The Slate 08-28-25

Shippensburg University honors the life of Ms. Di

Evan Dillow News Editor

The Rev. Diane Jeferson, director of Multicultural Student Afairs (MSA) at Shippensburg University, died Saturday, June 21, at age 72. Heading into the Fall 2025 semester, MSA has drawn up its plans to honor Jeferson’s memory.

Ms. Di, as she was often afectionately called by students and faculty alike, was a frst-generation college student, graduating from SU in 1976. She was an early member of the Afro-Am Organization and Harmonic Voices of Truth while at SU. She also held a master’s degree from the University of Iowa and a Master of Divinity from Payne Theological Seminary in Ohio.

After working as a counselor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, she joined the staf at SU in the 1980s and was named director of MSA when the organization was founded in 1989.

“Ms. Di supported, mentored and educated thousands of students during her

time at Ship,” SU President Charles Patterson said in an email announcing Jeferson’s passing to the campus community. “From alumni to staf and faculty, she was more than a resource to students, she was a leader and a change agent for our entire campus community. Her loss is felt deeply across generations of Raiders.”

A service was held on June 28 at Luhrs Performing Arts Center for Jeferson. A visitation preceded the service.

Ms. Di leads students, faculty and President Patterson in song during Diversity Week.

Trump sends National Guard to D.C. in crime crackdown operation

About 800 National Guard troops and 500 federal law enforcement agents were deployed in Washington, D.C., starting Monday, Aug. 11 under the orders of President Trump in what he calls an efort to crack down on the rise of violent crime in the city.

As a part of his plan, Trump placed the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control. In a Presidential Action titled “Restoring Law and Order in the District of Columbia,” published by the White House on Aug. 11, the president addressed recent incidents of assault and murder in the city as the reason for the mobilization.

When asked about his goals for D.C. during a press conference held at the Kennedy Center on Aug. 13, Trump said, “If it’s dirty and unsafe, it sets a bad tone for

the rest of the world. We’re going to have this capitol fxed up, safe, clean and beautiful, in a very short period of time.”

Additionally, Trump directed Secretary of Defense

Pete Hegseth to coordinate with state governors for the deployment of National Guard soldiers as Hegseth deems necessary.

According to Trump, the deployment of National Guard troops and federal agents will last until he determines that “law and order” have been restored. The federal control over the MPD is under a 30-day limit unless Congress approves of a long-term extension.

Opposition to the Trump administration was quick to address the president’s inaccurate claim that crime has been rising in the U.S. capitol. According to D.C. MPD statistics, the number of violent crime incidents is down 26% compared to last year. Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

The memorial was held in the Luhrs Performing Arts Center.

Marquis Lupton and Sean Hearn, both 2007 alumni of SU, hosted a Facebook Live on June 25 to commemorate Jeferson’s life and impact at SU. During the more than 90-minute program, they read comments and accepted live calls from the public.

“This is a really, really big emotional time. She meant so much,” Lupton said.

“Everybody has those special memories of being at Ship with Ms. Di,” Hearn added. “No matter when you came in, everybody has one.”

Lupton and Hearn endorsed renaming Gilbert Hall, the home of MSA, in Jeferson’s memory for her many years of service and contributions to SU.

Contributions to honor Jeferson’s memory may be made to Bethel Cito AME Church in McConnellsburg and a fund established in her name at the Shippensburg

University Foundation. More information is available in her obituary online.

Shippensburg University has plans to honor Jeferson’s life and service to the community during homecoming this October. Additionally, a piece about her will be run in the Shippensburg Magazine.

Following homecoming, there are plans to name Gilbert Hall 100, the location of the MSA ofce, after her.

For MSA leadership going into the Fall 2025 semester, ofers have not yet been sent out to fll the associate director and director positions. MSA is awaiting approval from the Shippensburg University Human Resources Ofce to begin the interview process.

On Aug. 15, the university opened a job posting to fll the role of director. The anticipated salary is $75,000 annually with benefts on a full-time, permanent position.

Jayden Pohlman Editor-in-Chief

Warning: cliché incoming.

When I was a kid, I never quite understood why adults made such a big fuss over how much taller I had grown since they last saw me.

Family friends or relatives that only came around once every few years often would say something along the lines of: “You were only about this big the last time I saw you. Man, does time ever fy.”

I always smiled and nodded my head, but truthfully, in my adolescent mind, time did not fy. Year after year, I went through the same routine — 180 grueling days of school, followed by 70 sweet days of freedom in the summer.

Like most kids, I could not wait to grow up. I was constantly looking ahead — always chasing the next milestone: 16, then 18, then 21.

Now, as I enter my senior year at Shippensburg University, I fnd myself bafed by how quickly time has fown by. Who would have thought the adults were

right all along?

The last four years have been, without a doubt, the most impactful of my entire life. I came out of my shell, embarked on a oncein-a-lifetime adventure and met so many amazing people. But I also cut ties, experienced multiple burnouts and lost one of the most important people in my life.

I am excited for what is to come after college, but I am also terrifed. I do not want to leave the comfortable routine I have followed for the past four years, but I know that I must.

My goal for my fnal year at Shippensburg University is simply to enjoy it. To soak in those late-night study sessions, early morning classes and everything in between.

For my fellow seniors, I hope you can make the most of your fnal year of undergrad. Time is a thief, and we have reached the beginning of the end. But time is also a gift. Make the most of every moment.

If you’re an underclassman, time is still on your side. What are you waiting for? Go get involved in that organization that piqued your interest. Study abroad halfway across the world. Seize every opportunity you are presented with. And go to that gen ed class you hate. The beginning of your end will be here before you know it. I can confdently say that I have made the most of my time here at SU thus far. Will you feel the same?

Shippensburg’s Art & Design Department adds faculty following recent retirements

Megan Sawka Managing Editor

Shippensburg University’s Department of Art & Design has flled key teaching positions after all four of its tenured faculty members retired at the end of last semester.

Professors Steve Dolbin, Ben Culbertson, Michael Campbell and William Whiteley stepped away over the summer, leaving the department without any tenure-track faculty for the frst time in decades. Their departures came amid broader challenges for the university, including budget pressures, declining enrollment and administrative turnover.

Trever Famulare, interim chair of Art & Design, said the university has hired four new adjunct faculty members to cover areas such as drawing, ceramics, sculpture, computer design, painting, art history, art appreciation and art education. One adjunct remains from last year, and only one is full time.

“The positions flled al-

low us to ofer 16 courses students need within their major, minor and general education,” Famulare said. “There has been no change in course oferings this semester as compared to previous semesters.”

The department currently serves about 70 students, many of them art education majors. Famulare said stafing changes have not afected

degree requirements.

“We are committed to continuing to ofer the courses students need for degree completion,” he said. “A talented adjunct faculty has been hired within a short time frame, and we are confdent that students will have an amazing educational experience this year.”

Discussions about a possible merger of the Art &

Design and Music & Theatre Arts departments have also been paused, according to Famulare, who serves as chair of both programs. If talks resume, he said, the focus will remain on ensuring students have access to the classes they need.

Famulare added that the department is looking ahead with a positive outlook.

“I recently had our frst department meeting with the faculty of Art & Design, and I came away from the meeting with pure excitement,” he said. “The faculty we have put in place are a vibrant and ambitious group willing to go above and beyond to assist all students in the Art & Design Department.”

He encouraged the campus community to visit the Huber Art Center, calling the department’s students, faculty and facilities “one of the hidden gems on our campus.”

More updates on the department’s stafng and longterm plans are expected later this semester.

A Welcome Back From President Patterson

Dear Students,

Welcome to the 2025-2026 Academic Year! Whether you are just starting your academic journey, or counting down the weeks to graduation, I hope that your year is full of opportunity.

College provides you with the opportunity to broaden your understanding of the world around you, fnd a new direction in your path and grow as an individual. Sometimes opportunity presents itself as a hurdle or challenge. These challenges may be big or small, but regardless, they are opportunities I am confdent you can handle, especially with the community of support available to you at Ship. Engage with your faculty, seek guidance and support from staf, and connect with your fellow students in meaningful ways so that you are ready when opportunity, in any form, arises.

I am confdent this semester will be a great one, and I look forward to every opportunity we encounter together!

Good luck and… GO SHIP!

Charles E. Patterson

President, Shippensburg University

The case for cozy nights in

Megan Sawka Managing Editor

There is a certain peace that comes with choosing to stay in. As a senior in college, I fnd myself gravitating more toward the comfort of my own space instead of the constant pull of going out. I used to feel a little pressure to say yes every time friends wanted to grab food or stay out late. Now, I value those nights here and there, but more often than not, nothing sounds better than crawling into bed and watching Netfix or getting lost in a rabbit hole of YouTube videos. It is not that I dislike socializing now. I still enjoy getting dressed up and spending time with friends,

especially when there is an occasion to celebrate. The diference now is that I do not feel the same urgency to fll every night with plans. I know that if I turn down an invitation, it is not the end of the world. The people who matter understand, and the world outside my room will still be there tomorrow. There is something underrated about the rituals of a night in. I take a shower, get all cozy in my bed and let myself relax. College can feel like an endless cycle of assignments, emails and group projects, so I like to take these little moments for myself. I think many of us get caught up in the idea that we are missing out if we are not doing things at all times. For

Where’s Your Voice?

Shippensburg University students, staf, faculty, administrators and afliated people are welcome to submit letters to the editor for publication.

• Letters must be no more than 500 words and may not contain derogatory language or messages of hate or discrimination. The Slate may reject letters for any reason.

• Letters become property of The Slate. Letters without a name and title (afliation to SU) will not be accepted.

• Letters should be sent to The Slate one week prior to the day of publication. Late letters may be accepted but published the next week.

Disclaimer

and opinions expressed in this

and not of

are those of the

• The unsigned staf

me, the real “fear of missing out” is not giving myself permission to slow down before this chapter of my life comes to a close.

Part of it might be that I am a senior. After three years of trying to do it all, I now realize that I am happiest when I give myself space to breathe. A cozy night in feels like a reward for all the work I have put into school, internships and everything else that comes with college life. It may not look as exciting as a night out, but it feels just as important.

So yes, you will still see me at Wibs from time to time, but chances are you will fnd me curled up in bed, watching Dexter, perfectly content with the quiet.

Albums still matter in the streaming music

What place does an abum play in our streaming future?

Mason

When discussing music with people, whether it is online or a face-to-face conversation, the focus tends to be either songs, artists, playlists or genres. It makes sense, those are all very broad, and trading playlists or favorite artists in a genre is a good way to fnd new music.

Albums seem to have fallen by the wayside though. Outside of the hype from a new album being announced and the wave of reviews and discussion that occurs in the frst week, discussion then turns back to the artist’s full discography or the singles from the album.

My viewpoint has always been that an album tells a story, and I imagine many others feel the same way. But when we add a few songs from an album to a playlist, it is the same as pulling a random chapter from a book. It can be an enjoyable experience, but something is missing.

I had a goal entering 2025 to listen to 100 albums

this year that I had never heard. The frst few were phenomenal. Albums like “Songs of a Lost World,” “Manning Fireworks” and “Blackstar” made me dedicated to seeing this goal to the fnish. As I neared the midway point, it got far tougher to fnd good albums. Part of it is because most genres I listen to — indie rock, americana, alternative, etc. — do not get tons of mainstream discussion. Another reason is because Spotify, my streaming platform of choice, did not recommend any albums, instead it recommended playlists.

Spotify, understandably, only promoted their playlists when viewing an album. Playlists are all that most people listen to, but this really feels like a missed opportunity. Websites like Album of the Year and Rate Your Music are good for recommendations but just feel clunky. Spotify in general had been losing its appeal for me, especially considering the investments made by their CEO with the money

from premium subscriptions. It got to a point where, about a month ago, I decided to make the switch to Apple Music. It was more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. Everything just seems to make sense on Apple Music, especially when it comes to albums. You can add entire albums to your library with a couple taps, it recommends similar albums when viewing one and alternate players, like Marvis Pro, let you view a playlist as just its albums instead of individual songs. This ease allowed me to get back to the initial interest I had in this goal and to see how picking an album to listen to is far more meaningful than a song. The whole story needs to be told, and hearing records like Jason Molina’s “Didn’t It Rain” made this swap worth it. Having just fnished my 73rd album of the year today, it is clear that they still have value in streaming. Whether it is a new release or fnding a gem from decades ago, a little efort can go a long way in expanding your listening habits.

Ship Life

What not to do during your frst year of college

Jordan Neperud Asst. Ship Life Editor

The frst year of college contains the unique experience of having your frst taste of independence while also having no idea what you’re doing.

My experience with my freshman year was no diferent. I was dropped of at Shippensburg University with mixed feelings of homesickness and excitement for the upcoming year. After surviving my frst year, I have decided to pass on my wisdom to the upcoming class of freshman so they are not doomed to repeat my mistakes.

The biggest issue I dealt with during the beginning of my freshman year was homesickness. I was away from my parents, my dogs, and my little sister. My sister, being 3 at the time, did not understand why I was leaving home for school. Everyday I would receive a text from my mom telling me that my sister was knocking on my bedroom door, waiting for me to come out.

Understandably, this made me want to go home. It was all I could think about

during those frst couple weeks.

The only “cure” for homesickness is to fnd things you love about being at school.

This can be anything. Whether it is picking up a new hobby or fnding a place you enjoy spending your time, it will eventually ease your homesickness.

As you are trying to fnd things to love about school, you should consider fnding a club to join.

While this is not the case for everyone, I arrived at SU knowing exactly zero people. I am an out of state student, so I dealt with both not knowing anyone and not being in close proximity to people that I do know.

The thing that fnally introduced me to people was joining The Slate. It forced me to go out and go to campus events I would not otherwise go to. It surrounded me with people I would not have met if I had not joined and put myself out there. It gave me the confdence to join other student groups, such as WSYC.

With that in mind, get involved in something. Join a club, a student organization,

a fraternity/sorority, or anything that gets you to interact with the people around you.

On the topic of being social, try to make at least one friend in all your classes.

Throughout my freshman year, I found that classes were much easier if there was someone I knew with me. Beyond having someone that you can ask for help, having a friend in a class makes you more likely to go.

Even if you are just going to class so you can talk to your friend afterward, it still gets you to go to class.

This leads me to the next piece of advice: go to class. Skipping class is a real temptation, especially if you end up with the dreaded 8 a.m lecture. While skipping class does not seem to be that big of a deal, it can easily become a hard-to-break habit. As painful it may be, dragging yourself out of bed and into class is the best thing you can do for yourself.

Along with going to class, studying and homework are other things you will have to force yourself to do.

I found myself struggling with the lack of structure when I frst came to college.

I had so much unstructured time that I never had in high school. This was a blessing and a curse, as I struggled to give myself enough time to complete my assignments.

It is incredibly easy to tell yourself that you will do it later. The problem with that statement is that you probably will not do it later. The more likely scenario is you will stay up late desperately trying to fnish the assignment the night before the deadline. This is a rabbit hole you do not want to fall down.

Time management is one of those tricky things that is diferent for everyone. The only way to know what works best for you is trial and error. I learned that I do not work well in my dorm room, so I found other spots around campus or around downtown Shippensburg to work.

Once you fnd what works best for you, it becomes easier and easier to get your work done while having time for a social life.

On top of academics, a social life and maybe having a job, you need time to be a person. Everyone needs to eat, sleep and take care of themselves. This category

Fall Welcome Week

tends to be the most neglected by students who are overwhemled by the other aspects of their lives.

Ignoring your basic needs is a one-way street to burning out, which is hard to bounce back from. Pulling all nighters or skipping meals will not make you more productive. It will only make you more stressed and exhausted.

I learned this the hard way my freshman year. The only way to avoid dealing with this is to learn how ft in relaxing with everything else you have going on.

I gave myself a cut of time

for doing work or activities.

Once that time came, I would stop whatever I was doing so I could give both my mind and my body time to rest. It cannot be overstated how important self care is. It does not have to be the stereotypical image of putting on a face mask while reading a magazine. Self care is anything that helps you recuperate.

Freshman year is a very difcult time for a lot of people. It comes with unique challenges. If you face those challenges head on, you will have an amazing time.

A Royal Revival: ‘One Night of Queen’

It has been nearly 35 years since Freddie Mercury passed away, and Saturday night felt like the Queen singer was alive again — maybe even reincarnated. Gary Mullen embodied the stage presence that Mercury had and even had the crowd go “Ay-Oh!”

I was highly impressed with The Works.

The drummer, Jon Halliwell, brought the thunder to the set. The deep percussion had me feeling the beat in my toes, especially during “We Will Rock You,” which was sped up slightly. Halliwell was on a raised stage

The show was full of classic Queen songs that have become so loved by many, like “Under Pressure,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” “We Will Rock You,” “Radio Ga Ga” and many more. Gary Mullen and The Works have been performing their Queen concert for over 20 years. They have performed in various countries and are known as one of the best tribute bands of Queen.

that had steps so that Mullen could venture, and it even had lights underneath of it.

During “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the original soundtrack was played during the opera portion of the song, as that part is extremely hard to recreate live. The most recent success of this recreation I can think of is Benson Boone performing “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Brian May on the guitar at Coachella with a live band and operatic singers. Mullen interacted with the crowd and had them laughing throughout. He came out into the crowd standing on a few seats, grabbing people’s hands, high fving them, putting his arm around an usher and danced the entire time. Mullen encouraged the crowd to get up out of their seats.

Setlists of our Summer

After Hours Til Dawn

Abbygale Hockenberry

A&E Editor

One of my dreams came true being able to see The Weeknd on his highly grossing “After Hours Till Dawn” tour. From freworks, laser-like lights, fre and extraordinary music, it was a night I will never forget.

Playboi Carti opened the show with lots of energy and screaming that got the crowd excited for what was to come, singing songs like “FE!N” and “EVIL JORDAN.”

The Weeknd started things of with wearing a mask while singing “The Abyss.” After performing fve songs, he did a dramatic mask removal, and I screamed like a little girl. One thing I hate about concerts today is when the artist has the backtrack so loud that you have to guess if they are even singing, or if they will sing bits and pieces. The Weeknd did not even have a vocal backtrack and serenaded me all night long. He quite literally took my breath away.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Mason Flowers Sports Editor

Isbell and his band put on a phenomenal show, with plenty of variety throughout. The main highlight was hearing songs from his new album, “Foxes in the Snow,” with the full band, which is a major diference from the acoustic studio versions. The band truly brought those tracks to life, making it sound like they were designed for full-band performances from the start.

The encore opened with “Decoration Day,” a personal favorite of mine from Isbell’s time with Drive-By Truckers, his former band from the early 2000s. Hearing that song live was something I’ll never forget, and the guitar sections on “King of Oklahoma” and “This Ain’t It” were perfect ways to end both the main set and encore. Add in good weather and a beautiful venue in Pier Six Pavilion, it was close to a perfect night.

Summer of Loud tour

Dillow News Editor

Thousands visited the York Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 19, to attend the 2025 Summer of Loud concert, part of the event’s trip across North America. The Summer of Loud tour celebrates the various popular subgenres of heavy metal music. The sights and sounds of the performances were infuenced by genres like emo, metalcore, nu metal and grunge. The roaring crowd cheered on various metal bands, including the

four headliners I Prevail, Beartooth, Killswitch Engage and Parkway Drive. Special guest performances were also given by the bands The Devil Wears Prada, The Amity Afiction and Alpha Wolf.

An entertaining highlight of the night was I Prevail’s performance of the song “Blank Space,” which is their metal remix of the Taylor Swift song of the same name. This song and all other songs performed throughout the night threw the metalhead audience into a frenzy of headbanging and crowd surfng.

Wisp and More!

Hayden Highlands Asst. Multimedia Editor

This summer I went to a concert in Washington, D.C. The headliner was the shoegaze artist Wisp, and it was a unique experience for me. It was the frst concert I’ve ever got VIP tickets for. VIPs got to see an acoustic set, and before the show

we received early access to merchandise.

Two openers were also at the show — Aldn and Dream, Ivory. Usually when I go to concerts, I don’t know the openers, but for this one, I enjoyed the openers just as much as the main act. Wisp is touring after releasing her frst studio album, “If not winter,” and if you haven’t

“We will rest when we are dead,” Mullen said. I have been to many Luhrs shows, and I have to say out of all of them, this was the most lively I have seen the crowd. Everyone standing, clapping their hands, laughing and hollering — they were right, the show did go on.

*Spoiler Alert*

My love for reading started during the PSSAs in seventh grade. I was reading “The Maze Runner,” by James Dashner. Of course, I read the book because the movie with Dylan O’Brien was ecstatic. I remember rushing through the test, totally funking it because I was randomly answering A, B, C or D. That is how captivated I was by the world of Gladers.

Ever since, I have wanted to chase that “high” I got from reading a book. When everything else around you disappears, and everything goes quiet for as long as you want — or until you make it to that last page. Truly the best possible addiction.

That feeling started to revive whenever I read “Sunrise on the Reaping,” by Suzanne Collins. We will talk about the book that completely revived this love at another time. I read “Sunrise on the Reaping” over the summer, and I had no idea what to expect. I realized that Collins is not an author you should even try to predict, unless you want to end up getting your feelings hurt — which is exactly what happened to me. I should have known this about Collins after reading “The Hunger Games” trilogy and “The Ballad of Songbirds and

Snakes.”

I knew a few things about Haymitch before reading this book — he won the games at a young age, he was the frst recorded District 12 tribute to win, he was an alcoholic, his family was dead and he had no love interest. After reading his story, I want to cry for him. I had to even re-watch the original movies to pay more attention to his character to see if there was a breadcrumb I missed.

The one part I loved the most in this book was how Haymitch was so loyal to his other tributes even when he tried acting like he was not. He tried several times to distance himself from the others to protect them because he thought the capitol was targeting him. Ultimately, he realized that made things worse, and he tried so hard to save his friends. The loyal trait is one of my favorites to have in a main character because if they are going to be loyal, then there is no reason I am not going to be loyal to them as the reader.

My jaw completely dropped when Mags and Wiress were revealed as the District 12 mentors, and it was the second quarter quell. I knew I was in for a ride as soon as I read that it was a quarter quell. I quite literally got this nervous feeling in my stomach — kind of like butterfies, but not in a good way.

A Lift to remember: Levi Maciejewski honored

menced.

This past Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the death of a local teenager, the son of Shippensburg University’s head football coach.

On Aug. 20, 2024, Levi Maciejewski, the son of head football coach Mark Maciejewski, passed away. A year later, the community came

together to honor his spirit and remember his presence through Lift Like Levi, an event hosted by the Live Like Levi Foundation.

Family, friends, Shippensburg University athletes and members of the community gathered at Seth Grove Stadium to “Lift, Lap, and Lunge” in honor of Levi.

Shippensburg University’s Director of Sports Performance Dennis Kerstetter helped plan and organize the

event. He was grateful for all the community support.

“This is a tremendous visual to see, to celebrate his life and the life that he lived, the tenacity and the spirit and everything that that young man had and I think it’s awesome that so many people were able to come out here and do this today,” said Kerstetter.

The lift was organized into fve “fight” times. The earliest time drew the larg-

est crowd at 7 a.m. in the morning while the last group worked out four hours later at 11 a.m. Over 100 people registered to exercise throughout the morning.

Within the fight times, there were four tiers of workouts that individuals could choose from. These included Tier 1 as a traditional body weight workout, Tier 2 requiring a medicine ball, Tier 3 introducing lighter weights and Tier 4 dealing with heavy weights.

Participants sported the foundation’s bright blue T-shirts and bracelets as they completed the workout level of their choice while listening to Levi’s playlist comprised of mostly country music.

“[I’ve] grown up with the Maciejewski family, beautiful family, beautiful cause, so I felt like coming out to support,” said community member and Tier 3 participant Cole Trn.

Within each tier, the num-

ber of repetitions for specific exercises were based on numbers important to Levi.

The frst three exercises represented his date of birth: one, 18, and then 11. Next was 13 for the age he was when he passed, followed by a 420-meter run/walk referencing Levi’s baseball number (42) and the number of his favorite player, Jackie Robinson.

Before the workout, Tricia Maciejewski, Levi’s mother, delivered a small speech.

Toward the end of her message, she said, “While you’re working out today, I encourage you to remember the signifcance of each of those numbers. Let your mind wander to a time you spent with Levi, a memory you created together or a way you’ve been impacted by his beautiful life.”

The Shippensburg University Marching Band gathered to perform “Cadillac in the Skies” and “Amazing Grace” before the workouts com-

Throughout the event, people were challenging themselves physically and emotionally as they refected on the loss of a fellow community member in hopes of making Levi proud.

“He defnitely would have went around and told people they could have went harder today for sure,” Kerstetter said. “I think he’s looking down right now and he’s proud and he’s super appreciative of the fact that so many people came out in his name.”

Registration for the event was free, however, the organization was collecting donations. The money raised goes toward enhancing and giving back to the community.

For those that could not make it to the event in person, there was an option to participate virtually following along with the workouts and posting to social media with the #LiveLikeLevi and #LiftLikeLevi.

Field hockey enters new era with same expectations

Shippensburg University’s feld hockey team is set to begin a 2025 season that will look quite diferent from any in recent memory.

Former head coach Tara Zollinger was hired for the same position at the University of Delaware in March after eight seasons at SU, winning three NCAA Division II titles with an overall record of 114-25. Shippensburg hired Rayell Wallace in May to take over the team. She had coached fve seasons as the head coach at Slippery Rock University.

For Wallace, the decision to take the SU position was twofold.

“I’m moving close to home, my family is an hour away… so it was a great family decision. There are more resources here. They have built a successful championship program, and the area for recruiting is much more favorable,” Wallace said.

It was not an easy decision for Wallace though. She refected on her time at Slippery Rock fondly and detailed the difculty in leaving a program she helped build.

“We were building a program. The team

that’s there now would have been all players that were recruited by my staf and I together,” Wallace said. “It’s hard to develop those relationships with those student athletes and then leave them.”

Wallace was a prolifc player, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at the University of Connecticut and played nine games as a defender on the USA National Team after her collegiate career. She took plenty of that experience into her coaching career.

“Whether it’s tactics, technical stuf, strength and conditioning pieces. I would say there’s a lot,” said Wallace.

The transition to SU was made a bit easier by Wallace’s relationship with Zollinger, as the two are friends of the feld. Zollinger preached the importance to keeping the Amanda Strous Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded to junior Lilly Cantabene this year. Cantabene will wear Strous’ No. 22 for the season.

The Raiders return several key pieces from the 2024 team that won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship and reached the national semifnals with a 19-2 record.

Redshirt Senior Emma Albee enters her

third full season as the Raiders’ starting goalkeeper as the 2024 PSAC Defensive Player of the Year. She had nine shutouts and was second in NCAA Division II with just 0.77 goals allowed per game, holding opponents to 16 goals all season.

Senior forward Agus Garibaldi is hoping to cap of a phenomenal career at SU with another great season. She has been named to the PSAC frst-team and a frst-team All-American in each of her three seasons as a Raider, and she is in the Top 10 for career goals and points at Shippensburg. Last season was her best yet, with 19 goals and 48 points, second most of any PSAC player.

Two more All-PSAC selections also return, including senior Savannah Silvestre, who tallied three assists, including one in the NCAA semifnals. Junior Hannah White has earned second-team All-PSAC honors each of the past two seasons, anchoring the team’s defense as part of her midfeld play.

Four freshmen will join the team this year, all midfelders and defenders. Madison Fissel and Gracie Hivner are the in-state recruits, while Sierra Crews and Ava Kientzy represent Virginia and Missouri, respectively. Wallace hopes the newcomers “push the intensity and are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone.”

The coaching staf includes assistant coach Katie Lammando, entering her third season at SU. Wallace praised Lammando’s work, saying, “[she] has ideas that she’s bringing to the table, and she knows the team, so they have that trust in her. She did a lot of behind the scenes work behind the transition of everything.”

The team began practice this past week, and Wallace had a plan in place.

“For the frst couple of sessions, it’s a little bit of a creating of understanding of language. What I am looking for, what they are looking for. It is an intro, really.”

Shippensburg feld hockey’s schedule begins with a game against Belmont Abbey on Sept. 6, which will take place at IUP. Their frst home game will be on Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. at Robb Sports Complex against Assumption.

The team was picked to fnish third out of 10 teams in the preseason PSAC coaches’ poll. The schedule features road conference games against each of the top two teams, including

mentioned the

Summer Slips Away