www.theonlinerocket.com Friday, December 7 , 2012 Volume 96, Number 12 The Rocket Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper Est. 1934 Slippery Rock students dance at Up 'til 2 for St. Jude last Friday night. Up 'til 2 participants wrote over 7,000 letters in hopes to raise money for St. Jude's Children Research Hospital. The letters were sent by students to friends and family members. ALEX MOWERY/ THE ROCKET A Slippery Rock University student is starting a new recycling initiative called Terracycling, which involves recycling goods that are not traditionally recyclable. e Terracycle Company gives back to those who recycle these nontraditional products, so the initiative will also serve as a fundraiser for the university. Jenna Kessler, a senior Environmental Studies student from Boyertown, Pa., is behind the plan for the new recycling initiative. According to Kessler, Terracycling is a way to save trash that would normally end up in a landfill. “Terracycling is essentially the up-cycling of products like chip and snack bags or ink cartridges, and turns them into useable products such as park benches, bike racks and notebooks,” Kessler said. According to the Terracycle web site, their purpose is to eliminate the ideas of waste. “We do this by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste,” the Terracycle web site said. “Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and start sending us waste.” Kessler said they are planning to start with personal care items this spring. e first SRU student to win the PennACE JoAnne Day Student of the Year won $500 in the nonprofit category for the statewide competition this year. e other two winners are Emily Galli, Penn State University, for the technical category and Jennifer Hoppe, Millersville University for business. Galli was a Corporate Development Intern with Highmark, and Hoppe was a Wealth Management Intern with ParenteBeard. Winners will be attending the Annual PennACE state conference in Harrisburg in May. Grace Evans, a senior mathematics major and professional studies major with a focus on nonprofit was qualified and picked among the other competitors because of her Outreach Intern with Amizade Global Service Learning this summer. She felt that she stood out among the other applicants because she could work on her own and make creative ideas. “I was able to take ideas and run with them on my own,” Evans said. “Being a nonprofit minor gave me the ability to understand what goes on in nonprofit and meeting the needs in time and money that nonprofits are short on.” While she was an intern, she got to travel to the site in Petersfield, Jamaica, a small town of 2,000 people with hundreds of American volunteers visiting each year, and met the ambassadors. “When I was in Petersfield, no one could understand why anyone would call a school Slippery Rock,” Evans said, laughing. Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Linton Allen, was meeting the Petersfield community for his first time. “It was a huge deal,” Evans said. “When the helicopters were landing, goats scattered all over the field. Kids got out of school while still wearing their uniforms and were waving Jamaican flags.” e community was so thankful that Evans had the opportunity to visit. About 30 seconds beforehand, Matthias Brown, the president of their community organization, asked Evans to speak to Allen about how important their partnership is to Petersfield. Aſter graduation, Evans plans on going into the nonprofit field. In January, she is going to the National Nonprofit Leadership Alliance conference in Atlanta to receive her Certified Nonprofit Professional Credential. “I’m still in contact with Amizade to run programs,” Evans said. “e goal is to have it live on here at SRU. I’m graduating in May. It’s a happy and sad time to be graduating.” At end of the internship, she connected the organization with SRU. “One of my passions is helping others find their passions in service opportunities at SRU, connect with and presenting people with opportunities to look outside their own lives and see what is there to see.” During Winter Break, Evans is facilitating in Trinidad and going to Jamaica for the SRU Care Break. Erin Lingenfelter, a senior exercise science major, was a PennACE finalist for the nonprofit category. is past summer, Lingenfelter worked on cardiac rehab in an internship at Bradford Hospital. At Bradford, she did fitness evaluation on every patient before designing their exercise program. She checked their blood pressures and monitored their electrocardiogram. Lingenfelter knew that she was qualified for many reasons. At the internship, she worked for a variety of people from ages 14 to 90. She taught classes on heart education for heart surgery patients. Last semester, she was a personal trainer for John Snyder, the supervisor for e Office of Career and Development. He suggested that she apply for the award. Lingenfelter made sure that she represented herself unique in the application to PennACE. “One of things that I mention on my paper that I sent was dedication,” Lingenfelter said. “I’ve always been interested in By Catie Clark Assistant News Editor By Erica Kurvach Rocket Staff Reporter Rocky and friends dance the night away at Up 'til 2 New writing requirements shift away from English department SRU student starts 'Terracyling' recycling program S ports B-1 Campus Life C-1 Rocking with the jazz bands SRU sprinter overcomes challenges Slippery Rock University recently removed the liberal arts requirement that required all students to take two college writing courses, causing debate about how writing competency should be demonstrated. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SRU Dr. William F. Williams explained that the two different college writing classes that all students were required to take were College Writing I and College Writing II. College Writing I focused on general composition skills, while College Writing II focused on research writing. e new college writing class tries to mix what was taught in College Writing I with some of the research methods that were taught in College Writing II. Instead, there is now a requirement that each individual program must demonstrate that they teach students writing skills in a discipline specific course. e idea is that professors who work in the sciences know what kind of writing is used in the sciences and business professors know what kind of writing is appropriate for business. So with that being said, it is the science professors who should teach science students what kind of writing styles and forms they will need for their specific occupations. Geology professor Dr. Michael Zieg explained that the University Advisement Committee is currently helping the faculty of each program become aware of what the changes are. e committee is also helping each department develop a plan to reach the new goals, and they are also evaluating the plans of every program in order to ensure that each is reasonable. “I think that the problem is that some programs are concerned that they are not qualified to teach writing mechanics, and that this is requiring them in class to teach writing mechanics,” Zieg explained. “But that is not what this is requiring; this is not a requirement that the geology department or any other department teach sentence structure or grammar. It is applying writing in a particular format that is appropriate for a particular field.” English professor Dr. Neil Cosgrove stated that each program has a few choices in order to meet these new writing standards. In order to this they can add writing assignments into existing courses, create a new course, or if they believe that they already meet the requirements, they can prove it in the assessment process. “Some departments would still like to come to the English department and have English faculty help them out with meeting these guidelines by either working in one of existing courses, such as Technical and Scientific writing, or by creating a new course that would be geared towards their majors but taught by the English professors,” Cosgrove explained. Cosgrove said that the English department is willing to help develop specialized classes if each department’s faculties meet with the English professors. e English department is also asking for more staff in order to teach the additional courses. He also stated that the English department refuses to combine the SEE HIGH, PAGE A-2 By Jonathan Janasik Rocket News Editor SEE PERSONAL, PAGE A-2 SEE NONPROFIT, PAGE A-2 “One of my passions is helping others find their passions in service opportunities at SRU.” - Grace Evans SRU Senior wins PennACE student of the year for interning at nonprofit in Jamaica
Transcript
www.theonlinerocket.com Friday, December 7 , 2012 Volume 96, Number 12
The Rocket Slippery Rock University Student Newspaper Est. 1934
Slippery Rock students dance at Up 'til 2 for St. Jude last Friday night. Up 'til 2 participants wrote over 7,000 letters in hopes to raise money for St. Jude's Children Research Hospital. The letters were sent by students to friends and family members.
ALEX MOWERY/ THE ROCKET
A Slippery Rock University student is starting a new recycling initiative called Terracycling, which involves recycling goods that are not traditionally recyclable.
Th e Terracycle Company gives back to those who recycle these nontraditional products, so the initiative will also serve as a fundraiser for the university.
Jenna Kessler, a senior Environmental Studies student from Boyertown, Pa., is behind the plan for the new recycling initiative.
According to Kessler, Terracycling is a way to save trash that would normally end up in a landfi ll.
“Terracycling is essentially the up-cycling of products like chip and snack bags or ink cartridges, and turns them into useable products such as park benches, bike racks and notebooks,” Kessler said.
According to the Terracycle web site, their purpose is to eliminate the ideas of waste.
“We do this by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste,” the Terracycle web site said. “Anyone can sign up for these programs, called the Brigades, and start sending us waste.”
Kessler said they are planning to start with personal care items this spring.
Th e fi rst SRU student to win the PennACE JoAnne Day Student of the Year won $500 in the nonprofi t category for the statewide competition this year.
Th e other two winners are Emily Galli, Penn State University, for the technical category and Jennifer Hoppe, Millersville University for business. Galli was a Corporate Development Intern with Highmark, and Hoppe was a Wealth Management Intern with ParenteBeard.
Winners will be attending the Annual PennACE state conference in Harrisburg in May.
Grace Evans, a senior mathematics major and professional studies major with a focus on nonprofi t was qualifi ed and picked among the other competitors because of her Outreach Intern with Amizade Global Service Learning this summer.
She felt that she stood out among the other applicants because she could work on her own and make creative ideas.
“I was able to take ideas and run with them on my own,” Evans said. “Being a nonprofi t minor gave me the ability to understand what goes on in nonprofi t and meeting the needs in time and money that nonprofi ts are short on.”
While she was an intern, she got to travel to the site in Petersfield, Jamaica, a small town of 2,000 people with hundreds of American volunteers visiting each year, and met the ambassadors.
“When I was in Petersfi eld, no one could understand why
anyone would call a school Slippery Rock,” Evans said, laughing.Governor General of Jamaica, Sir Linton Allen, was meeting
the Petersfi eld community for his fi rst time.“It was a huge deal,” Evans said. “When the helicopters were
landing, goats scattered all over the fi eld. Kids got out of school while still wearing their uniforms and were waving Jamaican fl ags.”
Th e community was so thankful that Evans had the opportunity to visit. About 30 seconds beforehand, Matthias Brown, the president of their community organization, asked Evans to speak to Allen about how important their partnership is to Petersfi eld.
Aft er graduation, Evans plans on going into the nonprofi t fi eld. In January, she is going to the National Nonprofi t Leadership Alliance conference in Atlanta to receive her Certifi ed Nonprofi t Professional Credential.
“I’m still in contact with Amizade to run programs,” Evans said. “Th e goal is to have it live on here at SRU. I’m graduating in May. It’s a happy and sad time to be graduating.”
At end of the internship, she connected the organization with SRU.
“One of my passions is helping others fi nd their passions in service opportunities at SRU, connect with and presenting people with opportunities to look outside their own lives and
see what is there to see.”During Winter Break, Evans is facilitating in Trinidad and
going to Jamaica for the SRU Care Break.Erin Lingenfelter, a senior exercise science major, was a
PennACE fi nalist for the nonprofi t category. Th is past summer, Lingenfelter worked on cardiac rehab in an internship at Bradford Hospital. At Bradford, she did fi tness evaluation on every patient before designing their exercise program. She checked their blood pressures and monitored their electrocardiogram. Lingenfelter knew that she was qualifi ed for many reasons.
At the internship, she worked for a variety of people from ages 14 to 90. She taught classes on heart education for heart surgery patients.
Last semester, she was a personal trainer for John Snyder, the supervisor for Th e Offi ce of Career and Development. He suggested that she apply for the award.
Lingenfelter made sure that she represented herself unique in the application to PennACE.
“One of things that I mention on my paper that I sent was dedication,” Lingenfelter said. “I’ve always been interested in
By Catie ClarkAssistant News Editor
By Erica KurvachRocket Staff Reporter
Rocky and friends dance the night away at Up 'til 2
New writing requirements shift away from English department
SRU student star ts 'Terracyling' recycling program
Sports B-1Campus Life C-1
Rocking with the jazz bands
SRU sprinter overcomes challenges
Slippery Rock University recently removed the liberal arts requirement that required all students to take two college writing courses, causing debate about how writing competency should be demonstrated.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Aff airs at SRU Dr. William F. Williams explained that the two diff erent college writing classes that all students were required to take were College Writing I and College Writing II. College Writing I focused on general composition skills, while College Writing II focused on research writing. Th e new college writing class tries to mix what was taught in College Writing I with some of the research methods that were taught
in College Writing II.Instead, there is now a requirement that each
individual program must demonstrate that they teach students writing skills in a discipline specifi c course. Th e idea is that professors who work in the sciences know what kind of writing is used in the sciences and business professors know what kind of writing is appropriate for business. So with that being said, it is the science professors who should teach science students what kind of writing styles and forms they will need for their specifi c occupations.
Geology professor Dr. Michael Zieg explained that the University Advisement Committee is currently helping the faculty of each program become aware of what the changes are. Th e committee is also helping each department develop a plan to reach the new goals, and they
are also evaluating the plans of every program in order to ensure that each is reasonable.
“I think that the problem is that some programs are concerned that they are not qualifi ed to teach writing mechanics, and that this is requiring them in class to teach writing mechanics,” Zieg explained. “But that is not what this is requiring; this is not a requirement that the geology department or any other department teach sentence structure or grammar. It is applying writing in a particular format that is appropriate for a particular fi eld.”
English professor Dr. Neil Cosgrove stated that each program has a few choices in order to meet these new writing standards. In order to this they can add writing assignments into existing courses, create a new course, or if they believe that they already meet the requirements,
they can prove it in the assessment process.“Some departments would still like to come to
the English department and have English faculty help them out with meeting these guidelines by either working in one of existing courses, such as Technical and Scientifi c writing, or by creating a new course that would be geared towards their majors but taught by the English professors,” Cosgrove explained.
Cosgrove said that the English department is willing to help develop specialized classes if each department’s faculties meet with the English professors. Th e English department is also asking for more staff in order to teach the additional courses. He also stated that the English department refuses to combine the
SEE HIGH, PAGE A-2
By Jonathan JanasikRocket News Editor
SEE PERSONAL, PAGE A-2
SEE NONPROFIT, PAGE A-2
“One of my passions is helping others fi nd their passions in service opportunities at SRU.”
- Grace Evans
SRU Senior wins PennACE student of the year for interning at nonprofit in Jamaica
"Taco Tuesday" with SOLTake a study break on Tuesday of Finals Week (Dec. 11) - The Student Organization of Latinos/Hispanic and Allies (SOL) will be doing “Taco Tuesday” in the Bailey Library from 8 to 11 p.m. on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. The following food and beverages will be sold: Soft Beef Tacos ($1.50), Walking Tacos ($2.50) and Lemonade ($.50).
Winter Wobble 5KJoshua Hayes, the Assistant Life Skills Coordinator on campus, is holding the first Winter Wobble 5K on December 8, 2012. The proceeds are going to benefit the Feed My Sheep food cupboard and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (SRU's chapter) service initiatives.
Fall Dance ShowcaseThe SRU Department of Dance presents its annual fall showcase at Swope Recital Hall. Performances take place at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9. Tickets are $3 students and $5 general and can be purchased at the Smith Center Information Desk or by calling (724) 738-4926. For more information, contact the Department of Dance at (724) 738-2036.
Last issue of the semesterThis will be the last issue of the Rocket for the Fall semester. Our next publication will be released Feb. 1 2013.
The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Shown are the highest and lowest values for each day.
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
NATIONAL FORECAST FOR THE WEEKTEMPERATURES PRECIPITATION
REGIONAL CITIES
NATIONAL CITIES
Akron 50 43 r 51 39 c 52 40 r 47 25 r 34 28 pc 41 32 s 43 32 sAllentown 41 38 r 52 40 sh 49 40 r 59 36 r 45 28 pc 44 28 s 40 29 sAltoona 42 37 r 56 38 sh 48 40 r 50 28 r 40 26 pc 40 24 s 41 32 pcCleveland 48 42 sh 47 38 c 53 40 r 42 28 sn 36 28 pc 40 31 s 43 34 pcErie 48 40 sh 48 36 c 50 42 r 47 31 r 38 32 sf 41 33 pc 44 34 pcHarrisburg 42 40 r 57 42 sh 49 46 r 61 35 r 46 30 pc 45 30 s 48 35 pcIndiana 46 45 r 54 39 sh 51 47 r 55 26 r 36 24 sf 38 31 s 47 34 sJohnstown 46 43 r 54 40 sh 49 45 r 52 23 r 34 22 sf 37 27 s 44 32 pcPhiladelphia 47 42 r 61 48 c 52 46 c 63 43 sh 47 30 pc 45 34 s 51 38 pcPittsburgh 51 46 r 58 44 sh 55 48 r 55 28 r 38 26 sf 42 31 s 48 33 pcScranton 40 37 r 48 34 sh 46 41 r 60 30 r 38 25 pc 40 28 s 46 32 pcState College 38 38 i 52 35 sh 48 45 r 53 27 r 38 25 pc 38 27 s 44 34 pcWheeling 54 47 r 55 46 sh 58 49 r 54 25 r 34 26 sf 41 33 s 48 36 sWilliamsport 40 35 i 51 35 sh 45 42 r 56 30 r 38 27 pc 42 29 s 46 31 pcYoungstown 48 42 r 50 38 c 51 42 r 48 27 r 35 27 pc 39 31 s 45 32 pc
Atlanta 61 51 c 68 56 pc 73 56 s 64 32 c 52 33 pc 54 44 s 57 43 Boston 47 42 pc 51 39 sh 46 42 pc 61 40 r 43 28 c 42 33 s 47 38 pChicago 47 36 c 44 38 pc 40 29 r 33 24 sn 36 24 pc 40 29 pc 37 30 Cincinnati 56 50 r 58 48 c 60 38 r 42 25 r 39 28 pc 44 29 s 46 37 Dallas 70 55 pc 73 58 c 69 35 c 49 31 s 55 37 s 53 35 c 57 49 Denver 49 28 pc 47 15 pc 24 10 sn 45 20 pc 35 19 pc 47 17 pc 31 12 sDetroit 48 37 c 45 34 c 44 36 r 40 26 sn 36 29 pc 40 28 s 41 30 pHouston 79 63 pc 80 65 c 81 48 pc 54 38 pc 58 46 pc 60 46 r 60 53 Indianapolis 54 44 r 51 45 c 56 33 r 36 22 sn 37 26 pc 44 32 s 41 36 pKansas City 54 34 pc 54 38 pc 42 18 c 34 24 pc 46 29 s 48 26 s 38 29 Los Angeles 72 53 pc 70 52 pc 75 52 s 77 52 s 74 51 s 70 51 s 71 48 Miami 80 70 pc 81 68 sh 82 71 pc 83 68 pc 81 69 pc 81 72 pc 82 68 sNashville 66 55 c 68 52 sh 71 41 r 45 26 r 44 25 s 53 36 s 51 42 pNew Orleans 75 56 pc 74 58 c 76 59 pc 67 40 pc 54 44 s 59 54 c 72 55 pNew York City 45 43 r 56 48 sh 50 46 c 60 43 r 48 34 pc 42 32 s 49 38 Orlando 80 61 pc 80 62 pc 82 62 pc 83 62 pc 71 58 pc 74 64 pc 81 60 sPhoenix 74 51 s 72 47 s 70 46 pc 65 43 s 66 45 pc 63 45 s 68 38 San Francisco 61 45 pc 63 47 pc 63 48 s 63 49 s 63 48 s 61 47 s 61 47 Seattle 46 36 r 44 34 sh 45 41 c 49 43 c 49 42 r 48 36 c 44 38 pWashington, DC 52 48 c 66 48 c 58 54 c 69 39 t 48 31 pc 49 37 s 52 41 p
National Summary: Showers will extend from the Northeast down the Appalachian Mountains into the lower Mississippi River Valley as a cold front slowly inches eastward Saturday. In the northern Rockies andnorthern Plains, a developing storm will provide snow showers. This storm will move east and merge with the tail end of the aforementioned cold front Saturday night. The Pacifi c Northwest will continue to be peppered with showers from a storm that stays out to sea. The re-formed storm will move into the Great LakesSunday with snow in the upper Mississippi River Valley back into the central Great Plains. Rain from this storm will fall in the lower Mississippi River and Ohio River valleys down into eastern Texas.
High school English classes may not prepare students
“Anything can be included but nail polish and nail polish remover, essentially,” Kessler said. “Shampoo, shaving cream bottles, and even the plastic wrappers around razors would all be allowed.”
Kessler said they will have bins located in residence halls and at the ARC for students to drop off their used personal care goods.
Kessler said that a possibility for the charity monies would be a fund towards a green scholarship for students if the fundraiser earns enough money.
“We were also thinking we could find an organization that we think is deserving of the money instead of the giving the money to the university directly,” Kessler said.
However, money isn’t the only option to give back to the university community.
“You can save up points on the Terracycle website and get products back instead,” Kessler said. “We’re looking into buying new benches and bike racks for the school instead.”
According to Kessler, she originally got involved with the Terracycle program through a summer volunteer program.
“A family friend signed a local zoo up to receive charity money,” Kessler said. “Th ey had diff erent collection programs, including personal care, and raised over $900 for the zoo last year.”
Kessler said they are only expecting a few hundred dollars at fi rst, because the program is starting in the second semester.
“Hopefully we will be able to build on the program in future years and have many diff erent collections,” Kessler said.
Kessler said that aft er the products are cleaned and sorted, they can be ‘up-cycled’ into many diff erent, new products.
“Th ey can turn chip bags to book covers, juice boxes into backpacks, and melt plastics into molds for things like park benches,” Kessler said.
According to Terracycle, “our goal is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating collection and solution systems for anything that today must be sent to a landfi ll.”
Kessler said that the process of up-cycling an older idea, but the actual Terracycle company was founded by a college freshman at Princeton University around 10 years ago.
“Th e company started by feeding table scraps to worms and selling the feces as fertilizer in used soda bottles,” Kessler said. “Since then they have brought in many new products, and sell those instead.”
According to Kessler, the Terracycling initiative at Slippery Rock is something
she has started on her own, which the help of clubs like the Geography, Geology, and the Environment club and the Energy Conservation Commission.
“I’m hoping to pass [the project] on to incoming students or freshmen, but I’m trying to get the word out that we need this to be taken over aft er I graduate in May,” Kessler said.
For more information on Terracycling and how to get involved, Kessler can be reached at [email protected].
Scan QR code to see an interview with Jenna Kessler and her work with Terracycling, or see the video online at youtube.com/SRUrocket
Nonprofit intern aids cardiac patientshelping others.”
Her favorite part of the internship was meeting a 14-year-old girl and seeing improvements within a course of 15 weeks.
At the end of the course, the girl, who was crying, gave Lingenfelter a gift and a note.
“Th e note said that I was the sister that she never had,” Lingenfelter said. “I helped her do a mile and build self-confi dence.”
Th e gift was a surprise for Lingenfelter. “Okay, so, she lives on a farm,” Lingenfelter said. “She gave me two dozens of brown eggs which was real sweet of her. Th en, I used those eggs to make cookies and brought them to everyone at work.”
Next month, she is going to Africa through a volunteer medical support trip called Kaya Volunteer. She is going to help doctors with a number of tasks such as weighing babies and assisting in check-ups.
“A ton of applicants were better,” Lingenfelter said. “I’m sure Grace’s was fantastic. I wasn’t quite prepared for this award since John told me about it a month or two before deadline.”
Lingenfelter was student of the month in the Exercise Science Department last year. “I think being a PennACE fi nalist is awesome and something I’d put on my resume,” Lingenfelter said. “I’m not off ended in any way that I didn’t win.”
Currently, she is a applying to Pa. schools to become a physician assistant. She got accepted to the University of Mount Union in Ohio. Lingenfelter is from Ridgeway, Pa.
Lingenfelter is graduating in December. Evans is a SGA commuter senator. Amizade means friendship in Portuguese.
Th ere is a number of requirements to be eligible for the JoAnne Day Student of the Year Award such as being enrolled in a PA school with a current PennACE membership, nominated by an employer or by the school and have completed an internship during the academic school year.
Continued from Page A-1
liberal arts College Writing class with this specialized program specifi c English class.
“If we agree to do something such as create an entire section for nothing but chemistry or physics majors, then what we’re saying is that we want to work with them to set up what gets covered in that course,” Cosgrove said. “Secondly, that we want enough staff to do it. Th ey don’t need to rely on us, it’s just that some departments think that we can help them out.”
Cosgrove stated that one of the problems with the previous research writing class, College Writing II, was that it was impossible for English professors to anticipate specifically what kind of writing will be required for each individual discipline.
“The old idea that the English department could solve everybody’s problems in terms of students learning how to write was never particularly valid,”
Cosgrove explained. “It was just something that we kind of did in this country. Th ere’s a whole tradition behind that.”
Cosgrove explained how he believes that many students do not come to college with the writing skills necessary to succeed in college.
“Th e problem is we don’t know what students are learning in high school, Cosgrove said. “An awful lot of students when they get into college writing say that they hardly did any writing in high school. Some of them who did, may have done a very special kind of writing and oft en time that writing is focused on the writing component on the PSSAs. A lot of students also focus on how to learn fi ve-paragraph essays. Th ere’s a lot more to writing than that one formula. Form should follow function, not the other way around.”
On the contrary, Williams believes that students who are accepted into the university are adequately prepared for the kind of writing that SRU requires.
“Students start writing in second grade,
and spend the rest of their time through school writing,” Williams said. “When we admit people into college, one of the criteria of admissions is the SAT score which measures the skills of students coming out of high school. So the student comes to college already having demonstrated through a testing system and 12 years of experience, that they’ve reached a certain level of competence of writing.”
Cosgrove believes that the shift from two liberal arts writing classes, to a more discipline specifi c writing requirement was inevitable. He stated that SRU was one of the only universities that had a English department base research writing class. With that being said, he doesn’t necessarily believe that it’s a bad thing because it allows students to gain specialized skills that are necessary to each individual major.
“Do you really know a fi eld if you don’t know how to write the way that they write?” Cosgrove asked. “Do you really know a fi eld if you can’t put what you think you know in writing either?”
Continued from Page A-1
Continued from Page A-1
Campus
Nov. 30 –Marvell Johnson, 21, was cited with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Nov. 30 – Th ere was a report of a vehicle being hit by another at Boozel Dining Hall. Th e case is under investigation.
Dec. 1 – Th ere was a report of a vehicle being damaged at the Lower Stadium Lot. Th e case is under investigation.
Dec. 1 – Brandon Fuhs, 18, and Rebecca McGann, 18, were cited with underage consumption of alcohol aft er a report of an alcohol violation at Building D.
Dec. 1 – Jaimire Dutrieulle, 18, and Mary Sugrue, 18, were cited with underage consumption of alcohol aft er a report of an alcohol violation at Rhoads Hall.
Dec. 1 – Taylor Cetti, 20, was cited with defi ant trespass by owner, disorderly conduct, and underage consumption of alcohol aft er a report of a disturbance in Building B where an intoxicated individual would not leave the room.
Dec. 3 – Th ere was a report of damage to a car in the McKay Commuter Lot.
Dec. 3 – Tyler Scherer, 19, was cited with underage consumption of alcohol and disorderly conduct after a report of a possible fight at Building E. The intoxicated individual was transported to the Grove City Medical Center.
Dec. 4 – Th ere was a report of criminal mischief to a bathroom stall door at the McKay Education Building.
Dec. 4 – Th ere was a report of a dead raccoon on top of a car at the Founder’s Commuter Lot. Th e case is under investigation.
Dec. 4 – Th ere was a report of a female having numbness of legs and a severe headache. Th e Slippery Rock Ambulance and Police responded at Building A. Th e female refused transport.
NewsDecember 7, 2012 A-3
Police Blotter
Compiled by Catie Clark
Justice League of Physics approved by SGA
The Student Government Association approved two new organizations Monday.
The Justice League of Physics was approved as a new organization Monday evening.
The league, which previously had been named Physics Club, are trying to expand this year and wanted to get involved with SGA.
They plan to open enrollment up to the entire campus, but currently have 20 members within the physics major.
They plan to bring physics and engineering guest speakers to campus, including two guest speakers next semester. They also plan on holding demonstrations in the Quad and having a paper plane building project and contest.
Students for Sustainability was approved as a new organization as well.
According to President of Students for Sustainability, the organization started a few years ago through the College of Business, and they are now looking to open up the organization to all students, faculty, staff and other community members.
They are looking for any members who are in favor of living an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Next semester the organization plans to hold a ‘plant a tree event’ which involves
removing recyclable items from the trash and creating a piece of art from them as an awareness event.
Other things the organization plans to do include inviting guest speakers to campus, enforcing the Clean Air Act in Pa., and getting more students on campus involved.
SGA also approved their election commissioner and committee for the 2013 SGA executive board elections.
The election commissioner is Blake McChesney, Vice President of Campus Outreach. The advisor of the committee is Dr. Christine Pease-Hernandez, professor of communication.
Other committee members include Jake Miller, Graduate Senator; Alister Englehart, Graduate Senator; Jake Hostler, Commuter Senator; Marcie Johnson, Commuter Senator; and Elise Michaux.
The purpose of the committee is to oversee the entire election process for the executive board of SGA for the 2013 – 2014 academic year.
Dustin Norcross, Rhoads Hall Senator, also announced Monday evening that AVI is considering lengthening the hours of Rocky’s, and will be doing a trial run next semester with the closing time of 11 p.m.
Norcross said that AVI is also looking into adding veggie burgers and other vegetarian and healthy options at Rocky’s.
By Catie ClarkAssistant News Editor
AVI prepares trial run of new hours for Rocky'sLast week the article titled, “SGA changes constitution, adds four new positions” incorrectly stated
that new SGA amendments included the addition of four Freshman senators. However, SGA added
two new Freshman senator positions in addition to the two Freshman senator positions already in
place, for a new total of four Freshman senator positions.
CORRECTIONS: November 30
OPINION A-4The Rocket
The Rocket is published by the students of Slippery Rock University every Friday during the academic semester with the exception of holidays, exam periods and vacations. Total weekly circulation is 3,000. No material appearing in The Rocket may be reprinted without the written consent of the Editor-in-Chief.
The first copy of The Rocket is provided free of charge. Additional copies may be purchased for 50 cents each.
The Rocket receives approximately five percent of its funding from the SGA General Service fee paid each semester by students. All other income is provided through the sale of advertising.
Advertising inquiries may be made by calling (724) 738-2643 or by e-mailing [email protected].
If we make a substantial error, we want to correct it. If you believe an error has been made, call The Rocket newsroom at (724) 738-4438. If a correction is warranted it will be printed in the opinion section.
Volume 96, Number 12
About Us
Corrections
Subscriptions to The Rocket are available. Subscriptions are $20 per academic semester and $35 for the full academic year. Inquiries should be directed to the Editor-in-Chief at the address listed here.
Subscriptions
The Rocket
220 Eisenberg Classroom BuildingSlippery Rock UniversitySlippery Rock, Pennsylvania 16057
The Rocket welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns, but does not guarantee their publication. The Rocket retains the right to edit or reject any material submitted. Submitted material becomes the property of The Rocket and cannot be returned. Anonymous submissions will not be published.Those who submit letters must identify themselves by name, year in school, major and/or group affiliation, if any. Please limit letters to a maximum of 400 words. Submit all material by noon Wednesday to: The Rocket, 220 ECB, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa. 16057. Or send it via e-mail to: [email protected].
The Rocket strives to present a diverse range of opinions that are both fair and accurate in its editorials and columns appearing on the Opinion pages. “Our View” is the opinion of the Editorial Board and is written by Rocket editorial board members. It reflects the majority opinion of The Rocket Editorial Board. “Our View” does not necessarily reflect the views of Slippery Rock University, its employees or its student body. Columns and cartoons are drafted by various individuals and only reflect the opinions of the columnists.
Editorial Policy
Letters Policy
Jon Janasik News Editor
Our View
Erica Kurvach News Reporter
December 7, 2012
In the QuadIn the Quad is a segment in which random students, faculty and staff
are asked for their opinions on a specific topic.
Cory KirkSophomore sophomore
psychology majorHometown: Slippery Rock, Pa.
Nicole MonvilleJunior dance major
Hometown: Lancaster, Pa.
Jonathan FoustSophomore physics and
philosophy majorHometown: Slippery Rock, Pa.
“I think so because I don’t feel completely prepared to write some of the papers. In only one semester, you have only so much time, and it doesn’t prepare you for the rest of college.”
“I think there should be because writing is essential to most subjects in school, and it’s important to get you a job.”
“No, because I really don’t like liberal studies, and it’s probably not going to help me out in the grand scheme of things. It’s too much work.”
This week’s question: College Writing II is no longer required. Should two classes for college writing be required?
GRAPHIC BY EMILY SCHUBERT
Fewer writing courses weaken our “Rock Solid Education”Not too long ago,
Slippery Rock University required every one of its undergraduate students to complete two college writing courses for liberal studies requirements.
In general, the first course focused on making sure students had college-level writing styles and grammar whi le the second course focused on how to write research papers.
Both courses were not only valuable to English majors, but to every student across the campus as every major requires writing and research.
This course requirement has changed in the recent past, however, and we
feel it was not in the best interest of the university.
The reason for the change seems to be that each major has different requirements and styles for research reports, so having all students take the course under the English program is not ideal.
There is some logic to that. Research writing does vary from major to major, but that doesn’t remove the need for a general introduction to research writing.
While research is d i f ferent depending on the field, general introductory practices like citation, finding qualified sources, and
even using the university library’s resources are universal across campus.
And they deserve a course to teach them correctly.
The school should not be cramming a brief research introduction in with teaching students proper college writing styles and grammar. There is going to be a decrease in the quality of writing as a result.
Few things are more important for young college students to do than improve their writing skills.
It is a skill that is important for ever y major, and almost every class.
And while each major can set their own course in research writing, as is the intended purpose, that time should be spent on advanced research methods, not basic lessons taught in a general English course.
Every syllabus has an academic integrity section, warning students against plagiarism. But how are students suppose to know all the issues and instances of it without a course specialized in research? How many courses will they have before their majors adequately teach them research writing?
For almost all majors, writing and research
skills are the backbone to the learning process itself. It is how students can not only learn, but show and explain what they have learned.
If a student cannot do the basic task of writing at a college level effectively, there is little hope that they will be able to graduate with the standard of education expected of them.
Every student deserves to receive a standard course in research from the university. And while there is certainly a need for each major to specialize in research, the general principles need to be taught to students early in their careers.
Karleigh Santry Advertising Manager
On Sunday, October 28, 2012, Savita Halappanavar died of septicemia, which is bacteria in the blood that often occurs with severe infections.
She had symptoms of severe back pain a week before at University hospital in Galway, Ireland where she was found to be miscarrying; the only cure would be an abortion.
Halappanavar had all her life’s plans figured out, she was married, a qualified dentist, and she was expecting her first child.
Her husband’s name is Praveen who is an engineer working in Ireland. Halappanavar would still be here, if she was granted the right to have an abortion, but because there was still a fetal heartbeat, she was denied.
Irish governmental officials confirmed that, although she was in the throes of miscarrying, she was refused an abortion.
Halappanavar and her husband repeatedly asked for an abortion, and were denied. Some of you may ask, why? Well, Praveen says one doctor replied by
saying, Ireland is a Catholic country - this is the law. Savita was an Indian Hindu. So, because Ireland is
a Catholic country, Savita Halappanavar, was refused an abortion, even though she is not a member of the Catholic faith, even though she was on her death bed, she was not given the choice of what to do with her own body.
In Ireland’s capital, Dublin, hundreds protested Ireland’s abortion laws and mourned Halappanavar’s death.
Ireland has extremely tight restrictions on abortion. That’s why every year, thousands of Irish women travel to neighboring Britain for terminations.
Think about it, why do these laws even exist, when the people who declare this religion, do not oblige to the laws it creates. It is quite senseless, I know, and yet.
The Irish government is exploring legal reforms. There’ll be no changes, though, until it sees the outcome of two official investigations into Halappanavar’s death.
Opinion A-5December 7, 2012
LETTERS TO THE EDITORThe views expressed in the “Letters to the Editor” section are those of the writer(s) alone.
The Rocket cannot verify all facts presented in a given letter, but if we are aware of an error or omission, we reserve the right to include an editorial note for accuracy’s sake.
PASSHE looking for long-term vitality in schools
In successfully reaching agreements with six of our seven labor unions over the last approximately 15 months, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) sought both cost savings and the assurance that our students’ academic needs would be met into the future. Each of the unions recognized the enormous fiscal challenges facing the State System and partnered with us in achieving these goals.
We remain hopeful that we can secure that same level of cooperation with our final union, the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), which represents our faculty. APSCUF’s most recent response was to ask its members to take a vote authorizing a strike.
As the person at PASSHE directly responsible for advising the Chancellor and Board of Governors on labor relations matters, I want to share publicly our goals in the unresolved negotiations with APSCUF.
Many of our students and their families have limited ability to absorb cost increases. As a result of overall declining state support over the past several years, students now provide almost three-fourths of the revenue necessary to operate the 14 PASSHE universities through tuition and fees. Any agreement with APSCUF must reflect that reality, as have the agreements reached with all of our other unions. In exchange for modest salary increases, each of those unions agreed to a variety of cost-saving measures, such as the elimination of shift differential and some overtime payments, reductions in sick leave and limits on the amount of annual leave employees can earn.
In explaining why his members were willing to accept some concessions, one PASSHE
union leader said, “We weren’t happy about it, but, at the same time, our members were able to grasp what was occurring with the available funding. It was a balance we were willing to accept.”
Increases in healthcare costs for both active and retired employees, combined with rapidly rising pension costs, are placing unsustainable financial pressure on the universities. In this regard, PASSHE is no different from the federal or state governments, or most other organizations, all of which have identified increasing costs in these areas as urgent problems that must be addressed. We have no alternative. We must agree to new approaches before these costs overwhelm the System.
In our discussions with APSCUF, we have presented a number of proposals to redesign our healthcare plan, which would more closely align it with the plan offered by the Commonwealth to almost 80,000 state employees, including the Governor and his cabinet. This concept already has been agreed to by our other unions. The changes would result in lower premiums while ensuring that all PASSHE employees would receive benefits comparable to those received by other state employees.
The State System pays more than $15,000 annually for family coverage under the healthcare plan it administers for active employees, while the employer—either PASSHE or the state—pays $10,140 for coverage under the Commonwealth’s plan. The average employer cost for such coverage nationally is $11,429, according to the Kaiser Foundation, a leading source of healthcare information. It is obvious that we must address this disparity in cost.
We also have proposed to redesign our annuitant healthcare plan to essentially mirror the plan Pennsylvania State University began offering to its new employees two years ago. The change, which would begin to address a more than $1.4 billion outstanding financial obligation in this area, would apply only to employees hired after July 1, 2013.
We are committed to remaining competitive in our ability to recruit and retain both regular and temporary faculty. Part-time, temporary faculty at a PASSHE university receive a minimum of $5,600 for teaching a three-credit course,
more than double the national average. Within the state, Penn State University pays its part-time faculty from $4,000 to $4,500 per course while Temple University pays between $3,939 and $4,689.
PASSHE has proposed freezing salaries of part-time, temporary faculty at the current rate, while continuing to pay full-time, temporary faculty the same as regular faculty. Full-time, temporary faculty have essentially the same out-of-classroom responsibilities as regular—tenured and tenure-track—faculty, including advising students, serving on departmental and university committees and conducting scholarly research. Part-time faculty do not have these additional responsibilities. In articles that have appeared in various newspapers across the state, several APSCUF local chapter presidents have cited these differences in workload responsibilities.
Our universities need to reflect the changing reality of distance education. They must be able to ensure students are able to receive the courses they need in order to meet their degree requirements and to graduate, in the manner that best serves them, including via distance education when appropriate.
In recognition of the dramatic growth in distance education, we have proposed ending the incentive payments faculty receive for developing such courses, as well as the additional stipend they receive for each student who enrolls in them. Those incentives were first offered in 1999, when such courses were virtually non-existent at PASSHE universities. A plan to phase out the incentive payments was begun as part of the last APSCUF contract. Faculty do not receive additional payments or stipends for developing or offering traditional courses.
These issues all must be addressed in order to assure the long-term viability of the PASSHE universities and the continuation of the high-quality, affordable education they provide. To learn more about these negotiations and full details of PASSHE’s current proposal, go to www.passhe.edu.
Gary Dent, PASSHE Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Labor Relations
Ireland’s abortion laws are unjustifiable
College is the best four years of your life—sometimes the best five to seven years depending on how much fun you end up having. While you’re enjoying your time at Slippery Rock, you rarely stop to think of the consequences of some of your actions—trust me, I did some really dumb things while I was having a good time at SRU, and now I see just how much trouble I could’ve gotten myself into.
I’m not here to preach, or to try to stop anyone from enjoying their time at SRU. I just want to make sure you’re all aware of the possible consequences of your actions so you can decide if the risks you take are really worth it. I’m currently a law student at Penn State after graduating from SRU last year, and I just finished our course on Torts, or civil action claims. As an example of some of the actions people take without knowing how much trouble they can get into, I’ll breakdown the incident where someone put a dead deer on another student’s car as plainly as I can.
There are a number of torts the student, or students, who placed the deer on the hood of someone else’s car could be held liable for, including: Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress (IIED), False Imprisonment, and Trespass of Chattel. All of these are serious claims which could hold the person who committed these torts liable for substantial damages (could be forced to pay a lot of money).
First I’ll talk about how the person, or persons, who did this could be liable for IIED. Someone’s liable when through his or her extreme and outrageous conduct he or she intentionally or recklessly causes the extreme emotional distress of another person. Not getting too technical into the meaning of each of those elements, the ones responsible for the deer being placed on the car can be liable for IIED even if it was done as a good natured joke—if the actors knew that the person whose car they put the dead deer on could be emotionally harmed by it then they can still be held liable. Damages for IIED can vary, but normally they cover any and all therapy the victim requires and punitive damages can also be awarded. Depending on how affected the victim is, those costs can be very—very high.
Next I’ll talk about how the ones responsible can be liable for a false imprisonment claim, a claim you probably wouldn’t think applied to this situation. But
all a false imprisonment claim requires is intentionally confining someone within set parameters and the victim is conscious or harmed by the confinement. Again, I’m not going to go in depth into the meanings of all of those elements, but by putting the deer on the hood of that persons car the people who did so took away the owner of that car’s ability to leave Slippery Rock whenever he or she wanted.
The owner of that car couldn’t reasonably drive his or her car out of Slippery Rock with a dead deer on the hood. I know you might think that this is an unreasonable stretch for a false imprisonment claim, but false imprisonment has covered something as simple as taking someone’s shoes who was sleeping at a park because the victim wouldn’t reasonably walk through a park without shoes on. False imprisonment claims can be very pricey as well, a jury awarded a woman $20,000 for being falsely imprisoned by Walmart for only an hour.
The last potential claim I want to tell you all about that would apply in this situation is a trespass of chattel claim. For this claim, all a person has to do is intentionally physically interfere with the use and enjoyment of another’s personal property, and the owner of that property is harmed in some way. The harm can be something as simple as missing a meeting, or being deprived of the use of his or her property when he or she wants to use it. Like I said earlier, by putting the dead deer on the hood of the owners’ car, the ones who put it there are depriving the owner of the use and enjoyment of his or her car. Also, if the deer damages the car at all whoever put it there will be liable for those damages.
I wanted to write this to let everyone know exactly what you could be getting yourself into when you decide to pull a prank like this, and remember—I only talked about a few civil claims I didn’t even get into the possible criminal charges. I know these thoughts never crossed my mind when I would be walking back from the bar or a party, or just doing dumb things with my friends—but I feel like they’re important things to know and keep in mind. I wrote this hoping it will help people think about what they’re about to do before they do it, and it’ll make people be more careful.
Commentary
Brian Brodeur
Brian Brodeur is a former SRU student and former News Editor for the Rocket. He currently attends law school at Penn State.
In keeping with my current theme of sequels in media, I thought for my last opinion article of the semester I would cover the lesser-known sequel: the music sequel. I’ll have sophomore releases from bands count, as direct sequels to albums hardly exist, and if they do, it’s usually an artist trying to grab onto the success of his most popular album. A good example of this would be everybody’s least favorite rapper next to Bubba Sparxxx: Ja Rule. Back in 2001, Ja Rule released Pain is Love, his most popular and highest selling album to date. Eleven years later we’re treated to Pain is Love 2, shortly after Ja Rule’s release from jail. I listened to it, and it seems to be
just what I mentioned earlier: an artist trying to reclaim his former glory. Unfortunately for him, it isn’t working.
The sophomore release from a band that has a stellar initial release is always hyped by both the media and fans. An example of this would be one of my favorite bands, The Vines, sophomore release, Winning Days. Highly Evolved, their debut album, was met with critical and commercial success. They were even heralded as the “next Nirvana,” which I find to be high praise given how influential Nirvana was in the 90’s. So when Winning Days was released, heavy anticipation was met with severe disappointment from a lot of people, including fans and critics. While it exists as my favorite Vines album, it tanked their career, and shortly
after the release of Vision Valley, their third album, the label they were on dropped them from their line-up.
The Killers, another band I enjoy, had the same issue with their sophomore release, Sam’s Town. Hot Fuss was a sensation, having numerous singles top the charts and skyrocketing the band into public acclaim. Whenever Sam’s Town was released, a lot of reviewers complained that the albums lyrics were bad, the music was ripping off other, influential artists and that overall it didn’t have the flair and excitement of the first one. Once again, I really enjoyed Sam’s Town for the The Killers risk-taking abilities: instead of making a carbon-copy of Hot Fuss, they branched out and integrated different styles into the music they were making. The
Killers are still putting out albums, and recently their fourth complete studio album has been gathering stellar reviews.
A band that never received the critical praise or massive popularity that consistently puts out interesting and captivating records is Queens of the Stone Age. Their first three albums were all met with praise, with each one outdoing the previous: Queens of the Stone Age, their first, Rated R, their second and Songs for the Deaf, their third and most critically acclaimed. It’s surprising welcome when bands get better with time, something that artists don’t seem to be doing as of late. DMX, love or hate the guy, released his first two albums, It is Dark and Hell is Hot and Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood, to a large amount of appeal and
sales. He stands as the only artist in the history of music to have five consecutive number one albums. I see all of his albums as sequels, as they all fall in the same vein.
Now for something completely different: The Zac Brown Band. While I’m not much into country, I do appreciate its pop sensibilities and its clean-cut nature. Zac Brown Band stands as my favorite country artists for one simple fact: they know how to release stellar albums consistently. Their first album, The Foundation, helped to solidify them as a country music group to be reckoned with. All eleven songs have something going for them: be it catchy, interesting, or just plain funny. Then, their second album, You Get What You Give is released, and shatters expectations. 14 songs, and not one is worthy of
skip your first, second, or even third time through. I can’t stress how difficult this is to do: craft an album so solid and lacking in filler that every song is worthy of multiple listens.
To finish it all up, creating a sequel/follow-up/sophomore release is hard. It’s unrealistic to expect stellar releases time after time, but some artists make it work. So, as you enjoy the 6-week break we have for the winter, pop in your favorite album, video game, or movie. Then, throw in the next thing accomplished. Try to notice subtle similarities, enjoy and thank artists who dedicate their time and effort to giving us art that we can critique, enjoy and ultimately make a part of our lives.
FMLA
Susan Gardner
Susan Gardner is a sophomore social work major and a Spanish and psychology dual minor and a member of FMLA.
Students need to understand potential consequences of immature actions
Musicians often fail to live up to the hype gained from successful debut albums
Observation Station
Michael Santoro
Michael Santoro is a senior public relations major from Pittsburgh.
COMICSDecember 7, 2012
Best in Show Best in Show By Phil JulianoBy Phil Juliano
SudokuSudoku By Michael MephamBy Michael Mepham
Solution
The Rocket
By Nancy BlackTribune Media
Services(MCT)
To d ay ' s Bi r t h d ay (12/07/12). Carve out alone time this year. Review diet, exercise and balance practices, and prioritize vitality. Family and loved ones have your attention and care; put your oxygen mask on first. Romance and partnerships advance before June. After that, career and finances heat up.
To get the advantage, check the day's rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- A great idea regarding money comes from afar. Review instructions. Friends connect you to a new associate who could become a valuable partner. It's getting romantic.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Focus on work today and tomorrow, including paperwork. It's getting busy, so stick to practical basics. Express your thoughts freely at home. Friends speak well of you.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Romance
blossoms for a while, with a few hurdles. Set long-term goals with your sweetheart. Be sure you have all the information. Take notes. You're gaining support.
Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Get the opinions of close family before proceeding. You're entering a more domestic phase. Gather information. Keep your financial situation confidential. Invest in success and gain respect.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)-- Today is an 8 -- Use the secret sauce. Put in the extra effort, study and ask questions. Believe you can. Accept the coaching. Don't push yourself too hard. Any forward momentum counts.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)-- Today is a 7 -- Work hard and make lots of money. Talk over ideas with co-workers. Provide leadership. Finish an old task and profit. Gather resources together.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)-- Today is an 8 -- Prepare mentally, and then adapt as needed. Use your power responsibly. They've been waiting for you to say the word. Check your course with friends, then full speed ahead.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)-- Today is a 5 -- Deadlines
are looming; better get back to work. Slow down and think it over. It's getting introspective. Friends help you go farther. Use your imagination. Repay a favor.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Use your powers of observation. Work with close associates today and tomorrow. A loved one offers excellent advice. Listen closely, and hold your comments until asked.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Begin to develop the necessary resources. Get current accounting data, and ask for strategy updates from your teammates. Advance your career while you're at it. Angels guide your actions.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- You're making a good impression. Don't get presumptuous. Concentrate on studies, and conditions are better for travel now, too. Ask provocative questions.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Attend to financial matters for the next two days, and turn your plan into the perfect thing. A co-worker and a loved one are your best allies.
HoroscopesHoroscopes
A-6Bliss Bliss By Harry BlissBy Harry Bliss
Brewster Rockit: Space GuyBrewster Rockit: Space Guy By Tim RickardBy Tim Rickard
That Monkey Tune That Monkey Tune By Michael A. KandalaftiBy Michael A. Kandalafti
MoreOn TVMoreOn TV By Jay Schiller and Greg CravensBy Jay Schiller and Greg Cravens
Top Left: Dr. Neil McEwen, a criminology professor, screams in agony as he gets tased for a class demonstration.
Top Right: Henry Norton observes his grandson leap over the hole where President Cheryl Norton planted her new tree
over the inaugural week.
Middle Right: Senior defensive end Jeff Thompson sheds some tears with his fellow teammate Michael Bongivengo
after the football team’s final game against Bloomsburg University.
Above: Senior forward Luiz Santos shoots a free throw during warm ups in the pre-season game against the University
of Michigan.
Right: President Cheryl Norton hands off the ceremonial scissors to former President Robert Smith at the Grand
Opening of the new Student Center.
Photos and layout by: Alex Mowrey
The
Break
December 7, 2012 A-7
"Half way
there"
A-8 December 7, 2012
-
1 Vineyard Circle Slippery Rock, PA
-
By Madeline Williams Sports Editor
Bouncing back from a loss two weeks ago, the Slippery Rock University men's basketball team won two games in a row last weekend against Bloomsburg University on Saturday and Mansfi eld University on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Rock beat the Bloomsburg Huskies 84-66 to earn their fi rst Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game of the season.
Junior forward Tabari Perry led Slippery Rock with a career-high 24 point and season-high 12 rebound performance.
Junior guard Sa'Quan Davis scored a season-high 16 points, senior forward Devin Taylor added 12 points and eight rebounds, and senior guard Aubin Reeves contributed 10 points and dished out fi ve assists for the Rock.
Th e Rock had a 10-point (25-15) lead with ten minutes to play in the fi rst half. Th e largest lead of the fi rst half came at intermission when SRU led 45-26.
With fi ve minutes to play, the Rock took the largest lead of the game with a 82-52 lead.
The 84 points they scored on Saturday was the Rock's highest scoring game of the season.
SRU ended the game shooting 43 percent (31-72) in field-goal attempts, 38 percent (7-18) in 3-pointers, and 83 percent (15-18) from the foul line.
The Green and White outrebounded the Huskies 41-33, and had 12 turnovers compared to Bloomsburg's 21.
One of the most impressive statistics from Saturday's game is that Slippery Rock held Preseason All-PSAC-East selection Dontahe Jordan to only fi ve points and four
rebounds in the game. Taylor said that it was a team
effort to shut Jordan down on Saturday.
"Tabari (Perry) and I guarded him, but the team played great help defense," Taylor said. "On the switches, we had good communication and made it diffi cult for Jordan to get going. It was a great team eff ort for us."
Bloomsburg's record fell to 2-3 overall.
Slippery Rock kept the winning attitude on Sunday, defeating Mansfi eld 78-69 and improving their record to 2-0 in the conference.
Senior guard Darious Clark cashed in fi ve 3-point shots and scored 17 points to lead the Rock to victory.
Clark contributes his success from behind the 3-point line to dedicated preseason work.
"I put in a lot of extra time to work on being able to have a quick enough release to get a comfortable shot over a defender," Clark said.
Taylor scored 14 points and had a team-high 12 rebounds, Perry chipped in 14 markers, senior guard John Bayardelle contributed 13 points, and Davis added 11 points in the winning eff ort.
After scoring six of the first nine points of the game, the Rock played catch-up for the rest of the fi rst half, as Mansfi eld went on a 12-0 run to take a 15-6 lead with 15 minutes to play in the fi rst half.
SRU fought back with a 6-0 run of their own to cut the defi cit to 15-12.
Mansfield took a 41-32 lead heading into halft ime.
Coming back from intermission, the Rock went on a 11-2 run to tie the score at 43-43 with 16:30 on
December 7, 2012
SPORTS B-1The Rocket
By Cody GrayRocket Contributor
DJ Chisom, a sprinter on the Slippery Rock University men’s track and field team, started his senior year by placing fourth in the 60-meter dash on Saturday at the Youngstown State University Icebreaker.
Chisom finished the race in 6.89 seconds, hitting the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. He combined with his teammates to take home third place in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:22 at the season-opener.
Chisom claims that the 60 meter dash is his favorite event because of the adrenaline rush of a short race and how it works well for his size. However, he knows that there are still some things he can work on.
“I feel like I can improve on my block starts and opening up my stride,” Chisom said.
Chisom also claimed that he suffered a minor knee injury during the race, but that the injury was nothing serious.
Head coach John Papa was pleased with Chisom’s performance on Saturday, but believes there is more to come from him.
Senior sprinter hits NCAA provisional time
By Kristin KaramAssistant Sports Editor
Th e Slippery Rock men’s and women’s indoor track and fi eld teams took off into their season on Saturday by recording a combined 30 top-fi ve fi nishes, five NCAA provisional qualifying marks, and three event wins at the Youngstown State Invitational.
Freshman Mariah Burns hit two NCAA qualifying marks in her fi rst indoor meet with the Rock. Burns qualified in the triple jump with a winning leap of 11.74 meters, as well as a fourth place fi nish in the long jump at 5.61 meters.
Burns didn’t know exactly what to expect in her fi rst indoor meet, but she stayed focused on what she had been learning at practices and performed well.
“I achieved two personal records of my track and fi eld career, so I was very excited about that,” Burns said. “God defi nitely blessed me and allowed me to be able to jump the way I did on Saturday.”
Burns was named the PSAC Field Athlete of the Week for her performance at YSU.
Freshman Ashley West met NCAA qualifying marks in the high jump with a clearance of
1.69 meters that earned her second place.
Th e fi nal NCAA qualifi cation for the women’s team came from junior pole-vaulter Julia Cain with her clearance of 3.55 meters. Cain took third in the event, followed by freshman Kaitlyn Clark in fourth and senior Angela Shroeder in fi ft h.
Sophomore Hunter Williams and senior DJ Chisom reached qualifying marks for the men’s team.
Williams qualifi ed by winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.17 seconds. He was happy about his fi rst performance and looks forward to improving his time as the season progresses.
“Th at was my fastest time on an indoor track,” Williams said. “It was nice to open my season up on such a positive note.”
Chisom’s qualifying mark came in the 60-meter dash when he fi nished fourth with a time of 6.89 seconds.
Slippery Rock’s fi nal event win came from senior Kevin Jewel in the 800 meter run. Jewel clocked a time of 1:56.49 and was followed by junior Morgan Elliott in third with a time of 1:58.87 and sophomore Tyler Melius in fi ft h at 1:58.93.
Elliott also ran a time of 4:19.22 in the mile to take second place.
Head coach John Papa was
pleased with the teams’ results and looks forward to watching them continue to develop their skills.
“I thought our team did a great job,” Papa said. “We had several qualify for the PSAC Championships and meet qualifying standards for Nationals. We have outstanding track and fi eld athletes on the team.”
Th e Green and White’s 4x400-meter relay teams both had top-fi ve fi nishes.
Th e men’s team of Williams, Chisom, sophomore Monte Chapman, and senior Mason McLaughlin took third in the event with a time of 3:22.
Sophomore Katelyn Wetzel, and freshmen Jasmine Bailey, Cassandra Swartzbaugh, and Lexie Nowakowski recorded a time of 4:10 and placed fi ft h.
S ophomore Br i t t any Christiansen took second place in the weight throw and was the top Division II athlete with a throw of 14.99 meters. Junior Amanda McCool placed fourth in the event with a throw of 13.83 meters.
Also placing top-fi ve in the field events were senior Kyle Toms, senior Joseph Kelly, junior Victor Santoyo, junior Derick
PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN FLYNNSenior guard Aubin Reeves drives the ball down the court at the Nov. 19 game against La Roche College. Reeves contributed 11 points to the Rock’s two PSAC wins against Bloomsburg University and Mansfi eld University last weekend.SEE TWO, PAGE B-2
Rock gets two PSAC wins
Track teams excel at YSU
SEE CHISOM, PAGE B-3
EMILY SCHUBERT/THE ROCKET Senior sprinter DJ Chisom takes off of the starting line during the 2012 outdoor track Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship meet. SEE TRACK, PAGE B-3
Season opener produces three fi rst place fi nishes
By Matthew Morgan
Rocket Contributor
The Sl ipper y Rock Un i v e r s i t y w o m e n ' s basketball team's first taste of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action proved to be more difficult than expected ov e r t h e w e e k e n d , suffering a defeat in both games bringing the season record to 1-4 (0-2 PSAC).
The Rock has now lost four games in a row.
Bloomsburg University showcased why they are the 25th ranked team in the nation on Saturday with a commanding victory over the Rock 84-46.
The Huskies now have a 4-1 overall record (1-0 PSAC).
On Sunday, the Rock was defeated by Mansfield University 78-65.
T h e Mo u nt a i n e e r s walked away with a 2-2 overall record (1-1 PSAC).
Between the two games played over the weekend, the Rock made 26.6 percent of their attempted field goals, 8.2 percent of their three point shots and 63.3 percent of their free throws.
Free throws have been an area that needed to be worked on in the first few games of the season; the increase in f ree
throw percentage is an improvement and speaks volumes of the team’s work ethic in practice.
Junior Jazmyne Frost was the only player to score double digits over the weekend.
Frost scored 10 points against Bloomsburg, with eight of those points coming from the free throw line, shooting a perfect eight for eight.
Alexas Brown had nine points, D'Asia Chambers added seven, and Alexis Mayo had six points and six rebounds.
On Sunday against Mansf ield, Frost put together a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Brown added nine points and five assists, while Simone Aladenoye contributed eight points and Danielle Garroutte had seven.
After the weekend not being as successful as the team had hoped for, there are a few things to focus on in order to get the team moving in the right direction.
“Bloomsburg is one of the most fundamental teams around, both their men's and women’s teams,” head coach Tanya Longo said. “It’s truly impressive to be able to see that in their game and I admire their style of play. Simple yet successful, keeping it
basic.”The Rock had their
own personal triumphs over the weekend.
“Our aggressive attack was phenomenal and we made sure to put pressure on the court.” Longo said. “We really need to shoot the ball better now that we are getting nice shots as well as frequent free throw attempts. Week to week we are showing s ign i f i cant improvement.”
After the back-to-back losses this weekend, the team has been focusing on what needs improvement and how to bounce-back quickly.
Frost kept ‘her glass half full’ over the weekend and has been looking towards the positives as well as the future.
“Sure, it’s disappointing that we lost, but it pinpointed a lot of things that we need to work on," Frost said. "We just have to stick together as a team and not get upset about it.”
T h e R o c k’s n e x t competit ion wil l be tomorrow evening as they continue PSAC a c t i on a g a i ns t t h e Clarion University (2-4, 0-2 PSAC).
They will return home on Dec. 18 for a home match against West Chester University at 5:30 pm.
SportsB-2 December 7, 2012
Rock women drop two PSAC matches
Two wins in a row improves SRU to 4-1the clock.
Clark says that the energy that the team came out the second half with was the game-changer for the team.
For the remainder of the game, the score was tied on four other occasions and the lead changed 13 times before Clark scored a 3-pointer to put them up 70-68. Th e Rock outscored the Mounties 11-1 in the fi nal minutes of the game to secure the win.
SRU finished the game with a 41 percent (28-69) effi ciency from the fl oor, 32 percent (8-25) from behind the arc, and 67 percent (14-21) of its free throws.
T h e R o c k w a s outrebounded for the first time this season, 43-42, but had less turnovers with 12 compared to the Mountaineers’ 17. Mansfi eld fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in PSAC action.
Davis stepped up greatly this weekend, scoring double digits in both games.
"It feels good to help contribute to the team win. Th at's what I came here for, to help out the team," Davis said. "Th is is only the beginning of something special for me this year. I hope to do a lot more as the season progresses."
Th e Rock's season record now stands at 4-1 overall. Th e Green and White will travel to Clarion University tomorrow for a 7:30 p.m. game. Th ey will return home on Dec. 18 for a game against West Chester University. Th is will tip-off three consecutive home games for Slippery Rock.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EVAN FLYNNSenior forward Jermaine Edwards goes up for a shot over a defender at the Nov. 19 home opener against La Roche College.
SportsDecember 7, 2012 B-3
2013 Election Commissioner Christian Blake McChesney [email protected] 2013 Election Commission Alister Englehart Elise Michaux Jake Hostler Jake Miller Marcie Johnson Commission Advisor Dr. Pease-Hernandez [email protected]
Election Packets go out: February 8th
Election Packets due back by: March 7th
Elections: Tuesday, April 2nd – Thursday April 4th
Election Packets need to be filled out in order to run for the SGA office
Fiedler, and senior Ryan Camody.
Toms took a second place fi nish in the weight throw with a mark of 16.18 meters. Kelly was close behind in third with a throw of 16.11 meters.
Santoyo and Fiedler both recorded fourth place fi nishes for the Rock. Santoyo in the triple jump with a mark of 13.47 meters and Fiedler in the high jump with a clearance of 1.96 meters.
Camody cleared 4.25 meters in the pole vault and placed fi ft h.
Slippery Rock had several other top-five finishes in the track events at the invitational.
Senior Dan Hedglin came in fourth in the 60-meter high hurdles with a time of 8.38 seconds while Chapman took fi ft h in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.56 seconds.
S ophomore Janine Powis led the way for the Rock’s women’s team with second-place fi nishes in the 800-meter run and the mile.
In the 800-meter run, Powis recorded a time of 2:23.60. She was followed by sophomore Ang Bagwell who came in third with a time of 2:24.47.
Powis was the top collegiate fi nisher in the mile with a time of 5:12.16. Senior Stephanie Case joined her in the event with a time of 5:16.66 that earned her a third place fi nish.
Rounding out the top-fi ve fi nishes for the Rock were senior Kara Styles (2nd), senior Jordan Hausladen (4th), and freshman Karly Knechtel (5th) in the 3,000-meter run.
With fi nals week quickly approaching, the athletes will be required to keep their focus in order to do well at the upcoming Kent State Golden Flash Gala and the Edinboro heptathlon.
Papa feels that although some of the athletes have nerves about their finals,
they will be focused and ready for the weekend’s events.
“Our student athletes are focusing extra hard on preparing for a great track meet,” Papa said. “Kent will be another great test for our athletes. Th ere will be even better competition at this event.”
Slippery Rock sends its multi-event athletes to Edinboro for the heptathlon today while the rest of the team travels to Kent State University for the weekend.
“He has improved every year since he has been here,” Papa said, “He is one of the best in the PSAC. I applaud his hard work and team ethic.”
O n e o f C h i s om’s motivations on race day is his major. He is a Special Education major because he enjoys working with mentally and physically disabled children.
Chisom enjoys his major so much that he is fundraising for children with disabilities based on his race results.
"I decided to make my last leason a little special," Chisom said. "I'm donating money to disabled children based on how many fi rst place fi nishes I get this season, each event I win at PSACs, and if I qualify for Nationals."
His parents have also had a great infl uence on his track career. Chisom was attending Robert Morris University aft er not receiving any scholarship offers for track out of high school.
“I always wanted to get back into track,” Chisom said, “I played a lot of intramural sports to keep in shape and stay active.”
Unfortunately, Chisom tore his ACL while playing intramural sports at RMU and had surgery to repair his knee in December 2009.
His parents helped motivate him through the rehab and encouraged him to run at Slippery Rock, when he transferred in 2010.
Th e injury didn’t slow Papa
down in bringing Chisom to the Rock, as he recovered from his ACL surgery.
His first season was the 2010-11 season where he recorded four top-10 fi nishes, including a win in the 55 meter dash at Baldwin Wallace with a time of 6.55 seconds. Chisom earned All-PSAC honors in the 60 meter dash, running a time of 6.97 seconds, fi nishing second.
The following season, Chisom recorded fi ve top-10 fi nishes and again earned All-PSAC honors in the 60 meter
dash, taking second with a time of 6.93 seconds.
Before his races, Chisom has one small ritual he likes to stick to.
“I always say the Lord’s Prayer before races,” Chisom said, “It’s something I’ve always done and always will do.”
“Th e best has yet to come for him,” Papa said, “I hope he can win conferences this year. I know he's capable of it.”
Chisom will be competing tomorrow at the Kent State Golden Flash Gala.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN PAPASenior sprinter DJ Chisom completes a race at an outdoor track meet last spring. Chisom hit indoor NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the 60-meter dash at the Youngstown State Invitational on Saturday.
Track team gets 30 top-five finishes
Chisom donates to charity based on race resultsContinued from Page B-1Continued from Page B-1
EMILY SCHUBERT/THE ROCKETJunior pole vaulter John Piserchio clears the bar at the Youngstown State Invitational on Saturday. Piserchio cleared 3.95 meters.
B-4 December 7, 2012
CAMPUS LIFE C-1The Rocket
December 7, 2012
By Alyssa CirincioneRocket Contributor
When people hear the term ‘jazz,’ many think of jazz as being one style, but according to saxophone, combo one and instrumental improvisation professor Dr. Jason Kush, there are many different styles that SRU’s jazz band demonstrates.
“We are what’s considered a modern jazz ensemble,” Kush explained. “We perform traditional big band music like Duke Ellington to modern big bands that came out in the 1970s, like Th ad Jones/Mel Luis jazz orchestra. We also do some modern pieces that have recently been composed.”
A Slippery Rock alumni and director of the jazz band, Kush has been teaching at SRU for four years. He said the jazz band also performs styles such as west coast jazz and east coast jazz.
“West coast jazz tends to be more
commercial and clean sounding, like a Christina Aguilera CD, it’s very artifi cial,” Kush said. “East coast jazz is more adventurous and soulful. Th e recordings are live, so there’s less editing and post production.”
Freshman music education major Walker Marpz explained other techniques the jazz band displays in their music.
“Jazz music is largely improv and solos,” Marpz said. “Improv is where you get to put your own input into a song, to express what you’re feeling right there through your music. Another big thing is communication while you’re performing and just making sure you’re in sync with what everyone else is doing.”
Dr. David Glover, percussion professor and chair of the music department, agreed with Marpz and explained why he thinks that improvisation is important for students.
“I hope they get a sense of self through their improv,” Glover said. “You can learn a lot about yourself when it’s just you and your instrument. Th ey’re learning a lot of music theory and history of their instrument and the music, as well as how to carry on a c onv e r s at i on with each other m u s i c a l l y . Improv is a very unique thing and it will never be the same twice.”
Director of the jazz lab band, Glover h a s b e e n teaching at SRU for 11 years. He explained that communication through music is the most important part about playing an instrument.
“Jazz is very much a language that involves vocabulary and grammar, creating and presenting phases very much like speech in a non-verbal way,” Glover said. In general, there is a relationship between dialogue and how that relates to
improvisation. T h e m o r e you can help p e o p l e t o understand that re l at i onsh ip, the more they bu i l d t h e i r vocabulary and speech around that transfer.”
Sitting in his office, Glover e l a b o r a t e d more on what the jazz lab
band is and how it diff ers from the regular jazz band.
“Our goal with jazz lab has been trying to take students who
have never played in jazz and give them practical real world experience,” Glover explained. “We don’t perform as much as the jazz band. We perform once at the end of each semester, whereas jazz band performs multiple times throughout the year. With jazz lab, we read as much music as possible to give students that emersion into jazz literature.”
Marpz, 17, said he is the guitarist in the jazz band and explained why he wanted to be a part of the group.
“I’ve always been a fan of jazz,” Marpz smiled. “Th e jazz program is really amazing and it made me want to come to SRU. Our directors are cream of the crop of what they do. It’s always been something that I can express myself with, feeling most comfortable with an instrument in my hand. I’m very privileged to have made it into this group and thankful to work with such a great group of musicians.”
Jazz bands give students real-life musical experiences
“You can learn a lot
about yourself when
it's just you and your
instrument.”
- Dr. David Glover, percussion professor and Department of Music Chair
ALEX MOWREY/THE ROCKET Junior music education major Joe Joyce plays the trumpet with the Jazz lab band, which aims to give students practical music experience. The jazz band, a modern jazz ensemble, performs traditional big band music and more recently composed modern pieces.
““... And All ... And All
that jazzthat jazz””
As the semester draws to a close, and the offi cial start of winter quickly approaches, brush up on the latest trends for the upcoming season. This season is all about winter whites, leather, and the fashion industry’s latest color obsession, oxblood.
As you head home to attend holiday parties and reunite with your high school friends that you haven’t seen since August, pay attention to the latest trends to ensure that you’re looking your best.
Whoever said that you can’t wear white aft er Labor Day was sorely mistaken. Models walked the runways of Th e Row, Alexander Wang, and Derek Lam in the hot color to critical acclaim. Th ese designers featured head-to-toe white ensembles with black accents that radiated chic simplicity.
While wearing an entirely white outfit during the winter may seem highly unrealistic, try it before you discount it.
H&M’s Holiday Fashion collection features a number of stylish pieces including a winter white sweater for only $14.95, featuring a preppy Peter Pan collar with iridescent sequin detailing.
Forever 21 has also jumped on the bandwagon with their Beaded Mesh Peplum Top in Winter White for only $22.80. Th is top is on trend not only color wise, but detail wise as well. Th e peplum adds sweet sophistication, while the exposed zipper on the back gives it an edge.
If you’re feeling daring enough to rock white pants in the winter, head over to Old Navy to pick up their Sweetheart Skinny Jeans in Marshmallow, now on sale for only $19.
Leather is another trend not to be missed this season. It instantly adds a cool edge to any outfit, and is an instant confi dence booster all-in-one sleek package. A great part about this trend is that leather will always be in style, so there is no need to worry about whether or not the pieces you buy this season will be wearable next year.
Forever 21 sells a number of leather pieces including the fashionable Curved Panel Skirt for $15.80. Th is skirt features a knee-length hemline and curved knit panels on the sides that create a slimming effect. Wear it with a solid shirt and a pair of black heels for what is sure to be a head-turning look.
A leather jacket is a wardrobe staple that every girl should have in her closet, and if you don’t have one, winter 2012 is the perfect time to buy one. Th e BDG Vegan Leather Bomber Jacket by Urban Outfi tters is now on sale for only $69, and
would make a great addition to any wardrobe. Dress it up for a party with a fl irty mini-dress or down for a trip to the mall with a t-shirt and jeans.
Oxblood is the fashion industry’s latest obsession, and by far winter’s most talked about trend. While the name of this color may be off -putting to some, think of it as burgundy or a rich cranberry. Wearing this sophisticated shade of red will add a bit of class to any outfi t.
UK-based label, Asos, has over 100 diff erent products available from purses to coats in the popular hue. Order the Skinny Jeans in Oxblood No. 4 for $49.25 from http://us.asos.com, and pair them with your favorite T-shirt for a rocker chic look.
Topshop is another popular British brand that is on top of the oxblood trend. Purchase a pair of the VAIN Velvet Lips Ballerina flats for $44 to add some quirky fl air to your outfi t on http://us.topshop.com.
While winter’s trends may not be overly daring, they should inspire you to step out of your comfort zone to try something new. Be sure to incorporate your new trend setting pieces into your wardrobe sooner rather than later so that you’re ahead of the curve at your first holiday party of the season.
H a p p y h o l i d a y s , fashionistas!
Campus LifeC-2 December 7, 2012
Leather, winter whites among new winter trends
"ROCK'n Fashion"Katie Ellis
Katie Ellis is a sophomore journalism major and a regular contributor to Th e Rocket.
Dear Ana,What’s a good way to de-
stress for finals?Token Finals Question
Dear Token,I know it seems like a
long perilous journey that has no end, but finals are only a week long. In fact, they’re not even a week long because we have class on the Monday of finals week (if there is any logic or reason behind this, nobody knows). Just relax.
The weather has been very mild lately, so if you’re struggling with dealing with schoolwork in a cramped dorm room or the library, take a walk to exercise your body and ease your mind. Knowing that this is Slippery Rock, it will probably snow on finals week, so if you enjoy walking in the snow, that’ll be a likely possibility too.
Don’t rely on substances to de-stress – going to the bar is a better option for celebrating finishing all of your work rather than to escape from it. Coffee is not an anti-stress option, either, it is the last hope for you lazy kids who sleep all the time instead of studying (and by “you lazy kids,” I mean “me”) and while it may help you get your work done, you certainly won’t feel good about it.
You still have plenty of time to study for final exams. Just keep that in mind as you go through your week and take time to clear out any worried thoughts when you have to.
Dear Ana,What is the ultimate
question?The Answer is Not 42
Dear 42,I have been waiting for
three semesters to receive the Ultimate Question, a question that advice columnists around the world have prophesied will one day come. But, alas, I am not worthy enough of a columnist to receive the Ultimate Question, which I cannot even name. It’d be like saying Voldemort’s name.
Whoops.
Dear Ana,Is it ok, while at a
restaurant, to pick food out of your teeth with your bare fingers? I find it disgusting, but younger folks seem to do it all the time as if it’s normal. Some even examine the pickings, which I find extra disgusting. But maybe it’s just an age thing. Yer toothy opinion, please.
A Hairy Observer
Dear Hairy,To be frank, that sounds
disgusting. I wouldn’t find it socially acceptable to do that at a restaurant, especial ly since most have toothpicks and every restaurant has restrooms if someone was really that curious as to what was in their face.
Then again, I must ask, where do you eat? I don’t see this as a horribly common thing among young people, but then again I’m not that observant. Then again, rude people come in all ages so I’m sure it happens. Maybe it is because young people are too lazy to floss.
Dear Ana,I have a conservative
Christian friend who I love and respect. We get
along very well and have a lot in common, except for our values. Politically and religiously, I am his total opposite. We usually have a lot to talk about other than things we disagree with, but in the past few months things have changed. I’m not trying to say that he is trying to push his beliefs on me, but he is totally trying to push his beliefs on me.
I don’t want to debate him, but I won’t stand for doing the things that he wants me to do or believe what he wants me to believe. What is a nice way to tell him to back off?
Awkward and Pushy
Dear Pushy,What do you actually say
to him when he says things that seem pushy? Do you quietly decline or do you do or say what he wants, even if you say you don’t want to? If you two never previously had this issue before, then it doesn’t seem like he is the radical kind of conservative who would try to normally push his beliefs on you.
Does he know about your value differences, considering you’ve never “debated” him about them? Maybe he thinks you’re more similar to him than you are, or perhaps because of lack of a stern response from you has made him assume that you are willing and open to change.
You need to sit him down and tell him candidly about your issues with him. Remind him of all the things you do have in common, but tell him firmly that when it comes to some things, you two will always be different and you are not willing to waver.
"Ana Graham"
To submit a question, search for Ask Ana on Facebook, or send an email to [email protected].
"Ana Graham" is a senior public relations major and a regular contributor to Th e Rocket.
Ask Ana
Campus Life C-3December 7, 2012
Students learn to fi ght back against HIV/AIDS
New technology opens door to world of virtual classes for students
HAVE A SAFE AND FUN HOLIDAY BREAK!!
@SRSGA
DDON’T FORGET TO COMPLETE YOUR STUDENT LIFE
SURVEY ONLINE BY DECEMBER 20TH!
GOOD GOOD GOOD ON ON ON FNALS!!!! FNALS!!!! FNALS!!!!
The Happy Bus will stop running:
After the Late night route Friday night on the 14th!
The Happy Bus will resume running:
January 28th on Monday Morning!
By Courtney TietjeAssistant Campus Life Editor
“Fight back!” Mike Hellman screams into the microphone, and the crowd responds with a hearty, “End AIDS!”
After sixteen short readings, spoken words, and performances by students and faculty, Hellman took the stage on Monday evening to deliver the keynote speech during the Red Ribbon Monologues.
In celebration of World AIDS day, which first began in 1988, and to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, the Student Union for Multicultural Affairs presented the monologues, asking Hellman of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force to speak.
Hellman has worked with the Task Force for ten years, volunteering as a Personal Perspectives Presenter and an HIV/AIDS 101 presentation speaker.
He himself has AIDS.“This is my story,” he said. Hellman said in 1985, at the
age of 27, he went to the county health department in Michigan to get tested for HIV/AIDS. He waited a month for the results before he was finally called back and told that he was confirmed positive for HIV and that he had about 18 months to live. He was instructed to return home and reduce stress.
H I V, o r H u m a n Immunodeficiency Virus, is a virus that attacks the blood cells, preventing them from effectively f ig ht ing of f d i s e as e and weakening the immune system. When the immune system is extremely weak and allows other infections to enter the body, the person has developed AIDS.
Hellman has now been HIV positive for 27 years and has had AIDS for 18 years.
“I saw a lot of my friends go off and self destruct, basically,”
he said. “We were told we were going to be dead, so they went out and did drugs and got drunk every night and they died because they self-destructed. I said I need to take care of myself, and so I didn’t write into it. I guess part of it was that I had somebody else to take care of, so I wasn’t thinking so much about myself as I was about my partner at the time. And he did die two years later. I was constantly taking care of someone else while just trying to maintain day-to-day. I don’t think it was until maybe three or four years later that I gave any thought to what I needed to do.”
Since his diagnosis 27 years ago, Hellman has been through countless medicines to fight back against HIV, to strengthen his immune system, and to help him function through daily life without the side effects of HIV and his medication.
Among other things, Hellman struggled through fatigue and
exhaustion, diarrhea, anemia, chemotherapy, fat deposits, and an extremely low T cell count.
Today, he takes nearly 30 pills a day—only one of which is specifically for HIV—and spends nearly $3,000 dollars a month on medication.
Through it all, not knowing may have been the hardest part for Hellman.
“I was always thinking about the future,” he said. “You’re young. You’re in college. You’re getting a career. You’re doing a lot of things, and so I was always thinking ahead five or ten years and asking where do I want to be in the future? When I was told I had HIV, all I could think about was, ‘What am I going to do tomorrow? What’s going to happen tomorrow?’ And so it became a much more reality day-to-day moment-to-moment living, not thinking about the future but thinking about just making it through the week,
through the day, through the next week, through the year, so my goals became very very short. That was the biggest impact [HIV had] on my life.”
His advice to students is simple—don’t share needles, and use protection during sex.
Someone is affected by HIV every six seconds, and 20 percent of those living with HIV don’t know that they are infected.
“Routine testing [is important],” said Hellman. “Just ask for it. That’s the key, just ask for it. Just get tested. Every six months.”
The Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force provides free testing and information for HIV and AIDS.
As Hellman reflected on how his life has been affected by HIV/AIDS, he came clean with the crowd about why speaking.
“Those are not the things I want for you,” he said. “I don’t know you, but I know you well enough to know that I love you, and I don’t want that for you.”
By Rebecca MarcucciRocket Contributor
Imagine you can take a class where you are an avatar – not a lanky and scaly blue cinematic creature, but an online personality much like an Xbox character.
In this type of classroom, you can ask questions and interact with s tudents , much l ike the atmosphere of a physical classroom, except it’s a virtual world.
The classes are not limited solely to student resources like D2L. They are aimed at moving
online and leaning away from D2L into something more advanced that students seem to respond well towards, said business professor at SRU and virtual reality class developer Dr. John Golden.
Just like the nature of virtual reality, the classes are geared toward immersing students into an alternate world. This world of course, is Slippery Rock’s campus.
“L et’s say for instance, our students wanted to view Slippery Rock as an entirely green campus,” Golden said. “You could test that in an online
world.”Golden compared the layout of
his classes to that of the virtual landscape you’d see in Google Earth. In addition, Golden has received a $15,000 grant from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) along with other developers, Dr. Maria Harrington of SRU’s computer science department and Mr. Brian Danielson, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Educational Technology, to develop the software and make it user-friendly for students.
“We would get a lot of our
info from internet games a lot of students use already,” Golden said. “It’s something we think that would help students learn more efficiently.”
The idea has commercial interest too, Golden said. Students could buy a code to get into the virtual classroom instead of purchasing textbooks.
“The idea means less money and it’s more comfortable for students. It helps them learn better,” Golden said.
As for adapting the technology for the needs of students, Golden said the idea has a lot of potential.
“Technology shouldn’t block
people from learning, it should help,” Golden said. “I don’t see people driving to class in a horse and buggy. We want to know that the online capabilities we are developing are able to handle students in a virtual world.”
Golden explained where the virtual world could take students.
“For many of our business classes we take students on trips to Wall Street, imagine having the virtual world in New York City.”
This idea will not be developed for the coming online web courses this winter or over the summer, but for Fall 2013.
