The Slate 4-15-25

SU Provost Darrell Newton resigns

Connor Niszczak

Editor-in-Chief

Shippensburg University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Darrell Newton resigned from his position, effective April 8.

An internal memo was sent by SU President Charles Patterson to faculty and staff at 1:54 p.m. on April 8 saying the following:

“We are grateful for Dr. Newton’s leadership and passion, and we wish him the very best in future endeavors. Please join me in thanking Dr. Newton for his service and dedication to Shippensburg University.

“To ensure we have continuity in leadership and the necessary momentum to carry us for-

ward, I have asked Dr. Nicole Hill to again serve as our Interim Provost. Recently appointed as Vice Provost in February, Dr. Hill will continue to provide executive leadership that enhances the many initiatives of Academic Affairs while significantly contributing to the long-term success and sustainability of Shippensburg University.”

Hill previously served as Interim Provost from 2022 until 2024 after the retirement of Tom Ormond. Patterson announced Newton’s appointment as Provost on April 26, 2024, and he assumed the position on July 1 of that year. With Newton’s resignation, he will have served as SU’s Provost for just over

‘Keep it clean’ — Students and faculty team

Ian Thompson News Editor

Spring has sprung in Shippensburg, and rather than enjoy the flowers around campus, some students are kneeling next to storm

drains. You may have seen them on campus the last few weeks, sporting hi-vis vests and wielding angle grinders or caulk guns.

If you take a closer look at the drains they were working on, you will see some colorful new additions.

Ian Thompson / The Slate

Kylan Lamke and Whitney Hunter install a tile near McCune Hall on April 6.

Volunteers have installed ceramic discs in a variety of colors stamped with one of eight designs and the tagline “Drains to Stream — Keep it Clean.”

They are designed to raise awareness that stormwater, which is often contaminated with gasoline, antifreeze, lubricants and litter, drains directly into local waterways.

The discs were designed and manufactured by SU ceramics professor Ben Culbertson and his wife Gail. As part of an initiative by the Middle Spring Watershed Association (MWSA), they are being installed on hundreds of storm drains across Shippensburg.

According to Sean

Cornell, MWSA president and SU associate professor of earth science, the tile project has been in the works for more than a year. Students began mapping storm drains across town last spring using a custom tool. While Cornell and his students analyzed the data, the Culbertsons got to work pressing, glazing and firing the tiles.

On April 6, Gail Culbertson braved the rain to install some of the final tiles on campus. She was joined by Kylan Lamke and Whitney Hunter, two students in Cornell’s Geology 101 course. “Thanks to these students, I’m getting done in no time,” Gail Culbertson said.

This is not the first time Shippensburg’s storm drains have had this sort of tile

nine months. According to a 2018 report in HigherEdDive, the average term served by a Provost is about three years.

On April 9, the day after Newton’s resignation, Patterson sent a campus-wide email announcing PASSHE’s next chancellor. However, his administration has no plans to send students a similar email with information about how they may be impacted by Newton’s departure.

“No further correspondence is planned,” SU Director of Communications and Marketing Megan Silverstrim said.

“A timeline will be established in the near future but has not yet been set,” Silverstrim said. Newton came to SU after serving for over 30 years in the field of higher education and holding roles such as associate dean and associate vice chancellor of academic affairs.

In an interview with The Slate last August, Newton stressed the importance of academic administrators connecting with students and “walking the walk.”

As of 4 p.m. on April 14, neither Newton nor the university have publicly commented on his resignation.

With Newton’s departure comes the need for a new search process to begin, the last of which took approximately two years. Silverstrim said it is too early to know if the upcoming search will take as long.

up to raise awareness

installed. A group of SU art department faculty and local high school students came together in 2009 to install square tiles featuring the association’s logo with a trout across town.

In the years since installation, many of those original tiles have disappeared. Cracking, snowplows, and general wear-and-tear have chipped away at the tiles over time.

While some of the square tiles are still visible around town, concerned citizens thought it was time to replicate the program.

Thanks to a grant from the Cumberland County Conservation District, they have been able to renew the project.

This is, however, the first time the tiles have been installed on campus, Cornell said. Several hundred

SU Foundation lists G-1 lot for sale

Ian Thompson News Editor

Those who have been to Richard Avenue have likely seen the large parking lot and adjacent overgrown lot on North Queen Street. That property, which contains the G-1 general parking lot, has been listed for sale by its owner, the Shippensburg University Foundation.

The 14.59-acre property, which is adjacent to the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail, Richard Avenue and Wibs, has been listed for $2.3 million. Made up of two parcels, the property was once the site of Shippensburg Domestic Castings, previously known as Domestic Engine and Pump Co., which closed permanently in 2015.

The parcel, which is now the G-1 lot, was purchased by the foundation several years ago at the request of

the university to address a shortage of student parking, according to foundation president Leslie Folmer Clinton.

Folmer Clinton said the other property was later acquired to “make certain that any contamination from the prior owner’s use of the property was cleaned up and that its future use would align with the adjacent university and foundation properties.”

The listing describes the property as a

“golden opportunity” for developers but notably says “ABSOLUTELY NO STUDENT HOUSING.”

Folmer Clinton explained that this phrase was included because the foundation owns student housing, including Stone Ridge and College Park Commons, and the Shippensburg community “has an oversupply of student housing.”

The G-1 lot is currently leased to Shippensburg University Student Services

Inc. (SUSSI) for student parking. After construction, it was added to a preexisting lease for the L-2 storage lot. However, “while the L-2 lot is at capacity for student parking, the demand no longer exists for the G-1 lot,” Folmer Clinton said.

Once the property is sold, SUSSI has expressed interest in continuing to lease the L-2 lot, according to Folmer Clinton. The current lease expires in Aug. 2025. “The property listing has no direct impact to the space that we currently utilize for L-2 parking access and ability for student parking,” SUSSI executive director Kimberly Rockwell said.

Folmer Clinton and Rockwell both said in statements to The Slate that SUSSI, the foundation and the university are on the same page regarding this matter and maintain open lines of communication.

tiles will be installed by June 2025, and an information kiosk is planned to be built in the Middle Spring Greenway near the Jeffrey W. & Jo Anne R. Coy Public Library downtown.

According to Cornell, the MWSA’s mission is twofold. First, they serve as advocates for the health and sustainability of the local waterways,

SGA

Ian Thompson News Editor

Editor’s Note: The author of this article serves as an at-large member on the Budget & Finance committee.

The Shippensburg University Student Government Association (SGA) gave the final approval for the 2025-2026 operating budget at its April 3 meeting. The budget funds student groups, athletics and other areas of student life.

After several months of deliberation by the Budget and Finance committee (B&F), the $3 million budget went before Shippensburg University President Charles Patterson.

Following his approval, SGA vice president of finance Nathan Garber brought it back to SGA to be formally

protecting the water and wildlife in and around the water. The second part of the mission is to provide people with a better understanding and connection to the watershed.

Tiles are also available for sale, with proceeds going to the MWSA. More information can be found at https://facebook.com/ MiddleSpringWatershed.

adopted. The budget passed without opposition following brief discussion, concluding what SGA president Lillian Sellers described as an exceptionally smooth budget process.

“I don’t think we’ve had such a smooth budget season in quite a while,” Sellers said. “So I just want to thank every member of the Budget and Finance committee. You’re doing great work.”

Notably, most groups’ allocations remained stable or saw minor increases, bucking a trend of budget cuts that has lasted several years.

“In general, most groups got the same, or a little more than what they got last year,” Garber said.

Your World Today

Commentary: Been here all along

I have always found countdowns intimidating. Ten… Whether it is because of anticipation anxiety, which has existed quite prevalently in my life, or because of the need to be in control, I do not know. What I do know is that I do not do well with a countdown. Or a drumroll. Or a graduation?

Nine… For as long as I can remember, I found inspiration in places where I could not relate. For example, something that I have mentioned frequently throughout my articles for The Slate is my admiration for Hannah Montana. It may be because I was born in California, or it could be because I was young and dreamt of living her

fascinating double life, or it could simply be because I found it entertaining as the 5-year-old I was. Except, that feeling did not quite go away as I grew older. In fact, my fondness grew stronger. So strong that my senior quote for high school highlighted that admiration. My senior quote, from “I’ll Always Remember You” by Hannah Montana, said: “But now, one more chapter’s gone by.” That stands true, even today. Eight… When I think about my younger self, I feel a sense of longing. I long for what once was: carefree giggling alongside my parents who I’d color with, drink lactose-free milkshakes with or cry over math problems with. They

often did not know the answers to those problems, but neither did I. I think that is what makes life so special. We are all just trying to find the last piece that puts the puzzle together, and who knows if we will ever find it. But we try. Maybe it is what we have had all along, or maybe it is the pieces we find along the way.

I remember being in elementary school, and I was involved in the school’s chorus and band. I played the clarinet. Each year, we would have a concert for Veterans Day, and this hit home for me, as my dad has been in the U.S. Air Force since before I was born.

Throughout my

“But now, one more chapter’s gone by.”

Hannah Montana “I’ll Always Remember You”

childhood, I had my fair share of both missing and being proud of him. Since then, I have always had a vivid memory of looking into the audience and seeing him dressed in his uniform knowing he is the most

selfless person I have ever met — more than I could ever be.

Seven… As previously mentioned, I was born in California because of the military. Then, I moved to Maryland. Then, I moved to Pennsylvania. We stayed here. Not only was my dad completely selfless, but my mom was, too. She spent her life doing whatever was necessary to make my dreams come true, even with the bumps in the road. Because of that, I owe my present and future successes to both of them.

Six… Miley Cyrus wrote and performed a song during the fourth season of “Hannah Montana” called “Been Here All Along.” The song was dedicated to members and veterans of the military, and this song has always resonated with me because of the way that my life was laid out. To have such an appreciation for a character, person and storyline is special. However, what made it more special was that “Hannah Montana” had finally become relatable to me, and it helped me. A lot.

Five… Things became confusing for me over time, as my perception of the future was difficult to plan. I never had a specific area of interest. All I knew was that I have always wanted to help people the same way that my parents helped me.

Suspect arrested in investigation of arson at PA Governor’s residence

Marc Levy Associated Press

HARRISBURG, Pa.

(AP) — A man scaled an iron security fence in the middle of the night, eluded police and broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion where he set a fire that left significant damage and forced Gov. Josh Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate the building, authorities said Sunday.

The man, captured later in the day, will face charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault, authorities said.

Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated the Jewish holiday of Passover at the residence on Saturday and were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m. Sunday. They fled and firefighters extinguished the fire, officials said. No one was injured. At a Sunday evening news conference in front of the badly damaged south wing of the governor’s residence, Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris identified the man in custody as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg.

Paris emphasized that the investigation is continuing. Authorities did not disclose the man’s motive, but an emotional Shapiro, who is viewed as a potential White House contender for the Democratic Party in 2028, said he is unbowed.

Shapiro said that if Balmer was trying to stop him from doing his job, then he’ll work harder, and he added that Balmer will not stop him from observing his faith.

“When we were in the state dining room last night, we told the story of Passover and the exodus of the Jews from

slavery in Egypt to freedom,” Shapiro said. “I refuse to be trapped by the bondage that someone attempts to put on me by attacking us as they did here last night. I refuse to let anyone who had evil intentions like that stop me from doing the work that I love.”

Lt. Col. George Bivens said Balmer had a homemade incendiary device — he would not describe what kind — and appeared to have carefully planned the attack. He was inside the residence for about a minute before he escaped, Bivens said.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com.

Prof. Corey Williams on balancing his academic work and Magic: The Gathering

Elisa Reitman Web Director

Now in his second year at Shippensburg University, Corey Williams is an assistant professor in the economics department.

As the sole macroeconomist in his department, he usually teaches several sections of Macroeconomics (ECON 101) each semester.

Students stepping into William’s classroom will quickly find that the general vibe is, “Oh, this guy is a nerd.”

Not in a bad way of course, rather completely endearing. In his class, he makes it clear that he does not care for formalities — they make him feel old and awkward. He asks students to call him Corey, rather than professor or Dr. Williams.

Corey conducts independent research and publishes under the university’s affiliation. That research mostly deals with producer price inflation dynamics and

moral hazards in the financial sector.

Outside of research

he advises the SU Economics Club, SU’s Magic the Gathering club and the men’s club baseball team.

He attended Clarkson University, a small private school in upstate New York near the Canadian border, where he majored in supply chain management. Clarkson is primarily an engineering school, but Corey was part of the 30% or so that were “goofy” business majors.

During college, Corey interned at GE Aviation.

As a supply chain account specialist, he managed orders from suppliers and tracked them in the fulfillment process.

“I felt like I was a glorified USPS tracker,” Corey said. He began to realize that supply chain management was not the correct career for him.

After completing his studies at Clarkson, Corey spent a year in a corporate leadership program with United Technologies, in its subsidiaries Pratt & Whitney and Otis Elevator. That year was important for him, because it allowed him to study

Thus, I began college early as a Ship Start student and the following year declared a journalism major. I eliminated the chance for a countdown for my high school graduation, though I still attended in May 2022. I told you — I hate countdowns. So I got rid of mine, and I began a new chapter before the previous one was over. (I know, this is frowned upon.)

Four… I am now here, in 2025, about to graduate with my bachelor’s degree in communication, journalism and media. The countdown to graduation has crept up on me, but this time, I’m oddly intrigued by it.

“Your plan has been written from the moment you became.”

Three… The anticipation of what could be seems to be coming to fruition. With the help of my parents, professors, Slater friends and loved ones, I can say that I have finally found the place for me, and that is right here. In the now.

I have appreciated my time here with The Slate more than I can imagine, and even though this is not our final print, it is my last “Your World Today Commentary,” which means that I am relishing in a space to be both sappy and thankful. I

have spent years of my life writing about my feelings, opinions and thoughts, and that is not coming to an end, but within the next couple of weeks, it will be here at SU.

Two… I am here to say that even if you think you do not know, you do. Trust me when I say that always and forever, your plan has been written from the moment you became. If you ever wonder why you are interested in certain things, how you have different talents than others or when your potential will make its presence known, just know that there is a reason for it all.

One… And now we are here. The end of an era. All I know at the end of the day, or at the end of this article, is that my inner child has flourished in all the ways that she expected to. She connected to her birthplace, her parents, in a way that means more than just the longitude and latitude of place. She lived her double life, both as an individual and a journalist. She grew into somebody who was entertained by her instinct. She was always going to be. With that, I guess you could say my undergraduate senior quote is: “Been here all along.”

She’s been here all along. And I thank The Slate for that.

Zero...

Lehman Library recognized as Gold Star Library by PA Library Association

Ezra Lehman Memorial Library is pleased to announce our continued recognition as a Gold Star library in the Pennsylvania Library Association’s (PALA) PA Forward initiative, a status which we have proudly maintained since 2019.

This milestone recognizes the library’s commitment to fostering literacy, education, and community engagement in five key literacies: basic, information, civic and social, health and financial.

The PA Forward initiative is a statewide effort designed to empower libraries to deliver critical services that enhance the communities we serve.

The library is committed to helping our community thrive, so that every individual has the tools they need to succeed in today’s fast-paced world.

We could not be successful without the ongoing support

of our campus and community partners who work with us to provide programs, workshops and exhibits that support these goals and engage our student body beyond the classroom. About PA Forward To learn more about the PA Forward program, visit: https:// paforward.org/paforward-star-program/

Senate candidates speak on what

Ian

for and take his graduate record examination (GRE) and allowed him to continue research that he had started during college.

After that year, Corey attended graduate school at West Virginia University. At WVU he studied economics, earning his masters in two years and finishing his doctorate in another two.

Compared to supply chain management, academia turned out to be much more rewarding. “I really feel and observe the impact that I have on a daily basis,” Corey said. In this field, he has a lot more autonomy and control over his research and his course curricula.

Corey knows the impact faculty can have on their students. As part of his undergraduate degree, he was required to take a course in econometrics. “You had to pass the sniff test of “can you do math?,” Corey said.

SGA needs to change

Student Government Association (SGA) elections are once again underway. SGA held elections at the end of February for its Executive Leadership Committee, but the current round of elections is for senator positions.

Students can vote via a link sent to their SU emails on April 14, and the ballot will be open until 4 p.m. on April 17. Four names will be on the ballot this week in uncontested races, along with over a dozen senator positions on the ballot with no candidates.

Candidates delivered speeches on Thursday evening, all running unopposed. Each offered their plans to address

speeches for student government on April 10.

a persistent disconnect between SGA and the wider student body while acknowledging the challenges posed by low turnout and limited awareness of the organization’s role on campus.

Kenny Tran, a junior business administration major, is running for reelection as Class of 2026 senator. He did not deliver a speech last week due to scheduling

conflicts, according to SGA president Lillian Sellers. Tran is joined on the ballot by current SGA senators Kyle Marzullo and Chase Garrison, who are also running for reelection. Marzullo represents the Class of 2027, while Garrison represents the Class of 2028.

Weather Forecast

The Slate Speaks: Rebuild it or remake it?

For decades, cinema has played a crucial role in the evolution of diversity, advertising and entertainment. Since the world of film first gained popularity, there have been many inspirational hits that live on, even in today’s society. However, that world has changed dramatically. The new film “A Minecraft Movie” has sparked conversation surrounding the direction in which cinema is headed. The film, nostalgic for some viewers and unserious for others, was released on April 4, and it earned $313 million globally in just three days, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Additionally, it surpassed “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” as the most profitable for a video game adaptation.

However, there has been controversy. Director Jared Hess has been criticized for his reaction to the viral “chicken jockey” trend. According to the Daily Mail, the trend has caused chaos in movie theaters due to viewers throwing popcorn and some even getting sick, causing extreme messes. Among other examples, the integrity of film has been questioned. From the perspective of Hollywood repetition, several movies are repeated or re-

made that have become uninteresting to viewers. Some of them work, and others do not. For instance, the Harry Potter franchise is being rebooted into a show on HBO Max. Due to the reboot, the show and actors have been receiving hateful commentary from fans of the original Harry Potter movies. Since these films are made up of actors and characters that the fan bases have come to love and adore through several movies, there could be resistance to new, remade films from the die-hard fans because they are fond of the original, and they do not want to see a different version.

For instance, “Snow White” received negativity because of its star. In several interviews, Rachel Zegler said that she wanted the film to be interpreted as a means of women’s identity and being who they want to be, rather than the love story. Additionally, fans of the original movie were not fond of Zegler’s appearance, as they do not believe she looks like Snow White.

The point of a remake is to deter from creating the same movie that has already been made. It gives a new insight to the story. It can be diffi-

cult to put prior biases aside and digest the film for what it is. “Footloose” is a great example, as the newer version is accepted by some but not by others. Next- generation films are a come and go or a hit and miss.

The issue with blockbuster movies is that they are not replacing the artistic and smaller films that upcoming directors are making; rather, they cast huge shadows over the movies.

The remakes of classics and adaptations of other media will have their own dedicated following, and audienc-

Shame on the White House Correspondents’ Association

Connor Niszczak Editor-in-Chief

As the tides of political instability ebb and flow in Washington, D.C., one bastion of culture always prevails — uppity political events where government and media elites attempt to put aside their differences in the name of getting roasted and eating a fancy dinner.

But it is 2025, and all rules have been thrown out the window and driven over with a Tesla. Last month, the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) became the latest example. The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), a nonpartisan organization for journalists who cover presidential administrations, announced on March 29 it was nixing comedian Amber Ruffin’s scheduled appearance at its annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Despite WHCA President Eugene Daniels describing Ruffin as “the ideal fit for this current political and cultural climate” in February, he now says, “I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division.”

Daniels’ attempt to rationalize Ruffin’s cancellation does the opposite of avoiding focus on divisive politics — it creates a narrative of her being punished for criticizing the GOP and Trump administration.

Two days before the WHCA reversed its decision, Ruffin appeared on The Daily Beast Podcast and previewed her remarks: “They were like, you need to be, you know, equal and make sure you give it to both sides…there’s no way I’m gonna be freaking doing that, dude.” Ruffin responded two days after her cancellation with an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and expertly trolled the WHCA.

Where’s Your Voice?

Shippensburg University students, staff, faculty, administrators and affiliated 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 (affiliation 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

• The

are

and opinions

and

“We have a free press so that we can be nice to Republicans at fancy dinners. That’s what it says in the First Amendment,” Ruffin said.

“I thought when people take away your rights, erase your history and deport your friends, you’re supposed to call it out. But I was wrong.”

To an extent, the WHCA has a right to be treading carefully at this moment –Trump has declared mainstream news outlets “illegal,” the Associated Press was banned from the Oval Office earlier this year and the White House has tightened control of which journalists have access to the President.

But kowtowing to authority is not the way to respond, and for god’s sake, an association composed of distinguished journalists should understand that.

Read the full story at theslateonline.com

es will come to the theater to see if their favorite story was adapted well.

Beyond those groups, the fear of missing out is more common than ever. People who want to be aware of movies will see them to understand the popularity and attention.

Overall, the remakes of classics are beneficial for boosting the profits of the companies that own them, as the public — at large — cannot help themselves from seeing the newest version.

Going back to the artistic and smaller films, the stan-

dard for those films for further recognition is pushed more and more each year. With a more limited budget and smaller, unknown casts, often, it can be difficult to compete with Hollywood putting large sums of money into their remakes.

“A Minecraft Movie” is the latest example of a recent cultural trend of video game adaptations among both film and TV. “The Last of Us” Season 2, is incredibly anticipated because of its dedicated fan-base. Once the game carried on into a series, fans who have adored the game for years wanted to see it for themselves.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Barbie” are other examples of this phenomenon. The masses showed up to theaters, and for “Barbie,” it became a trend to dress in all pink to the theater. What is working for Hollywood, currently, is nostalgia. All of these themes result back to the feeling of nostalgia.

With this precedent, we may be sat for a “Fortnite” movie within 10 years, since the game has accumulated popularity over time. Hollywood uses nostalgia to make movies, as well as taking a large fan base and making it even larger with a film at-

tached to it.

With modern films, something different in cinema would be appreciated. At this point, there are so many ideas that have already been done.

As consumers, people want to see a new perspective. It’s frustrating to watch a film and be able to predict the ending within the first 20 minutes.

Movies are the best and most impactful when they create surprise and the unexpected.

Right now, Hollywood is lacking a shock factor, and that’s a large part of film-success.

Viewers do not always need to laugh — they just want to gasp. To be caught off guard is one of the best parts of watching film.

Film is, undoubtedly, a big part of the way that our society functions.

Many inspirations come from watching and interpreting film. Without it, global change would be difficult to spread.

If cinema remains the way that it has been — remake after remake — entertainment and awareness will become minimal.

And that is the shock factor that we do not want.

Romanticization isn’t so pink after all

Reagan Gardenhour Managing Editor

Have you ever experienced the fear of missing out (FOMO) when you witness your favorite influencers going on a brand trip? Better yet, have you ever wished that your reality was one that others experience?

Please know, everyone starts somewhere. And your reality can be anything that you want it to be, as long as you personalize it to what you want. Do not fall into a trap where you feel unsatisfied because your life may not look like somebody else’s. Nobody — and I mean nobody — has as perfect of a life as they portray. Why?

We are human.

Social media has inflated the idea over time that our lives only matter if we can enjoy the “next big thing.”

I hate to say that, as social media can be beneficial; however, it is a place that undermines the “normal” life.

Of course, when we click through social media, we see highlights of everybody’s best days, moments or experiences. It is all those things that create the question: Will our world ever go back to the way it was before, where children ran to the park to play baseball at the crack of dawn or the found excitement in getting ice cream, especially with rainbow sprinkles?

Except, what world has ever been a daydream, and what world has ever directly told everybody to find their own unique purpose?

I often wonder if people did the same things back then that we do now — only sharing the “exciting” information but simply could not publish it on the internet. Maybe that is why we now have a difficult concept of what is normal and what is not.

I always find myself imagining the possibility of living an exciting life — in my own way, of course. What my ver-

sion of exciting is may completely differ from yours, and I have learned that that is OK. However, social media can manipulate those feelings to make us feel as though we are missing out, not living freely enough or failing to recognize what is “important.”

With that being said, romanticization is not so pink after all.

We live inside of each mind that we possess, and it misconstrues reality from delusion. Delusion has a negative connotation, but it does not have to. Sometimes, we just want what we think is best for each of us, and realistically, we do not know what that is.

Social media does not, and should not, be what we expect on an everyday basis.

So many things are happening around us that we need to remember this: it is not about what you see, but it is about what you do.

Ship Life

SU Greek Week ends in annual lip sync

time, Greek organizations collected donations in hopes of raising money for the “It’s On Us” foundation.

After a fierce competition, Kappa Sigma and Phi Sigma were the winners of the Greek Sing event.

Shippensburg University hosted its annual Greek Lip Sync at Memorial Auditorium in celebration of the end of Greek Week. Throughout the week, each Greek organization competed in various games against one another. The games included volleyball, Greek trivia, kickball, basketball and more. When a team won an event, they earned points on a leaderboard.

The week also kickstarted the Greeks’ annual Cash War, which began on April 7 and ended on April 10. During this

During Thursday night’s Greek Sing, the seats were packed with excited friends and family. Each group was called on stage by the hosts and gave a lip-syncing and dancing performance. Groups typically danced to a medley of their favorite pop and rock-and-roll songs. Some used props like sheets to represent wind or real umbrellas while dancing to Rihanna’s hit song.

Each group’s performance was unique, with everyone showcasing their own creativity. Excitement filled the room from start to finish as the crowd stayed engaged and cheered throughout each act.

During the show, the total money raised during Greek Week was announced, along with the top sororities and fraternities that contributed. The sorority rankings were as follows: in third place Kappa Beta Gamma, in second place Alpha Phi and first place Delta Zeta.

For the fraternities, in third place Kappa Sigma, in second place Theta Xi and first place Phi Sigma Kappa.

In total, the Greeks raised a whopping $8,851 for the “It’s On Us” foundation.

To learn more about Greek life at Ship, visit @ship_greeks.

PAGE Center participates in LGBTQ Day of Silence

The Pride and Gender Equity (PAGE) Center participated in the LGBTQ Day of Silence in the Ceddia Union Building’s (CUB) PAGE Center and Ampitheatre on April 11.

The goal of the event was to encourage students to recognize the power they have to combat LGBTQ discrimination, and how they can use their voices for those who have unfortunately been silenced in the past.

The LGBTQ Day of Silence is an annual event

celebrated by many people around the world, and it was founded after a vow of silence queer students at the University of Virginia took in 1996 in response to the silencing and discrimination they experienced. In the following years, the event gained support and became a national movement with the support of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).

event, noted the power queer individuals have.

“We have a voice,” O’Bell said. “Whether it is stepped upon and silenced, we can use it. We can be loud together, and we shouldn’t be ashamed of it.”

Another aspect the PAGE Center recognized is the importance of LGBTQ allies using their voices as well to help combat discrimination with their queer friends and family.

The Day of Silence concluded with students breaking their silence outside the CUB, recognizing all those who have been silenced and lost their lives due to LGBTQ discrimination, and the power students currently have to combat this today and live their lives proudly without shame.

Shippensburg University students continue the legacy of this important event by participating on campus. Emmett O’Bell, peer-educator at the PAGE Center and organizer of the

“As much as queer people need our own voices and our own community, we also need allies,” O’Bell said. “It’s OK to rise up. It’s OK to take action.”

The PAGE Center is open to everyone offering a wide variety of resources for all those who need them, including a safe and welcoming community looking to support students throughout their journey in college.

Mental health advocacy with poet Cole Kissam

“If I’m really serious about getting better, I need to get better,” said Luther Kissam V. Cole Kissam, otherwise known as his pen name Luther Kissam V, is a poet and writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. On April 10, he spoke at an event in Stewart Hall inspired by his first book called “Have I Told You About My Superpowers?”

The event was sponsored by the SU Connection Alcohol and Other Drugs Program, English Department, Psychology Department and National Alliance on Mental Illness. Kissam, beyond his writing and poetry, is a strong mental health advocate. He has been vocal about his experiences with bipolar disorder, as he believes that activism about these topics is important to bring to the forefront.

“I have a lot of empathy for other people because I’ve gone through a lot of suffering and understanding,” Kissam said. “More than any of that, to manage my bipolar disorder, what I realized was that I had to make commitments to myself about how I was going to live my life.”

His book “Have I Told You About My Superpowers?” was published in 2022. The book is separated into three sections, which are labeled as “Lithium,” “Lamotrigine” and “Lithium & Lamotrigine: Maintenance.”

The first section is about his experience with mania; the second is about his experience with depression; and the third is about his experience trying to remain stable with his bipolar disorder. Each of these sections are named after the medications he takes in order to easier manage his diagnosis.

Kissam explained his previous feelings of mania as a euphoric feeling; however, these feelings were short-lived. He

Sink or Ship: Students pitch big in Ship Tank

Jordan Neperud Staff Contributor

SU students took home cash prizes after pitching their business ideas to a panel of judges, “Shark Tank” style.

The Charles H. Diller Jr. Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation hosted Ship Tank, on April 10. This was an event meant to “provide Shippensburg students with a chance to explore their entrepreneurial interest in an environment where they can learn, grow, and earn some cash,” according to the Diller Center.

Students pitched their ideas to a panel of “sharks,” who range from Shippensburg University faculty and community leaders to their peers in the audience. The competition is based on ABC’s “Shark Tank.”

Nine ideas were pitched, and six lucky students took home prizes.

The first-place winner was Teagan Weaver with Presso, a fully manual portable espresso machine meant for hikers, commuters and frequent travelers. Weaver won $2,000.

The second-place winner was Karim Brice with True Capture, an app meant to pair professional photographers and videographers with those in need. Brice won $1,000. The third-place winners were Kade Rush and Daniel Byomujuni with The Underground: Arena, a website meant to streamline the process of creating video game tournaments. Byomujuni and Rush won $750. The fourth-place winner was Dominic Vizza with TravelTech, a suitcase with built in technology to prevent theft and eliminate the need for extra gadgets or accessories. Vizza won $500.

The fifth-place winner was Carson Heberling with ThermoGrip, a golf accessory built with both cooling and heating technology so golfers can play in any weather.

Heberling won $250. The Crowd Favorite winner was Brandon Stiner with AngelLink, an app meant to match startups and small businesses with potential investors.

“It’s like Tinder, but with startups and investors,” Stiner said. He won $500. The other pitches consisted of Courageous

Hearts by Giovanni Beato and Cumberland Lanes and Games by Kamron Livingston.

Courageous Hearts is a clothing brand meant to combine fashion and social justice with proceeds going to various worthy causes, such as cancer research or mental health awareness.

Cumberland Lanes and Games would be a multientertainment option in Shippensburg, featuring a bowling alley, arcade, laser tag and virtual reality room.

The “sharks” of this year’s Ship Tank were Georgina Cranston, a business consultant at the Small Business Development Center at Shippensburg University; Leora Appleby, the director of Business One-Stop Shop and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; Micheal Metz, vice president and commercial relationship manager at F&M Trust; and Micheala Wetzel, community coordinator for Downtown Ship & Beyond.

For more information about Ship Tank, visit ship. edu/dillercenter.

Erica Galioto:

“I try to take students from where they are to somewhere else, and to me, that is also like therapy,” Erica Galioto said. Galioto, a Shippensburg University English professor, is a believer of allowing, and guiding, students to reach their fullest potential. To get them to that potential, she is adamant in teaching a variety of topics that range from connectivity and diversity to testimonial experience.

As a professor at SU,

Galioto has solidified her position within the English department as a primary educator of psychoanalysis and critical theory. Psychoanalysis is the study of the unconscious.

Galioto earned her bachelor’s degree in English in 2000, master’s at the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) in 2003 and her doctorate in English at UB in 2005. Galioto first recognized her interest in psychoanalysis when her professor, now mentor, assigned “Mourning and Melancholia” by Sigmund Freud. She said, “something unlocked within her because of the recognition of her experience of loss in a past relationship in the text, and it made sense.”

According to the Institute of Psychoanalysis, Freud founded psychoanalysis in 1896. There have been several psychoanalysts since then who have created or practiced new and old theories. These works are directly used in relation to literature to describe a further

explained scenarios in which mania had negatively affected his own life. Additionally, he expressed that now, he would rather feel depression than mania because his mania led him to decisions that he would not normally make. However, the goal is stability and positivity.

Since being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Kissam found a space to encapsulate the feelings that he has experienced throughout his life in a narrative-style work of poetry.

“I have to live a life of moderation. I mean, I don’t do anything [like] all the time, all the time, all the time,” Kissam said. “I think that the thing I’m most hardcore about is writing poetry.”

Kissam is open about his experiences as a means to prove that mental illness can be regulated, and life does not have to end because of a diagnosis, nor should it.

Before reading a poem about the winters in Pennsylvania, Kissam described the feeling of wanting to manage his mental health. Along with his bipolar disorder, Kissam has seasonal affective disorder. He then mentioned the fact that this was the first year that he did not have a depressive episode, and he said, “I think what helped me was a deep understanding that all of my feelings are temporary, and so that even on my best day, I won’t feel the best forever. And on my worst day, I won’t feel the worst forever.”

‘It is alive and well’

experience of lack, desire and the unconscious mind.

She was drawn to SU’s program because of her love for the East Coast and the focus on teaching, rather than big research. Since then, she has become a significant part of campus for roughly 20 years. Her first job on campus was dedicated to training people who wanted to be English teachers, and then she became a professor with her own classes surrounding psychoanalysis and critical theory.

Some of the courses that Galioto has taught over the years include Disaster & Hope in Literature since 1900; Modernism; Disability in Literature; Native American Literature; Women’s Literature; Reading and Writing about Trauma; Autotheory as SelfWriting; Art of the Film; Writing and Research about Literature; Psychoanalysis and Contemporary Literature; Literature and Society; and many others. She, additionally, teaches several seminars.

“Psychoanalysis is really about one’s experience of desire, and that desire is not always sexual, although, sometimes, it is, but it’s just how you exist in relation to your own desire, which is really about your own experience of lack,” Galioto said. “So psychoanalysis is about trying to figure out, ‘How is your desire manifesting? What does this suggest about your experience of lack? What does this suggest about how you use language? What does this suggest about how you operate in relationships?’”

Studying psychoanalysis is a strategy that affects both the analyst and the recipient; the recipient can be the analyst, and the analyst can be the recipient. It is an act of learning and practicing relativity between complex topics that form within a body of work — primarily literature. Then, it is interconnected with different minds to explain and understand mental unrest, culture and society. Galioto explains

her relationships with students as an exchange of experiences. She said:

“Your writing is not just this piece of paper that you’ve regurgitated out, but your writing is also connected to you, and what is important to you, and what you think about. I wouldn’t know that unless I was asking for that information.”

Galioto said: “My work, really, in some ways, focuses on pain — as strange as it is to say that, my work focuses on pain. But it’s not necessarily about wallowing and sadness and the pain, right? It’s about how to beyond the pain, how to transform the pain, what the pain means, what the pain represents.”

In addition to her teaching at SU, Galioto is a part of a group called the Association for the Psychoanalysis of Culture and Society (APCS). She serves as a part of the board for that organization, and she contributes to its journal. Many members of the organization are active analysts whose patients use psychoanalytic strategies

as a means of transforming their minds.

Galioto, an academic in the field, “uses those same psychoanalytic theories in the classroom with novels and memoirs and auto theory, but, yet, can come together with that group and be viewed as, also, an expert in the theory who uses the theory from a literary, philosophical perspective.”

“Teaching is a therapeutic act in psychoanalysis; the analyst also gets something out of the exchange. The transference is intersubjective, so I definitely, then, feed off of [I mean] so many different layers of the teaching that I do from the whole class environment,” said Galioto.

Outside of SU, Galioto describes her favorite things as

“food, clothes and books.”

She and her family enjoy several different cuisines, and they value making an effort to broaden their horizons while traveling to further their interest in different foods.

The ‘Untold Memories’ of Kloey

Abbygale Hockenberry A&E Editor

Kloey Robinson is a junior art education major who has artwork in the Brindle Gallery titled “Untold Memories.” She uses oil paint primarily in her work, while gravitating more toward purple and focusing on muted, cooler tones.

Robinson realized growing up that art was one of the only subjects she was interested in. A portfolio class in high school helped her realize that she wanted a career in the arts and teaching was what she leaned more toward.

“Prayless” is a red and purple oil painting of a woman sitting down with her hands folded. It holds the meaning of praying things would get better, and they never do. The red plays the symbolization of her anger during that time. A part of the same series Robinson is currently working on, “Qui

Vive” uses blues instead of reds. It depicts a girl sitting on the stairs, looking down through the staircase railing. When drawing, Robinson prefers to use the lighter H pencils. That preference can be seen in her graphite-onpaper collection, “Study of still life,” “Study of fabric” and “Study of figure.” Those works are simple black, gray and white, but have incredible refined detail. One of Robinson’s favorites out of her three drawings is “Study of figure.”

“I really enjoyed getting to draw a floor model, it’s not something you have the opportunity to do very often, so it was a nice space and very enjoyable experience,” Robinson said.

She has noticed through trial and error what works for her and what does not. Robinson’s ambition continuously pushes her to create. She admires looking back at her previous works and current to see the growth within her art.

“Having a space to work and just paint and do what you want to do really helps. I feel like it’s really pushing me and helping me kind of discover what I want,” Robinson said. She has learned that multitasking is crucial to any art process, rather than focusing on strictly one piece of work.

“Study of Legs” is Robinson’s favorite piece in “Untold Memories.” It was her first artwork using pastels and felt like it gave her the “foundation” she needed to move onto bigger works. The painting uses yellows and different highlights to capture the detail of the leg. “I just had fun making it and I got to be really loose, and I didn’t have to be precise and really think about the little nitpicking details,” Robinson said.

“Untold Memories” shows an alluring experience, while depicting such deep and expressive ideas. The exhibit will be open now through Thursday.

Connor

Niszczak Editor-in-Chief

Few things feel better than being allowed to break the rules, and DJs at WSYC 88.7 FM got to feel that this weekend when they stayed up all night in the Ceddia Union Building.

Since 2013, WSYC has hosted an annual 24-hour broadcast to highlight the wide variety of DJs and their music over the airwaves — and they give listeners a chance to call in to win prizes. This year’s giveaways included Big Time Rush tickets, vouchers for the Luhrs performing Arts Center, and gift certificates to Inside Scoop ice cream in Shippensburg.

Jadyn Courtney of Lost &

Found, Jonah Mrykalo and Jonathan Burton of 2Man Coverage, Samantha Kopp of Sam’s Jams and Rachel Smoyer and Lindsay Smith of Mic’d Up were just a few of the DJs who graced the airwaves from 8 a.m. on April 12 to 8 a.m. on April 13. Through it all, General Manager Jenna Cornell, Program Director Caitlyn Shetter and Public Relations Director Grace Harbour remained in the studio for the entire broadcast, in no small part to caffeine, a fruit tray and pizzas sent in by Communications, Journalism and Media Department Chair Carrie Sipes.

“‘Up All Night’” was a lot of fun and definitely one of the highlights of being a member

of WSYC. It’s such a privilege to work with such a talented group of people who not only brought the event to life, but made 24 hours fly by,” Shetter said. “A huge thank you to Jadyn Courtney for picking such good prizes and dealing with the finances, Grace Harbour for all the PR, Jenna Cornell for organizing the event, and all our lovely DJs who came in to do a set.”

Immense silliness from throughout the 24-hour broadcast can be found in the Up All Night 2025 highlight on the @wsyc_ship Instagram page.

It’s that time of year where all it does is rain. Enjoy this rock playlist that was created by The Slate staff and brings all of the thunder.

Joan Jett brings the rock n’ roll

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts performed at Luhrs Performing Arts Center Friday night, bringing 80 minutes of rock ‘n roll classics to Shippensburg.

Jett, who was born in Pennsylvania, is known for her rebellious image and for breaking barriers as one of the most influential women in rock. She co-founded the all-female punk-rock band The Runaways in 1975, a time when the rock genre was male-dominated. The Runaways broke up, and Jett pursued a solo music career before founding the Blackhearts in 1979.

The show opened with a punk-themed photo montage of Jett throughout her career, set to Bikini Kill’s “Rebel Girl.” As the song ended, Jett stepped on stage to perform “Change the World.” Dressed in all black with her signature

winged eyeliner, she played guitar and sang with the gritty, iconic voice recognized from hits like “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Bad Reputation” and “I Hate Myself for Loving You.”

One of the night’s first moments of crowd participation occurred when Jett sang “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah).” Jett sang “Do you wanna touch?” and held out the microphone for the crowd to shout “Yeah!” Jett sang covers from the Runaways, including the classic “Cherry Bomb” and “You Drive Me Wild,” and covers the band has recorded, like The Replacements’ “Androgynous” and Sly and The Family Stone’s “Everyday People.” Jett also sang the theme song, written by Bruce Springsteen, of the 1987 film “Light of Day” she starred in with Michael J. Fox. Between songs, the Blackhearts producer

and band member Kenny Laguna shared how their first radio success was met with criticism for featuring a female lead in an otherwise all-male band. In response, they wrote “Fake Friends,” which they performed following the story.

The crowd cheered and stood as soon as they heard the first few notes of “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The energy continued to build through the finale, as the Blackhearts performed “Bad Reputation,” “I Hate Myself for Loving You” and their cover of Tommy James & The Shondells’ “Crimson and Clover.”

Between the stage visuals, the crowd’s enthusiasm and the band’s performance, this was one of my favorite performances I have attended at Luhrs. Although the 80-minute showtime was perfect, I wish I could “put another dime in the jukebox” and experience it all over again.

The ‘Voice of Romance’ hits the Luhrs stage

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

“Let It Be Me” singer came to Luhrs on Thursday.

Seventy years later, and Johnny Mathis is still the “Voice of Romance.” Mathis took the Luhrs Center stage on Thursday, April 10, and danced the night away.

From the moment he walked onto the stage, Johnny Mathis, 89, was welcomed by cheering crowds and a standing ovation. He opened the show with “When I Fall in Love,” sharing the feeling of romance with “Morning of My Life” and “It’s Not for Me to Say.” The audience shouted praises between the crooner’s sets, to which he cheekily embraced and blew kisses to the onlookers.

“Let It Be Me” and “Gina” were crowd favorites, along with “Days of Wine and Roses.” Mathis also performed some of his more emotional tunes, including the iconic “Moon River” and a cover of The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” a personal favorite of mine.

In his career, Mathis has recorded 80 albums and received numerous accolades for his records. This includes three inductions into the Grammy Hall of Fame, for his songs “Misty,” “Chances Are” and “It’s Not For Me To Say,” all of which he performed on Thursday.

During Mathis’

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intermission, Gary Mule Deer took the stage and roars of laughter followed. From country twang tracks to wisecracks galore, he brought the audience to life with his jokes about Jehovah’s Witnesses, drinking and driving, politics and everything in between.

One joke specifically had the crowd giggling away: “Folgers Coffee: the best part of waking up is you just waking up! I’m a year older than Bugs Bunny and four years younger than Porky Pig. You all get it!” There’s a reason Clint Eastwood called him “the funniest man in America.”

Mule Deer closed off for Mathis’ return, who took back to the stage with a Latin twist. With the combination of colorful, flashing lights and an energetic orchestra joining him, he rocked the stage with “Mas, Que Nada!” Later in his second set, he welcomed Kerry Marx, guitarist, for an acoustic set. Mathis combined every fantastic part of his career into a jam-packed show, and closed it off with the magical “Let the Good Times Roll” and a long standing ovation. No one does it better than Johnny Mathis. To learn more about Johnny Mathis or upcoming shows at the Luhrs Center, visit luhrscenter.com.

‘A Minecraft Movie’ is everything we axed for

Ian Thompson News Editor

You have likely seen the videos of moviegoers clapping louder than they did during “Avengers: Endgame.” The popcorn buckets flying across the theater. You might have even heard people incessantly repeating something about a “chicken jockey.”

There are movies you admire, and then there are movies you enjoy.

Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” is the kind of film you study. “A Minecraft Movie,” released earlier this month, is the kind you point and laugh at.

It is the sort where you yell out references alongside the kids in the next row and leave the theater trying to digest everything you have witnessed. It is chaotic, dumb and frequently baffling — but that is also what makes it work.

Minecraft’s voiceless protagonist, Steve, is portrayed by Jack Black. He begins the movie with the energy of a rogue “Saturday Night Live” sketch, and from there, the absurdity only increases. This movie is a feature-length meme compilation, stitched together and held aloft by the sheer willpower of Black’s over-the-top performance and vocal cords.

The film opens with a loading screen reminiscent of the ones in the titular game’s world creation screen, and then we are dropped headfirst into a world full of pixelated mayhem. Steve narrates his journey from a child who “yearned for the mines” to his unfortunate exile to the alternate world of Minecraft.

There is, technically, a plot. Jason Momoa plays Garrett “the Garbage Man,” a game store owner who peaked in the ’80s as an arcade champion. His nickname inspires Jennifer Coolidge’s character to deliver the line, “You can bag me up and take me to the curb.”

Steve and Garrett are

joined by Dawn (Danielle Brooks), a real-estate agent and part-time mobile petting zoo operator. Brooks does not get as much opportunity to shine as the rest of the cast, but it is clear that she, like everyone else, is having a blast.

The adults are also joined by siblings Natalie (Emma Myers) and Henry (Sebastian Hansen). Together, they are transported to “The Overworld,” Minecraft’s

dimension analogous to the real world.

As they try to return home, we see them explore several classic Minecraft locales, including the Nether (an analog to Hell), a village populated with humanoids appropriately called villagers and a woodland mansion populated with the villagers’ evil counterparts, the pillagers.

The villain is a piglin (a man-pig hybrid present in the game) sorceress named

Fashion Archives and Museum gets

Abbygale Hockenberry

The latest exhibit at

SU’s Fashion Archives and Museum, “All Dolled Up!” opened on Wednesday. It featured a wide range of dolls like Raggedy Ann, Cabbage Patch, American Girl, Strawberry Shortcake and many vintage figures. Barbie was the central focus throughout the exhibit with many mannequins designed to copy the historic doll’s clothing.

Fashion Archives and Museum Director Karen Bohleke partnered with members of the Central Penn Doll Collectors Club to create “All Dolled Up!” and reflect the clothing and fashion of their dolls. “All Dolled Up!” follows three themes called Bringing up Baby, My Best Friend and Exploring Adult Life. Bohleke wanted to tell a story that people could relate to.

“The baby doll is usually the first doll and then your dolls grow up as you grow up, and that’s how I was thinking about all of this when grouping them,” Bohleke said.

Bohleke also teaches a graduate course in textile history and museum methods. She got her students to participate in the exhibit and tasked them with dressing the mannequins, crafting the labels and assisting with other exhibit elements.

“There was a lot of mixing and matching to get as close as possible to the doll,” graduate student Patrick Hartinger said. Hartinger worked on the Barbie classic “Jackie-O” style, a popularized women’s suit made by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Dolls often reflect fashion trends. One graduate student, Austin Hodge, worked on a vibrant child roller skater outfit and

described the style as a “counterculture” during the ’60s and ’70s. The outfit exhibits bright red shorts with square lines on a white button-up shirt. In another piece, Hodge was challenged with a white tuxedo in attaching the legs to the mannequin. He had to use safety pins to attach the legs, just to put on the black pants. “Sometimes attaching the limbs is not entirely agreeable,” Hodge said.

“All Dolled Up!” was put together by the hands of the following: Bohleke, graduate students, undergraduate students, interns, community volunteers and doll loan installers from the Central Penn Doll Collectors Club. The exhibit was a year in the making, but they were able to begin work in January.

“All Dolled Up!” is available to view through Nov. 20 and is free for students, faculty and staff.

Malgosha (voiced by Rachel House) that was invented for the film. Our introduction is seeing her stab a piglin child for the grievous crime of drawing a picture with crayons. Her motivation is that she once performed at a talent show and got bad reviews. Now she wants to destroy all creativity.

In the movie’s gag B-plot, a nitwit villager from the game gets isekai’d into the human world and is promptly hit by Coolidge’s Jeep Grand Cherokee — a vehicle she says she has accidentally used as a weapon before. They fall in love, go on a date and live happily ever after. Garrett and Steve share an intriguing but persistent erotic tension, culminating in a moment where, in an attempt to glide through a tunnel, they form what they call a “full man sandwich.” You will understand when you see it.

The movie knows its fans, and it serves them exactly what they came for: explosions, piglins, blocky nostalgia and more than a few cameos from YouTubers and even Minecraft developer Jens ‘Jeb’ Bergensten. Technoblade, a Minecraft YouTuber who passed away in 2022, is given a brief homage.

Ultimately, “A Minecraft Movie” is not trying to be deep. It is not a cinematic masterpiece. But it doesn’t need to be. It is a sugarrush of pixels, slapstick and nerdy game references. It made the kids in the theater laugh, got the parents to chuckle and even gave longtime fans something to obsess over.

Every scene seems designed with one goal in mind — triggering recognition. Minecarts, elytra wings, endermen, creepers, easter eggs — each moment is a nod, a wink or a nudge that encourages the audience to cheer like trained seals. And in most cases, it works spectacularly.

Softball goes 3-1, sweeps No. 9 ESU on senior day

Mason Flowers Asst. Sports Editor

In a chaotic week of postponements and tough opponents, Shippensburg University’s softball team split a doubleheader against Shepherd before winning a pair of games against No. 9 East Stroudsburg on Senior Day.

SU now sits at 22-14 on the

season, 11-9 in conference play.

The week began with two games on Wednesday at Shepherd, rescheduled from Tuesday due to weather.

Shepherd took a 1-0 victory in the first game, holding the Raiders to just two hits in the contest. They scored on an RBI single in the fifth inning to bring home the lone run of

the game.

Senior Alicia Ball took a hard-luck loss after six innings of one-run ball. She walked five batters and allowed three hits while striking out five, falling to 8-7 on the year. Junior Caitlyn Martell had both hits for the Raiders.

SU rebounded in the nightcap, taking a 2-1 victory in another pitchers’ duel.

Junior Brie Wilmot hit a tworun home fun in the fifth inning to give the Raiders a 2-0 lead, and they held on from there.

Freshman Dani Hayward threw a complete game victory, striking out seven while allowing one run on three hits and a walk.

She also went 2-3 at the plate, joining Martell as the only Raiders with multiple hits.

After more rainouts on Friday and Saturday, the team began Sunday’s action by honoring their senior class. Ball, Aliyah Briddell, Katelyn Minney and Ally Weaver were all honored pregame for their success and time with the team.

Head coach Allyson Van Scyoc praised the seniors postgame, saying “They’re really good leaders, they make the right decisions, and

they’ve played a big role in just continuing to build the foundation of Ship softball.”

Hayward was the star of Game 1, pitching a shutout and putting the exclamation point on a 9-0 victory for SU. She hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, putting SU far enough ahead to win via mercy rule. It was her first collegiate home run.

“Dani is a baller. She’s going to fight, and she’s going to compete and she’s going to give her heart every time” Van Scyoc said.

Wilmot had four RBIs in the game, including a tworun home run in the first inning. She commented on the impact of the Shippensburg victories.

“It’s definitely going to energize us, motivate us to keep pushing, keep fighting. Team morale is sky high.”

Game 2 was a gritty 5-3 win for Shippensburg, with Wilmot contributing at the plate once more. She hit a grand slam in the third inning to give the Raiders a 4-2 lead, with sophomore Sarah Sabocsik adding an RBI single in the fifth.

Ball picked up a victory, going the full seven innings. She allowed three runs on seven hits and five walks. Ball saved her best work for the

end, getting her 10th strikeout to end the game with the tying run on first.

Ball shouted out her teammates after the win, particularly her fellow seniors, saying, “They’re always there for me. They pick me up when I’m down and always have a positive mindset. That means the world to me.”

Next week is another busy one for SU softball, with three conference doubleheaders on tap.

They will visit Millersville on Tuesday at 1 p.m. before returning to Robb Field to face Bloomsburg at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

They end the week with a twin-bill at West Chester at 1 p.m. Saturday, in a crucial pair of games for conference tournament seeding, with the two teams currently in the final two playoff spots.

Lacrosse falls to West Chester and picks up win at Bloomsburg

This past week, the Shippensburg University lacrosse team split a set of games in which they lost at home to West Chester University but picked up a road win at Bloomsburg University. The team currently holds a 7-7 record and sits at 2-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East.

On Wednesday, the Raiders hosted their annual Autism Awareness Game against the undefeated Rams at Robb Sports Complex. Before the game started, an announcement was made regarding the importance of support and inclusivity for individuals with autism both on and off the field.

At the start of the game, Shippensburg and West Chester engaged in mostly even play. Near the end of the first quarter, junior Al-

yssa Krueger scored a buzzer beater off an assist from Ali Pioli, which resulted in the Raiders only trailing by one goal going into the second. However, the Rams began to pull ahead throughout the second and third quarters, scoring six goals in the second and five goals in the third. WCU held SU to one goal in the second and one goal in the third.

During the fourth quarter, the Raiders held the Rams to just one goal and pushed their defense at the very end. Shippensburg scored two more goals with only three minutes left in the game. The first came from freshman Maddie Phommachanh for her third goal of the day. Phommachanh’s goal was followed with another from sophomore Brynn Hauck with an assist from Pioli.

Although SU saw a little offensive spark, it was too late as they fell to WCU 16-7.

After the game, head coach Brooke DellaValle reflected on Raiders’ performance and their ability to never give up.

DellaValle said, “Everyone played their best, they were able to play up to the pressure that West Chester is great about giving and we didn’t back down.”

Saturday, the Raiders travelled to Bloomsburg where the teams met for the second time this season.

After facing a devasting one-goal loss during their first game against the Huskies, Shippensburg was looking forward to the rematch and hoped to improve.

Specifically, DellaValle said the team was hoping to limit the number of turnovers they had per game because in their first match against the Huskies, SU had 30 turnovers.

Only committing 21 turnovers this time around, the team’s hard work paid off

with a 12-10 win.

Leading the Raiders to victory were senior Sara Vosburg and sophomore Olivia Glinski with four goals each. Vosburg also had two assists and three groundballs.

SU earned the victory despite trailing in several key stats. They were outshot 39-30 and only caused eight turnovers, compared to 11 for Bloomsburg.

Another moment of celebration came for the team when senior goalkeeper.

Kayla Vosburg racked up 600 career saves. She became one of only two players in Shippensburg history to reach that number.

This week, the Raiders will host Kutztown on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Robb Sports Complex for their Julia Wise Appreciation Game.

600th career save on Saturday.

Tennis cruises past Lock Haven in a 7-0 win

Gavin Pritchard Staff Contributor

Shippensburg University tennis (6-9) had its first shutout of the season, beating Lock Haven (2-8) 7-0.

The first doubles consisted of freshman Jade Miller and senior Brooklynn Rupert winning in a score of 6-2, making them 1-1 overall together. The second doubles featured sophomores Ava Kalist and Brinley Orris, winning 6-4 making them 1-0 overall together.

Lastly, the third doubles had sophomore Janelle Kingsboro and freshman Lauren Seip, leaving the Bald Eagles scoreless in this match at 6-0. The Raiders controlled each of the singles, winning every match. Jade Miller did not give up a single point in her singles, while Brinley Orris only gave up one point. Senior Yasmin De Meyer won her singles match 6-2 and 6-0. Brooklyn Rupert faced Lock Haven’s Alaina Marchion, resulting in a 6-2 and 6-3 win. Sophomore Rachel Gallagher and Brinley Orris both won their singles 6-0 and 6-1. Junior Corrine Markovich had the most competitive singles match, dropping the first game in a close 6-7 battle. She won the following game 6-2 to send it to a third set and ultimately taking it all in a 7-2 win. Shippensburg is now at 1-1 in conference play, while Lock Haven is sitting 0-2.

After a Monday home match against ESU, the Raiders will host matches against Shepherd on Tuesday and Bowie State on Thursday.

Baseball goes 1-2 on the weekend, sitting them at .500 in conference play

Shippensburg University baseball went 1-2 over three games this weekend, falling to Pitt-Johnstown on Tuesday before splitting a Sunday doubleheader against No. 15 East Stroudsburg. Shippensburg fell to 19-13 on the season while Pitt-Johnstown moved to 9-21. In Tuesday’s game, SU freshman Cole Snyder kept the Mountain Cats scoreless in the first four innings in his first career start.

While sophomore Caleb Newcomer tied it up in the seventh inning for his first career home run, Pitt-Johnstown closed the game out strong with three runs scored in the eighth to hand the Raiders a frustrating loss.

UPJ’s Roman Donis finished the game for the Mountain Cats after pitching the final 2.2 innings in relief.

Senior Carter Hinds and freshman Kyle Ausgotharp, and Newcomer led the Raiders batting with Ausgotharp, having three hits and a pair of RBIs. Hinds and Newcomer hit

a combined 4-6, four runs scored and RBI but ultimately came up short.

Sunday’s doubleheader against No. 15 East Stroudsburg (25-6) resulted in a split of 1-1 in a defensive battle.

Senior Jaxon Delena pitched the whole seven innings while only giving up two runs scored in the third.

Shippensburg took an early 2-0 lead in the second with a homerun by freshman Mason Morris, his fourth of the season.

Carter Arbuthnot came home as well thanks to a Morris RBI. East Strouds-

SU track-and-field team reaches milestones

Shippensburg Univer-

sity’s outdoor track-andfield teams competed in the Susquehanna University outdoor River Hawk Multi last week and the Bison Outdoor Classic in Lewisburg.

The two-day event began on Thursday where Kaitlin Calvello, Noah Bankert and Terrence Steele represented the Shippensburg University track and field teams.

Freshman Kaitlin Calvello completed the heptathlon, fourth overall with 3,552 points. She finished top four in five events.

For the men’s team, Noah Bankert scored his personal best, earning 10th place with 5,009 points.

Terrance Steele finished in 14th place with a score of 4,660 points.

On Saturday, the trackand-field team began at the Bison Outdoor Classic.

Garrett Quinan and Aiden Gonder placed fifth and sixth in a 10k race.

Quinan finished at 29:37.68 seconds while Gonder finished in 29:58.02 seconds, respectively, qualifying for the SU all-time Top 10 list for the 10k.

Another notable perfor-

mance came from graduate student Ian Sherlock. Sherlock ran the 1,500-meter race at 3:46.42, taking fourth place and moving him from fifth to third on SU’s all-time list for the race.

Juniors Chase Hensinger and Ryan Wolfe ran along with Sherlock for the invite section.

Hensinger finished at 3:57.93, while Wolfe ran at 3:59.03. Hensinger put up results in an 800-meter run, taking sixth place at 1:51.54. Freshman Colin Melhorn and sophomore Donovan Kitchen also had a fantastic day leading the raiders to place three of the members in shot put. Melhorn earned marks of 50 feet, 8 ¾ inches (15.46 meters), while Kitchen earned marks of 160-feet, 10 inches (49.03 meters) placing him in eighth.

Juniors Allyson Richine and Makayla Decker also had a fantastic day in the high jump, winning a season’s best at 5 4-1/4 inches (1.63 meters) and throwing, leaving her top mark at 1267 (38.58 meters). Sophomore ShanAnn Simmons also improved her season’s

best in shotput placing third at 40-10 1/4inches (12.45 meters).

The event continued on Sunday, headlined by a result from the men’s 4x100 relay team. Sophomore Bernard Bell III, freshman Jae Galloway, sophomore Lavar Jackson and sophomore Gabriel Lewis placed second at 41.12 seconds, just 0.05 seconds behind first-place Slippery Rock.

Both the men’s and women’s teams had success in the hurdles. Bell and senior Jeovaughni Daniel placed fourth and fifth in the 110m hurdles on the men’s side.

Senior Sasha Lee placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles for the women’s team as well.

The multi events for the meet will end on Monday.

Senior Mason Boyd sits first of six after five events in the decathlon, while senior Nicola Pugge is eighth of 13 in the heptathlon. The SU track-and-field teams will return home on Wednesday to compete in the Mid-Week PR Bonanza. Action begins at Seth Grove Stadium at 2:30 p.m.

burg responded in the third with two runs scored. Warriors’ Dennis Pierce hit a home run out of left field with Connor Reilly on base to tie the score.

The Raiders regained control in the fifth, with AJ Wenrich getting on base with a single, bringing home Gio Calamia.

Not much later, Arbuthnot flew out in right field, bringing Wenrich home to expand the lead to two runs.

Jaxon Delena’s strong pitching performance had the Raiders in a position to win from the jump.

Being able to stay composed throughout the whole seven innings with 102 pitches thrown is not easy but rather a mental game.

“I was just trying to focus on my breathing and stay calm,” Delena said.

“Sometimes, you get rattled, but I know I have my defense around me.”

Game 2 was controlled by the Warriors.

The game was scoreless in the first two innings until East Stroudsburg had eight runs scored between the fourth and fifth innings.

Chaise Albus started off

the Warriors with a double to center field, bringing home Dennis Pierce and advancing Shanley Wall to third.

Warriors Jack Rothenhaulser had two home runs along with five RBIs on the day.

Shippensburg had a tough second game hitting, only recording five hits with 27 at bats.

As of writing, the ESU series was set to conclude with a Monday doubleheader.

A weekend series with Mansfield follows, featuring home games on Saturday at 1 and 3:30 p.m.

Coming up in SU Sports

Tuesday

Double Header: Softball at Millersville: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Women’s Tennis vs Shepherd: 3 p.m.

Wednesday

Double Header: Softball vs Bloomsburg: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Men’s and Women’s Track & Field, at Seth Grove Stadium: 2:30 p.m.

Thursday

Women’s Tennis vs Bowie State: 3:30 p.m.

Friday Double Header: Baseball at Mansfield: 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday

Double Header: Baseball vs Mansfield, The Hidden Oponent (THO) games: 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Double Header: Softball at West Chester: 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Women’s Lacrosse vs Kutztown, Julia Wise Appreciation game: 3 p.m.

Tuesday, April 22

Double Header: Softball vs Mansfield: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Wellness Fair