THE WOOD WORDMarywood University’s Official Student Newspaper

Communication Arts Department

February 2013

thewoodword.org

Housing HeadachesResident students juggle new requirements, cramped quarters,

and changes to security pgs. 8 and 9

Graphic Credit: Holly Dastalfo

2 News

Graduate student lobbying for women’s center on campus

Mother's Day commencement poses issues for university

Jennifer Mudge, a graduate student in the School of Social Work and Administrative Studies, and a legal advocate with the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton, is conducting research for a proposal concerning the development of a women’s center at Marywood.

Mudge got the idea from her former supervisor who tried unsuccessfully to establish one on campus a few years ago while she was a student in the MSW program. Also, while national statistics state that one in five college-age women will be sexually assaulted, Mudge rarely saw this demographic at the Women’s Resource Center in Scranton.

“[We were] noticing that we’re serving so many women but we really didn’t see a college student population and this doesn’t fit with the

statistics, so it’s like ‘where are they getting help?’” she said.

Mudge said she believes that there is a need for a women’s center on campus.

“We know [sexual assault is] happening regardless of how safe the campus is or how great the university is,” she stated. Through having conversations with individuals, Mudge has discovered that there is a discrepancy between what the university reports and what actually occurs.

Dr. Amy Paciej-Woodruff, dean of students, supports the initiative of a women’s center. In her position, she oversees the University Conduct Board, which hears cases of student misconduct including alleged sexual assault. According to the 2011-2012 Annual Security Report, there were four reported cases of sexual assault in 2011, two on campus and two in residence halls. However, Paciej-Woodruff said that these

numbers are only indicative of the cases which actually go through the conduct process.

“We have very few [cases] that go through the conduct process,” she stated.

Mudge said she believes that while universities do report the cases that are brought to their attention, many more go unreported due to the stigmas that are associated with sexual assault, including shame, guilt, and victim-blaming. These stigmas can affect individuals academically, emotionally, psychologically, and socially.

Since starting her field placement with the Dean of Students in the fall semester, Mudge has gathered data through various means, including holding focus groups, conducting interviews with faculty, staff, and students from the university, and meeting with community members. She has also

done a survey of numerous women’s centers across the country to gain knowledge of structure, programs, finances, and other aspects of running such a facility.

According to Mudge, a women’s center would provide all students with a place to go to for information, seminars, and assistance.

“The intention is for it to be inclusive [so] you don’t have to have been sexually assaulted to use the center,” she said.

“A lot of people think they’re invincible, that it’s not going to happen to [them]. [But] what if it happens to your friend? You want to be able to support them,” said Paciej-Woodruff.

Mudge hopes to present the proposal by the end of the semester to university administration.

“I just feel like it could be an asset to the university and beneficial to the students and the faculty.”

Sarah E. CruzNews Editor

For the past nine years, Marywood’s gift to mothers has been seeing their son or daughter graduate on Mother’s Day.

But for faculty, staff, and students, the ceremony creates problems with their own Mother’s Day celebrations.

According to John Coval, director of conferences and special events, Marywood has a one year contract with the Mohegan Sun Arena, which is renewable each year upon request. The university is currently locked in to having graduation on Mother’s Day because it was an open weekend, and fit into the academic schedule without conflict.

The Arena also was selected because it is close to Marywood, has seating for up to 10,000 people, and is an indoor location. Before relocating the ceremony to the Arena, graduation was held on

campus at various outdoor locations including the Memorial Commons, the steps of the Liberal Arts Center, the Campus Green, Nazareth Student Center, and the McGowan parking lot.

In addition, the new location places no restrictions on how many people a graduate may bring to commencement.

“You think we have parking issues with just students on campus, imagine having graduation here,” said Sr. Catherine Luxner, director of Campus Ministry and organizer of the commencement liturgy. She has worked at the university for most of her life and looks at graduation as a day for the students. “Families say that this is a wonderful way to celebrate,” Luxner said.

But not all students enjoy having their graduation on Mother’s Day. Jeffrey Marmo, senior business and marketing major, said his friends won’t be able to see him graduate because of plans with their mothers. He said he doesn’t like the idea

of having to split the day into celebrating his graduation and celebrating his mom.

Faculty and staff are also torn about the Mother’s Day ceremony. While some have learned how to work around it, others still find it an obstacle.

Dr. Laurie McMillan, associate professor and chair of the English department, said being away on Mother’s Day affects her children.

“My children hate it. It’s not just about me. [They] get very upset that I’m not there,” McMillan said.

Stanley Grzenda, maintenance coordinator has been with the university for nearly 30 years and has spent every year working tirelessly for commencement weekend. Grzenda said that between the hooding ceremony and graduation, he puts in nearly 25 hours and realizes that graduation on Mother’s Day is very time-consuming for him.

“There’s always some type

of plans at home with my mother or plans my wife does with my son that I miss out on,” Grzenda said.

Despite the challenges a Mother’s Day commencement creates for members of the Marywood community, changing the date is not easy.

According to Coval, changing the date will not be possible until at least 2015 because of contracts and because of the academic calendar.

Dr. Alan Levine, vice president for academic affairs, said he thinks change could come in the future. He acknowledged the concerns of all involved in commencement, and said the planning committee is taking these concerns into account for future ceremonies.

Graduation will remain on Mother’s Day for at least the next three years, meaning members of the university community will have to share Mother’s Day with graduation until at least 2016.

Rachel MizantyCorrespondent

News 3

Sarah E. CruzNews Editor

The Human Physiology Laboratory (HPL) is currently moving its operations from the Keith J. O’Neill Center for Healthy Families to the Robert J. Mellow Center for Athletics and Wellness in order to accommodate the growth of the physician’s assistant (PA) program also located in the O’Neill Center.

The PA program facilities are expanding in order to receive approval from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) to potentially increase their minimum class size from 45 to 60 students.

Wendy Yankelitis, assistant vice president for buildings and grounds, stated that the two-phase project will cost an estimated $1,800,000. The two phases are the transition of the HPL from the O’Neill Center to the Mellow Center and the renovations of the former HPL and the current PA classroom.

HPL prepares for move to Mellow as PA program expands

Bob Hannon/ The Wood WordGraduate students Alison Staub and Nick Fiolo do research in the Human Physiology Lab.

The first phase began in early February and should be completed by the end of April. The second phase should be completed by December 2013.

Dr. Lori E. Swanchak, interim director of the physician’s assistant program, stated that the current classroom will be transformed into a state-of-the-art physical assessment lab containing 22 beds, allowing the students to practice their clincial exam skills.

The space that the HPL presently occupies will be converted into an amphitheater-style classroom allowing for more effective teaching. It will include tables with built-in outlets enabling students to charge their laptops and other devices more efficiently.

“We believe that the expansion will enhance the program’s visibility within the profession,” Swanchak said.

Dr. Gerald S. Zavorsky, director of the human physiology laboratory, stated that the HPL provides graduate students in

the sports nutrition and exercise science and nutrition programs the opportunity to conduct research. Students have also done numerous studies on various demographics including women with weight and lifestyle issues, cyclists, and even runners in last fall’s Steamtown Marathon.

The HPL also performs fitness testing and pulmonary function testing through the use of treadmills and other equipment. It is also currently overseeing “Marywood Meltdown,” a university employee wellness program in which 50 faculty and staff members are enrolled.

Yankelitis said that the HPL is being moved to the student lounge in the Mellow Center since that facility receives a lot of foot traffic, which will help its staff to gain student volunteers for their various studies and tests. Another reason is the connection between the HPL and the athletic training program, whose students regularly utilize the facility.

Zavorsky stated that the HPL, which currently operates

in a space of approximately 2,400 sq. ft., will be moving to a similarly sized area but with a different layout. Currently, it is located in a space that houses the actual lab, staff and graduate assistant offices, and a waiting area. Once the transition takes place, Zavorsky’s office will be located on the second floor of the Mellow Center and there will be limited room

for student researchers and research participants to move around or leave their belongings while they are working.

Despite the challenges of moving such a large and technology-driven facility, Zavorsky is optimistic.

“We are going to do whatever we can to make sure the quality [of our work] is as good as it is currently,” he said.

Locks inspection- A crew wearing contractor badges are on campus the next few weeks surveying campus locks. For more information, contact buildings and grounds, Patricia Trapper: ptrapper@maryu.marywood.edu.Change to wireless system- Effective immediately, students will be able to use their MarywoodYou log-in information to access the wireless service. For more information, contact Karen Nealon: karennealon@maryu.marywood.edu.

UK Fulbright applications due - The 2013 Fulbright summer programs in the United Kingdom are due Monday, March 11. Programs are offered to undergraduate freshmen and sophomores with a GPA above 3.5, extracurricular involvement, and little to no experience with international travel. For more information, contact Dr. Joseph Polizzi at japolizzi@marywood.edu or ext. 2497.[Diversity] in a Frame photograph contest now open - The International

Club is accepting works that uniquely represent diversity in all its forms. Submission deadline is Sunday, March 17. In conjunction with the presentation: “Becoming the Muslim Protagonist: Changing the Narrative by Telling Our Stories.” Selected works will be displayed during the lecture event on Tuesday, March 26 in the Latour Conference Room, and on March 27 and 28 in the Rotunda. For more information, contact Dr. Erkan Acar: eacar@marywood.edu.Flea market set - Campus

Ministry is currently accepting items for its Spring Flea Market, on Friday, March 22, in the Latour Room, Nazareth Student Center. Items can be dropped off in the Campus Ministry Office, Swartz Center for Spiritual Life. All proceeds benefit Campus Ministry service trips.St. Joseph's charity wheelchair basketball game - Saturday, March 23 at the Mellow Center. Doors open at 5 p.m.; game starts at 6:30 p.m. There will be prizes and raff les. For more information,

contact: Kevin Kuna at (570) 348-6211 ext. 2549 or kkuna@marywood.edu.Book swap and sale next month - Lambda Iota Tau, the English Honor Society will host a book swap and sale on Tuesday, March 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Fireplace Lounge, Nazareth Student Center. Fifty cents for softcovers and one dollar for hardcovers.

News Briefs

Crime Blotter

Theft - Jan. 25: A coffee mug was stolen from the registrar’s office in the Liberal Arts Center.

Vandalism - Jan. 29: A student’s automobile was vandalized in the upper freshman parking lot.

Theft - Jan. 31: A computer mouse was stolen from the O’Neill Center for Healthy Families.

Theft - Feb. 1: A coat was stolen from a table on the third floor of the Center for Natural and Health Sciences.

Theft - Feb. 21: Bed linens were stolen from the second floor housekeeping closet in Immaculata Hall.

For constant updates on campus crime : marywood.edu/campus-safety/log.html

Brigid EdmundsAssistant News Editor

Faculty Senate has announced changes to policies regarding pre-tenure review, course evaluations, and course syllabi, all of which will go into effect this fall.

Faculty Senate is comprised of 20 faculty members from all of the colleges on campus. They meet once a month with the purpose of identifying the concerns of the faculty and making proposals to the administration.

Dr. Agnes Cardoni, assistant professor of English, explained that the changes were for clarification.

According to Cardoni, the Rank and Tenure Committee, made up

Pre-nursing students struggle to pass entrance examKatherine Avila

Correspondent

Only one out of nine incoming freshmen planning to major in nursing passed the recent pre-entrance exam required for admission into the program.

The pre-entrance exam is given to any incoming freshman who is not directly admitted into the nursing program because of low SAT scores. Marywood requires a combined score of 1450 or above, a 480 on SAT math, or a 21 on the ACT. Students who do not meet those requirements at the time of admission to the university are given a second chance with the PAX-RN,

a national certified nursing entrance exam.

In order to be admitted to the nursing program at Marywood, students must score in the 85th percentile, which means that students interested in the nursing program must do better than 85% of the nation’s students who also took it.

The passing rate is set at such a high standard because it correlates with the expected rate of success in the nursing program at Marywood.

Chair of the nursing department, Dr. Mary Alice McCormick stated, “The score demonstrates higher critical thinking ability; that’s what we’re looking for.”

To prepare for the PAX-RN, Dr. McCormick advises students to buy review books and “eat them up.” The study guide books range anywhere from $20 to $30. Students admitted to the university in the fall have an entire semester to study the review books before they take the exam in December.

Students who do not pass the exam have two options: change majors or transfer to a nursing program at a different university.

“It’s difficult. Who knows at 18 exactly what they want to do? And if you want to be a nurse but you don’t pass, it’s dejecting,” said Dr. McCormick.

Alyssa Barrale is one of the students who did not pass the exam. Prior to entering college, she volunteered six hours a week in nursing homes and took nursing classes at her vocational technical school.

“I had more experience coming into the program […] I think I should have picked somewhere else to go [to school] who would have taken me,” said Barrale.

Derrick Eyerman, the only student who passed the exam, said that the exam is challenging because it must be taken after only one semester of classes.

“You don’t learn a lot of [the material on the exam] until you take your nursing classes

4 News

and after you start clinical […] which is in your junior year of nursing,” said Eyerman.

Despite the criticism from students, the nursing department will continue using the pre-entrance exam. According to McCormick, the PAX-RN provides a second chance for those students who did not meet the stringent admissions requirements upon acceptance into the university.

“It’s a challenging profession, but it’s a worthwhile one when a patient hugs you and says thank you,” said McCormick. “You can’t put a cost on that.”

Faculty Senate announces policy changes of eight faculty members, proposed modifications to pre-tenure review and course evaluations at the January meeting and approved them at the February meeting.

In the former policy, pre-tenure review documents could not include any appendices. Now, candidates for tenure must include an appendix containing a copy of his/her annual self-evaluation and copies of the respective chairperson's and Dean's responses to it. Also, the organization of the pre-tenure portfolio was changed from eight separate categories to three categories with the first divided into five smaller sub-sections.

Course evaluation forms were changed slightly as well. The question that concerns commu nicating with professors

will now include other forms of electronic communication in addition to email. Another change to the form appears where it asks how much time a student spends preparing for a class. Instead of listing large chunks of time, it will now list shorter time periods to get a more accurate description of how the individual student prepares.

The Faculty Concerns Committee, made up of five faculty members and a student representative, approved a change in the Faculty Handbook regarding how professors should identify their grading procedures in course syllabi.

Nick Pesarcik, president of the Student Government Association and the student representative on the committee, said that the syllabi

change had been discussed within the Student Government Association for years and they had been actively pursuing it for the past three years. “One of the issues that came up was that the grading was not transparent,” Pesarcik explained.

According to Section 3.5 of the Faculty Handbook, the policy on course syllabi stated that the syllabus must include the professor's "grading plan." The new policy states that syllabi should include "grading information such as the grading scale describing how grades are to be assigned at the conclusion of the course and a description of the method used to derive grades." The update should be in the Faculty Handbook at the end of the year.

Opinion 5

Have an opinion you want to share? Submit a letter to the editor.Letters must be 300 words or less. The Wood Word reserves the right to edit letters for length and grammar. Send name, title, and a phone number where you can be reached to: thewoodword@m.marywood.edu.

The Wood WordEditorial Board

For the last nine years, Marywood has held its graduation at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Mother’s Day. Nine years too many.

According to John Coval, director of conference and event services, this date was selected when Marywood administration decided to hold commencement at the arena but learned that its usual graduation date on the third Sunday in May was already reserved by Wilkes University, a neighboring institution.

The University of Scranton’s graduation was scheduled for the fourth Sunday in the month at the arena, so the

holiday was the only other viable option considering Marywood’s commencement event schedule, which includes a Saturday hooding ceremony and Sunday commencement ceremony.

The Mother’s Day commencement ceremony has created challenges for members of the university community who are required to attend every year because of employee contracts. Professors and staff have spent the past six years with students rather than their own families. The four-plus hour mid-day ceremony isn’t exactly conducive to celebrating the day with family.

According to Dr. Alan Levine, vice president for academic affairs, the university

administration counts the required number of classroom hours starting from graduation and works backward, which in turn means that graduating so early creates a shorter winter break than in years past.

This shortened break makes it difficult for professors to prepare for the spring semester having just completed the fall semester three weeks earlier. Students also often count on extended breaks to work more hours at part-time or full-time jobs. It’s also arguably not long enough for students to relax and rejuvenate for the new semester considering the fact that other local universities have anywhere from four to

seven weeks of winter break.Yes, the novelty of a

mother watching her son or daughter graduate on the day meant to celebrate her as a mother might be considered touching and sentimental. But, as a result, Marywood employees are also giving up a large part of a day they could be celebrating with their own families.

The Beacon, Wilkes University’s student newspaper, recently reported that the institution is moving its commencement ceremonies from the arena back to its campus this year, seemingly leaving its previous date at the arena open for takers.

Wilkes University’s decision to discontinue holding

its commencement at the arena provides Marywood administration with the opportunity to act and potentially renegotiate a new contract for the date previously held by Wilkes.

If moving the ceremony one week back is not possible or desirable, the administration should consider moving the commencement ceremony to Saturday (and the hooding ceremonies to Friday afternoon or evening). This would allow the university to maintain its current academic calendar while allowing the members of the Marywood community to reclaim Mother’s Day for celebrating moms.

Time to give Mother’s Day back to the momsNew graduation date needed, wanted

thewoodword.org The Wood Word thewoodword@m.marywood.eduMolly BoylanEditor-in-chief

Autumn GramignaManaging editor

Sarah CruzNews editor

Brigid EdmundsAssistant news editor

Kelly Rickert Opinion co-editor

Vikki HarttOpinion co-editor

Autumn GranzaCommunity editor

Ashley PadulaAssistant community editor

Mandy ScritchfieldAssistant community editor

Katie OwensArts & entertainment editor

Owen KaroscikAssistant A&E editor

Erica NealonSports editor

Evan FelserAsst. sports editor

Holly DastalfoDesign editor

Diana D’AchilleAssistant design editor

Eric LiPumaAssistant design editor

Melissa FolignoAssistant design editor

Robert E. HannonPhotography editor

Joseph Petro Photography editor

Robert SmithWeb editor

Natasha LeeAsst. web editor

Justin WahyMultimedia editor

Afton FonzoSocial media editor

Janice RichardsonCopy editor

Kelsey HealeyCopy editor

Monika LoeffladCartoonist

Caitlyn CusterAdvertising manager

Lindsey MatylewiczAd sales representative

Dr. Lindsey WotanisAnn L. WilliamsFaculty advisers

Opinion 6

No

Bob Hannon/The Wood Word

Yes

Opinion co-editors Vikki Hartt and Kelly Rickert face off over the pros and cons of online dating.

Kelly RickertOpinion co-editor

While there are times when happy couples meet via dating sites, in many cases it seems that online dating is either a profile with a long list of lies, or it leads people to have no chemistry if and when they meet in person.

The biggest problem I find with online dating is how easy it is for people to lie and scam someone who is looking for a legitimate relationship. By never meeting face to face, a person can get away with posting false information on his/her profile. This fake profile can simply include little white lies or could go as far as intentionally misleading someone’s love interest in order to gain something.

There have even been numerous cases where the fake persona tries to scam money out of their online love interest. The U.S. Department of State said, “The anonymity of the Internet means that the U.S. citizen cannot be sure of the real name, age, marital status, nationality, or even

gender of the correspondent.”Even when scams and

lying are not involved, there is no evidence that the process of sorting through a long list of profiles, traits, and characteristics leads to a stronger relationship. In fact, the opposite is often true.

According to the study in the Journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest that Vikki cited, sorting through multitudes of online profiles “doesn’t help form strong relationships. Browsing through profile after profile ‘can result in the objectification of potential partners.’”

The article also says that the bigger problem is not people lying on their profiles or the laundry list of potential dates; it is that an online profile cannot “transmit the full essence of a human being.” According to the study, these websites simply “reduce daters into two-dimensional profiles.”

By using an online dating website, you can obtain a long list of potential dates, but I believe there is no beating a real, personal connection.

Vikki HarttOpinion co-editor

There’s been quite some controversy in recent months concerning online dating.

Many have heard about the hoax surrounding college football star, Manti Te’o, and how he found out his online girlfriend was fake. This has been one of the highly publicized displays of online dating, but what the media fails to show are the actual relationships and marriages that online dating outlets can provide and create.

Dating has changed over the years, and some people are too busy to deal with going on several dates to find the “one.” Internet dating sites such as Match.com, created in 1995, have changed the way people view dating and the way they are able to both act and present themselves behind the computer. Many online dating services started by matching people based on their profiles and likes and have evolved immensely, now incorporating surveys, pictures, videos, personal blogs, you name it.

According to a report on online dating in the Journal Psychological Sciences in the Public Interest, the main advantage that dating websites provide to singles is the access to hundreds of potential dates, with the click of a button. There are many different online dating sites. Some sites are general and act as platforms for dating, while others can be more unique and cater to specific interests or even races.

For example, there is an online dating portal for vegetarians. It may sound silly, but someone may find that lifestyle trait important in his/her dating life.

According to a study done by Drexel University researchers, one in five Americans finds his or her spouse via online dating websites. Online dating gives people the flexibility and opportunity to find a person who shares the same interests and at their own convenience. Online dating can be a great platform to jump-start your dating life and a way to potentially meet the love of your life.

To date, or not to date, online

Robert SmithWeb Editor

It seems like only a short time ago, the first name in smartphones, the leader of pocket productivity, was BlackBerry.

Now, that brand is at the back of consumers’ minds in a market dominated by Apple and super-phones running Google’s Android operating system. In a desperate attempt to regain lost territory, a fresh touchscreen BlackBerry running a slick new version of the BlackBerry Operating System has just hit the market. But is it too late for the dethroned handset producer to

make a comeback?Research In Motion (RIM),

the Canadian Company behind the BlackBerry smartphone, introduced the first installment of the device in 1998. Just six years later, BlackBerry had over one million subscribers.

In 2007, the year the iPhone was born, the number of BlackBerry users grew to 12 million and would continue to grow to 16 million in 2008. This however, marked the turning point in RIM’s success.

The company started to miss earnings estimates. Their first touchscreen device, the Storm, received mixed reviews,

and their app store’s selection was pitiful compared to Apple’s. Tack on a global service interruption in 2011 followed by a complete outage on three continents in 2012, and it seemed like RIM’s fate was sealed.

In 2012, the research company Gartner reported that RIM’s share in the smartphone market had dropped 44.4% to just 2.0% of the market share. This year, RIM has tried to reinvent itself. In fact, there is no RIM anymore; on January 30, Research In Motion changed their name to BlackBerry to be associated more closely with their chief product.

Also new for the tech company is the BlackBerry10 operating system, and two new devices, the all touchscreen Z10 and the Q10 with a physical keyboard. The new devices are packing some impressive specifications, with high definition displays and dual-core processors. This is BlackBerry’s last best chance to regain some market share from the bigger fruit and the robot menace.

Are the new software and hardware enough to bring BlackBerry back from the brink? In my humble opinion…nope.

The iPhone and Android-based phones grew quickly

because their fresh look attracted a larger demographic than the BlackBerry in the hands of a businessperson. Although the new berries are more attractive, the name “BlackBerry” is still going to be attributed to the past, and with Microsoft’s new Windows Phone OS gaining market share, there is even less room for the fallen titan to make a comeback.

In 1999, the media coined a term referring to the addicting nature of the BlackBerry device as the “CrackBerry.” It seems now, that the “CrackBerry” condition is all but eradicated.

Electronics Extraordinaire: BlackBerry- From birth to certain death?

Students gathered in the Latour Room Saturday, Feb. 9 to fast for eight hours as a way to raise awareness and money to help those who suf-fer from hunger and poverty.

The event, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS), raises money to help provide the less fortunate with food security. Students who participated were encouraged prior to the event to go out and raise money for the fast. The money raised from CRS Food Fasts is used internationally.

Activities at the fast edu-cated attendees on how the mon-ey they raised may potentially be used to educate or provide the necessary tools for those who do not have the resources to grow or gather their own food.

According to Mau-

reen McCullough, the re-gional director at Catholic Relief Services, the Food Fast is a learning experience.

“Part of the fast is to give folks some simple ex-perience of what people who are dealing with hunger [feel] throughout the day, through out their lives,” said McCullough.

This was the first Food Fast held at Marywood “within anybody’s recollection,” said Sr. John Michele Southwick, assistant director of Campus Ministry. The Food Fast, which is generally 24 hours, is one of three events Campus Min-istry is involved with through Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

The slogan for this year’s fast was “Donate a plate for $8.” Participants were asked to raise at least $8 and fast for eight hours. However, South-

wick said there is not a set amount to raise and that the goal of the fast is to raise some money and help those in need.

Although the fast itself ran smoothly, there were some bumps leading up to the event. Getting the word out was the biggest issue, and the small snowstorm the night before did not help to draw a crowd.

According to Kelsey Savka, a student in her third year, Campus Ministry plans to hold the Food Fast again sometime next year.

“We started out with eight hours because it’s our first time, and we didn’t know how it would turn out. So we’re just giving ourselves the little step-ping stone, and next year we’re just going to keep running with it. We’re really excited,” said Savka.

Southwick said that she

thinks moving the event to a Friday and holding it overnight might also help to make it more successful.

For more information about events, donations, or the Food Fast, go to http://crs.org.

Community 7

Dr. John Lemoncelli, professor of psychology and counseling and direc-tor of the Psychological Services Cen-ter, recently published his second book.

The book, titled “Healing from Childhood Abuse: Understanding the Effects, Taking Control to Re-cover,” came out in 2012 and was pub-lished by Praeger, a national publisher of scholarly and professional books.

His first book, titled, “A Mind of Its Own: Healing the Mind and Heart of the Parasite of Childhood Abuse,” came out in 2007 and was pub-lished by a local publishing company.

Lemoncelli said that his

first book came about easily.“It was in my head and I just had

to get it from head to paper,” he said.But, his second book was more

time consuming and more technical. There were times, he said, he didn’t think he would finish it. It took him ap-proximately seven months to complete it.

His first book was written sole-ly to help the patients he had treated say that their pain did some good in the world. His second book had the same theme, but it also moved to a bigger audience. Much of what he in-corporated into the book he learned from years of working with patients. “Let your patients teach you,” he said.

When Lemoncelli sat down to

write, he had four main intentions. His primary intent was to assist vic-tims to become survivors. He wanted to educate families about sufferings of loved ones, to educate clinicians, and finally, to call clinicians to action.

“Let’s get on the ball and start re-searching [affects of childhood abuse]. We need to get answers,” he said.

According to Lemoncelli, people are al-ways learning new things from new people.

“You haven’t met your best teach-er yet to this day,” he said. “I haven’t met my next patient or student yet.”

Excerpts from Lemoncelli’s book can be found on his website, www.drlemoncelli.com. The book can be purchased through Amazon.com.

Ashley PadulaAssistant Community Editor

Psychology professor publishes second book on childhood abuse

Bob Hannon/ The Wood WordDr. John Lemoncelli published his second book to assist victims to become survivors and heal from child abuse.

Chad BlackCorrespondent

CRS Food Fast educates students on poverty and hunger

Joe Petro/ The Wood WordFast Hunger Group: Maxis’ Gillet (Left to right) Amanda Bielet, sophomore, religious studies; Jeanne Russo, sophomore, pre-physician assistant; Sister John; Kelsey Savka, junior, secondary math and special education; Jack Waless, freshman, English and secondary education.

8 9

8 9

Even though the numbers show that there is more than enough space in residence halls to accommodate all of the students requesting housing, some upperclassmen are still feeling cramped.

Marywood’s residence halls have the capacity to hold 1,088 on-campus resident students. Currently, there are approximately 976 students living in the campus’s nine residence halls.

Still, students like Lorianne Zar-ra are living in some tight quarters. Zarra, a junior fine arts major, lives in McCarty Hall with 15 other women.

“It is pretty difficult to expect 16 girls to live in a house normally made for only five or six people,” she said.

Beyond the cramped quarters, the Hall is in need of repairs accord-ing to Zarra. A room in McCarty Hall had a bee infestation last year.

“Maintenance was called a bunch of times, and when they came, they duct taped my window and said the bees should be gone,” said Zarra.

Since the fall semester, the bee is-sue in McCarty has been resolved, and according to Ross Novak, director of housing and residence life, no subse-

quent reports of bees have been filed.According to Zarra, the problems

with housing extend beyond mainte-nance repairs. “I don’t think there are enough dorm rooms on campus at all. They should fix their old dorms and build new ones as well,” Zarra said.

Novak said when he became di-rector in July 2012 that there were talks about building new residence halls.

“Going ahead with a new resi-dence hall involves funds, however, and the institutional focus is on the need for the Learning Commons,” said Novak.

But, not all students are com-plaining about housing accommoda-tions. Freshman communication arts major Kathy Avila resides in Loughran Hall and rooms with two other women.

“In Loughran, there are enough spaces. I know two girls who live in a quad by themselves, and a few girls live by themselves in two-person dorm rooms,” said Avila.

According to Novak, Loughran was at 94 percent capacity with 314 residents in the fall. This spring, the building is at 91 percent capac-ity, with only 299 residents living in the Hall. This drop in numbers is typical and expected, said Novak.

Between the fall and spring semesters, residence halls tend to lose students as a result of success-

ful appeals to change to commuter status, academic dismissals, or stu-dents taking a temporary leave from the institution, among other reasons.

“Although the ideal is to be as close to 100 percent capac-ity as possible for both semes-ters, Loughran’s current occupancy rate is not a concern,” Novak said.

The extra space in the resi-dence halls gives the housing and residence life staff some flex-ibility should problems arise.

While Avila said that she be-

lieves there is enough space to house students on campus, the problem is a lack of options.

“Chances are that after Loughran, I’ll end up living in Regina,” she said.

Novak encouraged students to reach out to both the residence hall advisory board and student government to have discussions about how to improve housing.

“I do think there are oppor-tunities to kind of work with what we have now to improve some of those situations,” said Novak.

Mandy ScritchfieldAssistant Community EditorAutumn Gramigna

Managing Editor

Students express concerns about living conditions

Housing Headaches

Bob Hannon/ The Wood WordRegina Hall, one of the many buildings that upperclass students migrate to after freshman year.

Resident students juggle new requirements, cramped quarters, and changes to security

Graphic Credit: Holly Dastalfo

8 9

8 9

Resident students at Marywood University will have to adapt to sig-nificant updates in the room selec-tion process starting April 2013. The updates promise to maximize hous-ing options for students who intend to return to Marywood each semester.

The room selection process in previous years consisted of stu-dents filling out the housing and din-ing agreement, completing the hous-ing and dining preference form, and having a receipt from the cashier’s of-fice for the $300.00 housing deposit.

For the 2013-2014 academic year, registration for fall 2013 courses will be a prerequisite for participation in the room selection process. This is in addi-tion to the original requirements above. Those who are not registered for courses will be unable to pick a housing assign-

Autumn GramignaManaging Editor

Residents of Immaculata Hall now have an extra step to get to their rooms at night and on the weekends.

Effective Tuesday, Feb. 12, they are now required to use new ID cards to access their living space as a way to better secure the administrative offic-es located on the first floor of Immac-ulata and in the Liberal Arts Center.

The Office of Housing and Res-idence Life approved the new system at the end of last semester, after in-stances of vandalism occurred near the offices of Institutional Research and Planning and the President of the University. Office signs were ripped from walls, and items in the reception area were moved. Also, during Inter-national Week, flags were stolen from

the Rotunda in the Liberal Arts Center.According to the email sent to

residents by Ross Novak, director of housing and residence life, the new system calls for students to swipe their ID cards in order to access the breeze-way area located between Immacula-ta Hall and the Liberal Arts Center as well as the Immaculata back entrance door between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Satur-day, and from 9:30 p.m. Saturday night until 7 a.m. Monday morning.

The numerous other burglaries that occurred on campus at the be-ginning of the year also contributed to the approval of this new policy, said Mike Finegan, chief of campus safety. However, campus safety can-not confirm whether the individu-als responsible for the vandalisms and burglaries reside in Immaculata.

“At this point, I think it would

be speculation [to say residents in Immaculata are responsible]. But we’re just trying to ensure that if it was someone who lives in Immacu-lata, that they wouldn’t be able to get down on that floor again, and certainly no other student would have access,” stated Finegan.

He also said that the double doors leading to the administrative area will be locked at the end of the working day and that the university is seeking to reprogram the eleva-tor so that students will be unable to gain access to the area after hours.

With these added precau-tions, university officials are hoping to curb future incidents. “An extra layer of protection to ensure people who are in the building are residents or escorted by residents will elimi-

Sarah E. CruzNews Editor

New room selection requirements in place for residents

Changes to security measures in Immaculata Hall Students express concerns about living conditions

Housing Headaches

Bob Hannon/The Wood WordStudents must swipe their ID cards in order to ac-cess the breezeway at Madonna.

Resident students juggle new requirements, cramped quarters, and changes to security

ment. The new policy will allow students who plan on returning to Marywood to have their pick of the best housing.

The application process for themed housing, which is students with com-mon interests applying to live in the same community, is also changing. Stu-dents interested in themed housing will need to demonstrate how they will edu-cate community members and give back to the larger Marywood community.

Representatives from housing and residence life, the resident repre-sentative from student government, a member of the residence hall ad-visory board, and interested faculty and staff will comprise the committee that will approve the themed housing.

Two things prompted Ross Novak, director of housing and residence life, to make changes to the room selection process.

“When I came on board, one of the

first things I had to work to resolve was the number of people who had selected rooms for the fall semester but weren’t actually registered for classes,” said No-vak. Not knowing for certain that stu-dents intended to return in the following semester made planning difficult, he said.

But, even before Novak came into the director position, a committee had rec-ommended that registration be incorpo-rated into the housing assignment process.

Before revisions to the room selec-tion process were made, Novak met with student government and the residence hall advisory board to get opinions and feed-back on the new process and said that the feedback he received had been positive.

Joe Heisler, senior resident stu-dent, said he thinks making regis-tration a prerequisite for room se-lection will create more problems than benefits for resident students.

“You have to pay your bill off be-fore you can register for classes, and some students can’t pay off their entire bill. They do it little by little through-out the whole semester,” said Heisler. “I think it’s going to be more pres-sure on the students and cause more problems for the housing department.”

Resident students did have the op-portunity to voice any concerns over the changes to the room selection process. Novak sent an e-mail to make students aware that the timeline for room selec-tion was shifting and also notify them of the general changes to the process.

“I asked in that e-mail if people had an interest in working with me on the changes to contact me,” said Novak. “I hope if people had any concerns about the changes they would let me know.”

10 Community

What was your first reaction when you learned you were awarded the scholarship?: I felt honored when I learned I was the scholarship recipient. I was so grateful for the award.

Q: What inspired you to want to go to medical school?A: I would say that it was the example of my dad. He is a doctor and works in occupational health.

Q: What medical school were you accepted to?A: The Commonwealth Medical College located in Scranton.

Q: When you found out that you were accepted into medical school, how did you feel and what was your reaction?A: It was a big relief. It was something that I had been working toward for my entire college career. That’s why I was in college and since I’m only 20 years old, it feels like I’m a little ahead of the game. It was a huge relief and a great sense of accomplishment that I had finally made it. I got the phone call telling me that I was accepted while I was on my way home from an interview at another school, and that other in-terview didn’t matter anymore because I had gotten accepted where I really wanted to go.

Q: When did you first realize that you wanted to go to med school? Have you always wanted to go?A: I have wanted to attend medical school for a while now, not when I was younger, but it was something that I started thinking about in high school.

Q: What specialty would you like to get into?A: I have narrowed down my choices, but I’m not decided yet. Emer-gency medicine seems kind of interesting, as do dermatology and neu-rology.

Q: Where do you see yourself going after medical school?A: I’m not completely sure yet. Since I haven’t even started med school yet, it’s hard to say where I’d like to be afterward. There are so many dif-ferent places and options for me to choose from, and I have some time to decide exactly where I want to go.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to anyone thinking about attending medical school, what would it be?A: Plan early. You want to set out your plan for what you want to do and how you’re going to do it.

Anthony Rainey Hometown:

Clarks Summit, PAMajor: Biology

Year: 2013Mandy ScritchfieldAsst. Community Editor

What was your New Year’s Reso-lution? How are you doing with it?

Maybe it is time to sit down and evaluate. Here, we find ourselves in the middle of Lent. Did you also make a Lenten resolution? Was it the same as your New Year’s one, or are you trying something new when you forgot what the New Year’s one was? We make so many plans or promises and don’t follow through.

Who are our plans, promises, and reso-lutions for, anyway - ourselves or others? Do I give up candy or my favorite food for Lent

because I really want to fast to get closer to God, or do I just want to lose weight? Can I do something extra for someone else this Lent, such as visiting the elderly in a nurs-ing home, or tutoring some children who are having a hard time in school with the Big Friends/Little Friends after-school pro-gram? Can I give up a can of soda and put the change in the Rice Bowls around cam-pus every day during Lent? Can I give where it really hurts, or do I give from my excess?

Do I give up things for Lent for myself, or for others?

Sr. John Michele Southwick, I.H.M.Special Contributor to The Wood Word

Sister John Asks: “Did you make a Lenten Resolution?”

Q: What did you major in throughout col-lege?A: I majored in communication studies and I minored in women’s and international stud-ies.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?A: I have a big family including my nieces and nephews, and I like talking and Skyping with all of them back home in Minnesota. I enjoy the outdoors, especially hiking, biking, and rock climbing. I also like to spend time with my friends.

Q: How do you like it here at Marywood so far?A: I like it a lot. It’s a nice culture, but very different from where I came from. I like the interaction and close knit community that Marywood provides. Students are incredibly open, welcoming, and eager to learn.

Q: Will you be making any changes to SAC activities/events?A: I will not be making any hard, firm chang-es. I want to make every student feel like they are welcome in the student activities and leadership development office. I also want to make students aware of all opportunities to become involved and maximize their out-of-classroom experience.

The Interim Director of Student Activities and Leadership

Development

Staff Spotlight on Callie Frieler

Ashley PadulaAsst. Community Editor

Student Spotlight

Bob Hannon/ The Wood Word

Photo Courtesy/ Callie Frieler

Ashley PadulaAssistant Community Editor

Calling all country music fans. There is a new country music countdown on the CMT channel.

According to CMT.com, as of Jan. 5 the new show, “CMT Hot 20 Countdown” is held in Nashville and shows the 20

biggest music v i d e o s

for each w e e k .

South Carolina native Cody Alan, along with his fellow co-hosts Alecia Davis and Katie Cook all partake in hosting the hottest news stories, in-studio performances, and interviews with country artists.

The show debuted with country music artists Faith Hill and Tim McGraw.

The 20th song on every countdown is solely fan-voted. Each week there are two videos for viewers to choose from for spot 20. Fans can vote Friday through Thursday of each week for which video they would like to see get the “Hot 20” spot out of the two choices given.

Sophomore communication

arts major Tom Muscarello said he thinks the new show is awesome for country music lovers.

“I think that it’s really cool because I get to listen to my favorite songs and watch the story that each one of them tells at the same time. It makes me enjoy the songs so much more,” said Muscarello.

All fans have the opportunity to communicate with CMT Hot 20 Countdown hosts through a variety of media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and even Instagram.

Fans can communicate on Twitter by using the hashtag, #CMTHOT20. Host Cody Alan can be tweeted at @CMTcody;

to tweet host Katie Cook, fans can use @TheKatieCook.

Sophomore education major Erin Travis said she likes the fact that she can tweet to the hosts on the show.

“I enjoy the fact that fans can vote for the top 20th video and if Taylor Swift is a choice, you can bet I will be voting!”

For fans who would love to sit in and be a part of the live studio audience, they can send an email to audience@cmt.com.

Entertainment 11

Katie OwensEntertainment Editor

After being rescheduled to a matinee on Friday, Feb. 8, because of inclement weather, the Marywood music, theater, and dance department’s production of “Miss Julie” went on as planned Saturday and Sunday. The department once again proved the talent present on campus with this stunning performance.

The play tells the story of Miss Julie, a 19th century countess, her coachman, and her cook. The characters were portrayed by Gina Solebello, Shane Hirschler, and Erin McMahon, respectively. Every scene takes place on the same set, the kitchen. The plot surrounds the struggles between the served and the servers, and the search for advantage in life.

The version performed was

Penny Penniston’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s original Swedish version. When talking about why she chose this translation from the many available, director Barb Blackledge said, “She (Penniston) at least understood the basic problems of the script.”

These problems surround the decline of the characters on stage. They start out as a regular household, but a single act of lust brings everything they knew falling down around them.

“I think that the actors really delivered excellently,” said Kathryn Zurinski, a senior English major. “There was a lot of emotion involved in the story and they brought it to life for the audience.”

Solebello in particular showed real talent in her portrayal of Julie’s radical character changes.

“Miss Julie” performances successful despite weather interruptions

Joe Petro/The Wood WordGina Solebello performs in the title role of Marywood MTD’s spring production of Miss Julie.

CMT’s new “Hot 20 Countdown” a winner with country fans

Eric LiPuma/The Wood Word

12 Entertainment

Owen KaroscikAssistant Entertainment Editor

Many Northeast Pennsylvania res-idents say that there is nothing to do. On the contrary, there are a lot of activities going on in the area this March.

Valley View High School, in Archbald, will be putting on a three-day production of “West Side Story” the weekend of March 1-3.

Interested in stage or screenwrit-ing? Then, come on down to the Dietri-ch Theater in Tunkhannock for Writers’ Group on March 7 at 7 p.m.

The Northeast Pennsylvania Gui-tar Trio wil be performing at Marywood University’s Marian Chapel on March 2.

Look for some great Broadway shows coming to the Scranton Cul-tural Center this spring. According to Broadwayscranton.com, many great shows will be presented there including “Stomp,” March 2, and “Peter Pan” in April.

Scranton also offers a great night-life at Poor Richard’s Pub. According to their website, Southsidebowl.com, they offer both karaoke and music.

Not your type of bar or club? Well, there are more varieties at Mulligan’s and Backyard Ale House.

Another annual tradition in Scran-ton this month is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 9. Party with friends or enjoy a fantastic day with the family.

The Northeast Pennsylvania area is full of so many fun and exciting activ-ities. You just need to look into what’s going on everyday. Despite its negative criticisms, NEPA is definitely not a bor-ing place to be.

What’s happening in your neck of the woods?

Katie OwensEntertainment Editor

After one semester in college, it’s likely that just about every student in the country has consumed enough Easy Mac to last a lifetime. Many students would claim that this is because it’s so cheap, but they’re spending seven bucks in the First Stop every other day, so clearly there are a few bucks around. Worry not, though, because this is an easily solved problem. Macaroni and cheese is a classic, but there are much better ways to enjoy it than out of a microwaved plastic cup.

Here’s what you’ll need:Two pots. One casserole dish. 8 oz pasta. Any kind I suppose. I don’t like shells because they try to hug each other or something. I use elbow macaroni.1 lb American Cheese1 lb White Sharp Cheddar Cheese4 cups milk2 tbsp butterFlour (as needed)Bread crumbs (optional)

Here’s what you do:In one pot, heat up the milk and butter and slowly add cheese little by little until it is all melted. Add flour if needed to thicken.

While that is happening, boil water in the other pot for the pasta.Cook the pasta.Drain the pasta.Combine the cheese and the pasta. You can either do this in the pot or in the casserole dish.Spread the combination evenly in the dish.If you want to be fancy, you can now add the bread crumbs to the top.Bake at 350 until it gets bubbly.Remove from oven.Remember the taste of grown-up food again.

Cooking with Katie: “Grown-Up” Mac &Cheese

Katie Owens/The Wood Word

Melissa Foligno/The Wood Word

Entertainment 13

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February 25, 2013

Sports 14

Men’s tennis has opportunity to four-peat Tyler LymanCorrespondent

The men’s tennis team will

have the opportunity to four-peat as the Colonial States Atheletic Conference Champions this season. Off the rackets of an incredibly strong senior class, the tennis team has been able to remain champions for three consecutive years. With one more championship win, they have the potential to achieve a milestone untouched by any team in school history.

The success has been the culmination of hard work and perseverance. Todd Doran, Senior, and one of the leading singles players, said that the team is a tight knit group.

“When we all came in, it was about six or seven freshmen, so it was a whole new team. Ever since then, Coach Comstock didn’t really recruit many kids,” said Doran. An effort of the small yet talented group has propelled the team toward

unprecedented success, a type that even the seniors hadn’t seen coming.

“We became the best team in the conference,” said Doran. Doran’s fellow senior and leading singles player, Dan Pfaffman, said he’s confident the team will “sweep the conference” again.

“It’s really do or die this year […] We’re not planning on losing to anybody,” he said. But the team has faced its share of adversity and will continue to see great competition as it progresses to levels past the conference championship. The team faced tough competition in the NCAA Tournament .

“We came in [and] we played an absolute powerhouse,” said Doran. “We had no shot, but it was just a great experience.”

Aside from the opportunity to compete on a national level, this season could produce a finale to a script four years in the making. Doran and Pfaffman are two of six seniors on the team this season. But, the seniors know that winning at any level is a team effort.

“We’re all real fired up. We all want the four-peat,” said Doran. “We’re told no one has ever really done this at MU, not with the same core of kids.”

Head Coach Art Comstock, associate professor of business, is aware that the team has a bull’s eye painted on its back and that the competition will certainly be heightened.

“Winning is not easy,” said Comstock. “People from the outside look in and look at our record and what we’ve done in the conference, having not lost a match in conference in however many years, and it may seem easy, but it’s not easy.”

“If we keep our focus and keep working hard, [we’ll] be fine…they’ve worked hard throughout their entire careers here, they’ve been successful,” he said. Whether that success culminates in a CSAC championship, or a run in the NCAA tournament, the campus community can expect an exciting season of men’s tennis.

Spring teams take the field ready for success

Correction

In the January 2013 issue of The Wood Word in the Mary-wood soccer earns national recognition article we incor-rectly attributed Tony Roma’s award. He did not win Na-tional Assistant Coach of the Year, he was North Atlantic Region Assistant Coach of the Year. The Wood Word regrets

this error.

Molly BoylanEditor-in-Chief

Dr. Lindsey WotanisAnn L. WilliamsFaculty Advisers

BaseballDan Capwell / Senior

Physical activity major “I think that with the team this year we could really compete for a CSAC championship. The guys this year are a close-knit group and everyone’s always looking to help one another out. We have young but strong pitch-ing and our hitters are right back to where we were last year. It would be great to make it back to the playoffs

and take it this year.” SoftballChelsea Zimmerman / Junior

Speech therapy major “The 2013 season should be a very good one. Although we only have two pitchers, our incoming freshmen have added great

strength and skill to an already solid team. We plan to get ahead early in Florida and work hard to have a winning season. We plan

to make it to CSAC championships and bring home a gold medal.”

TennisMark Van Nort / Sophomore

Psychology major“Our goal this season is to win the CSAC Conference, If we get to the NCAA Championships, we want to make a good run. The best teams from across the country go

to this tournament and we really want to show them that Marywood University is a force to be reckoned with. We

have a great line-up consisting of mostly seniors, so this is our best chance to do well.”

LacrosseSarah Caughy / JuniorAthletic training major “This upcoming lacrosse season, I think I speak not only for

myself, but also for my fellow teammates and coaches [when I say] that our major goal is to make it to the CSAC finals again. The

past two years we have made it and fallen short, coming in second place, but because of the positive changes with this season there is no doubt that we plan on having a great and successful season.”

Erica NealonSports Editor

Leading athletes at Marywood predict the seasonal outcome for their sports

Satara DickeyCorrespondent

Marywood University Au-tism Speaks U club hosted “blue out” basketball games in honor of Autism Awareness on Wednes-day, Feb. 6. These games includ-ed a 50/50 raffle, a t-shirt sale, and a raffle.The Autism Speaks U club was started on campus last spring and is an official chapter of the national Autism Speaks organization, which was founded in 2005 and has since grown into the largest autism sci-ence and advocacy organization.

According to Au-tismSpeaks.org, Autism affects one in 88 American children, a 23 percent increase from the 2009 statistics issued by the CDC. This is more than diabetes, AIDS, cancer, Down Syndrome, and other childhood diseases com-bined. Autism is also the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the United States.

Lauren Olsen, Au-tism Speaks U club presi-dent, said “the statistics say enough,” as to why everyone needs to be aware of Autism.

There is no known cure for Autism and no two cases are the same. Every individual diag-nosed has different and unique characteristics. Some children can have developmental delays from birth; others can start out developing normally and then retrogress and suddenly lose all the developmental skills they had, states AutismSpeaks.org.

“Whether or not we know it, autism can in some way af-fect everyone because it’s ev-erywhere. Almost everybody knows somebody who is af-fected by Autism or has it and it’s not going away,” said Le-anne Feeney, vice president of the Autsim Speaks U club.

According to the Penn-sylvania Autism Census Proj-ect of 2005, there are currently

between 25,000 and 30,000 individuals with Autism in Pennsylvania alone. By 2014, 10,000 of these individuals will be over the age of 21, and the numbers will continue to grow.

The “blue out” games had approximately 550 peo-ple in attendance and raised about a $100 in donations.

“If one person just walks by and sees one little statistic and it makes them think that day, we did our job,” said Olsen.

The official month for Au-tism Awareness is April. During this month the Autism Speaks U Club has more events and acti-vates planned to get people more involved throughout campus.

Awareness Chair Patricia Maged summed up the events.

“We are going to have the ‘light it up blue day’ where ev-eryone is going to wear blue around campus. I’m also work-ing with Chartwell’s to possibly have some blue foods,” she said.

“No one is really aware of how prevalent Autism is in our community. So we need to raise awareness so peo-ple realize how much it is around and how many people

actually are af-fected by it,” said Maged.

On the night of the blue

out, the woman’s basketball team claimed a 51-39 victory over Centenary College, end-ing the team’s three-game losing streak. The men lost to the visit-ing team from Neumann Uni-versity in a close game resulting in a 64-60 loss for the Pacers.

Sports 15

The Madness in March begins on the basketball courtErica Nealon

Sports Editor

Marywood basketball turns blue to raise autism awareness

Photo Courtesy/Lauren OlsenKatherine DeTurk and Taresa Dongilli work to raise awareness for Autism Speaks.

Selection Sunday is almost upon us and the madness will soon begin. For Division I basketball teams, making it to the March Madness tournament is the ultimate goal and winning the na-tional championship title is the dream. For the men, this is the 75th annual March Madness tournament. According to ihoops.com, there are 347 schools involved in Men’s Division I basket-ball. Of that 347, only 68 of the men’s teams will make it into the brackets.

Women’s Division I basketball includes 343 teams and their tournament brack-et begins with 64. The team that wins their conference championship is auto-matically submitted to the tournament. On Selection Sunday, March 17, the rest of the teams are picked, and college basketball fans ev-erywhere are sent into a frenzy. For Marywood’s basketball play-ers, especially junior Kim Mar-tin, it’s all about love of the game. “March Madness is excit-ing for me because I just love to watch basketball,” said Martin.

As brackets are released, the art of “bracketology” begins. Fans or “bracketologists” predict which teams will make it through the Sweet Six-teen, Elite Eight, Final Four, and of course, the National Championship. With many ups and downs for the nation’s top teams in college bas-ketball this year, the number one seeds aren’t guaranteed to anyone. The Final Four rarely consists of all the num-ber one teams. The only time the Fi-nal Four has consisted of all number one seeds was in 2008 , when North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Mem-

phis all advanced to the Final Four. Shane Kellehar, a sophomore Pacers basketball player, said that if a team gets hot at the right time, the national championship title is any-one’s game. Kellehar said that it is always fun to see what will happen. “It’s also cool to see men and wom-en at my age competing on national television every night,” Kellehar said. The annual March Madness tourna-ment tips off Tuesday, March 19 on CBS.

16 Sports

Major : Athletic TrainingEvan FelserAssistant Sports Editor

Year : Sophomore

Hometown: Elysburg, PA

Graphic Credit: Diana D’AchilleJoseph Petro/The Wood Word

1) When did you start playing basketball?I started playing basketball in a com-munity youth league when I was six years old.

2) Do you have any pre-game ritu-als before you go on the court?I like to listen to Eminem and Drake before games. It helps me relax and stay calm.

3) What is a valuable lesson that you have learned from playing basketball?Play every minute like it is your last because you only get so many op-portunities.

4) Who is your favorite NBA player?Michael Jordan because he is the greatest to play the game.

5) Who is your favorite NBA team?The Philadelphia 76ers because they

play the game with heart.

6) What is your most memorable basketball moment?Beating Baptist Bible at home and being honored player of the game with my teammate Shane Kellaher.

7) What are the strong points of your game?Rebounding and defense.

8) What skills can you improve to make your game better?Ball handling and shooting.

9) How has basketball helped you become the person you are today?It has helped me be more responsible and taught me to work together with people.

10) What do you plan on doing after Marywood?Become an athletic trainer at a uni-versity.