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CULTURE | PAGE 15

VOL. 110 NO. 26

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EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Katie Mest Managing Editors Steven Langdon Jr. Jess Truby News Editor Jake Slebodnick

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WRITER SHARES TIPS FOR SAFE WINTER TRAVEL

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NEWS

Congratulations, graduates!

News Editor: Jake Slebodnick – J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu

Graduating students share experience at IUP, advice for underclassmen

Braeden Appleman: Communications Media What are your plans following graduation?

After school, I’m going to be pursuing a path in sports production with the Altoona Curve.

What did college teach you about yourself and your career path?

College not only taught me about the technical aspects of my career but also how to work in a team of creative thinkers productively. I know how to exist and thrive in a professional setting due to the skill set that I acquired here at IUP. What advice would you offer underclassmen?

Advice I’d give to students is to do something you truly love. There may be doubts about finding a career afterward, but you will find something.

That’s the beauty of being a human, we can get just about anything we want if we push for it.

Erin Stewart: Communications Media What are your plans following graduation?

My career plans after college are to work in media productions. At this point, it can be in radio or television. As long as I’m able to be creative and create content for people to enjoy I’ll be happy. My plans are up in the air because I don’t have a job, but I’ve been networking and getting my name and work to potential employers.

What did college teach you about yourself and your career path?

College has taught me that you can do anything you want with the life that you have and that there’s no one path for you. College has allowed me to be a part of these amazing clubs that have helped me be more confident in my decision to go into media production. Before coming to college, I didn’t think going to a university was for me. In high school, I wasn’t the best student and I didn’t take it seriously. Now I’m graduating from IUP, and I’m now ready to move on and take the knowledge that I’ve learned these past four-and-a-half years and apply it to my job, whatever that is.

What advice would you offer underclassmen?

My advice for underclassmen get involved early. Don’t wait till your junior year to get involved in clubs. That is the only regret that I have throughout my 4 and a half years here. If I got involved earlier then I would have more qualifications to put on my resume. If you’re interested in getting involved, get involved with clubs that are within your major, it will build your resume and make you more qualified.

Denali Packard: Nursing What are your plans following graduation?

I would like to pursue a job in an emergency room in Maryland.

What did college teach you about yourself and your career path?

College taught me more independence and how to study. It also made me more comfortable not thinking everyone I meet I have to be best friends with.

What advice would you offer underclassmen?

College is the only time in life you have so much independence and commitments at the same time, so keep your priorities straight, but have as much fun as you can. You don’t get to live with three of your best friends forever.

Anna Hermann:

Human Resource and General Management

What are your plans following graduation?

I will start a master program at IUP in August for Student Affairs in Higher Education.

What did college teach you about yourself and your career path?

College has taught me my time management habits and hobbies that I’m truly interested in.

What advice would you offer underclassmen?

Get organized. Anyway that works for you. A planner, Google Calendar, a white board, whatever works for you.

News

December 14, 2019

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December 14, 2019

News

Police Blotter ALCOHOL VIOLATIONS

• Haley Lee, 18, of Mars was cited for public drunkenness and underage drinking after borough police responded to a report of an intoxicated female at 12:20 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Sheetz located at 768 Wayne Ave., according to Indiana Borough Police.

• Luke Aidan Bicanic, 19, of Daisy Hill, Australia, was arrested for public drunkenness and underage drinking after borough police responded to a report of an intoxicated male inside a men’s bathroom at 1:48 a.m. Dec. 8 at the Sheetz located at 768 Wayne Ave., according to borough police.

(Pixabay) Proceeding with caution on icy, snowy roads could save lives from fatal crashes.

Writer shares tips for safe winter travel MARAN DAVIS

Staff Writer M.Davis@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

Around this time of year, travel can be tricky, especially if you are a college student.

Traveling long-distance with winter road conditions can cause a lot of distress for students and parents that have to come pick their kids up from college.

If winter weather is in the forecast, it is advised to eliminate all unnecessary travel. This will ensure that you stay safe while helping avoid accidents.

However, if travel is necessary, these tips might help ensure safe driving this winter season.

One tip is to carry a winter emergency travel kit. Having an emergency kit is important in case you get stranded or your car breaks down. Some things that you should include in a winter travel kit are a flashlight, batteries, a blanket, non-perishable snacks, water, gloves, boots and a first-aid kit. Also, load your car with winter travel gear like tire chains, an ice scraper or snowbrush, jumper cables and road flares. This will guarantee that you will be prepared for any situation.

It is also important to make sure to listen to weather and travel advisories to make sure that you are as informed as possible about road conditions.

This will help decide if you should or should not travel on the roads.

It is also recommended that you keep your gas tank at least half full in case traffic is slow or there is an accident. Making

DRUG VIOLATIONS

• Hannah E. Anderson, 19, of Catasauqua was found to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana while borough police were investigating a theft at 11:05 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Sheetz located at 768 Wayne Ave., according to borough police.

Assault Violations

• Bethany Aiello was charged with simple assault and harassment after borough police arrested her for being involved in and altercation with a male around 2:31 a.m. Nov. 27 in the 900 block of Water Street, according to borough police.

THEFT

• A black iPhone 11 was taken between 11:37 p.m. Dec. 4 and

12:30 a.m. Dec. 5 from an apartment in the 1100 block of Grant Street, according to borough police. Anyone with information is asked to contact borough police at (724) 349-2121.

(Facebook) PENNDOT’s message for winter travel is “Don’t Rush in the Ice and Slush.” This phrase was featured for its Paint the Plow event held this fall. Blacklick Valley’s (above) won Fan Favorite.

sure that you slow down and increase your following distance is also important. Although it might seem like a no-brainer, many accidents are caused from people not slowing down and following too close.

Avoiding sudden stops and starts is also imperative since roads might be icy and slick.

Being aware of roads that may look wet but are actually frozen is important. This is often referred to as black ice and is highly dangerous because many people are unaware that it is there. The place where black ice is most prevalent is on bridges and ramps. These places are where ice forms first and often without warning.

Carrying a cellphone is also important when going out in icy conditions. Even if you are just running out quick to grab something, you never know if you might need to call 911 or call for help. Also, do not use cruise control while driving

on snow-covered roads. Your vehicle can get out of control easier, making it easier to get in an accident.

It is also required that you turn on your headlights when your windshield wipers are on, per state law. This ensures that people can see you if they have their wipers on as well.

Using low beams in particularly bad weather will give you better visibility, especially in cases of dense or gusting snow.

Removing ice and snow from windows, mirrors and all vehicle lights before driving is imperative, even though it may seem like common sense. Many people are in a hurry to leave and do not want to take the time to fully clean off their vehicles.

Last but not least, making sure someone else knows where you are going and when you expect to arrive. In case there is an emergency and you need help, people will know where to look for you.

False Identification

• Bradley R. Graul, 20, of Chester Springs was cited for carrying

a false identification card around 3:10 a.m. Nov. 22 at 768 Wayne Ave. when he attempted to purchase alcohol with the false card, according to Indiana Borough Police.

• Cooper Z. Babcock, 20, of Athens was cited for carrying a false

identification card after borough police responded to a noise complaint at 1:10 a.m. Nov. 21 in the 600 block of School Street.

The resident of the reported address, Babcock was found to by un possession of a false identification card, according to borough police.

December 14, 2019

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Editor offers advice for overcoming holiday anxiety, depression HEATHER BAIR Culture Editor H.Bair@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion.

The Christmas season is known as the most wonderful time of the year, but for some, the season just adds more stress, depression and even anxiety.

The holidays can make it seem like everything is going great for everyone else except you. Other people are happy, spreading Christmas cheer, but it doesn’t feel right. Something feels off.

Whether it’s from people who have passed away or bad memories that seem to pop up just when you’re starting to feel better, you can’t help but feel that nagging feeling that something is missing.

When people pass away, the holidays can make their absence worse. Whether it’s decorating a tree, going Christmas shopping or even the actual day itself, missing a loved one takes a toll on the heart that nothing else does.

I’ve lost significant people in my life throughout the past five years.

And it doesn’t get much easier.

Around the holidays, I notice their presence missing even more than I do throughout the year. It makes the holidays harder to enjoy while my mind, no matter how hard I try to stop it, is dwelling on the absence of these people.

While these people may be gone from our lives, it doesn’t mean they are gone from our hearts. Though it sounds cliche, it’s the truth.

Some memories of these loved ones can hurt to remember, but it helps them feel like they are still with us. I know that keeping mementos about these people around me yearly, but moreso during the holidays, helps in keeping them alive.

For others, the holidays mean spending time with family members who may not be the best people. In my family, we have a lot of judgement that swirls around the dinner table. This person should stop doing this, this person needs to start doing this, did you hear

(Moody Air Force Base) If you or someone you know deals with holiday depression or anxiety, resources are available to provide comfort and support.

what they did and many more. If someone isn’t the cookie cutter mold that the others think they should be, it’s easy for the holidays to bring you down.

When it comes to being around difficult family members, it can be easy to have the feelings to the extreme.

The best way is to keep true to yourself during these gatherings, is to not let the opinions of family members get you down. They may think they know what’s best for you, but they are not you. They don’t know your thought process or the feelings you’re going through. Just be true to yourself around them and they may just come around.

I know one thing for me around the holidays is the fact that everyone seems to be in a happier spirit than when they aren’t home. Living in Indiana, everyone seems to be going home for the holidays, and it can feel like you’re stuck here by yourself.

It makes missing people 10 times harder, and while we have texting and calling as a way to still reach our friends, it isn’t the same as seeing them in person or hanging out with them, making you feel alone.

"Subconsciously, you know these people will return after the break and “life” will resume as normal. But living in a college town when close friends leave opens up feelings of loneliness and depression, especially if the friend is graduating and possibly not coming back."

Subconsciously, you know these people will return after the break and “life” will resume as normal.

But living in a college town when close friends leave opens up feelings of loneliness and depression, especially if the friend is graduating and possibly not coming back.

Remember, it’s easier to keep in contact with friends and those

who live far away now than when our parents were in college. Now we have social media, texting, calling and even emailing when we’re missing our friends. Sure, we all have our own lives, but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep up-todate with each others’ lives over break.

Personally, I hate breaks when

KNOW MORE TO NO MORE

everyone goes home. I try to keep in contact with as many people as I can, but I also make a to-do list for throughout the break. When the semester is happening, I don’t have a lot of time for things I usually enjoy or need to get done.

I’ve been wanting to rearrange my bedroom for months, as well as get back into painting and writing.

However, it’s been difficult with the semester, two jobs and new work schedules, as well as making sure everything is done for classes when it was needed. I didn’t have the time to complete everything I wanted to. Now with the break, it’ll be easier to find time to do things.

I find keeping busy during the holidays also helps combat with depression and the “something’s missing” feeling. It can be hard to even want to keep busy, but powering through the feeling of wanting to do nothing will help keep the winter blues away. I have a half-page of to-do items and am actually looking forward to doing them.

Even though seasonal depression can be hard to combat and can even cause feelings of loneliness, anxiety and added stress, try to enjoy the days as much as possible. It is a break from the academic stress, and, while you may view it as just another time of heightened depression, it will pass.

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December 14, 2019

News

Dawning the Red Kettle: The Salvation Army’s biggest drive CASEY COFFIELD Contributing Writer C.J.Coffield@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The red kettle originated in San Francisco by Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee. In 1891, McFee became burdened by the knowledge of San Francisco’s amount of homeless people. With his mind set on feeding the homeless that holiday season, McFee set out to create a project to fund this dinner.

“The Salvation Army exists to meet human needs wherever, whenever and however we can,” according to the Salvation Army website.

An iron kettle known as “Simpson’s Pot” is located in Liverpool, England, and is the inspiration behind the famed Salvation Army red kettle. After brainstorming and praying about how he might feed roughly 1,000 homeless individuals on Christmas Day, his mind drifted to this kettle he saw during his sailor days.

Then, McFee was certain he has a sure-fire way of collecting a sizeable donation. The follow-

(Casey Coffield/The Penn) Bill Lemmon, an Indiana native, rings the bell for the Salvation Army. Lemmon, alongside other volunteers, can be seen collecting donations at Walmart and other shopping centers.

ing day, he set out to display a similar kettle at the Oakland Ferry Landing at the end of Market Street. Paired with it was a sign he created reading “Keep

the Pot Boiling.” It did not take long for this kettle to accumulate enough donations to feed San Francisco’s homeless people that Christmas Day.

Over the course of the next lives in the community. If you’d six years, the kettle idea spread like to volunteer, visit salvationacross the country, ranging from armyusa.org and sign up to to San Francisco to Boston. Soon, create your own fundraiser that’s upwards of 150,000 homeless important to you. people were fed for the holidays.

“This is a ministry I like In 2019, in the U.S. alone, because it gives back to the more than 4.5 million individuals community and I find that a are fed for Thanksgiving and worthwhile cause,” said Karen, Christmas. a Salvation Army Thrift Store Eventually, the kettle idea attendant in Indiana. spread across Other causes “The Salvation Army exists supported by the world, now stationed in 130 to meet human needs the Salvation countries such Army include: as Japan, Chile, wherever, whenever, and unemployment, Korea and many however we can.” addiction, European coundomestic abuse tries. and more. TwenThe Salvation - Salvation Army ty-three million Army works yearmission statement Americans are round to support assisted annually homelessness in all communities. through the services provided by They offer a few different ways the Salvation Army. for the public to get involved. If Rania Rashid (junior, biology) time is limited, anyone can easily was unaware of where these donate online or through a red proceeds went. kettle which are always found “I never donate because I outside of Walmart. don’t have much myself and I With an accompanying store, was uninformed about their mispeople can donate lightly used sion,” Rashid said. clothing to help fund rehabiliWith this new information, tation programs. A little goes a Rashid said she is more likely to long way, and these donations donate the next time she runs can help to heal and change into a kettle ringer.

What is considered too early to decorate for the holidays? Too late?

HALEY BROWN

chandising) said. “Because people skip Thanksgiving, and it’s sad because Thanksgiving is a really great holiday.

“I still think [although it was a This article contains opinion. week later this year] that it should all be after Thanksgiving. Also, The debate of when it beI hate Christmas music before comes acceptable to put up decThanksgiving.” orations for Christmas is ongoing With the encouragement to and has the humorous potential accelerate the holidays as much to be a relatively touchy topic as humanly possible, folks decide with certain people. to put up Christmas trees and Everyone has something to blow up yard decor as early as say about it. Some are extremely mid-November. dramatic about the necessity for Personally, I find the eagerness early decorating, while others to speed up and prolong the couldn’t possibly care less about rush and overthe pressure for “I still think [although it was whelming conthe “too early sumerism of the for decorations” a week later this year] Christmas holiday debate and will that it should all be to be exhausting insist upon this and discouraging stance so adafter Thanksgiving." (despite the unamantly that it fact that almost makes you - Thea McCullough, deniable certain Christmas question their Junior, Fashion Merchandising lights can be indifference. beyond pleasing to the eye on “Once it’s after Thanksgiving, late-night drives). that’s when you can decorate “My family has always started that’s when you can listen to decorating before Thanksgiving,” Christmas music,” Thea McDanielle Zdrale (junior, marketCullough (junior, fashion merStaff Writer H.Brown@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Flickr) Some people start decorating for the holidays as early as Halloween.

ing) said. “Like the weekend before Thanksgiving we start decorating [and] we use a fake tree, so it’s kind of different from usual. But yeah, everything is out before Thanksgiving.

“For music, I start listening as soon as it starts coming on the radio and stuff. I start listening to it probably in the middle of November.”

This year, conditions were favorable for an even earlier push for the decorating timeline. Be-

cause Thanksgiving was an entire week later this November, many who usually would take the side of “too soon” threw away their previous inhibitions and began digging out the ornaments, bells, ribbons and wreaths earlier than ever before.

“We usually decorate after Black Friday, so we start that Saturday, and we get a real tree, so we usually do it all like the first week of December so that all of the little ornaments don’t

fall off,” Olivia Tavoletti (junior, marketing) said. “As for Christmas music, it’s pretty much just whenever I’m in the mood, I guess. Sometimes I’ll even listen to Christmas songs in like July, too. But officially, I probably start like after Thanksgiving or during the week of Thanksgiving.”

While some feel immense pressure and stress to get the preparations done as quickly as possible, others find it simple to enjoy the beginning, middle and end of the holiday season with grace and the spirit of giving still going strong.

“I start decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving and start listening to Christmas music in the beginning of November, since I don’t like Thanksgiving,” Isabelle Jabour (sophomore, geology) said.

“I usually start [preparing and] buying Christmas gifts for people on Black Friday because of the sales, and the idea of preparing [for it all] makes me more excited [than stressed out] because I like to give back to people and show them how much I love them.”

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December 14, 2019

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December 14, 2019

JAKE TAYLOR

Staff Writer J.M.Taylor8@iup.edu @JakeTaylor8726

JAKE SLEBODNICK

News Editor J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu @Jake_WIUP

This article contains opinion.

Taylor is the anti-Christmas position. Slebodnick is the pro-Christmas side.

Taylor’s Take: AGAINST No, don’t call me the heat miser, but I’m still going to light up Christmas with this article.

An unusual piece coming from the “all things right, no things wrong� sports analyst, but c'mon, people, that’s in all aspects of my life.

They say the holiday season is a time for family, friends and rejoicing. However, nowadays, all we see is strung-out parents, overcrowded roadways and too many damn commercials. It is safe to say the holidays are RUINED! I’m sure there are plenty of electric souls out there like myself who try and make the best of all situations, but the soulless season approaching is a struggle for all.

So sit down, shut up and drink some milk. Santa isn’t real.

Who in the flying roody doo reindeer poo is Santa Claus?

I cannot believe we were all stupid enough to believe a big fat hairy white man watched us while we slept and kept a list of all of our naughty actions. As if that doesn’t sound bad enough, once a year, the man slips into your house when everyone is asleep, rewards the rich kids and punishes the poor.

How jolly is that? When you’re a kid, you don’t give a damn about how precious time is with your family. Matter of fact, kids only care about how hard the elves are working in Santa’s sweatshop to get them the new Nerf a** blaster 1000. They have no clue their parents are working overtime to buy them the hottest new trends.

All the movies push the narrative that, the more you believe in Santa, the better Christmas will be. Children should know that doing more chores at an efficient rate will get their parent's approval for better gifts, rather than doing the bare minimum, believing in Santa and getting pissed off when he brings the wrong gift down

(Flickr) Rudolph gained confidence through his imperfections rather than getting down on himself.

the imaginary chimney they don’t have.

I’m not saying there isn’t beauty left in the holiday; there just isn’t beauty in materialism.

I know it doesn’t help when every main character who has the most joy in every Christmas movie gets bullied half to hell. Rudolph, Elf, Del Griffith, Clark Griswold, all the misfit toys. Hell, Kevin McAlister gets forgotten about by everyone in his family. That’s probably the reason he’s capable of such contraptions.

Don’t even get me started on how every girl thinks some guy is gonna sweep her off her feet and get married at the North Pole. No, the guy cares about one thing and one thing only. He needs someone to buy him the new “Call of Duty� because he’s too old for Santa Claus.

Of course, there is still joy in the holiday season. Who doesn’t enjoy untangling all the lights, stepping on pine needles and faking a smile when Uncle Jack gives you Axe body spray?

I am not trying to be a Grinch in any way whatsoever. It is a hot take article for a reason. Everyone enjoy your holiday break, spend time with family, friends or whatever makes you happy. Volunteer in your community and give back. If you have the technology and time to read this article, you have time

to help those worse off.

So sit down, shut up and make a difference.

Less-Essential Jake’s Counter: PRO I want to preface by saying I agree that Christmas has become a materialistic holiday rather than a celebration of family and the birth of Jesus Christ.

One thing I have to oppose is the generalization that everyone does this.

But to utter the statement that the stronger the belief in Santa, the better the holiday is absolutely ludicrous. There are still people out there that take the holiday for what it’s meant to be.

You cannot place blame on children for believing in Santa since that adds to the magic of Christmas.

Remember waking up at 5 a.m. to drag your groggy parents out of bed to see what Santa brought them for a good demeanor?

Remember the looks on your parents’ faces when your face glowed with joy when you got something you spent countless nights praying for?

The excitement and magic that surrounded that is something that cannot be reached when children are told that there is no Santa.

But those principles are what Christmas is about.

There are others out there, however, that stick to the true morals of the holiday season.

My family is a good example.

Every Christmas, instead of focusing on what we get, we gather around our dining room table and enjoy an authentic Polish Christmas dinner with my aunts that are happy just to make it to another Christmas with us.

We share stories about past holiday celebrations, enjoy traditional food (i.e. fish, babalki, haluski, etc.) and enjoy each other’s company.

Additionally, we turn on the television to indulge in our favorite Christmas film, “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.� I wouldn’t go as far as to say that Clark Griswold is bullied, but rather is bothered by inconveniences that I’m sure multiple families go through each Christmas season.

The annoying cousin, the corrupt boss and family disarray, while cliche, is relatable among the

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public. Plus it adds for a hilarious family movie.

Rudolph, Kevin McAlister and the other misfit toys are not just thrown into movies to be bullied alone, but rather are taught a valuable lesson that they are perfect the way they are, rather than just rubbish in the world.

Rudolph found purpose in his red nose.

Kevin McAlister found his intelligence and his courage to face intruders.

The misfit toys found purpose in their imperfections, which is something we are taught to embrace when we are young.

On the assumption about love around Christmas, I agree that no one should expect to be swept off their feet during the holiday season.

But making the “men want one thing� generalization and saying guys seek love to get the new “Call of Duty� game is ridiculous.

I’m not saying there aren’t people out there that do that, and to them I cast shame, but the majority of couples around Christmas don’t even care about gifts.

Normally, it’s secretly getting your significant other something that you know they want but don’t voice because they would sound selfish. Not to mention, I know plenty of couples that just want to be with each other and celebrate the holiday with.

Hell, for a single guy like myself, I would love nothing more than to spend Christmas with someone I admire rather than a video game.

And what’s wrong with Axe body spray? I love smelling like a middle school locker room after gym.

There are still people out there that give a sh*t about customary holiday ideals rather than turning everything into a metaphoric price tag.

Those are the people we need to put at the fore-front of the Christmas holiday, instead of making the generalization that everyone wants the materials.

Also we shouldn’t forget the magic behind the season.

After that debate, I need to quote Clark Griswold, “Where’s the Tylenol?�

December 14, 2019

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December 14, 2019

(TNS) Greta Thunberg, 16, became the youngest recipient for the TIME Person of the Year. She took the world by storm following a powerful speech about the dangers of climate change in 2018.

Climate activist Thunberg receives TIME Person of the Year honors PETER SBLENDORIO New York Daily News TNS

She inspired a movement – and now she's the youngest ever Time Person of the Year.

Greta Thunberg, the Swedish 16-year-old activist who emerged as the face of the fight against climate change and motivated people around the world to join the crusade, was announced Wednesday as the recipient of the magazine's annual honor.

She rose to fame after cutting class in August 2018 to protest climate change – and the lack of action by world leaders to combat it – all by herself, but millions across the globe have joined her mission in the months since.

"We can't just continue living as if there was no tomorrow, because there is a tomorrow," Thunberg told Time in the issue's cover story. "That is all we

are saying."

The Person of the Year issue dates back to 1927 and recognizes the person or people who have the greatest influence on the world, good or bad, in a given year.

Since her protest, Thunberg has spoken at climate conferences across the planet, called out world leaders and refused to waiver in her quest to make an impact on the future.

Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal acknowledged Thunberg as "the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet" in an article explaining the 2019 selection.

"Thunberg stands on the shoulders – and at the side – of hundreds of thousands of others who've been blockading the streets and settling the science, many of them since before she was born," he wrote. "She is also the first to note that her privileged background makes her

'one of the lucky ones,' as she puts it, in a crisis that disproportionately affects poor and indigenous communities. But this was the year the climate crisis went from behind the curtain to center stage, from ambient political noise to squarely on the world's agenda, and no one did more to make that happen than Thunberg."

In the cover story, Thunberg and her father reflect on her becoming depressed at 11 years old when a teacher introduced her class to the dire effects of climate change. The teenager's diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, the magazine says, helped offer an explanation for why it affected her in that way.

"I see the world in black and white, and I don't like compromising," Thunberg told Time. "If I were like everyone else, I would have continued on and not seen this crisis."

This year's Person of the Year runners-up were President Donald Trump, the whistleblower in the Trump scandal, Nancy Pelosi and the Hong Kong protestors.

In new categories, pop star Lizzo was named Entertainer of the Year by Time, the United States Women's Soccer Team was selected as Athlete of the Year, and Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, was named Business Person of the Year.

Meanwhile, Fiona Hill, Ambassador William Taylor, Mark Sandy, Lieut. Colonel Alexander Vindman, Marie Yovanovitch and the whistleblower were recognized as "Guardians" for their public service.

News

(IUP Website) From left Matt Van Etten (finance/economics), Lexie Pollack (political science), Na’eem Allen-Stills (exercise science), Dara Thomas (criminology) and assistant director of fraternity and sorority life and student engagement Betsy Sarneso pose with Dr. Michael Driscoll at the Red Kettle Breakfast on Nov. 19.

Greek life raises thousands in donations for Salvation Army OLIVIA CARBONE

Staff Writer O.C.Carbone@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

For the 14th year in a row, IUP’s fraternities and sororities have worked together to raise money for the Salvation Army.

This year, the Greek community raised $4,290.90 by standing in front of local stores such a Bi-Lo in order to gain community support. During the course of more than a decade, the Greek community has raised a total of $40,726.50 for the local Salvation Army.

“We all really enjoyed taking an hour of our time to come together and raise money for such a good cause,” Alexis Smith, (junior, pre med) said.

“I think it’s great that the Greek community reaches out and helps,” Meghan McCreary (senior, nutrition and dietetics) said.

“Seeing all of the Greek community come together and raise money for such an amazing cause makes me realize how lucky we are to be a part of such a great group of men and women,” Abby Jett (junior, child development and family relations) said.

The Salvation Army helps many people who are in struggling situations worldwide. The sororities and fraternities at IUP are proud to serve this cause for the past 14 years and for the years to come.

IUP President Michael Driscoll introduced the Greek community members in attendance at a breakfast. These students included Matt Van Etten (finance and economics), Lexie Pollock (political science), Na’eem Allen-Stills

(exercise science), Dara Thomas (criminology) and Betsy Sarneso, assistant director of fraternity and sorority life and student engagement at IUP. On another note, IUP’s Office of Service Learning in the Career and Professional Development Center has organized a drive on campus for the Angels’ Wings program, a gift exchange during the holiday season that’s created to give gifts to more than 2,000 children, elderly and physically/ mentally challenged people in the Indiana area.

Tags with gift requests were to be picked up between Nov. 18–22 in the following campus buildings: the Hadley Union Building Atrium, Davis Hall, Office of Student Affairs (Sutton Hall), Johnson Hall, Stouffer Hall, Uhler Hall, McElhaney Hall and Eberly College of Business and Information Technology.

Unwrapped gifts with the tag placed on it were to be returned to the HUB on Dec. 2 and 3 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Gifts were also dropped off at Pratt Hall on both those days from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and 8 a.m. until 7 p.m.

For more information, contact Brianna Faber at shfw@iup.edu or Angela Martinelli at martinel@iup.edu, 302 Pratt Hall, (724) 357-2235.

There was also an Angels’ Wings Book Drive that ended Dec. 6. The IUP Libraries partnered with the Indiana Gazette and the Indiana County Community Action Program in order to have a successful event. To give a book this holiday season, contact Kell Heider, education librarian, at yheider@iup.edu.

News

December 14, 2019

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December 14, 2019

News

SLEB’S SELF-HELP COLUMN: Class-action settlement reached A GUIDE TO PROACTIVE amid TikTok underage privacy LIFE SOLUTIONS

A letter for graduating students: Keep striving

ROBERT CHANNICK Chicago Tribune TNS

Parents of underage children who downloaded the wildly popular TikTok or Musical.ly video apps could be eligible for a share of a $1.1 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging the Chinese-owned companies violated online privacy laws.

ByteDance, which owns both apps, now merged under the TikTok brand, reached the settlement agreement last week in a Chicago federal court. The deal, which still needs approval from a judge, could deliver a modest payout to the families of up to 6 million underage children who signed up for or used the apps without parental consent.

More than 200 parents signed onto the lawsuit alleging Musical.ly, an app used to create and share music videos, collected personal information from children under 13, including username, email, phone number, a short bio and a profile picture, without their parents' permission.

Launched in 2014, Musical.ly also collected geolocation information, and did not request user ages until July 2017, according to the complaint, which was filed Dec. 3.

"Because the app had virtually all privacy features disabled by default, there were serious ramifications, including reports of adults trying to contact minor children," the lawsuit alleged, describing Musical.ly as a potential "hunting ground" for pedophiles.

The Tribune reported on several instances of alleged stalking and child pornography using the Muscial.ly app. In February 2018, for example, Richard Barnett of Aurora pleaded not guilty to charges he enticed at least four underage girls to make and send sexually explicit images through the app. That case is ongoing before the same Chicago federal judge hearing the class action.

In 2017, a Batavia man intercepted messages through Musical. ly asking his 7-year-old daughter to send topless photos to another user, who claimed to be 9 years old, the Tribune reported.

The class action was brought by Chicago resident Sherri Leshore, along with another parent who lives in California. Leshore alleges

JAKE SLEBODNICK

News Editor J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu @Jake–WIUP

This article contains opinion

(TNS) TikTok, a mobile application where users create lip-sync music videos, is under fire for an alleged breach in underage privacy rights.

her underage child downloaded the Musical.ly app onto a mobile device without her permission, and that she never received direct notice the app would collect and disclose her child's personal information.

In June, Chicago attorney David Klinger sent a letter to TikTok on behalf of the parents alleging the company had violated children's privacy and state consumer protection statutes, including Illinois'.

The preliminary settlement was filed on Dec. 5 – just days after the complaint – following months of negotiations and an October mediation.

"TikTok is firmly committed to safeguarding the data of its users, especially our younger users," the company said in a statement Wednesday. "We were made aware of the allegations in the complaint some time ago and, although we disagree with much of what is alleged in the complaint, we have been working with the parties involved and are pleased to have come to a resolution of the issues."

Founded in 2012, ByteDance has been valued at $78 billion, making it one of the world's largest startups. In December 2017, ByteDance bought Musical.ly for a reported $1 billion and absorbed the app into its own TikTok app in August 2018. The fast-growing TikTok app hit a reported 1.5 billion total downloads last month and served as the launching pad this year for "Old Town Road," the viral country music crossover hit by rapper Lil Nas X. As the popularity of TikTok grows, concerns over privacy violations for users of the younger-skewing app are mounting.

In February, TikTok agreed to pay a $5.7 million fine in a children's privacy case brought the Federal Trade Commission. The complaint alleged that the predecessor app Musical.ly violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, a federal law requiring websites and online services to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children younger than 13.

The operators of the Musical.ly app were aware that a "significant percentage" of users were under 13, and received thousands of complaints from parents that their children had created accounts without their consent, according to the FTC complaint.

While the FTC settlement with Musical.ly represented the largest civil penalty ever obtained by the federal agency in a children's privacy case, the class action settlement may be breaking new ground because it provides consumer relief for alleged privacy violations involving children online.

"We're proud of our result in this case involving such an important issue as children's privacy," said Klinger, who brought the class action with Gary Mason, a Washington-based attorney.

Parents or guardians who qualify will have to file a claim form to share in the $1.1 million settlement. The attorneys are requesting up to a third of the proceeds to pay their fees, which is typical in class action settlements, while the two lead plaintiffs are in line to get $2,500 each.

That would leave a projected payout of about $5 to $10 per claimant for the remaining members of the class, according to the agreement.

Graduates, rejoice!

You’ve finally come to the end of your long and illustrious road of endless studying, mind-boggling assignments and numerous packs of ramen at 1 a.m.

And while it is a joyous occasion, do not forget that you still have plenty of blank pages inside of your book of life and many stories to uncover.

You began this journey at age four, not knowing much about the world or life in general, and here you are now, much older and much more experienced in the world and those around you.

You are now entering the disciplined world of adulthood.

This is not meant to scare you, but rather to keep you focused

on reaching your highest potential in life.

You now have bills to pay.

You have to find a career.

You are now able to start a family.

You can now grow old and begin living the life you were meant to live.

That piece of paper that has your name and what you concentrated in isn’t just a waste of a tree, it’s the key to your future and to your success.

We want to read your name in TIME Magazine as “Person of the Year.” We want you to receive the Nobel Prize. We want you to be the best version of you that you can be.

As you step beyond IUP, remember that you have more than 14,000 students and more than a million alumni who support you and wish you nothing but luck and support along your way through life.

Go out and make us proud.

The Penn

IS HIRING HIRING NEW NEW WRITERS WRITERS IS Are you interested in gaining experience in a professional journalism setting?

Are you interested in turning news stories into money?

If you answered yes to both of those questions, stop by our office on the second floor of the Hadley Union Building (above the food court) to get started.

Applicants do not need to be enlisted as a journalism major or minor in order to write for us.

Applicants also must possess good communication skills, meet deadlines and be available Tuesday nights for writers meetings.

If you have any questions, please contact Jake Slebodnick J.C.Slebodnick@iup.edu (News Editor) or the-penn@iup.edu.

News

December 14, 2019

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Opinion How the editors will spend their Christmas breaks 1. Editor-In-Chief, Katie Mest

*Cue Rihanna* Work, work, work, work, work. But other than that, I’m seeing a lot of family and friends who I don’t get to see a lot throughout the year. I’ll be trading my winter coat for hopefully no more than a light jacket after Christmas when I fly down to Florida to visit my former Penn editor and her husband for their housewarming/New Year’s party. One thing I’m not planning on doing this break is stepping on a scale, because holiday calories don’t count, but I also don’t want to know the effect that my mom’s chocolate chip cookies will have on me after I eat 200 of them.

6. Sports Editor, Elliot Hicks

I’ll be looking forward to spending Christmas with my family since I rarely get to travel home anymore. Other than that, most of my time will be spent stocking Walmart shelves or laying on the couch enjoying not having to do any schoolwork.

7. Copy Editor, Marty Weaver

2. Managing Editor, Steven Langdon Jr.

My break will be one used for relaxation. I plan on spending some time with family and friends as well. The last thing I have planned is taking a trip to see my aunt in Las Vegas for a week after the new year.

I’m going to donate some Christmas money to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and the Trevor Project. Many famous charities *cough* SALVATION ARMY *cough* are notorioiusly not great to the LGBTQ community, so I make sure to do reseaarch before donating. As an openly queer person, I like to support organizations that care about people like me. Have a safe and happy holiday season, y’all.

3. Managing Editor, Jess Truby

8. Grapic Designer, Teddy Jeannette

Over the break, I will be seeing my dogs, and they are what really keeps me going. I will also be seeing all of my family, and that always makes for an interesting time.

4. News Editor, Jake Slebodnick

I’ll not only be regaining my mental health back after a rough semester, but I’ll also be hopping on the “Call of Duty” grind with my roommates, spending time with my family and hopefully DJ-ing for WIUP-FM. Happy holidays, folks.

5. Culture Editor, Heather Bair

Over break I’ll be focusing on my winter class and consuming as much food as possible.

9. Photo Editor, Autumn Dorsey

I plan on taking pictures at more concerts and buying food from Wawa.

10. Video Editor, Sean Seaman

I’m gonna try and take it easy on break and just relax. I kind of doubt I’ll do that though.

I’ll be spending Christmas break working and catching up with friends I 11. Audio Editor, Kyle Scott haven’t seen in a long time.

The same thing I do every winter break: waste time and money.

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December 14, 2019

Opinion

Culture

Culture Editor: Heather Bair – zzzx@iup.edu

Decorating graduation caps has become new tradition

(Photo submitted by Ashley Reynolds) Left: Senior Ashley Reynolds (marketing) decorated her cap with the Washington Nationals symbol to represent the inside sales job she accepted after graduation. She also interned with the organization for the past two summers.

Right: Cassidy Ryman (senior, marketing) drew inspiration from her dog, Lilly, whom she adores. Lilly is a 1-year-old lab mix with her own Instagram account, @lillyanabean.

In recent years, students have started decorating graduation caps with images, comments, quotes and more. Sites like Pinterest and Instagram offer inspiration for decorations, but students also use aspects of their lives like jobs or family pets for ideas.

If you need ideas for next semester’s commencement...

(Pinterest)

Culture

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December 14, 2019

Culture

IUP remembers rapper, songwriter Juice WRLD after unexpected passing

(Autumn Dorsey/ The Penn) Juice Wrld was the first artist to give me all access to shoot at a show. This was during his Death Race for Love Tour. I was just starting to figure out that I wanted to be a concert photographer, but he and his team decided to take a chance and believe in me. After that, we built a relationship, not only with just him but his DJ, his manager. It was cooler that Juice Wrld was my age, I felt more comfortable than I did with other artists I’ve worked with like Ja Rule, who is in his early 40s. After that first show, he also let me come join his other team of photographers at the biggest festival in Philadelphia, Made in America. He was always full of energy, and even though I only worked with him for a short amount of time, I was treated like family each time. Working with Juice Wrld and his team caused me to meet and shoot for his best friend Ski Mask the Slump God, DJ Scheme, and I was a cameo on Tidal. Thank you for these great experiences. Thank you for welcoming me. And thank you for believing in me. You didn’t have to, and you did anyway, and for that, I will never forget it. And I won’t forget you.

Culture

December 14, 2019

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December 14, 2019

Culture

Culture

December 14, 2019

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Does it need to snow in order to feel like Christmas? Students weigh in OLIVIA CARBONE

Staff Writer O.C.Carbone@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The holidays are time that is spent with friends and family.

But for college kids, it means reuniting with old friends, eating at hometown favorites and being finally relieved to not have to worry about school for a little more than a month. Students were asked if they prefer a white Christmas at home with friends and family or a “green Christmas” somewhere else.

“Two years ago, I went to Cancun with my family for Christmas, and it was nice,” Mason Carothers (junior, health and physical education) said. “It honestly doesn’t matter to me. Now that I am in college, I like being home for the holidays.”

A Twitter poll that got 16 votes showed that 88 percent of people said prefer a white Christmas while only 12 percent said said they prefer a green Christmas with a trip.

Many people also wonder what international students do if

(Facebook) While some students prefer a winter wonderland for Christmas, others prefer a sand-white Christmas spent on the beach.

they are unable to go home for the holidays.

Most international students either stay on campus during the break or go home with a friend that they’ve made during the semester. But some international students expressed that they don’t mind spending their break on campus.

Some say they appreciate and enjoy a peaceful campus for a few weeks. Some students were surprised by this because most IUP students are itching to

leave campus for a few weeks, but if they have studied abroad, many are used to being away from home for lengthy periods of time.

Some students also find it somewhat odd to go back to their old friends from home after spending three months with new friends. Sometimes, university feels like a parallel universe compared to home life.

Others say that getting adjusted to home life again with parents around is hard to get used to

again. You have to remember that, when under your family’s roof, you must abide by their rules.

At school, students are used to coming and going without having to answer to anyone or anything, but when home, that all changes.

This is when they are ready to go back to school and get back to their daily routines.

Another common way to spend break is a seasonal job. Most students say that they work eightplus hours rather than part-time.

College students are always looking for ways to make extra cash throughout the year. Many express that their jobs and bosses tend to take advantage of them during their routine. Some even state that it makes them not even want to come home because they know that they will be scheduled long hours.

Even though that there are some cons to coming home for a long break, the majority of students can’t wait to have sometime with their family and friends.

Students remember their best and worst Christmas gifts ABE ESHELMAN

Staff Writer A.Eshelman@iup.edu @DukeOfKalos

Christmas is coming up soon, and with Christmas comes presents.

Whether those presents are nicely wrapped gifts or a bag of coal, they make for interesting stories in Christmases to come.

When you were a kid, Christmas presents could make or break the holiday. A new game console could give you hours of fun, but a pack of deodorant could be as insulting as it is boring.

Jeremy Galloza (sophomore, musical theater and music) may have been on the Naughty List one year, as he received a “literal bag of coal.”

To be specific, Galloza was gifted a bag of charcoal as a gag gift.

“It wasn’t even real coal,” he said. “They couldn’t even afford real coal. It was literally charcoals for grilling.”

Galloza did, however, receive more positive gifts in his life. The best gift he ever received was a

(Facebook) Santa Claus’s “Naughty or Nice” list is an iconic Christmas trademark used to decide who receives their presents and who receives coal for Christmas.

ticket to a Jay-Z concert.

“It’s hard to step it up from that,” Galloza said about the tickets and the concert. “It was a great concert.”

Another great gift was a ukulele that Violet Hayes (sophomore, speech pathology) received.

“I had been asking for one for a while and it provided entertainment,” Hayes said.

She was less entertained, however, when she received a jacket from her grandmother.

“The worst gift I’ve ever received is the jacket that my

grandma gave me that she bought at a store meant for older women,” she said.

“It was so big that I could fit another me in it, and when I tried to return it, the store said I couldn’t because my grandma had bought it in July. It just wasn’t

my style and didn’t fit well at all.”

Emily Lantz (sophomore, human development and family science) also received a gift that was not her style.

The worst gift she ever received was a candle given to her by a friend. She said that the candle “smelled like cardboard,” which isn’t a smell anyone wants.

However, the best gift she ever received was an iPhone 4S, because it was “new at the time and a huge upgrade from my previous phone.”

For Christmas this year, she’s hoping to get money because she is “broke.”

Kayla Bergmann (sophomore, psychology) would also like money for Christmas this year. The best gift she received was also a smartphone, because her previous phone was “old and slow.”

Unlike Bergmann and Lantz, Galloza is not hoping for money for Christmas this year.

“This is going to sound cliche but all I want for Christmas this year is for my friends and family to get along, no fights and everyone to have a good time and have fun at the holidays,” Galloza said.

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Culture

Culture

December 14, 2019

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Popular Christmas movies to get you in the holiday spirit ANNA MECHLING Staff Writer A.Mechling@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

It’s the holiday season, which means a plethora of holiday- and Christmas-themed movies are coming our way.

Movies like “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” “A Christmas Story,” “A Christmas Carol” and many more are Christmas favorites among students and their families.

The Hallmark Channel is famous for its abundance of holiday-themed movies, which are often very popular.

Some movies from the Hallmark Channel are better than others, but it’s often coming together with friends and family that make these Hallmark Christmas and holiday movies worthwhile.

Freeform has its traditional and ever-so-popular 25 Days of Christmas program in which it has a countdown to Christmas by showing festive movies and specials throughout the month of December.

A lot of other networks have their own version of 25 Days of Christmas.

Many students enjoy the holiday season and especially enjoy watching their favorite movies.

“Elf” is a very popular Christmas film depicting the life of Buddy, an “elf” from the North Pole, who wants to meet his birth father and enjoy the human culture and delights of New York City.

It’s a funny and cute holiday film about family and acceptance.

“I think my favorite movie would be ‘Elf’ because he really inspired his family to be in the Christmas spirit,” James Watson (junior, computer science) said.

“Christmas time is a time where I believe family should be together. I think ‘Elf’ really embodies family and what Christmas means to me. I love this movie because it has a great meaning, and it’s super funny and weird.”

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is considered a classic Christmas film. There are two different versions, which include the 1996 animation and the 2000 live-action film starring Jim Carrey.

(Facebook) Mariah Carey’s popular “All I Want for Christmas is You” is an iconic Christmas tune that many students feel is the best version of the song.

These classic tunes help the Christmas season feel more cozy EMILY LOOSE

Staff Writer E.D.Loose@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

(Facebook) “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a famous film to ring in the holiday season

Different people enjoy different versions and for different reasons.

“My favorite Christmas movie is ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas,’ the live action one with Jim Carrey,” Allison Smith (senior, early childhood/special education) said.

“I think Jim Carey is really funny.

“Jim Carrey is a great actor and, in this movie, he’s my favorite part of the movie because he has great lines. The live action version of ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ has a lot of great adult humor in it, too.

“Home Alone” is a popular Christmas movie that revolves around an 8-year-old boy protecting his house from burglars when he’s accidentally forgotten by his family during their planned Christmas vacation.

“During the holidays, I enjoy watching ‘Home Alone,’” Hamzah Sammour (junior, environmental engineering and engineering management) said. “Watching this film brings alive the holiday spirit, and it’s just an amazing and classic movie.

“I love to watch it with my family, and it brings the family together. It’s a great movie that is funny and a total classic.”

The holidays are approaching, which means Christmas music is on the radio once again.

A debate usually starts between people on whether they start listening to Christmas music in November or after Thanksgiving, but what songs are they listening to?

According to various lists, including Billboard, “All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey is the most popular choice.

Other top Christmas songs in polls include “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Brenda Lee, “Feliz Navidad” by José Feliciano and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helm.

As they get into the spirit of the holidays, students at IUP gave their own preferences, many of which are not included in the most popular or even in the most traditional.

Patrick Roy (senior, music) said he enjoys many of the classic songs, but his favorite is one with a lot of humor.

“I really like ‘I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas’ because it’s actually pretty funny,” he said.

Another person who enjoys the more humorous Christmas songs is Dan Taylor (junior, business). His favorite Christmas song is a parody of a classic.

“My choice would have to be ‘You’re a Mean One, Yanderechan,’” he said. “It’s a parody of the Grinch song for people who like anime. It’s definitely an inside joke for us.”

(Facebook) Michael Buble’s Christmas album, “Christmas,” is a popular listen around the holidays.

Patrick Cone (senior, communications media/mathematics) is a part of the population that listens to Christmas music at the start of November. His favorite Christmas song is one he can sing to perfectly at that time.

“For me, I like ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,’” he said, citing the Michael Bublé version as his personal choice. “I can sing to it during the first snowfall after Halloween.”

Some choices by students were traditional pieces. This was the case with Pauline Spielman (freshman, history). Her favorite is “Carol of the Bells,” a song many students seemed to be in agreement about. “‘Carol of the Bells’ is a beautiful piece,” she said. “During Christmas, you seldom hear traditional folk-instrumental music much anymore, so it’s always nice to hear these pieces like ‘Carol of the Bells’ and ‘Hall of the Mountain King.’”

Her sister Rachel (sophomore, biology) agreed with her, but had other favorites, as well. “‘Carol of the Bells’ is defi-

nitely a favorite of mine as well,” she said. “I’d play it outside of Christmas because it is just that amazing.

“As for any other Christmas song, ‘We Three Kings’ and ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’ are mine. Something about how they both sound in both the notes and tone gets me every time.”

“I also enjoy ‘Carol of the Bells,’” Tristan West (junior, communications media) said. “But I really enjoy ‘Underneath the Tree’

by Kelly Clarkson. Not really sure, but it makes me happy.”

Noah Saylor (senior, communications media) was one of the few who agreed that the Mariah Carey song was his favorite. His reason was one that many others might agree with.

“It’s just impossible not to sing along to,” he said.

No matter when they listen to them or what Christmas song choice they have, the students at IUP seem to be in agreement that Christmas songs hold a special place in their hearts, and they are willing to belt out their favorites at any time.

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December 14, 2019

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Culture

Culture

December 14, 2019

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New movies set to define pop culture in 2020 LEVI DONALDSON

Staff Writer L.Donaldson@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

This article contains opinion.

The film industry is a constant, and big movies can gather cult followings or become viewing events. Streaming services have updated cinema and created a new side of it all. In 2020, there are a ton of high-profile movies coming out that are sure to define pop culture for the year.

“Soul” Pixar is back with its new family film “Soul.” The trailer is something nice and special, and it reminded me of “Inside Out” with the heart of “Ratatouille.”

The film is about a jazz musician played by Jamie Foxx who comes in contact with a soul who is skeptical about humans. The film also stars Tina Fey and is set to come out June 19.

“Bloodshot” Image Comics is entering the superhero craze with this movie and will contend with Marvel and DC. “Bloodshot” will be a rated-R superhero movie and will focus on a super-soldier constantly doubting reality and trying to get to the bottom of it all. Vin Diesel plays the protagonist, and the movie also stars Guy Pearce and Eiza Gonzalez.

Bloodshot is set to come out Feb. 21.

“Dolittle” In terms of movies to go see with your family, “Dolittle” looks perfect for that. Robert Downey Jr. plays the eccentric doctor has to come out of retirement and go on a voyage to find a cure for the young queen’s mysterious ailment. He is aided, of course, by his star-studded cast of animals. The film will also star Tom Holland, Rami Malek, John Cena, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer and Susan Downey. “Dolittle” is set to release Jan. 17.

“Bad Boys For Life” Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back for the third installment in the much-beloved “Bad Boys” franchise. The action

(Facebook) “Dolittle” (top left), “Birds of Prey” (top right), “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” (bottom left) and “Black Widow” (bottom right) are some of the movies that are highly anticipated for 2020.

adventure movie will see the oldschool bad boys come in contact with new school officers when a new threat emerges. The film will come out Jan. 17th and also stars Vanessa Hudgens.

“Birds of Prey” “Suicide Squad” was a critically trashed movie that ignited a ton of fan buzz as well as interesting a new generation of fans.

Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was a fan-favorite, and, inside of a solo movie, she is returning with a posse film of femme fatales.

The film will feature comic book favorites like Huntress, Black Mask, Black Canary and Cassandra Cain. “Birds of Prey” will feature Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ewan MacGregor and Rosie Perez. “Birds of Prey” comes out Feb. 7.

“Black Widow”

“No Time to Die”

“Mulan”

In terms of superheroes, Marvel isn’t going anywhere.

The hotly anticipated “Black Widow” solo film is coming out May 1 and will follow the spy-turned-heroine before the events of the first “Avengers” movie. Details are scarce, but the first trailer is out and stars Scarlett Johansson, David Arbour, Florence Pugh and Rachel Weisz.

The “James Bond” franchise is coming back as well with Daniel Craig as the infamous spy. The film will also star Ralph Fiennes, Ana de Armas, Lea Seydoux and Rami Malek in a villainous role.

The movie will feature James Bond leaving a life of peace for a mission that turns out to be more treacherous than ever expected.

It is set to release April 10.

In a long line of Disney live-action remakes, this one excites me the most. The classic movie “Mulan” is being retold in live action and will feature a noticeable shift from the source material. That being said, the changes have been made for the sake of creativity and regional accuracy.

The trailer is out, and the movie is coming to theaters March 27.

“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”

“Wonder Woman 1984”

“1917”

After a hugely polarizing sequel a few years ago, the “Ghostbusters” franchise is back.

The story follows a single mother and her two kids who move to a new town, only to find their connection to the original Ghostbuster legacy. The film is set to release July 10 and will star Finn Wolfhard and Paul Rudd.

The sequel to the crowd-pleasing “Wonder Woman” is coming June 5. The movie will feature Gal Gadot in the titular role and Chris Pine in a surprising return role. The villains will be played

by Pedro Pascal and Kristin Wiig.

The trailer is out and follows Wonder Woman in a wildly colorful ‘80s adventure story.

This is one of my most highly anticipated films coming out in 2020. It is set in World War I and is about two soldiers who are given an almost impossible task to deliver a message across enemy lines to save the lives of hundreds. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth and premieres June 10.

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December 14, 2019

y a d i l o H

Culture

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December 14, 2019

Culture

25

(Facebook) Jimmie Allen (left) will be performing Dec. 19 in Maryland and is best known for his single, “Best Shot.” PnB Rock (right) is performing Dec. 27 in Philadelphia and even performed at IUP during 2018’s IUPatty’s celebration.

Do you hear what I hear? Concerts to write to Santa about Lil Baby: Dec. 26, Philadelphia

KATIE MEST K.Mest@iup.edu Editor-in-Chief @ThePennIUP

Keeping the rap/hip-hop theme, Lil Baby will be performing at The Fillmore after the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year’s is over. Starting at $70, the tickets are for the standing-room-only event.

Lil Baby released his debut studio album in May 2018, featuring names like Drake and Lil Uzi Vert. The album then went on to hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

ELLIOT HICKS

Sports Editor E.Hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

When you tell Santa what you want for Christmas this year, don’t forget to mention concert tickets.

Over this winter break, Pennsylvania will see a handful of bigname artists come into the area, but you may have to drive east a bit to get there, as many concerts are occurring closer to Philly than this side of the state. Pittsburgh’s big concerts will come later in the winter season once classes start back up.

If Santa brings you a lump of coal instead of tickets, you’ll just have to save up some of the money you’ll get from family (or just work your butt off at that winter job).

starting price for tickets are $25 without extra fees.

Best-known for his 2017 hit “Best Shot,” Jimmie Allen is part of the new era of country music, which also includes singers like Thomas Rhett and Sam Hunt, that meshes the sounds of classic country and modern R&B.

Jimmie Allen: Dec. 19, Silver Spring, Maryland

The Front Bottoms: Dec. 21, Philadelphia

If you’re a country music fan and have the ability to take a little day trip to Maryland, you should take advantage of the low prices of these Jimmie Allen tickets. It’s a standing-room-only event, so the

Indie rock band The Front Bottoms are hitting the stage at The Fillmore right before the holidays start to get too busy. The concert is hosted by Radio 104.5, and although it’s sold out on the Radio

(Facebook) The Front Bottoms, an Indie rock band, will be performing Dec. 21 in Philadelphia

104.5 website, sites like Ticketmaster are still selling re-sale tickets. They’re a little pricey, but you can decide for yourself whether or not you want to spend the cash.

PnB Rock: Dec. 27, Philadelphia In the spirit of holiday homecomings, PnB Rock is coming back to his hometown of Philadelphia to perform at The Met shortly after Christmas for his TrapStar Turnt PopStar tour. He released his latest single in September, and you can hear it live with tickets starting at $29.50.

PnB Rock came to IUP during 2018’s IUPatty’s celebration.

Snails, Rusko, Kompany, Jayceeoh, Hi I’m Ghost: Dec. 29, Pittsburgh Just before the new year begins, the beloved dubstep producer and Quebec, Canada, native Snails brings his “World of Slime” tour to Stage AE in Pittsburgh. His “Shell 2.0” stage design, in which he is surrounded in a “shell” of visuals, lights and lasers will make a return, and as usual with a Snails tour, the undercard of support is absolutely stacked. Rusko, one of the artists who directly contributed to dubstep’s U.S. rise, has come back strong since beating cancer, and Kompany is one of the hottest rising stars in dubstep and bass

music right now.

Chris Lane: jan. 9, Philadelphia You can’t have the holidays without being reminded of the ones you love around you. Chris Lane brings the country/pop love ballads from his Big, Big Plans tour to Philly to ring in the New Year. There’s still time to snag general admission tickets that start at $56.

Wax Future & Litz: Jan. 10, Pittsburgh Neither of these artists are particularly well-known even in the deeper depths of the EDM scene, but if you’re 21 and over and a fan of the unique blend of electronica, funk, hip-hop and soul, the Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall is the place for you a couple weeks before break ends. Philadelphia natives Wax Future just finished a run supporting jam band legends Lotus and both groups have been popular around the festival circuits the last few years.

Whether you decide to make the travel to see some big artists or stay in the comfort of your home listening to holiday music, enjoy it. Break will be over before you know it.

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December 14, 2019

Culture

Sports

Sports Editor: Elliot Hicks – E.Hicks@iup.edu Lead Sports Writer: Jeff Hart – J.R.Hart2@iup.edu

Men stay unbeaten in Mansfield, rise to No. 5 in polls STEVEN LANGDON JR. Managing Editor S.Langdon@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The IUP men’s basketball team took its undefeated record to Mansfield on Saturday.

The Crimson Hawks entered the game riding a six-game run and ranked at No. 6 in the country.

The Crimson Hawks had a well-rounded performance on their way to winning 76–63 against the Mountaineers. The team also earned its third conference win.

Leading the team was Malik Miller (senior, communications media) who scored a double-double, his first of the year. He scored 20 points, 15 of which came beyond the arch. Miller also grabbed 11 rebounds which led the team.

Armoni Foster (redshirt sophomore, criminal justice) was the leading scorer by having 22 points.

(IUP Athletics) Armoni Foster (redshirt sophomore, criminal justice) scored 22 points in a win against Mansfield.

He scored seven of his 12 shots from the field, including three from three.

Ethan Porterfield (freshman, ki-

nesiology health and sport science) was a good option off the bench for coach Joe Lombardi in the game.

He was able to put up 12 points on

five made shots.

IUP did a good job of slowing down the offense of Mansfield besides Trevor English. He had 21

points and 19 rebounds on the day.

The Crimson Hawks led the entire game only allowing the Mountaineers to tie the game with four minutes left in the second half. IUP quickly took the lead again and did not look back.

The team shot 46 percent from the field with 10 3-pointers. They also made 71 percent from the charity stripe.

The Crimson Hawks rose up to No. 5 in the national polls before their next matchup Sunday. They will play the Bethany College Bison at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex starting at 4 p.m. The game will be the last out-of-conference game for the regular season.

The game will be part of the nine games being played over the Christmas break, with the Crimson Hawks playing four of those games at home.

Alexander scores 18 as women win sixth straight JEFF HART

Lead Sports Writer J.R.Hart2@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Crimson Hawks have done it again.

The IUP women’s basketball team has won its sixth consecutive game with a 71–38 victory against Mansfield on Saturday. This was also the second game this season that the Hawks kept an opponent to fewer than 40 points.

The Hawks have been a force defensively this year, and their opponents are averaging only 49.1 points per game.

“It feels great knowing that we are flowing defensively” forward Natalie Myers (senior, education) said. “We work so hard on our defense every day. It is one of our team’s strengths and something we can consistently rely on. Our defense gives us the opportunity to be in the game with any team and lifts us up on the offensive end.”

Sports

(IUP Athletics) Courtney Alexander (junior, nursing) scored a career-high 18 points Saturday.

Myers and this squad caused 17 turnovers for the Mounties and ultimately used their defensive efforts to lead into their superb offensive attack.

The 2–6 Mansfield could never quite get going Saturday as the Hawks beat them in almost every meaningful category offensively.

IUP shot a solid 41 percent from the

field and an even more impressive 40 percent from 3-point range.

IUP saw production from a multitude of players, including Courtney Alexander (junior, nursing). Alexander had herself a career game in which she posted a collegiate high of 18 points scored.

Along with Alexander’s standout performance, Maura D’Anna

December 14, 2019

(junior, physical education) and Myers both posted double-doubles against Mansfield.

The Crimson Hawks are riding high on their impressive win streak and will have the opportunity to test their skills against a talented opponent. IUP will be taking on the newcomer to the PSAC, Shepherd.

The Hawks have a strong 3–0 re-

cord in conference with Shepherd at 2–1; this game could potentially prove to be one of the biggest matchups the PSAC has to offer.

Both squads have been on fire as of recent and are tied at 8–1.

With a young squad that is coming up against what could arguably be its toughest opponents of the year, the Hawks must remain grounded.

“I have been telling my teammates that they have to be confident and stay leveled,” Myers said.

“We can’t get too up or down. The season is so long, and we just want to continue getting better and striving to be the best that we can be.”

Strong advice coming from one of the leaders of this squad. Head coach Tom McConnell and his team do not take any opponent lightly and will play their game.

They are going to play strong defense and stay grounded. The players have taken to this mindset, and it has shown in the results.

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December 14, 2019

Sports

Mikesell family affair taking over IUP swim team ELLIOT HICKS

Sports Editor E.Hicks@iup.edu @ehicks39

The IUP swim team’s roster has begun to look like a Mikesell family reunion over the last few years.

While the team has had siblings in the past, according to head coach Chris Villa, even having sisters on the team in his first season, the Mikesell family is poised to become the first to have three children on the same roster in the same season once Luke, the youngest of the family, officially starts his tenure at IUP in 2020–21.

His older sisters, Claire (senior, health and physical education) and Paige (sophomore, health and physical education) have made their marks for the women’s team throughout their careers, with Claire taking home All-American honors in the 200-meter breaststroke and Paige setting school records and qualifying for last year’s NCAA tournament.

Despite each sibling, the children of IUP alumni Jon and Sue Mikesell, being born two years apart, the trio will have one year of eligibility to swim on the same team thanks to Claire’s decision to redshirt during this season – though Luke coming to CLAIRE IUP wasn’t the MIKESELL biggest factor in that decision.

“I was going to be here another year regardless of whether I was going to swim or not,” Claire said. Luke’s decision to attend IUP “definitely made [the decision] a lot more special,” however.

Assuming Luke follows through on his commitment, he’ll actually be the first of his siblings to have his first and only commitment be to swim for the Crimson Hawks. Claire spent her first two seasons at Ohio University before transferring to IUP, and Paige’s initial plan was to swim elsewhere before flipping to the Crimson Hawks.

The family hails from Clearfield, Pa., roughly 50 miles from Indiana, so all three siblings had competed in swim meets both in high school and with their YMCA program and had been around the program during their recruitment.

(IUP Athletics) Paige Mikesell (sophomore, health and physical education), above, will compete with her sister Claire and her brother Luke during the 2020–21 swimming season at IUP.

“I had actually committed else- at swimming until much later, when where first, but changed my mind,” Claire started putting up good Paige said. “My sister was already times in events and Paige was right coming here, and I had been with on her heels.

Claire in high school, and I’d been During that time, Paige oftenaround this atmosphere.” times played “second fiddle” to “I really liked [IUP], but at the Claire, in the words of their father, time, I wanted to be a little further which “made her a stronger comaway from home,” Claire said of petitor,” Jon said. her initial decision to attend Ohio.

“She’s the hardest worker of the “I decided to transfer mainly be- group,” Sue said. cause my coach there had her conThings always came much more tract run out and their athletic de- natural to Luke, however, who partment decided not to renew it.” had the advantage of starting at a The familiarity of IUP and its younger age than his older sisters. coaching staff led by Villa “He’s way faster than I helped with that decision am,” Paige said. “I like to process as well. swim with him and get bet“Nowhere else offered ter [learning] from him.” what I wanted, and getting Luke’s decision to come to be close to my famito IUP came partially from ly sealed the deal, and I learning from Claire’s exnever looked back,” Claire perience in Division I. paige said.

“I’ve always kind of MIKESELL The Mikesell children wanted to stay away from began to swim as children for a a Division I school, and before she unique reason that really didn’t went there, I never really saw myself have any ties to athletics. at a DI school,” Luke said.

“We got involved with swim“As Luke was growing up, he ming because we’re very close to was beating kids two age groups the Susquehanna River,” Jon said, ahead of him,” Jon said, and Luke’s “and the No. 1 killer is drowning. success has led to a pair of state ti“We kind of did it so our kids tles heading into his senior season. would know how to swim and not While he likely would have the be a statistic, so we took them to talent to make it at a DI school, the community pool (and) got in- Luke “wanted to stay somewhere volved with their swim program.” smaller,” and IUP’s top-line crimiThe parents never realized just nology program ended up being how impressive their children were the difference in getting the young-

est Mikesell on-board with being a Crimson Hawk.

“Our high school coach’s brother was involved with the FBI and Secret Service, and he really got me into that,” Luke said. “He said he went to IUP for criminal justice and criminology, so I talked to him and he kind of persuaded me into coming here.”

“We always knew that they would be a special group and have the ability to excel at this level and beyond this level,” Villa said, “so it’s been exciting from that point forward to think that we had a chance at getting all three.”

“Our expectation was just to give it your best,” Jon said.

While Claire and Paige have had the benefit of two years spent together at IUP, each of the three siblings are excited to have everyone on the same team.

“It’s the greatest,” Claire said.

“I have a connection with my brother and sister in different ways, so I think it’ll be nice to have them both on the team,” Paige said.

“It will be nice because they’re my sisters, and I obviously want to spend time with them,” Luke said.

While there’s no real sibling rivalry between the three, it’s easy to tell how competitive they each are, but also how proud they are of each other’s accomplishments.

“We don’t compare ourselves to each other, we don’t attack each

other about anything, we just support each other,” Luke said.

“Me and my sister swam in completely different events except the 100 freestyle,” Paige said, “but I’m a little faster than her, and my brother is just way too fast to even have a rivalry.”

“Even if there were a case of sibling rivalry, having that mutual respect for each other and with your teammates [is important to] be the best they can be together,” Villa said.

Although, the oldest sister does take some credit for her younger siblings’ success over the years.

“Paige and Luke are so good because I made them that way,” Claire said with a laugh. “If there’s anyone who could beat me, I’m glad it would be them.”

“They’re more supportive of each other than ever,” Jon said.

It’s safe to say that everyone involved is ready to get things rolling, not only to continue their success this year but to expand on it next season.

“They improve our team as a whole,” Villa said. “We think as a team we’re going to be very tough this year and next year with all three Mikesells.”

“Having all three of us here is going to be really, really cool,” Claire said. “Being my final year of swimming, having the whole family here is going out on a high note.”

Sports

December 14, 2019

THE MICHAEL JACKSON EXPERIENCE

Saturday, January 25 2:30PM & 7:30PM Toretti Auditorium at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex

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December 14, 2019

Sports

Field House gets makeover during fall semester

(Autumn Dorsey/The Penn) Plaques and paintings honoring notable IUP athletes and championship teams, including All-Americans and IUP alumni in the NFL, are among new additions to IUP’s Memorial Field House.

December 14, 2019

Sports

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“All in all, the Memorial Field House got upgraded by 200 percent.”

MEMORIAL MAKEOVER

- Dylan Ruefle, senior

Field House gets additions, renovations in Garzarelli’s first semester By THE PENN STAFF The-Penn@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Memorial Field House has gotten a major facelift this fall.

From artificial turf to shiny new plaques to granola bars, the enhancements have come fast and many since Todd Garzarelli’s first day as athletic director in late May. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

The enhancements have impressed athletes and coaches alike, and even a few alumni who have seen them. The consensus is that the IUP athletic department is better for it.

“I’ve been here since the spring of 2015, so I’ve been in that field house a lot of times over the past four, five years,” said Dylan Ruefle, a four-year runner on the cross country team and the outgoing president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee who will graduate today.

“I told this to Todd, too, after he made a lot of these changes that one of my biggest pet peeves, almost, was how unattractive the field house was for the entire duration of my athletic career. It’s a pretty old building, and inside it’s just so dull, at least a few years ago it was or even a few months ago. I was always a huge advocate of trying to make changes for it.”

BEFORE THE Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC) opened in 2011, the Memorial Field House was the full-time home of IUP’s athletic teams, all 19 of them.

All the teams’ offices were housed in the field house, and it was where the basketball and volleyball teams played their home matches.

Since 2011, five teams have moved their offices to the KCAC and it has become the full-time home of the basketball and volleyball teams. These days, the Memorial Field House is used less than ever for IUP’s athletic competitions, and when the Crimson Hawks play there, they mostly do so out of necessity due to scheduling conflicts with the KCAC. That’s not to say the field house has been abandoned. Not by a long shot.

It’s the home of John A. Pidgeon Natatorium, where the swimming teams compete. Fourteen teams’ offices remain in the field house. And several teams still use the weight room and hold practices there, especially during the winter months.

Although structurally sound, the field house’s bare hallways and corridors left a lot to be desired prior to Garzarelli’s arrival.

“I was in Slippery Rock’s field house two years ago, and I was blown away by this photo gallery they had,” Ruefle said. “And I was always trying to pitch the idea to our school that we need to be putting up more photos and more aesthetics. I was even saying it would have a huge recruiting benefit to it.”

“Obviously, we have a great facility in the KCAC, which is one of the best facilities in all of Division II,” Garzarelli said. “But the Memorial Field House was a facility we needed to update to put our student-athletes in the best possible position to succeed on and off the field.”

IT ALL STARTED with the student-athlete fueling station, which opened on the first day of classes this semester, on Aug. 26.

According to the IUP athletics website, the fueling station was “designed to make nutrition a priority and maximize the potential of its student-athletes.”

“Strategically, we continue to build a firstclass experience for our student-athletes and a fueling station was at the top of the list,” Garzarelli said when the fueling station opened in August.

“The dawn of a fueling station for IUP student-athletes could not come at a better time,” IUP Sports Nutrition faculty coordinator Nicole Dann said at the time of the opening. “More and more NCAA Division II and III institutions are starting up sports nutrition fueling programs, such as fueling stations or fueling zones, while many Division I schools already offer these services. For an already competitive program like IUP athletics, the start of a fueling station is the icing on the cake.”

Open Mondays through Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the fueling station is located in the lobby of the Memorial Field House and has taken the place of the ticket booths.

“Student-athletes can choose between items such as chocolate milk, apple, and assorted granola bars,” according to the IUP athletics press release in August, and from what Ruefle has seen, it’s been a greatly useful benefit for his peers.

“In my own experience, there definitely were times where maybe I was hungry going to practice,” Ruefle said. “One of the best things I like about the fueling station is that I can save these snacks for after practice. I

haven’t been on a meal plan for the past several years, and so I would always go to practice, shower and change and go home, and I’d have to make dinner. And depending on what dinner I was making, it would be a few hours after I’ve practiced until I eat.

“For athletes, the most optimal time to intake food and nutrition is within 30 minutes after you practice, so I’ve been able to get chocolate milk or pretzels or a granola bar and just put it in my backpack and I can eat that immediately after I finish practicing.

I think that’s saved me a lot.”

“Between their classes, competitions and practice, and community service, our student-athletes sometimes don’t get a chance to get to the dining hall,” Garzarelli said.

“The fueling station allows them to stay fueled during the day.”

SOME OF THE enhancements in the Memorial Field House serve practical purposes, like the fueling station or the turf in the auxiliary gym on the ground level, which is beneficial to many of IUP’s 19 varsity teams.

“The space was reimagined with an indoor turf playing surface laid down to replace the old rubberized flooring. The facility measures 35 yards long by 25 yards wide with 12-foot high usable wall space. The nearly 7,900 square feet of turf will be utilized by IUP’s indoor and outdoor sports for practices and training sessions,” according to the IUP athletic department’s press release in October, “The auxiliary gym is an area that multiple sports can use,” Garzarelli said. “From a strength and speed standpoint, it’ll allow them to get better.”

Others were simply measures to make the Field House more aesthetically pleasing and inviting while honoring IUP’s rich past, such as the wall wraps in the hallways which showcase some of the best athletes in IUP history.

OTHER UPGRADES to the Memorial Field House include: • A comprehensive All-American wall that showcases all of IUP’s All-Americans in all sports.

• The football wall of champions, which lists all of IUP football’s numerous successes, such as PSAC titles and appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. IUP’s 19 postseason appearance rank as the second-most in Division II football history.

• IUP in the NFL wall, which includes all

former IUP football alumni who have played in the NFL or served in any other capacity, whether as coaches or in high-level front office positions.

• Graphic packages that enhance the field house while highlighting successes within the current sports housed in the field house, such as national champions and multiple national qualifiers and All-Americans.

“THE FIRST TIME I walked into that field house was back in 2010,” said Brenna Gallagher, the current women’s lacrosse coach and a 2014 graduate of IUP who played lacrosse for four years. “From 2010 to now with the amount of things that have been done have been, it looks way better. I definitely think that when you walk through the halls, you see all these old athletes and alumni, and it’s something to talk about with recruits.”

It doesn’t stop there. Alumni of the athletic department who have made it back to campus and seen the improvements are also raving about them.

“On homecoming weekend, we had our alumni back and they were all just blown away by the NFL wall in the back and the All-American wall,” Gallagher said. “We have a couple athletes that have been on that (All-American wall), and now with the new wraps, we have been able to put that on our newsletters to recruits and even send that out to our alumni. I definitely think it’s positive on so many different levels, with recruiting and also with keeping those relationships with alumni. In a sense, it’s giving back to them and showing them that the athletic department recognizes what they did for their programs. It’s something for my athletes now, I mean recruits see that they could be that one day. … So I think it’s really been a positive thing, a change and much needed.”

“All in all, the Memorial Field House got upgraded by 200 percent,” Ruefle said. “I think (Garzarelli’s) still making a lot of changes to it, which is phenomenal. I can even attest that coaches think it’s much better. From coaches to the athletes, everyone loves it.

I’m always seeing people going to the fueling station to get snacks and they’re always raving about how nice of a benefit that is.

Even alumni, I’ve had alumni who’ve seen all the changes, and they have almost a bit of jealousy that Todd wasn’t around whenever they were going to IUP.”

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December 14, 2019

Sports

Start, Sit & Closing Time SETH WOOLCOCK

Sponsorship Coordinator S.M.Woolcock@iup.edu @DFF_SethW

Editor’s note: I couldn’t be more grateful to have worked with Seth over the last couple of years, and I hope you all have enjoyed his columns as much as we have.

Congratulations, Seth.

This article contains opinion.

I guess it seems fitting that my less-than-impressive fantasy team’s, “The In-Between,” miraculous run in my high-stakes-money league, comes to an end the same week as my time at IUP as an undergraduate does.

Not to be taken as cliche, but I think the ‘90s pop-rock band Semisonic said it best in their hit “Closing Time” that “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

What I take from that, and I hope that you can relate, is that even though one journey (my undergraduate at IUP) is ending, a new journey (the beginning of my professional career) begins Saturday following commencement.

The same can be said for my fantasy team. Even though my team wasn’t great this season, I learned so much more about this adult game of Dungeons & Dragons that we play.

So much that by the time next pre-season rolls around, I feel confident that I will be able to provide even more sound fantasy advice to my readers and listeners.

And while even six months ago, just before I began “The In-Between” the uncertainty following Dec. 14 kept me up unsettled late into the night – I’m ready now.

What began as a complete whim, my time at IUP has brought me an education, un-matched professional experience and countless memories that I’ll cherish forever.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. And congratulations to all those who will begin the next chapter along with me on Saturday.

It’s officially closing time for Start, Sit & Seth at The Penn.

To those of you who still have time remaining here at IUP, enjoy it, as it will be over before you know it.

And to all of you who still have fantasy teams deep in playoff contention, I’ll leave you once again with the famous words of my Uncle Greg.

“Stick to the game plan.”

Now let’s get to it, before your brothers or your sisters come.

Quarterback I’d Start This Week: Ryan Tannehill (Tennessee): What Ryan Tannehill has done this season is completely uncanny and may have rejuvenated his career.

Since becoming the Titans’ starter in Week 7, he is QB2 on a pointsper-game basis.

Now, he gets the Texans, who are getting completely juiced by quarterbacks since losing J.J. Watt.

Last week, they allowed rookie QB Drew Lock, in his second career start be a QB1 on the week.

The Texans allow more than 24 points per games to opposing quarterbacks, and if you have one of the hottest right now in the game, despite the name, it’s a no-brainer to start Tannehill as the Titans look to make a playoff run.

(Facebook)

Quarterback I’d Sit This Week: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay): Most likely, if you started Aaron Rodgers last week you’re probably out of the fantasy playoffs as he posted an anemic 11.4 fantasy points in a matchup against the putrid, 3–10 Redskins.

Frankly, it’s hard to trust him this week again against a hungry Bears team, who are the fifth-best against opposing quarterbacks and seem to have Rodgers’ number as of late.

I’ve even heard of fantasy managers sabotage dropping Rodgers this week in hopes of their opponent picking him up and playing him.

Ballsy? Yes. But I could very well see it work out in their favor.

Running Back I’d Start This Week: Kareem Hunt (Cleveland): Even though it seems to have somewhat hurt the fantasy value of Nick Chubb, RB on the season, Hunt has scored double digits in every game since being activated by the Browns in Week 10.

And it’s not just him scoring points that you should like, but it’s the way he’s doing it – averaging 4.4 receptions in addition to receiv-

(TNS) Ryan Tannehill is experiencing a career resurgence with the Titans.

ing an average of nearly seven carries per game.

This week he’ll face the Arizona Cardinals, who play perfectly into Hunt’s strengths – allowing 5.5 running backs receptions per game and more than four yards per carry.

Running Back I’d Sit This Week: Tevin Coleman (San Francisco): Looking back it seems that Tevin Coleman’s 37.8 fantasy point performance in Week 8 was nothing more than a mirage, as he’s scored a total of only 42 fantasy points (seven fantasy points per game) since then.

With Raheem Mostert coming on as the team’s lead back lately, more than 100 scrimmage yards and 23 fantasy points in the last two games, I don’t see the appeal of playing Coleman so late in the season against a middle-of-theroad Falcons’ run defense.

Wide Receiver I’d Start This Week: Darius Slayton (New York Giants): Who needs Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) in New York when you can just have the rookie and rising star Darius Slayton?

Slayton, who is WR17 since being activated in Week 3, has been nothing short of amazing. On a bad Giants squad, he’s recorded seven touchdowns. That’s more than bigname players like Tyler Boyd, Robert Woods and OBJ combined.

This week he plays Miami.

They’ve allowed the second-most fantasy points this season and were just roasted by fellow big-play receiver Robby Anderson for 7-116-1.

Give Slayton the respect he deserves and start him here in Week 15.

Wide Receiver I’d Sit This Week: Stefon Diggs (Minnesota): While Diggs hasn’t been consistent this season, posting double digits in less than 50 percent of his matchups in 2019, this benching is more about matchup than anything.

His Week 15 opponent, the Los Angeles Chargers, have been pretty good this season against the pass, limiting opposing receivers to fewer than 125 yards per game.

If Adam Thielen is out again, Diggs could draw coverage from shut-down corner Casey Hayward, which should limit the wideout’s frequently high ceiling.

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PLAYOFF PICTURE CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT

11–2

9–4

CURRENTLY HOLDING PLAYOFF POSITION

10–3

8–5

9–4

8–5

IN THE HUNT

8–5

6–7

6–7

6–7 5–8

(TNS)

Dominant defense is back in Pittsburgh

The Steelers’ new-look defense has paired with Mike Tomlin’s coaching to put the Steelers in the playoff race.

JAKE TAYLOR

Staff Writer J.M.Taylor8@iup.edu @JakeTaylor8726

This article contains opinion.

Here is a quote from an article of mine published January 2019.

“No matter where the game is played, there will be a guaranteed sea of yellow Terrible Towels waving in the stands. It’s a sight so beautiful, I imagine the gates of Heaven floating upon a massive, faded-yellow Terrible Towel, and as you cross into the promised land, you hear an angelic echo of Myron Cope’s ‘Yoi, Double Yoi!’ ringing through your halo.”

I wrote this 11 months ago, and if that isn’t the truest damn thing I ever said, I don’t know what is.

The game was played in Phoenix; however, the stadium was filled with majority Steeler fans. That is the second time this season Pittsburgh fans have dominated the opposing stadium, the first of which happened in Los Angeles in Week 6.

Since Devlin Hodges’ first start Week 6 against the Chargers, Pittsburgh has won six out of seven games. The success is a result of the standard: winning the Super Bowl in Pittsburgh.

The players, coaches and fans are all on the same page when it

comes to the drive for success. Although the last few seasons Pittsburgh has suffered overwhelming disappointment, there is a sense of a culture change this year.

The Steelers under head coach Mike Tomlin have grown accustomed to losing “trap” games, or games in which Pittsburgh is heavily favored. That is not the case this year, as Tomlin has his team fired up to win no matter who the opponent is.

We all know Tomlin was on the hot seat heading into this season, and now, he is a frontrunner for coach of the year. I noticed something very impactful during the game Sunday. After T.J Watt’s inter-

ception in the end zone, he ran to the sideline and immediately went to coach Tomlin to celebrate.

The act demonstrated a bond between coach and player necessary for success. It is no question Watt is the frontrunner for defensive player of the year as well. I could list all the players on the defensive side of the ball for the Steelers and have something good to say. That is something Pittsburgh fans are not used to.

The last time that a Steelers team had a dominant defense was 2010. Last time Big Ben had a good defense, he led the team to three Super Bowls. So, let’s all take a moment to send a prayer up to the

Chief Art Rooney in hopes of a Ben Roethlisberger return next season.

Although, it is so damn entertaining watching this defense win games. It is a constant flow of big play after big play. Hell, when Bud Dupree is performing like this, no one in Pittsburgh should be in a bad mood.

The second best thing to a Super Bowl that Pittsburgh can achieve this season is serving Tom Brady a loss in the final game of his career this January. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though; there is a lot of football to be played.

So do yourself a favor: sit down, shut up, crack open an Iron City and wave that Terrible Towel.

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Contact Us: (724) 349-0462 philadelphiasquare.com

December 14, 2019

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PLAYOFF PICTURE CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT

10–3 CURRENTLY HOLDING PLAYOFF POSITION

11–2

10–3

10–3

6–7 9–4

IN THE HUNT

(TNS) Zach Ertz caught the game-winning touchdown in overtime for Philadelphia.

Overtime win keeps Eagles in playoff hunt AUSTIN SMITH

Staff Writer A.S.Smith7@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

The Philadelphia Eagles’ win against the New York Giants on Monday was a crazy one to say the least.

It was pretty much a replica of the Dolphins game last week because of how most of the game went. Eli Manning could have played his last game at Lincoln Financial Field in a Giants uniform because of the Daniel Jones situation and the fact that he is the Giants’ quarterback of the future.

Manning got off to a hot start in the first half of the game, and New York’s offense was buzzing. It didn’t take long for the Giants to put up 17 points and build a significant lead on the Birds.

The Eagles’ defense could not stop the Giants at all in the second quarter, which has been a problem for most of the season. The Eagles had maybe four games of stellar defense, and that’s about it. The good news is that the second half

was a different story for the Eagles.

Carson Wentz was getting in a rhythm and hitting his No. 1 tight end, Zach Ertz. Both Ertz and Boston Scott were the stars in this game and were one of the big reasons why the Eagles won.

The Eagles got the running and passing games going, which was the key to success in winning this game and should have been the same thing the last three games.

The inconsistency continues to plague the Birds, which is a recipe for nothing but disaster.

Going back to the game, Scott was looking like a star out there.

I have not really seen this kind of running from the Birds since they played the Bills. Scott rushed for only 59 yards but got a couple few big runs that got the Birds’ momentum going. Not only was Scott good lining up behind Wentz as the running back, but he also was involved in the passing game with Wentz.

Miles Sanders also was just as involved in the running game. Moving back to Ertz, he and Scott were

the only ones with touchdowns in the game. Ertz had the OT winner as the Eagles marched down the field on their first possession of overtime, and Wentz fired one into the end zone to Ertz.

This is how the game ended, and I think it was a great way to win because of how the Eagles came back. This team has still showed a little firepower yet and is not done.

Now, the win has them tied with the Dallas Cowboys, and they control their own destiny.

It’s simple; if the Eagles win out, then they are in. If they were to lose somehow to Washington, they would have to hope for a couple Cowboys losses, and the Eagles would have to beat Dallas and New York. The Eagles have the easiest schedule remaining, and the only tough opponent they have is the Dallas Cowboys in a few weeks.

The Birds must focus ahead though for a date against Washington. We have clearly seen in this league that it doesn’t matter what your record is – you can still have a shot at the playoffs.

8–5

7–6

6–7

This Day In Sports: Koufax signs with Dodgers

(Facebook) On Dec. 14, 1953, the Dodgers, then playing in Brooklyn, signed pitcher Sandy Koufax.

Koufax became one of the most successful pitchers in franchise history, pitching in 12 seasons with the team in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Koufax was a three-time World Series champion, a seven-time All-Star and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972.

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Hot goaltending from Jarry starts Pens’ December off well TYLER COMO

Staff Writer T.D.Como@iup.edu @ThePennIUP

December has given the Pittsburgh Penguins (17–9–4) a positive start.

They finished November facing off against the St. Louis Blues (18–7–6), the first-place team in the Central Division. After the Pens scored only two goals, St. Louis won the first of its two-game matchup against Pittsburgh, 5–2.

Despite both the Blues and Pens going through the process of injury, each team managed to pull out wins.

The Penguins decided to start their backup goaltender Tristan Jarry. Over the years, Jarry has been filtered in and out of the league, bouncing between the AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and the NHL. After Casey DeSmith was sent down to the minor league, Jarry was moved up. They both have proven their worth over their season with each team, but DeSmith simply took up too much cap space.

Fortunately for DeSmith, he was looking to stay in Pittsburgh as opposed to being sent to waivers where another team could pick him up. Therefore, Jarry is the backup net-minder for this season.

Jarry has played 11 games so far for the Penguins. With a record of 7–4–0, it’s clear he’s feeling good about himself, in addition to having some timely and spectacular saves, ones that could turn the favor toward the other team.

Jarry is helping keep this fractured Pittsburgh team winning, and that’s all you could ask for from your backup goaltender, especially when your starting goaltender is going through a rough patch but will find his confidence soon enough.

Matt Murray got back in the net against last-place team and division rival, the Detroit Red Wings (7–21–3). The players were there to help Murray out on the shooting front. Five different Penguins

(Facebook) Tristan Jarry (left) may finally be carving out a permanant NHL spot with solid play as the Pens’ backup in 2019, but could he even replace Matt Murray (right) as the starter?

tallied a goal through the Saturday night matchup in Detroit. The final score ended at 5–3.

Prior to that game, Jarry collected back-to-back shutouts against two first-place teams. The first game in the week was the second of two matchups versus the Blues.

Despite losing in the first game in St. Louis, they were back in Pittsburgh on Wednesday to take on the Blues.

It was a 28-shot shutout, and Pittsburgh scored a goal through each period, including a goal by newly signed Stefan Noesen. Noesen scored his first goal against the Blues in the second period.

Noesen’s celebration was an indication that he’s just happy to be playing with the Penguins and winning, too. Jarry’s confidence rose the team’s confidence in a big win of the week.

Following the Blues game, the Arizona Coyotes (18–10–4) arrived at PPG on Friday. It was also Phil Kessel’s first time back since being traded to the Yotes. Arizona is currently tied for first place in the Pacific Division with the Edmonton Oilers (18–10–4).

But it seems Jarry was well-prepared for the return of his old friend and the rest of the Coyotes after he rallied for another shutout.

Pittsburgh won 2–0, the two scorers being Evgeni Malkin and Brandon Tanev on an empty-netter.

The win wasn’t the only positive thing to come out of the Arizona game. Two players made their re-

turn to the lineup: Bryan Rust and Justin Shultz. “Rusty” has tallied 17 points in 16 games. Despite missing the beginning of the season then a few odd games, he’s having himself a fire start. Rust is one of many to bring a spark to a slowly healing lineup.

Pittsburgh’s next game did not go as well as the past few for Jarry.

The Pens’ win streak was snapped

by Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens (14–11–6). Jake Guentzel scored first in the first, but that would be the only goal scored by Pittsburgh. This year has seen a different kind of second period team from Pittsburgh, but they can’t be perfect all the time.

Jarry let in three goals in the second, the first being a power play goal by Tomas Tatar. The sec-

ond came after a delayed penalty call and bad turnover in the neutral zone by Kris Letang, and third was a wrap-around from Shea Weber.

Then, Montreal put the game away after scoring a late empty-netter.

Pittsburgh plays seven more games following Saturday’s matchup against Columbus, including a West Coast swing and a home-andhome series with Nashville.