and are working on repairing their relationship with her.

“It’s going to take some time to heal,” said Ricci, of Haddon Heights, N.J. “It’s going to take some time for us to work on this.

But nothing can break the bond between parents and their kids, so we’ll get through it. We’ll move on, and we’ll be a happy family again.”

In October 2014, a Superior Court judge in Camden ruled that Caitlyn Ricci’s divorced parents had to pay $16,000 of their daughter’s tuition at Temple. They refused, arguing that she failed to apply for all available financial aid and that she never told them she was planning to attend the university.

The parents said they did, however, pay $906 of their daughter’s tuition for Rowan College at Gloucester County, which a judge also ordered them to pay after a two-hour hearing in which Caitlyn’s mother tearfully told the court, “I love that child more than anything, but she only wants the money.”

Caitlyn Ricci sued her parents several months after leaving her mother’s Washington Township home in February 2013. Her parents said that she had been kicked out of “Disney college,” an internship program associated with Walt Disney World in Florida, after she

I love that child more than anything, but she only wants money.

-Maura McGarvey (Caitlyn Ricci’s mother) was caught drinking underage, and that she refused to do chores at home. Caitlyn Ricci said she left after a dispute about taking a summer class.

She moved into the Cherry Hill, N.J., home of her grandparents, her father’s parents, who have a long-standing rift with their son.

Michael Ricci has accused them of steering her actions. His father, Matthew Ricci, declined to comment Tuesday.

The state appellate court Friday, in reversing the lower court’s decision that had required the parents to pay tuition, said “an independent child choosing her own path is not entitled to support, because support is due only to a child who is not emancipated.”

The appellate court encouraged Caitlyn Ricci and her parents to settle the issue outside of litigation, saying “the chasm between parents and child surely will widen” otherwise.

Kelli Martone, who represented Caitlyn’s mother, said Tuesday in a statement that the Ricci family is “closing this matter for good.”

Michael Ricci said Caitlyn, who did not return a call Tuesday, is now living on her own in South Jersey and taking classes at Rowan.

He said Caitlyn is paying back a loan for her Temple education. The dispute, he said, has been “put to bed.”

“It’s over, it’s done with,” he said. “And, hopefully, other divorced parents don’t have to go through something like this with their child.”

7

By CARL WELLS

Staff Writer C.J.Wells3@iup.edu

(Wikimedia) Eberly faculty members and students from the Society for Human Resource Management visited the Sheetz headquarters in Claysburg Feb 13.

Students who are lucky enough to participate in these guided tours not only get invaluable personal experience to solidify what they’re learning in class, but they also receive the benefit of observing the hands-on practices that they will one day incorporate into their own careers.

“We began at the Sheetz Shwellness Center, a recreation and fitness center available to all employees, with an overview of the Sheetz history and tour of that facility, then went to the main distribution center building,” said Dr. Richard Sandbothe, Eberly assistant professor.

“After lunch at the Sheetz Brothers Kitchens, we toured the test kitchen and saw the baked

goods manufacturing operation before heading back to IUP.” It’s hardly shocking that a distribution center with so many different facets would attract the attention of Sandbothe and other faculty who facilitated the tour.

From start to finish, the IUP students who attended the trip, about 13 in total, were able to see the structure and design of the first Sheetz distribution center in its entirety.

Founded in 2001 by Sheetz, Inc., the distribution facility has since become a primary outlet for the Sheetz franchises located across the Northeast. For more information on SHRM or APICS, check out their pages on the IUP website or Crimson Connect.

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February 21, 2017

News

Downtown Indiana’s Winter Warm Up celebrated with spring weather

(James Cannon/ The Penn) Downtown Indiana was filled with activities during Saturday’s Winter Warm Up event. Festivities took place in IRMC Park from noon to 4 p.m. on North Seventh Street with average temperatures in the mid-50s. David Noker, pictured above, enjoyed the sunshine during the event. Attendees were able to sample winter foods from various restaurants. All ticket holders were entered to win two tickets to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ game against the Philadelphia Flyers Saturday at Heinz Field. Funds raised will go toward the continued promotion of Indiana’s business district, according to the Downtown Indiana website.

Trump names H.R. McMaster as new national security adviser

By MICHAEL A. MEMOLI Tribune Washington Bureau TNS

President Donald Trump named Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster as his new national security adviser Monday, replacing Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign last week.

McMaster, a career Army officer and strategist, is known as one of the military’s most prominent intellectuals.

“He is highly respected by everyone in the military, and we’re very honored to have him,” Trump said of McMaster in making the announcement while seated in the living room of Mar-a-Lago between a uniformed McMaster and Keith Kellogg, who had been interim national security adviser.

Kellogg will return to his previous role as chief of staff to the job-

holder, now McMaster.

McMaster will take over a National Security Council that is short on staff and the subject of reports of internal turmoil.

McMaster has served since July 2014 as the director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center at Fort Eustis in Virginia.

The president’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was given a seat on the council, a highly unusual move for a political appointee.

Bannon was an architect of the temporary ban on entry into the U.S. for refugees and travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries whose ad hoc rollout sowed chaos at airports around the country before it was stopped by the courts.

Trump is expected to order a revised travel ban as soon as this week.

February 21, 2017

9

News

Trump team seeks to calm global nerves, world leaders skeptical

By W.J. HENNIGAN and TRACY WILKINSON

Los Angeles Times TNS

Led by Vice President Mike Pence, the Trump administration is seeking to calm tensions among anxious allies at a high-level security summit in Germany after weeks of puzzling statements from Washington that threatened to reorder decades of U.S. foreign policy.

The annual Munich Security Conference represents a major opportunity for the fledgling administration to clarify U.S. foreign policy and security priorities to heads of state, foreign ministers and others worried about Trump’s policy shifts toward Europe, Russia, China and the Middle East.

Although Defense Secretary James Mattis, who was in Munich with Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and several members of Congress, gave opening remarks on Friday, it will fall to Pence to allay concerns about Trump’s freewheeling style and turbulent White House when he addresses the summit on Saturday.

Pence also will sit down with European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who have yet to meet senior members of a new administration that has been distracted by infighting and leaks, including details of Trump’s phone quarrels with the leaders of Mexico and Australia.

“The first theme is reassurance,” said a senior White House foreign

(TNS) Vice President Mike Pence is leading the efforts in shining a positive light on the Trump administration.

policy adviser. “We’re there to reassure Europe’s role both as our indispensable partner and the commitment to our allies.”

Wolfgang Ischinger, a former German ambassador to the United States who now runs the Munich summit, said Pence’s appearance was highly anticipated.

“We’re all hoping the American vice president will give a statement on ... all of these questions that we in the past weeks have wondered: ‘What does America under Trump really want?’”

The dismay of European leaders who have converged here is palpable, particularly from the Baltic states.

They see an increasingly aggressive Russia on their borders, and are fearful of Trump’s oft-stated admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin two years after his troops seized Crimea and began backing armed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

“His uncritical embrace of Putin, who most European Allies view as a thug who poses a grave danger to European security, is deeply disconcerting,” said Ivo H. Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and current president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

“Alliances are based on trust, and that trust has been severely tested.”

More than anything, European leaders are hoping for firm answers from a White House that has challenged the network of multinational alliances, including NATO, that has kept most of the continent at peace since World War II. Without naming Trump, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen criticized the president’s support of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union as well as his criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

“Our American friends know well that your tone on Europe and

NATO has a direct impact on the cohesion of our continent,” Von der Leyen said. “A stable European Union is also in America’s interest, as is a strong, unified, determined NATO.” Leaders also are confused by the Trump administration’s whiplash foreign policy declarations.

Weeks after calling the NATO military alliance “obsolete,” for example, Trump this month vowed “strong support” for the 28-nation military alliance, a position Mattis echoed at a meeting of NATO defense ministers this week in Brussels.

Last week, Trump appeared to reject decades of U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East by saying the United States would no longer insist on creation of two states for two peoples to resolve the IsraelPalestinian conflict.

The next day, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations clarified that Trump was “absolutely” committed to the two-state policy.

Beyond that, foreign leaders are concerned about the turmoil in Trump’s national security team.

Trump this week dismissed his national security adviser, Michael Flynn, for being untruthful about his contacts with Russia’s ambassador, and struggled to find a replacement until Monday.

High-level staffing gaps also have hampered operations at the State Department and other federal agencies.

Most of Europe now views Trump with “considered wariness,

prompting cautious engagement,” said Joe Devanny, a research fellow with the International Center for Security Analysis at King’s College London.

In his remarks Friday, Mattis sought to reassure Europeans of Trump’s adherence to traditional foreign policy goals, including the threats posed by Russia and terrorist groups.

“We all see our community of nations under threat on multiple fronts as the arc of instability builds on NATO’s periphery and beyond,” Mattis said. “The transatlantic bond remains our strongest bulwark against instability and violence.”

Whether comments like those will be sufficient to calm European nerves isn’t clear.

“To a certain extent, this is mission impossible,” said Derek Chollet, executive vice president at the German Marshall Fund, a transatlantic think tank. “People will be very happy to hear the reassuring words, but they are still deeply worried. The question is, ‘Do any of these people speak for Trump?’”

In a separate trip to Germany, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met in Bonn with the foreign ministers of the G-20, the world’s top 20 economies.

On Friday, the group discussed the civil war in Syria, and participants said they largely endorsed a continuation of Obama administration efforts to seek a political solution under a U.N. framework.

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February 21, 2017

10

White House denies Russian collusion

By LAURA KING

Tribune Washington Bureau TNS

As questions deepened about ties between President Trump’s administration and Vladimir Putin’s Russia, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus flatly denied Sunday that the two camps colluded during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Priebus, in a series of newsshow interviews, also insisted that ousted national security adviser Mike Flynn had done nothing illegal in discussing sanctions against Russia with the country’s ambassador to Washington prior to Trump’s inauguration, and batted aside questions about disorder and disarray in the White House.

Priebus, who was not on Trump’s campaign, has previously said he could not speak to any involvement with Russia by campaign staff. But asked on “Fox News Sunday” whether there was collusion “between anybody involved with Trump and anybody involved with Russia” during the

campaign, he replied: “No.” He was somewhat more equivocal in a separate interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” when asked about a New York Times article last week that alleged contacts between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives.

U.S. intelligence assessments have said Russia interfered in the election with the aim of aiding Trump.

“We don’t know of any contacts with Russian agents,” Priebus said. The chief of staff also told NBC he was not aware of anyone else in the White House, other than Flynn, who was forced to resign last week, having been interviewed by the FBI about Russian contacts.

Priebus, in the Fox News interview, cited “top levels of the intelligence community” as having assured him that the account of the Trump campaign’s “constant contact with Russian spies” was incorrect, but he did not cite any official or agency.

The Flynn affair, coupled with Trump’s strikingly harsh attacks on the news media in recent days,

has stirred fresh unease among some lawmakers about the Trump administration and Russia.

“Russia is leading a movement around the world to spread autocracy and authoritarianism,” Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, told ABC’s “This Week.”

He said it was of “profound concern” to him that Trump was more focused on attacking the media than “what Russia is doing.”

Priebus’ account of Flynn being forced out took a more accusatory tone toward the former national security adviser than Trump himself has in public statements.

The president has defended the volatile retired general as a “good man” and repeatedly railed against what he described as “fake” news reports based on leaked information.

Priebus told NBC that questioning of Flynn led the White House to suspect that “he wasn’t being straight” about his preinauguration discussions with the Russian ambassador.

News

Worldwide movement of major arms highest since Cold War

By IAIN MARLOW Bloomberg News TNS

Global arms sales over the last five years reached their highest level since 1990, with India continuing to top the charts as the world’s largest defense importer, a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has found.

Between 2012 and 2016, India accounted for 13 percent of global arms imports, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China and Algeria, said SIPRI, which tracks global arms purchases. Between 2007 and 2011, India accounted for 9.7 percent of global imports, still more than any other country, the group’s data shows.

(TNS) From 2012 to 2016, Saudi Arabia’s arms imports increased by 212 percent.

Most Gulf Arab states are involved in armed conflicts in Yemen, Syria or on their own territory and have tense relations with Iran, the report noted. In 2012-16, Saudi Arabia’s arms imports increased by 212 percent compared with the previous five years, accounting for 8.2 percent of global arms imports.

India faces serious geopolitical threats from its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan and China’s rising military strength. As China becomes more assertive across Asia and invests billions of dollars in strategic infrastructure projects in Pakistan, including in contested territory claimed by India, New Delhi has tried to deepen defense cooperation with the United States and other countries in the region, such as Vietnam.

Despite rising threats, and a “Make in India” program to en-

courage local arms production, India’s domestic defense sector is not capable of meeting New Delhi’s growing requirements, said Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with SIPRI. “They spend a lot of time and also money trying to develop weapons in India, and things just go hopelessly wrong,” Wezeman said, adding that leaves them relying on imports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged $250 billion to modernize the country’s aging military equipment from fighter jets to guns and submarines. The government wants to award contracts to companies, such as Lockheed Martin Corp and Saab AB, which have promised to build products in India. But Wezeman said red tape, a historic reliance on state-owned companies and constant delays hinder the country’s ability to supplant imports with domestically produced weapons. This leaves India overwhelmingly reliant on foreign imports, mainly from Russia, the United States and Israel.

While India’s share of global weapons imports has risen, China has increasingly been able to domestically produce weapons required by its military, SIPRI said, leading China’s share of global defense imports to fall to 4.5 percent of the global total between 2012 and 2016 from 5.5 percent between 2007 and 2011.

Amit Cowshish, a former financial adviser for acquisitions at India’s Ministry of Defense, said India’s defense sector has traditionally been unable to meet the immediate demands of the country’s armed forces, which are battling insurgents, patrolling contested borders and doing joint patrols and military exercises with allies in the region.

“It’s a catch-22 situation. Indian industry was not able to meet the requirements because it didn’t have a history of doing defense,” Cowshish said, adding that replacing imports with domestically produced weapons will take time.

“You can’t really climb up the value chain overnight, and the requirements are imminent.”

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Safer sex is better sex

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan’s communications director, Pat Buchanan, argued that AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is “nature’s revenge on gay men.”

Reagan did not speak directly about the AIDS epidemic until it caused more than 40,000 deaths, six years after this statement, according to amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

It took decades for people to speak openly and respectfully about homosexuality, and it took even longer for AIDS to be thought of as anything other than just a “gay disease.”

During the Reagan presidency, the government refused to provide sex education, even after he allowed an open dialogue about AIDS and its roots.

Thirty-five years later, the rhetoric surrounding sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs/STIs) is hardly better.

Pennsylvania state law, along with 26 other states, does

not require safer-sex education.

In fact, the state is rewarded for not providing such information in public schools.

In the 2010 fiscal year, Pennsylvania received $1,642,951 in federal funds for “abstinence-only” programs, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS). Congress provided $85 million for abstinence-only programs that year.

Although the law does require education on STDs and AIDS, abstinence is taught as the only “completely effective form of protection,” which leaves a major gap in knowledge for people who otherwise do not have the means or resources to understand safer-sex practices.

While information and testing are now accessible for most people, sex education is still lacking in major ways.

Half of all sexually active people will contract an STI or STD by age 25 as a result of this, according to the American Sexual Health Association.

As the law currently stands, minors do not need their parents’ permission to participate in sexuality education or HIV/AIDS education classes, but parents can take their children out of the classes “if they object to what is being taught based on religious and moral beliefs.”

AIDS is still very prevalent today, and to many sexual health advocates, this system is reminiscent of troubles in the ‘80s and ’90s.

Betsy DeVos needs a good education

By STARITA SMITH TNS

Shortly after being confirmed as the nation’s secretary of education, Betsy DeVos paid a visit to a public school in Washington, D.C. She was met by about 50 demonstrators, including one person who was arrested for blocking the entrance.

In an ironic comment, DeVos evoked memories of late Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who in 1963 blocked access to the University of Alabama by standing in a door to keep blacks from entering. She said no one should “stand in the schoolhouse door” to keep her out.

While I am not a connoisseur of fake news – something DeVos’ boss, President Donald Trump, frequently talks about – I am well aware that the details of this encounter could be misconstrued.

Opinion

Still, I know enough to defend DeVos’ right to enter this school.

In fact, I think she should see every good and bad thing about our public schools. Perhaps she will then begin to grasp the enormity of the challenges facing American public education.

Perhaps she will then realize the educational needs of Americans cannot simply be solved by charter schools and vouchers.

It’s easy to see how enormously successful capitalist businesspeople like DeVos can actually believe that public education needs the sting of a good competitor to spur it to improvement. But we are not talking about units of sales here. We are talking about children. We are talking about the principle of public education.

During her confirmation hearings, DeVos said that schools need guns in some places to

fend off grizzly bears. The comment was laughable, but also revealed a stunning lack of awareness that this is a serious issue for schools in states with liberal gun ownership laws, including public colleges and universities.

In an even more troubling gaffe, DeVos appeared to have a poor grasp of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which sets forth the rights of students with disabilities.

There is much more that DeVos needs to learn to responsibly oversee the country’s education system. The minute details of public education are bewildering, and hell hath no fury like a parent convinced that something happening in school will harm his or her child.

Keeping DeVos from entering a public school will not enlighten her. Instead, we should educate her, thoroughly.

February 21, 2017

With Betsy DeVos’s confirmation as secretary of education came many concerns for the future of teachers and students, but health concerns weren’t really mentioned, even though there is a clear correlation between sex education and the transmission of diseases.

“Abstinence-only programs can actually place young people at increased risk of pregnancy and STIs,” according to the Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive health and rights research facility.

In DeVos’s confirmation hearing Jan. 17, she evaded answering Pa. Sen. Bob Casey’s questions about Title IX, a federal law banning sex discrimination and combatting sexual assault, and said only, “Assault in any form is never OK.” She has repeatedly declined to acknowledge any personal stance on sexual assault, LGBT students or sex education, making Americans uncertain for the future of sex education.

It has been a historical trend that the decrease of education results in an increase in mortality rates.

The spread of diseases is just one way that this trend manifests itself, and a lack of sex education is a catalyst that could cause it.

Brought to you

By THE PENN STAFF

CARTOON

(TNS)

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February 21, 2017

Culture

Culture

THE PENN

Culture Editor: Jason Daquelente – J.E.Daquelente@iup.edu Lead Culture Writer: Seth Woolcock – S.M.Woolcock@iup.edu

(Justin Hardin/ The Penn)

Student cast members held their dress rehearsal for upcoming performances Thursday at the Waller Mainstage Theater.

Theater production to explore emotional tolls of war

By AGATHA PHILLIPS Staff Writer A.R.Phillips@iup.edu

In times of worldwide stress and panic, people often look toward books, movies or plays to bring awareness to certain aspects of current events. “Electriad” aims to bring a new perspective to the real-world issues of war and the effects it has on individuals and society.

IUP Lively Arts and Theater-by-the-Grove will present “Electriad” at 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Waller Mainstage Theater.

Basil Ferguson (senior, theater) plays Orestes in “Electriad.”

“Orestes is the warrior of the play,”

Ferguson said. “Through this character, I am portraying the consequences that come along with taking life and having loved ones taken from you. I explore the ways in which that affects a human being.”

Ferguson said he was drawn to the character because of the current world we live in.

“To find a performance that delves into the effects of being in a constant state of war and discord is an important topic to explore,” he said. “There are millions of displaced people in the world today because their homes have become homefronts due to war.”

Preparing a performance for Theaterby-the-Grove can be a long and difficult

process, sometimes taking up to a year to even get started.

Dr. Carrie J. Cole, the director of the performance, said she has been working on the show for more than a year. Auditions were in the fall, so performers had time to do their own research on the core ideas behind the performance.

Even simply choosing the performance is a complex process that involves the entire theater department faculty.

“We try to choose the right shows for our students, our campus [and] our community [that] support what we teach and what’s relevant,” Cole said.

“The inspiration for ‘Electriad’ started over a year ago – reading news coverage of world events, local events – and the

polarization of opinions and ideas that hadn’t yet reached its height.

“We live in a relatively sheltered community here in western Pennsylvania, yet we also have a huge population of veterans and active military. Both of those things, consciously or not, shape how we perceive and experience war.”

Tickets for “Electriad” are available online, at the Hadley Union Building box office or by calling 724-357-1313. Seating is general admission, and any tickets remaining will be sold at the door starting one hour before each performance.

Regular tickets are priced at $15. Seniors may purchase tickets at $12, and I-Card holders, students and children may purchase tickets for $12.

February 21, 2017

Culture

(Flickr)

Hoodie Allen is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Hoodie Allen will come to IUP Hoodie Allen is set to perform at IUP April 27.

STATIC announced the upcoming performance Friday on Twitter, along with many other events the organization will be hosting this semester.

STATIC posted a Twitter poll Dec. 14 asking its followers who they would like to see for the spring performance.

The choices were Wale, D.R.A.M, Hoodie Allen and Jacquees. After 1,386 votes were cast, Hoodie Allen won, taking 37 percent of the vote.

Hoodie Allen, a.k.a. Steven Markowitz, hit the music scene in 2014 with his album “People Keep Talking,” but had released many mixtapes before then, such as “Pep Rally” (2010), “Leap

Year” (2011), “All American” (2012) and “Crew Cuts” (2013).

Hoodie Allen will now be adding IUP to his tour of colleges before starting his European tour in August.

Tickets have not yet been released, but for further information, follow STATIC on Twitter.

Other events STATIC will be hosting this semseter include a Laser Tag tournament, a rollerskating party, a trip to Skyzone, a Six O’Clock Series with Piper Kerman, the author of “Orange is the New Black,” another Netflix N’ Chill and a trip to a Pirates game at PNC Park.

For more information, visit the STATIC office in the Hadley Union Building.

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February 21, 2017

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Culture

Pianists come together to make one grand performance

By JASON ADAMS Staff Writer J.C.Adams3@iup.edu

The 4th Annual Piano Monster Concert will be held at 2:30 p.m.

Saturday in DiCicco Hall, Room 121 of Cogswell Hall.

The Indiana Musicale, the association responsible for this unique event, has had great success in past years they have put on the performance.

Sun Min Kim, an IUP professor who is involved in the production of the performance, said the event is unlike typical piano events, such as recitals, where the pianist performs solo.

During the Piano Monster Concert, 40 pianists will perform alongside each other to deliver a truly original event. Some students even share the piano and play together.

“It’s a rare opportunity to see something of this degree,” Kim said.

Something of this proportion can only be possible at select

(Facebook)

Forty pianists will be playing 20 pianos at one time.

institutions such as IUP. The music department has five concert grand pianos and more than 100 other pianos at its disposal.

A variety of genres will be covered throughout the event. One can expect to hear classical, pop and patriotic varieties of music such as “Stars and Stripes Forever” by Sousa in the repertoire. Music that fits everyone’s tastes can be expected.

Although the event could be entertaining to any audience, it is especially advantageous to music students.

“It’s a very beneficial event because pre-college performers get to work alongside piano major students at IUP and get coaching that provides them with great feedback they can use to further improve their skills,” Kim said.

It is similar to what an internships offers, and is an excellent opportunity to engage with college students and hone the skills required to take your talents to the next level, according to Kim. Tickets for the concert are only $5 and can be purchased at the door.

(Facebook)

Tyler Smilo is also the singer and songwriter for the groups Smilo & the Ghost and Daybreak Radio.

Recovering addict to play ‘healing’ music at local brewery

By SETH WOOLCOCK Lead Culture Writer S.M.Woolcock@iup.edu

Tyler Smilo, a 30-year-old folk artist, is set to rock Levity Brewing Co. this week.

Smilo, who is from Erie, will be performing Thursday night at Levity. He started playing guitar and singing songs at the age of 18, and has been doing what he loves ever since.

Given Smilo’s history of drug addiction, his music can be described as truthful and honest. Smilo mixes dark themes with the hope and optimism of everyday life. His music has been tagged as modern indie and Americana, with the punk from his early years occasionally bleeding through.

Smilo’s influences include Neil Young, Paul Stephenson and current artists such as The Avett Brothers.

“My music is really medicine for me, and I’ve been told by others that it is medicine for them, as well,” Smilo said.

When not performing solo,

Smilo rocks out with his band, Daybreak Radio. When solo, however, Smilo performs in a singer-songwriter setup: just him and his guitar.

Although he has never been to Levity, Smilo said he has “found a home at all the breweries that have been popping up.”

“It’s always a great experience with great beer and awesome food,” Smilo said. “I’m a huge fan of those Double IPA’s.”

Smilo is set to release “Burn the Rivers,” his third album, soon. The album is his favorite collection of songs yet.

“I [pride] myself on original music; it’s heartfelt and unique,” he said. “I think it allows people to get into it right off the rip. There aren’t a lot of solo artists out there putting on a show quite like me.”

Smilo has been hitting the road hard, traveling and performing music with his girlfriend and their 2-year-old son. He is booked from now through the end of summer.

Smilo’s music can be found on YouTube, Pandora and Spotify. Check out his website at www.Tylersmilo.com.

February 21, 2017

Culture

15

David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike shine in rousing political romance, ‘A United Kingdom’

By TIRDAD DERAKHSHANI The Philadelphia Inquirer TNS

David Oyelowo has been on fire of late. The British actor, who was robbed of an Academy Award nomination for his role as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma," has amassed a remarkable body of work over the last half a dozen years with "The Paperboy," "The Butler," "Nightingale," "Five Nights in Maine," "Nina" and "The Queen of Katwe."

Oyelowo is impressive once again in "A United Kingdom," a fact-based political romance about one of the most remarkable love stories you've never heard about.

He plays Seretse Khama, the crown prince of a British protectorate in southern Africa called Bechuanaland, who falls madly in love with an English girl while he's in London to complete his law degree.

Oh, did I say she was white?

Rosamund Pike is adorable, if a little too ethereal and flighty, as Seretse's soul mate, Ruth Williams, a sheltered, middle-class Londoner with little formal education who works as an office clerk.

Was this a scandalous romance?

You don't know the half of it.

It's 1947, and while interracial relationships aren't exactly illegal in England as they were in many parts of America, they were hardly encouraged.

But Seretse and Ruth, who get married less than a year after they meet, don't simply scandalize the neighbors.

Before they are through, the lovebirds will have several nations up in arms. They will upend Britain's long-standing policies in Africa, including its close ties with its Cold War ally South Africa, which threatens to annex Seretse's homeland.

Director Amma Asante, who is fresh off her critical success with "Belle," has an enormous amount of material here. She does a first-rate job balancing the film's

(TNS)

Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo star in “A United Kingdom.”

romantic and political elements.

She heavily favors the love story, allowing it to subsume everything else.

The first act, which is set in a London forever foggy and drizzling, moves at a nice clip as we follow Seretse and Ruth bonding over their shared passion for jazz and dancing. The smoke-filled clubs and candlelit restaurants add a nice layer of mystery to the love story.

The film's middle section feels the heaviest and slowest, as the movie tries to keep us abreast of the political events surrounding the young marriage.

When Seretse takes Ruth back home, his uncle (Vusi Kunene), who had been ruling in his place, rebels, taking his supporters with him.

As he cogently and artfully explains, his nephew has broken a centuries-long tradition by refusing to marry someone from his own tribe.

What's more, he has married a white Brit – a member of the very people who have controlled Bechuanaland and who treat its natives with a mixture of benign condescension and open contempt.

The chief's wife has a special role, Seretse's uncle explains: She becomes the tribe's mother, charged with keeping track of its

mental, moral and spiritual health.

How could tribe members ever accept Ruth as their mother?

The fight, which is handled peacefully and with open debate, is nothing compared with the misery the British decide to rain down on Seretse and Ruth.

That includes the one punishment that Seretse cannot abide: permanent exile from his homeland.

"A United Kingdom" is less meticulous and far less subtle when it comes to the couple's interactions with the British authorities who live incountry.

Costars Tom Felton, Charlotte Hope, Jack Davenport and Oyelowo's wife, Jessica Oyelowo, play the Brits as thoroughly racist snobs who are equally titillated and disgusted by the interracial couple.

"A United Kingdom" picks up again in its last act as the two heroes Seretse and Ruth set in motion a clever plan to outmaneuver the forces arrayed against them.

The couple helped transform their people into a democratic nation. Called Botswana, it has been one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the region.

The Penn is looking for videographers

Email the-penn@iup.edu if you’re interested!

February 21, 2017

16

Culture

Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin sells his gear online

By TRACY SWARTZ Chicago Tribune TNS

Chicago drummer Jimmy Chamberlin is selling more than 200 pieces of gear, including equipment he used live and in studio with the Smashing Pumpkins.

Chamberlin's online shop, which features drum kits, snare drums, tambourines, cowbells and other instruments, is set to go live on reverb.com Wednesday.

Prices were initially set between $10 and $8,900, but a price list shared Sunday reflected higher prices for some items. A Reverb representative said prices were adjusted after receiving an "outpouring of interest."

Among the offerings: • The first Yamaha Phoenix drum kit, which Chamberlin requested to be painted to look like copper cookware ($15,000) • A Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute green drum kit, used on

(Facebook)

Jimmy Chamberlin is the original drummer of Smashing Pumpkins.

tour with the Pumpkins in support of its 2000 album “Machina/The Machines of God” and featured on Chamberlin’s August 2000 cover of Modern Drummer magazine ($5,400) • A white marine pearl Yamaha Maple Custom drum kit, used for recording tracks from the Pumpkins’ 1995 album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” (Price not finalized, but the estimated value is $25,000) • A maple and poplar Yamaha snare drum handmade by Chamberlin and a Yamaha drum

builder ($2,100) "I would make charts and keep notes on the snare drum because there were often times when (Pumpkins frontman) Billy (Corgan) would write three or four songs in the morning, then come in and say, 'I want to play these tonight,'" Chamberlin said in a statement.

Chamberlin, who grew up in Joliet, reunited with Corgan and guitarist Jeff Schroeder last year for an acoustic-electro tour that included a stop at the Civic Opera House.

(TNS)

Ice Cube and Charlie Day star in “Fist Fight.”

‘Fist Fight’ gets by on its stars’ chemistry

By CARLY DARLING

Fort Worth Star-Telegram TNS

There’s a scene near the end of the comedy “Fist Fight,” not long before the altercation promised in the title, that more than makes up for whatever weak-sauce comedic sins have gone before. Let’s just say that the combo of Big Sean’s unprintable hit rap, star Charlie Day’s nebbishy physicality and a young girl’s school talent show is comedy gold.

If the rest of the film were as uproarious, “Fist Fight” would rank up there with the “Jump Street” reboots in the “funny movies featuring Ice Cube” category. As it stands, “Fist Fight” is a pleasantly foul-mouthed exercise that gets by on the chemistry of its two stars: Cube, with his NWA-trained death glare, and Day, who basically recycles his likably hapless yet inventive character from “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” into a more responsible suburban dad.

Nice-guy Campbell (Day) and mean-guy Strickland (Ice Cube) are both teachers at a failing high school in the throes of staff layoffs. (Just to show how failing this school is, Tracy Morgan is the coach). Campbell feels he needs his job more than most since he has a pregnant wife (JoAnna Garcia Swisher) and a young daughter

(Alexa Nisenson) at home. So when stern Strickland explodes at a disruptive student, demolishing his desk with an ax, it doesn’t take much for Campbell, despite threats from Strickland, to tell the principal in the hopes of saving his job.

Then, it’s on. Big, beefy Strickland challenges small, marshmallow-man Campbell to a fight at 3 p.m. after school – and the entire school (and the Internet, #teacherfight) erupts in anticipation.

Director Richie Keen, bestknown for episodic TV comedies including “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and working from a story co-written by TV comic actor Max Greenfield, does his best to turn “Fist Fight” into a teachable moment. There’s a can’twe-all-just-get-along message embedded as well one respecting the work teachers do in the face of often indifferent students and bureaucracy.

But that’s not what anyone interested in this movie is coming for. Neither are they coming for the strong supporting cast (in addition to Morgan, there are Dennis Haysbert, Kumail Nanjiani from “Silicon Valley,” Christina Hendricks from “Mad Men” and Jillian Bell from “Workaholics”).

They want angry Ice Cube and nerdy Charlie Day facing off. And, in that, they won’t be disappointed.

February 21, 2017

Culture

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The Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex hosted the Indiana Winter WineFest Feb. 11, where local wineries featured their special blends.

February 21, 2017

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SPORTS

Sports

THE PENN

Sports Editor: Sean Fritz – S.D.Fritz@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Jarrod Browne – J.W.Browne@iup.edu

Smith, Wolosik, Robinson lead the way in Crimson Hawks’ rout of Seton Hill

By SARAH MOLTZ Staff Writer

S.J.Moltz@iup.edu

The IUP women’s basketball team bumped up its winning streak to seven games as they defeated Seton Hill University, 7966, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West play on Saturday evening at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Forward Megan Smith (junior, management) scored a game-high 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting while grabbing four rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.

Teammate Lauren Wolosik (redshirt sophomore, economics) also impressed, scoring 16 points and adding six rebounds.

Brittany Robinson (sophomore, early childhood and special education) tallied 15 points with seven rebounds, four blocks and a steal.

IUP shot 40 percent from the field and 47 percent from beyond the arc.

“Beating Seton Hill was a great win because they’re always a tough team,” Smith said. “We did a great job of grabbing offensive rebounds and sharing the ball offensively.”

The Crimson Hawks maintained a balanced scoring attack while distributing the ball efficiently. Halle Denman (junior, food and nutrition) led the team in assists with

seven of the team’s 18.

With the victory, the Crimson Hawks now hold a 19-5 overall and 17-3 record in PSAC play. The Griffins fell to 15-12 overall and 11-10 in the conference.

IUP ranks No. 4 in the NCAA Atlantic Region Rankings and currently sits in second place in the PSAC West. The team has already clinched a PSAC tournament berth.

California University of Pennsylvania remains first in the conference with a 19-1 conference record and 25-1 overall.

“As far as playoffs go, we haven’t really started thinking about it yet, considering we have two huge games left to play this week that we need to focus on,” Smith said.

Smith added that it’s important that the team continues to play like they have been playing and to lock in for the next two games before preparing for the playoffs.

The ladies conclude their home regular-season schedule when they host Clarion at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the KCAC. The last time Clarion and IUP met, the Crimson Hawks lost, 7959, at Clarion. That was the Crimson Hawks most recent loss prior to going on their seven-game win streak.

The Golden Eagles have an overall record of 14-12 and are 11-9 in the conference. They sit at the No. 5 spot in the PSAC West standings and have also clinched a playoff berth.

Wednesday’s game will give the Crimson Hawks a chance to extend their win streak to eight games.

IUP will then travel to Cal on Saturday to end its regular-season slate.

(Ishaaq Muhammad/ The Penn) Forward Megan Smith (junior, management) scored a team-high 17 points in the Crimson Hawks’ victory over Seton Hill Saturday night.

Smith also brought a great defensive effort with four rebounds, a block and a steal.

(Ishaaq Muhammad/ The Penn) Lauren Wolosik (redshirt sophomore, economics) recorded 16 points and ripped down six rebounds in the Crimson Hawks’ fifth straight win.

February 21, 2017

Sports

19

IUP men’s basketball ties longest win streak in Lombardi era with 15 straight victories

By SEAN FRITZ Sports Editor

S.D.Fritz@iup.edu

The IUP men’s basketball team kept its win streak rolling Saturday night by knocking off Seton Hill University, 67-59.

The team improved its record to 24-2 overall and 19-1 in the conference for the season.

The Crimson Hawks’ win streak is now at 15, tying the program’s longest win streak in the Joe Lombardi era.

The Hawks were able to manage the Griffins for most of the game, heading into the half with a double-digit lead, but they were outscored in the second half.

The high-man for IUP was sophomore guard Dante Lombardi (business), who was accompanied on the stat sheet by teammates Anthony Glover (junior, communications media) and Devon Cottrell (redshirt senior, communications media), who each contributed 12 points.

Sophomore phenom and double-double machine Jacobo Diaz (economics) finished 1 point shy of yet another double-double while ripping down 15 rebounds, one shy of his season-high.

The team also received contributions from Malik Miller (freshman, communications media), who tacked on 8 of the 15 points scored by the Crimson Hawks’ bench.

One of the team’s main areas of struggle Saturday was the ability to knock down the 3-ball, as the team shot just 33 percent from long-range on 30 shot attempts, something they will have to sure up moving forward if that is going to continue to be a big part of the team’s game-plan.

The Crimson Hawks have continued to keep things rolling while on this 15-game win streak, and it’s certainly the right time to be hot with the postseason just around the corner.

While Saturday’s win over Seton Hill wasn't the Crimson Hawks’ best win of the season, it was an important one as the team prepares for the final stretch of the regular season.

The team will play its final home game of the regular season Wednesday evening when they take on Clarion University at 7:30 p.m. at the KCAC.

(Ishaaq Muhammad/ The Penn) Anthony Glover (junior, communications media) was one of the Crimson Hawks’ top scorers with 12 points in Saturday’s win over Seton Hill University.

(Ishaaq Muhammad/ The Penn) Dante Lombardi (sophomore, business) led the Crimson Hawks in scoring with 16 points. Lombardi is averaging 13 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from 3-point range on the season.

Sports

February 21, 2017

20

Player spotlight: Devon Cottrell

By JARROD BROWNE Lead Sports Writer

J.W.Browne@iup.edu

(IUP Athletics) Devon Cottrell (redshirt senior, communications media) has been a stalwart leader and defensive presence throughout his career with the Crimson Hawks. IUP basketball fans will be able to bid farewell to the program’s all-time blocks leader Wednesday at the team’s Senior Night prior to the final regular-season home game with PSAC opponent Clarion University.

On a relatively young team, it is the role of the older players to set an example and be leaders.

For the IUP men’s basketball team, the squad looks to redshirt senior Devon Cottrell (communications media).

Cottrell began his basketball career in fifth grade playing in Pittsburgh.

After graduating from Gateway High School, Cottrell knew IUP was a good fit.

“I came on a visit and I loved it,” Cottrell said. “It’s very familyoriented.”

After redshirting his 2011-12 season, Cottrell made an immediate impact for the Crimson Hawks as a redshirt freshman when he played in 31 games, averaging 2.4 rebounds per contest.

As Cottrell moved forward to his sophomore season, he began to develop a skill as a dominant blocker throughout the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

He averaged two blocks per game and finished off the season with a total of 59 blocks, which tied him for third in the PSAC. After Cottrell’s sophomore season, he began to see a major increase in playing time, as he became a starter for 24 out of IUP’s 38 games.

Cottrell continued to be a dominant blocker throughout the PSAC, as he averaged 1.6 blocks per game and finished the season at sixth-place in blocks.

Not only did Cottrell continue to take advantage of his blocking skills, but he continued to develop his overall game, posting his first two career double-doubles.

His first double-double came

against the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Mountain Cats.

Cottrell scored 10 points and had a season-high 12 rebounds.

He followed that double-double the very next game, when he had 10 points and 11 rebounds at Clarion University.

Now, in his senior season, Cottrell is attempting to recreate his greatest athletic accomplishment: winning the PSAC championship.

So far, Cottrell has led the Crimson Hawks to a 23-2 record and a PSAC West divisional title.

Cottrell has been a major factor for the Crimson Hawks, as he has started in every game this year and has posted 45 blocks this season, a statisitc Cottrell has become very well-known for at IUP. He set a school record early in the season against PSAC rival Kutztown University when he broke Darryl Webb’s school record of 162 career blocks.

“It was a great accomplishment,” Cottrell said. “I like to think I’m the anchor of the D.” Some of his offensive statistics are very impressive, as well. He averages 10 points per game, four rebounds per game and has shot 61 percent from the floor along with a 72 percent free-throw percentage.

Although Cottrell is the only redshirt senior on the Crimson Hawks this year, he is not the only senior leadership IUP has been blessed with.

He is joined by senior Brandon Spain (communications media).

After Cottrell’s time at IUP is done, he hopes to continue his basketball career, but plans on starting his professional journey the same way that former NBA stars Ron Artest and Tracy McGrady did.

“Hopefully, I can continue to play overseas,” Cottrell said.

Cottrell and the Crimson Hawks will welcome Clarion University at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for Senior Night.

Cottrell and Spain will both be honored before the game.

February 21, 2017

Sports

21

NBA All-Star Weekend has ups and downs in New Orleans

By BRAD O’HARA Contributing Writer B.L.Ohara@iup.edu

The record for most combined points in a single All-Star game was broken once again Sunday night in New Orleans.

The final score of the 66th NBA All-Star Game had the Western Conference defeating the Eastern Conference by a score of 192-182.

The game was basically all offense with barely any defense.

There were 122 combined 3-point attempts, 74 combined dunks, 19 of which were alleyoops, and a total of eight players who scored a minimum of 20 points.

Anthony Davis, who took home MVP honors from the game, scored 52 points and added 10 rebounds.

Davis broke Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star game points record by 8 points.

The game did a better job than the actual dunk contest, held the night before, to wow fans with crazy dunks.

This year’s dunk contest lacked the star power and creative dunks that we have gotten so used to seeing.

Out of the four competitors, Aaron Gordon was the only one to

perform a dunk that was genuinely creative. On Gordon’s first dunk attempt, he dropped a ball from a drone before catching it off the bounce, weaving it through his legs and finishing the dunk.

The problem was that it took him four tries to complete it.

With Gordon out, and a lackluster performance by DeAndre Jordan, we were left with Glenn Robinson III, who is averaging only 6 points per game, and Derrick Jones Jr., who has only played in seven regular-season games his entire NBA career.

Robinson III took home the trophy after he jumped over a mascot, a dancer and teammate Paul George for his final dunk of the night.

The 3-point contest, however, was star-studded and did not disappoint.

Reigning champion Klay Thompson was the heavy favorite going into the contest, but he knew that anyone in the field could dethrone him based on their proven abilities from beyond the arc in the regular season.

He later learned this the hard way by failing to make it into the final round of the competition.

A new champion would be crowned, and it was going to be either Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving or Eric Gordon. Walker drained

17 to start off the round, followed

by Irving with 18 and Gordon, who also hit 18, forcing the latter two into a tiebreaker round.

In the tiebreaker, Irving hit 18 once again, but Gordon bested him with 21, winning his first 3-point contest.

Although the weekend was dominated mostly by players from the Western Conference, there was one event that the Eastern Conference can boast about: the skills challenge.

The bigs beat the guards again this year after Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks defeated Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz in the final round of the competition.

Many sports fans and analysts expressed mixed reviews on social media about the weekend, Saturday night’s events in particular.

Many felt that the dunk contest was one of the least entertaining that fans have seen before, and many people have expressed that they don’t have much interest in it due to its lack of star-power. It is something the NBA will certainly have to take a look at for future events.

Overall, NBA All-Star Weekend was a nice break from the regular season and a good taste of what is left to come in the regular season and into the postseason.

(TNS) The NBA has been under some criticism of late for its lack of star-power in the Slam Dunk Contest. A name fans have been calling for in the dunk contest is superstar LeBron James.

(TNS) Anthony Davis of the hometown New Orleans Pelicans won the 2017 NBA All-Star Game MVP after his 52-point performance.

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February 21, 2017

Classifieds

Storylines form for all 30 clubs as spring training begins

By DENNIS CANIZ Staff Writer

D.M.Caniz@iup.edu

Every MLB position player has officially reported to spring training.

Spring training is the time of year when all 30 professional teams send their major-leaguers and minorleaguers to either Arizona or Florida to begin preparations for the upcoming season.

The teams eventually play several meaningless games amongst each other for five or six weeks.

Teams use this time to check in on player development and to see if some guys are ready to play in the big leagues. Teams will begin these games Friday.

A lot of talk has been coming out of Pittsburgh about Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

McCutchen will shift from center field to right field this year, as the team has asked him to do so. Starling Marte will be moving to center field, and Gregory Polanco is taking over in left.

McCutchen had his worst defensive season in 2016 and, at 30 years old, the cor-

(TNS) Pirates’ outfielder Andrew McCutchen has been at the center of trade speculation throughout the offseason.

ner outfield may be the best place for the veteran.

McCutchen will also move back to third in the batting order as the Pirates try to look for ways to spark their franchise player.

The reigning World Series champion Chicago Cubs are looking to make moves inside the organization to keep the championship-caliber team afloat.

The biggest decision the club must face is at second base. The team has two great players in Ben Zobrist and Javier Baez. Zobrist, 36,

will probably get more rest this season so the Cubs can have him healthy come October. This means Baez will be seeing more time. The youngster played second in all 17 postseason games last fall, and this will allow him to develop more at the position.

If Baez plays well throughout the year, Zobrist could transition into more of a super-utility role.

This offseason, the New York Yankees regained closer Aroldis Chapman after trading him away to the Cubs.

Both parties agreed on a five-year deal worth $86 million. Chapman also received an $11 million signing bonus, and the deal allows him the option of opting out after three years.

For such a big deal, the Yankees are hoping that he can help them get back to a World Series along with the team’s young stud, catcher Gary Sánchez.

Remaining in the American League East, the Boston Red Sox have started up their spring training activities at the team facility in Fort Myers, Fla., with a new member to their pitching staff.

American League Cy Young candidate Chris Sale has joined the Sox, and many hope he will be the ace to a staff that already consists of former Cy Young winner in 2012, David Price and 2016 AL Cy Young winner, Rick Porcello.

The 2016 AL Champion Cleveland Indians will be looking to win another AL pennant and finish their season on a high note this year.

The Indians bring back a solid young core of players, whom their management hopes it can build around after last year’s postseason run.

follow us on twitter @thepenniup

February 21, 2017

23

Utley accepts new role with Dodgers

By ANDY MCCULLOUGH TNS

Los Angeles Times

The text messages reached Corey Seager as a greeting and a warning.

"Watch out when I come into second base next year," Chase Utley wrote in the offseason, when a reunion with the Los Angeles Dodgers looked so unlikely. Even his jokes contain a hint of menace.

Seager idolized Utley during their time together and considered him a friend. But if Utley signed elsewhere, Seager would become a rival. And on the diamond, Utley has little regard for friendship.

In January, the Dodgers acquired second baseman Logan Forsythe from Tampa Bay. Forsythe filled the void created by Utley's free agency, and Utley assumed he would play elsewhere this season.

Then, two weeks ago, he tapped out another message to Seager.

"Don't worry about getting out of my way anymore," Utley wrote.

"I'll see you next week."

Utley was willing to accept a reduction in his role and his salary when he agreed to a one-year, $2-million contract. The deal became official Saturday morning, soon after Utley arrived at Camelback Ranch. Although manager Dave Roberts referred to him as an "everyday player," Utley is expected to back up Forsythe at second base and Adrian Gonzalez at first base.

"I think it's not secret that I'm not getting any younger," Utley said.

"I understand that things change, and if I want to be part of a winning organization, there's a possibility that I take this type of role. I'm up for it. I'm up for the challenge."

Utley, 38, has faith in his ability to aid the club on the field. His arrival also provides a psychological boost for a roster that was kept mostly intact after reaching the National League Championship Series in October.

Although his presence on the roster, as a left-handed-hitting infielder, may be somewhat redundant, the Dodgers believe his value far exceeds his production.

Dodgers players, coaches and front-office members speak of Utley with reverence. Clayton Kershaw intends to instruct his son to strive to replicate Utley's effort on the field. Roberts refers to Utley's steely consistency as unparalleled.

Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, sees Utley's behavior as a model for his peers.

"I've never been around a guy that, at basically any moment and time that you walk by him in the clubhouse, on the field is doing something to try to help us win a game," Friedman said last week.

The praise causes Utley to blush. He loathes talking about himself. But he does not deny the zeal he brings to his craft, studying scouting reports, scouring video, discussing strategy with his teammates.

"The name of the game is to win a baseball game," Utley said.

"If you can find any edge in any different situation, I think it can be important."

Iron Man no more?

For the last 11 seasons, Gonzalez has averaged 159 games per year, never appearing in fewer than 156.

He takes pride in his durability, even if the Dodgers may opt to reduce his appearances to some extent in 2017.

Gonzalez battled back and neck problems in 2016. He has struggled in the final month of the season the last two years, with a .694 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in September 2015 and a .645 OPS in September 2016.

He is excused from swinging a bat for at least two weeks as he waits for inflammation in his right elbow to subside.

In addition to Utley, the Dodgers can also use Scott Van Slyke and Rob Segedin as Gonzalez’s backups during the season.

Sports

24

February 21, 2017