8 20 186 https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/048b67ad957b99793203d1420c2f7ab9.pdf f69aa85a6cffd95db6a6b96bb0bb80b7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Much like everything in the country right now, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) announced on Friday, March 13 that all spring sports competitions would be cancelled for the remainder of the semester. This took a huge toll on the Slippery Rock University track and field team as they had 25 senior members. While most athletes were able to compete in some fashion during the indoor season, transitioning to outdoors allows for some new events, such as hammer throw, and adaptations to things like the increased distance on the track. A few seniors were able to discuss how losing their senior season felt and the moments leading up to that. Katie Proffit, a distance runner who was looking forward to getting outside and running in the 10,000 meter, notes how the season is something that is most likely no longer going to happen. “I wanted to, with the outdoor season, I was hoping to move on to 10,000 meters,” Proffit said. “I did that once last year and I was hoping to improve upon that this year.” Proffit knew COVID-19 was going to impact her outdoor season somehow, but she thought it might just be running without spectators. “It just became more official when we realized we weren’t going to get to go back to school,” Proffit said. Proffit will be returning to The Rock this fall as she’ll be joining the physical therapy program for graduate school, which could possibly allow her to run again for Slippery Rock. “Since they’re offering back eligibility for spring season and I’ll be here next year, I plan on trying to at least compete next year,” Proffit said. “I’ll make my best effort because if I’m getting eligibility back I might as well try.” Another senior, Abby Way, a hammer thrower, lost her chance as she waited and trained all year for it. “Hammer’s something I had such big hopes and dreams for,” Way said. “Every day for the past year it was eating clean and having a good diet and being active. Something just to better myself every single day in the event so I would be ready for my senior year.” Way added that it was awesome that the women’s team won the indoor PSAC Championship, but that nobody realized what was coming and that it was going to be their final time competing. Way also said she knew that after the university announced that classes would probably be online after March 30, that her outdoor season was going to be affected. “We all knew something was coming as soon as the university put up something saying that classes would be online,” Way said. “That enough is a big enough change [and if] you take a step back and no one is allowed on campus, then there is going to be something that is happening that is going to affect athletics.” Way is currently student teaching and said it’s difficult not knowing when she’ll be able to return to Slippery Rock as she lives six hours away. “I live six hours away from Slippery Rock so I have to focus and really plan,” Way said. “When do I come back? When can I come back? I think the hardest part is coming home for spring break and realizing we’re not going back.” Way isn’t letting COVID-19 get in the way of her training, in hope that in May she might get the chance to participate in some sort of exhibition or inner-squad meet. “We were kind of hoping once this is all over if there is the possibility to return to campus, kind of have an inner-squad meet for the track team,” Way said. “So I’m still doing all of those things [including lifting and training] and working towards the goals that I had to break the school record and become an all-American.” 400-meter hurdles runner Gunner Coleman sat out most of his indoor season as he had a partial hamstring tear. During the week of the indoor championships, he almost made the decision to run but wanted to save himself for outdoor. “I’m basically at Slippery Rock to run outdoor, so indoor is just a way to stay in shape,” Coleman said. Over spring break, Coleman was with his team preparing for their track meeting in Myrtle Beach. That’s when he learned of another school that had canceled their track season and he started to realize the same might happen to Slippery Rock. “That was when it first hit us,” Coleman said. “The NBA canceling and all that, we didn’t really pay too much attention to. When they [another school] told us they were cancelling, it kind of hit and we were like, ‘oh shoot, this is getting pretty serious.'” Next year, Coleman said he is going to attend graduate school and is hoping to get to run if that one year of eligibility is granted back. “I definitely think I will. As far as I’m concerned, doing the 400 hurdles outdoors, I’ve been training since August for it,” Coleman said. “I think if it presents itself I’ll probably definitely run, I don’t see why not.” Kacey Raible said she felt the women’s team was in a really good spot after winning the PSAC championship indoor as they were looking to transition to outdoor. “Being able to win that title kind of put us in a really good spot for going into outdoor,” Raible said. “We knew what we had and we tend to get better as the season moves outdoor.” Raible didn’t attend the team spring break trip to Myrtle Beach as she is student teaching. She started hearing rumors and thought maybe she’d lose a few races rather than the whole season. “I was with a lot of my teammates and I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually happening,'” Raible said. “I didn’t hit me at first until a few days after where I was like, my runs don’t matter anymore, my workouts almost don’t matter. I almost didn’t believe it at first kind of thing.” Raible said everything came at a weird time, as she was ending her first placement for her student teaching position on Friday, March 13 and transitioning to another school on Monday, March 16. “I was expecting on Monday to go into a new classroom with new students and I didn’t even get to do that, it’s now online,” Raible said. “I’m working with K-2 learning support so I’ve been trying to adjust with that and really testing my limits with technology.” Looking forward, Raible said she is still keeping in shape and hasn’t stopped running. “I plan in the future and would love, wherever I find a job, to be a coach in track and field or cross country,” Raible said. Raible said to close out that she has a year in cross country and if she’s given back her eligibility for outdoor track, she technically has a full year of competing left, however, she’s okay with letting it go and calling it a career, maybe. “So I don’t think just cause I already had my mindset on finding future employment and I was okay with being done with cross country,” Raible said. “I don’t believe so, not at the moment, but who knows, I might change my mind abruptly.” Kyle Edgar made a tough decision deciding to run in the PSAC championships while still recovering from a hamstring injury. Edgar was extremely thankful for that as it was his final race for The Rock. “I ran at PSACs but it was more of a just I want to finish the race just because I couldn’t not run my senior seasons,” Edgar said. “Looking back now, I’m even more thankful for it because it was my last race my senior season.” Edgar said that early in spring break he spoke with one of his coaches on his thoughts of what might happen to the season. “Our coach said, either that weekend down in South Carolina or the following weekend at West Virginia either one those might be our only shot to run,” Edgar said. “I think that was the first time it really sunk in and that our season might get cut short.” Edgar said he is attending graduate school at the University of North Carolina which is a high-level athletic school but would be interested in competing as the 400-hurdles is an oddball event. “I could potentially run there, I would love to,” Edgar said. “I enjoy running track. It’s not just something I do to pass the time, getting with everybody and doing the workouts are something I enjoy. I don’t know, but I love to.” Every track senior is going on to do something different in their lives and whether they return to Slippery Rock or another university to try and use that possible eligibility, they were apart of a team that had their season ended abruptly. The Rocket will be continuing to cover any updates on spring sports eligibility being returned to any athlete of the 2020 season. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Seniors’ track and field seasons come to abrupt end Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the sports section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-03-30 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Aaron Marrie Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/4139e6ae7d358495cf1950d8e95ccd7e.pdf c8572b2773b628db1ab2bf91a6652c12 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Summer classes will be delivered through distance learning, according to an email sent to SRU stakeholders by SRU President William Behre. Behre said Chancellor Dan Greenstein announced an extension of his temporary suspension of face-to-face classes. He said we must plan for our summer classes to be delivered via distance learning. “While I am not happy that we must go in this direction, I strongly support his decision,” Behre said. Behre also announced that internships will be put on hold until further notice. “While a majority of our summer session classes are already online,” Behre said, “Unfortunately, those that are in-person, clinical rotations, student teaching, internships, field experiences, and other types of inperson placements, will be put on hold if they cannot be converted into distance modalities.” Behre included a link in the email to provide further explanation of the decision. “While I understand this isn’t the reality that any of us asked for,” Behre said, “It is the one we have been dealt, and we will make the best of it. At the end of the day, at SRU, we lead, we succeed, and most importantly, we rock.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource BREAKING: SRU announces online summer classes Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-03-30 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Nina Cipriani Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/a93f01c228fd36284b0a39ebec9dcdd6.pdf 1b4127d7c9f6871b6b58bc81964c9d0f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document SRU President William Behre announced during the University Program Board’s livestream Monday night that the tuition and financial aid proposal has been suspended. “We will not be asking the Board of Governors for the 3.5% increase as we originally planned,” Behre said. “We will have whatever change in tuition that the Board of Governors recommends. It will not be ideal for SRU financially. However, in the current uncertain economic environment, we believe that the 3.5% increase is not tenable at the moment.” The proposal entailed tuition pricing and financial aid plan. Behre said the proposal would raise the average bill of a resident by only 1.3% over three years. In addition to the tuition increase, he said SRU plans to invest more than $7.6 million in financial aid. The Council of Trustees voted to advance the proposal to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors in February. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tuition increase proposal suspended Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-03-31 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Allison Downs Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/86553ce0243a097b546db01478844d4b.pdf 23118a0eeebe421b82704e5527206801 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Save for the sound of sniffles, the stunned and somber locker room was still. A mere five contests into the 2020 campaign, Slippery Rock University women’s lacrosse head coach Kelsey Van Alstyne had just relayed the word to her team; the season was over, the rest of the schedule nixed. “Originally, I didn’t believe it,” junior defender Savannah Renner said. “It didn’t really feel real.” “Sometimes life is really unfair, and this is one of those instances,” said Van Alstyne. “And we wish you could change it.” The women entered the building sitting catty-corner to Bob DiSpirito Field that Friday morning expecting to play in their home stadium for the first time the next day. The team was 2-3, but it seemed as if this season would be different than the last, in which SRU stumbled to a 7-9 mark. “We came into the locker room that morning with the best of hopes that we would be able to continue the season or at least play the game [against Seton Hill] on Saturday,” said senior attacker and co-captain Sami Gentzler. A practice was planned from 10 a.m. to noon, Van Alstyne said, but shortly before, she had received an email from the league. The decision, Van Alstyne said, was sad, but understandable considering the circumstances. Half an hour before the team was supposed to be on the field, she sent a captain into the locker room. “I think we were all pretty hopeful; because of the PSAC, we kept playing while other conferences had already cancelled,” Van Alstyne said. “At first it was like, ‘alright, we’ll keep playing,’ and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘I hope we get a few more games in.’ And then we were all kind of waiting.” After being told the news, Van Alstyne said the team’s emotions weren’t hidden. Trying to process it, tears rolled down players’ cheeks. “It was heartbreaking to hear our coach come in and tell it to us,” said senior defender Olivia Beach, one of four players who preceded Van Alstyne at Slippery Rock. “Once we heard her voice shaking, we kind of knew.” “Everyone just instantly started crying,” senior midfielder ShyAnne Toomer said. “It’s just, you work so hard for so long for something and to have it [cut] so short, especially for the seniors, it was just very sad.” “We kind of all just stood there a couple minutes, just to take it in,” Haley Barrett, the team’s starting goaltender, said. In an effort to console the players, Van Alstyne offered two choices; go out to eat as a team or continue as planned with the slated practice. Almost without even talking, Gentzler said, the team agreed to gear up and go onto the field for old times’ sake. The players pulled on their pinnies and tried to stay in good spirits, but the practice was bittersweet. It didn’t have the same normal intensity. The speaker was lugged out to blast music as the players chose their drills. Some of the field players dressed in goalie equipment and stood in front of the net. “That was the last time myself and the other seniors would wear something that [connected] us to a sports team,” Renner said. “It made it feel more real, being there one last time on the field with all of our teammates. It was a good way to end whatever this whole thing was.” Such practices had been taken for granted just weeks before. Like any other person, there are days where even Van Alstyne admits she doesn’t want to run a practice or direct a lift. She recited the clichés: “Play like it’s your last game” and “Never take a single moment for granted,” both of which she associates with the constant possibility of injury. Toomer, a team voice, echoes this, saying, “we always complained because it’s hard to be a student athlete. You always complain about not wanting to go to practice or not wanting to wake up for a 6 a.m. [workout] or not wanting to travel six hours away for a game. But, I would definitely say to [enjoy] every moment and not take it for granted.” “You should always leave the field proud of how you played,” Renner said. “This season, this very short season, taught me to always, and this is going to sound really cheesy, literally give your 100% every time. Because you never know when it’s over.” “Make sure you’re putting your all into everything that you’re doing,” Gentzler advised. “Because you never know when it could be the last time you get to do it.” If none other, Van Alstyne sees at least one positive in the situation. “To have your whole season completely ripped away like that, I think it’s going to change a lot of athletes across the country’s perspectives,” Van Alstyne said. With the season cut short, Van Alstyne and assistant coach Sarah Lamphier have stressed the full focus on academics to their players. The two have split the team in half and check in with players twice a week through Zoom conversations. “Right now, our focus is, ‘Hey, we can’t play lacrosse, so let’s get the job done in the classroom,’” said Van Alstyne, who plans on sending workout packets to her players soon. “Going to online, we want to make sure everyone feels comfortable with what they need to do.” A part of the leadership that Van Alstyne has looked to as the standard of her program is moving on, turning the tassels on their caps and graduating from Slippery Rock University this spring. Each Beach, Gentzler, Toomer, and two-year captain Tori Penders were a part of the 2017 team that returned to the PSAC playoffs for the first time since the program was reinstated a decade earlier. Barrett and Renner are both graduating a year early. Across the board, Van Alstyne said the class brought a passion and dedication to the program, both athletically and academically. “It will be a huge void moving forward as we lose them,” Van Alstyne said. “They were all in.” “We just really embody what this program means,” Toomer said about her graduating class, adding that it demonstrated work in the weight room and the following of coaches’ guidelines. Stuck behind 2018 PSAC Player of the Year, Emily Bitka, for the entirety of her rookie year, Barrett started each of the past 21 games in goal for SRU. She compiled a 9-12 record and 180 saves, the fifth-most in school history. This year, she led the team with 21 ground balls. Until she looked at credits to register for this spring semester, Barrett hadn’t yet considered graduating early. After this spring, Barrett wants to go to grad school but isn’t sure where yet. “I don’t really think there’s a lot of words to describe that feeling,” Barrett said. “It was unreal getting it taken away from you. I was preparing for it to be the last time, then it was the last time too soon.” Beach battled through knee injuries to finally get on the field her senior season, playing in 22 games in a green and white jersey. She started all five matchups this season. Van Alstyne described her as a capable and speedy defender and “ground ball machine.” In the fall, Beach will attend James Madison University to earn a masters of science degree in sport and recreation leadership. “She really only got five games,” Van Alstyne said. “So you can look at that in one of two ways: ‘It’s really unfair’ or ‘I’m so grateful she got five games and got to play a ton and get that experience.’” For Beach, the glass is half-full. “Starting those five games of my [senior] year definitely made it all worth it,” she said. “Going through all the surgeries, tears, hard lifts, hard conditionings. It really shows how much a person has to work to get over injuries and make it from a walk-on to a starting player.” Gentzler, a threat whose small stature helped her around the net, graduates having saw the field in 44 games, starting 18. She found the back of the net 23 times and assisted on another 15 goals. She plans to move to St. Louis and find a job in the integrated marketing communications field. “I think [Gentzler] finally had that confidence to back up her skills this year,” Van Alstyne said. “And it was really cool to see her step up and lead our attack and try to call the plays and kind of be that upperclassmen we really needed on that end.” Penders, a midfielder, started each of Slippery Rock’s last 57 contests. She finishes her career with 47 goals and four assists. Also, she claimed the sixth-most draw controls in school history. She brought with her an unfailing work ethic, Van Alstyne said, shown in her stats on the draw and in ground balls. Penders will graduate with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications and a minor in Graphic Design. “But the stats that wouldn’t show is, [Penders] was the first one down the field, defensively, every single time,” Van Alstyne said. “She would sprint off the field for a sub to the point where I thought she was going to collapse […] She always went to her absolute max effort. At practice, at lift, at everything.” Renner, the other junior to graduate early, was stuck into the starting lineup early to fill in for an upperclassmen with off-the-field problems. From then on, the spot was hers, starting in a total of 28 games. She picked up 37 ground balls and forced 26 turnovers. Van Alstyne pointed out that she attacked everything with optimism. Renner hopes to coach someday. “I swear to God, I could’ve handed her a tennis racket and she would’ve been like, ‘That’s fine,’” said Van Alstyne about Renner. With what Van Alstyne noted as an analytical nature, Toomer led the team in each points, goals, shots on goal and caused turnovers in both 2019 and 2020. She leaves Slippery Rock ranking ninth in program history in points and eighth in draw controls. Toomer played in 56 games with the Rock. She hopes to start grad school, particularly an accelerated nursing program, at the University of Pittsburgh next fall. “That kid was […] all over the field,” Van Alstyne said. “Defensively, she really liked to go to bait and go for those caused turnovers and those back checks. [She was] really strong on the draw [and] really strong offensively with both feeding and driving.” Barrett points something out that people sometimes forget that student-athletes have lives outside of sports. “It’s not just lacrosse that I lost out on,” Barrett said. “I lost out on my last year at school, my last year as a player, my last year going to classes and my last year with my friends that aren’t on the lacrosse team.” Each of the seniors feel fortunate to have been a part of a culture that Van Alstyne stresses as being so important, some of them having dealt with a less unified squad led by the previous head coach. Self-described as having been shy and quiet, Beach said, “it kind of just goes to show what Coach Van Alstyne can bring out in a person […] It means everything that I was able to contribute to something so positive and set the tone and standards for the coming years.” “I can’t wait to see where they go next year and the years following,” Gentzler added. “I’m excited to come back for alumni weekend already.” The disappointment that the team wasn’t allowed to finish what it started will, without a doubt, linger. “I think that’s what hurts the most, too, is how much time and effort everyone put in,” Van Alstyne said. “And to not be able to see what was really going to happen […] It just puts even more of a chip on our shoulder. We had a lot we wanted to prove, and that we were going to prove, this year. Now we’ve got to do it more so next year.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Despite promise, lacrosse team left to wonder “what if?” Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the sports section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-03 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brendan Howe Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/01a96c4b8e47778bd6a80c5fc59c072f.pdf af4a3bf74e32fb5242db87bcbb747f6b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document The Slippery Rock early childhood and elementary music programs introduced Make Music, virtual music classes on Facebook Live, as part of their Community Engagement Initiative. The Make Music series are part of the initiative, partnering with students from the Butler County Head Start Program and the Butler County Preschool. Ashley Bartley, a Head Start head teacher at Butler County Children Center, attended classes on Fridays with Cassandra Eisenreich, an assistant professor of music education and flute, and her students. Bartley said that her group of 20, ages three to five, were excited to go to campus every Friday. “They loved it, and I will say my teaching staff and myself love it too,” Bartley said. “It is a time that is filled with music, movement, learning, playing and much more.” Bartley said that Eisenreich emailed her to let her know that the online music classes could be a possibility. “I was so excited,” Bartley said. “I just know that my students really enjoy them and hopefully other children in our area can now enjoy them.” Barltey reminded children’s families to watch the Facebook Live stream and said that she knows that music sessions similar to those of Eisenreich’s students are important for all ages. The sessions run Monday through Friday, starting at 10 a.m., and can be found on the SRU Early Childhood and Elementary Music Facebook page.. Eisenreich said that she wanted to provide an opportunity for the weekly students, as well as others, to tune in. “Children enjoy interacting with their friends and having these opportunities to sing and play with others,” Eisenreich said. In the live sessions, the students ask questions to the children watching, incorporating the comments into the song or activity of the day. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are sing and play sessions, which include “hello” and “goodbye” songs with a main activity in between them. Each session follows a theme such as animals, colors or art. Tuesdays and Thursdays are meet the musician sessions, featuring one a student and an instrument they play. The student will play children’s songs and have the children watch, clap their hands to the beat or engage them otherwise. At the end of each live session, additional resources are provided in the comment section that relate to the session topic of the day. “We live in this world of music, we understand the importance of it,” Eisenreich said. “We have seen the power of music and how much joy it brings to children.” Eisenreich said that the students are stepping up at a difficult time, writing their own songs and learning new ones. The initiative began March 30th with Rebecca DeGraff, a senior music therapy major. Degraff prepared a song related to animals and the sounds they make for her session. Degraff said that Facebook Live is nice in the aspect of interacting with the kids. “One mom said after the session I did on Monday, that she had written in the name of her child, where they lived and how old she was, and I said ‘Oh hello so and so from this town’ and her mom said that her child’s eyes lit up to hear her name,” Degraff said. Degraff has gotten pictures from parents of kids crowded around the computer screen and singing. “I think it’s important for [the kids] to still be able to get this, in a little way,” Degraff said. “It’s providing some sort of structure when their days right now are probably unstructured.” Eisenreich said that the students are consistently providing opportunities to the community. Ashley Bodnar, a senior music education major and instructional strategies for students with disabilities minor, taught the live session on Tuesday. Bodnar said that the Make Music sessions are a good experience to have for teaching, because although the students have some familiarity with online teaching, the classes usually aren’t geared towards young children of preschool age. “I really love working with the younger kids and I’m happy we are still finding a way to still bring music to them,” Bodnar said. Other students agree with Bodnar, including Alaina Stroud, a senior music therapy and music education dual major. Stroud is student teaching and finishing her music therapy degree. Stroud taught the live session on Wednesday and said that it is cool to watch the comments on the video pop up, where she can read them at her own pace, as opposed to a classroom setting where students may talk all at once. “Music is an incredibly important part of a child’s development not only as a musician but as a human,” Stroud said. “We teach how to be a good person, to love music and love the world, and education goals are important for kids to have.” Stroud said that it’s exciting to see alumni participating and commenting on the videos and interacting with students. Andy Kolar, an alum with a bachelor’s degree in music, has his kids participate in the Make Music sessions, tuning in from Connecticut. Kolar said that he wanted his younger kids to have some sort of music class because his older kids now don’t have a music class like they would in preschool or kindergarten. “They lose their minds when their names are mentioned, so they love that,” Kolar said. “Again, it stimulates them like being called on in school, in a good way.” Kolar said that he wanted to keep music in his kid’s lives, but that it is also a great learning experience for Slippery Rock students. “They are experiencing this phenomenon just like every other music teacher having to now do things unconventionally online,” Kolar said. The Make Music sessions are scheduled for three full weeks, with a set schedule, but according to Bodnar, may continue till the end of the school year. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Community Engagement Initiative introduces Make Music Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-03 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hope Hoehler Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/2e7278698b3585224bfd1cdb964178e9.pdf dc2cb267d29d072303ed35c3c5cd3da6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Hello Team, We have cleared this first week of online classes. My week was very hectic. While learning numerous new software packages, prepping course materials, holding zoom classes, replying to lots of emails and such, I was working 10-14 hour days. On Friday, after my morning meeting, I went outside to walk the new puppy, go to the market to fetch curb-side delivery (my house full of scientists and public health professionals working hard to maintain physical distance) and cut firewood to get some cardio. Basically, I took Friday afternoon and evening as mental-physical-good-health rebound time. I hope you make time for such too. Now in my fourth decade of teaching college, I am being pressed into modalities I never wanted to engage in. I thrive on in-person instruction, in which I can readily add emphasis, inspire and spread awe, recruit new minds, plant clues, reward presence, watch eyes and enjoy smiles. I have never been a huge fan of computer slide shows. I do not like talking on the phone. So, this whole move to online has been very challenging, particularly because I had distanced myself from all of the tools that today are the obvious assets. There is talk of online instruction next fall. It would be easier the second time around, but I still would not choose it. If I could have concluded my career without teaching through computer modalities, I would have. If I have a choice in the future, I will forever avoid online teaching. I very much miss being with you, and all my students, in person. Such said, it is what it is. SRU has chosen to give students a choice in grade format. I strongly urge to assemble a passing performance. If I were you, my priority would be to pass every class and get closer to graduation. To get solid return on investment for the expense of every credit hour would be a priority. I know many of us are deeply disappointed that all kinds of cool things are not going to happen the way that we wanted them to go. I worked for two years to plan a conference in DC, which was to occur days after spring break, March 19-21. With an eight days notice, the event was cancelled. Hundreds of hours of work was vaporized. Anticipated profits became actual losses. I was also ready to teach a class in Utah in May. Holy smokes, that class was going to be awesome. I had an array of April field trips planned on and around campus. I was going to get to speak on campus for Earth Day 50. All are gone. I think every one of us feels such loss. The key, today, is to bolster your determination to complete your classes in the next five weeks. We need to get out of this crazy time with at least the minimum benefit that we can muster. Make the time. Get fresh air. Keep as much distance away from people as you can. Pass your classes. Embrace and respect science. Good luck! Wishing you all the best possible, Dr. B Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Letter to the editor: A faculty member writes to students Description An account of the resource This letter was originally published in the opinion section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Dr. Patrick Burkhart was the writer of this letter and has been on the faculty at SRU for over 20 years. He is a geologist who loves landscapes, clean water, wildlife, healthy ecosystems, big adventure and happy students. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-03 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Patrick Burkhart Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Faculty SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/6ee0f2843b9e4be4d8cbc53d2dcabd8c.pdf 2edbdadcbcd6743be390f7dd56d1bbf5 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Student Success Coaches are still hosting meetings for students via Zoom, or the students’ preferred method of communication, during the time of online classes. Students that wish to have a meeting with their Success Coach can email their coach or visit the Student Success Coaches page of the Slippery Rock website to access a booking link. Students that do not have a Success Coach can reach out by emailing oie@sru.edu to connect with one. Emily McClaine, one of the Success Coaches, said that they want to help students succeed in the new environment while still providing the same services. To help students maneuver through the new environment of online learning, the Success Coaches created multiple PDF pages on their webpage as resources to help students; including an Online Learning Essentials worksheet. “The most difficult part of it from the students that I have talked to, is making sure about how they are going to make their new routine,” Julie Ferringer, a Success Coach said. Ferringer referred to the Online Learning Essentials worksheet, and said that there are three main tips that the Success Coaches find important; writing down class expectations, creating a study space and devoting consistent time for class. Earl Coburn, a Success Coach, said that it is important for students to maintain a routine, because that is what they are used to. “In addition to that, just doing the thing you normally do in the morning,” Coburn said. “If I’m getting ready for work, I’m still brushing my teeth, taking a shower and getting dressed. I’m not in my pajamas right now because it’s work time.” An app, a planner or a template are all ways the Success Coaches mentioned would help maintain a schedule. On top of keeping up with routine, Ferringer said that creating a good work space where the student can study and think, will help with the transition to online learning. On top of maintaining a schedule and finding a comfortable work space, McClaine encourages students to create a daily to-do list with class expectations, projects, papers, discussions and online tests. “Having that in a format where you can cross it off gives us a sense of accomplishment and helps us feel motivated because those small wins really helps us recognize the progress we are making and feel good about that progression,” McClaine said. If students are unsure how to apply the tips on the Online Learning Essentials worksheet, they can contact a Success Coach and book a session to help them apply the tip and navigate it. Along with the Student Success Coaches page on the Slippery Rock website, Coburn advises students to also look at the Covid19 page to see what the rest of the semester looks like for different offices at the university. “It’s a one stop shop about all the ways our university is moving forward, that way students know about it and they aren’t in the dark.” The Success Coaches are also adjusting to the online transition and miss various aspects of the university and campus community. McClaine said that she misses the energy that comes from the students and colleges. Similarly, Coburn misses the daily bustle of the Smith Student Center, or places such as Boozel and Weisenfluh. Farringer misses looking out her window and watching the students walk to class together, seeing them every day. “I really get excited now, when I do hear [the students] pick up the phone when I call them, or when I get to see a Zoom meeting, because hearing their voice or seeing their face, makes a huge impact,” Ferringer said. On top of reaching out to the Success Coaches, Ferringer also encourages students to reach out to their peers, even if it’s simply through a group chat. All three coaches want students to know that they are not alone, and encourage students to reach out and use the resources available. “There are a ton of caring professionals that know you, or maybe don’t know you, but we are here and we want to help you through this,” McClaine said. “We’ve got you. We’re here for you.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Student success in online classes Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-04 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hope Hoehler Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/426e749256604d64f39afc4b0f236762.pdf 039f3fbff9a0bbcba5c0072531fc656a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Student teachers have exceeded expectations amid sudden changes in the educational environment due to COVID-19, according to James Preston, assistant to the dean of the College of Education at SRU. Preston, who oversees the coordination of student teachers, said they all have worked with their teachers collaboratively to devise a plan for sudden changes occurring because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Jamie Coniglio, a secondary English education major, taught at Laurel High School in New Castle during her first eight-week student teaching placement. She’s currently student teaching at PA Cyber, her second placement of the semester, and she said the adjustment has been challenging. “It’s very different,” Coniglio said. “I’m not able to give them physical assignments, so all of their assignments are in digital documents. It’s also not face-to-face. They can see me, but I can’t see them, so it’s kind of like I’m talking to myself.” Fellow secondary English education major Jianna Palladini said she was supposed to teach in Spain, but her placement there was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. She added, however, that adjusting to her online student teaching placement hasn’t been as difficult as she expected. “We’re just kind of rolling with the punches,” Palladini said. “I’m still learning my student’s names, and I’m trying to figure out a way to give students what they need without being able to see them. And we know that everyone’s at-home situation is different.” Though their experiences adjusting to their new placements have been different, both Coniglio and Palladini were both uncertain when changes first took place. “It’s been pretty overwhelming,” Coniglio said. “A lot of us, if not all of us, were really concerned about graduating and earning our teaching certificates. Even Dr. Preston was uncertain at first.” According to Preston, though, student teacher evaluations won’t change very much. He said they will still be evaluated based on their planning and preparation, classroom management, instruction and professionalism. He added that, as always, they will be evaluated based on the Department of Education’s standards as well. “Eight weeks into their placements, most of them had already met the minimum standards,” Preston said. “We already knew they would pass and whether we could certify them.” Despite their initial concerns, Palladini and Coniglio have been reassured by the College of Education and university administration. “SRU has done so much to ease my mind,” Palladini said. “I’m really thankful for the university and everything they’re doing for students. They’ve done a lot to make this whole situation a bit more easy going for all of us.” Preston said although some teachers were very prepared and had readily developed systems in place, some are just starting to figure out how to handle the situation at hand. He said he feels that all teachers have an advantage with SRU’s student teachers who have exceeded expectations thus far. “I’ve heard about our student teachers offering to help their teachers, students and each other however they can,” Preston said. “They’re taking the opportunity to really step up.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Student teachers adjust to distance learning Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-05 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Allison Downs Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/1fa76de1c6262b1b69702e1ff4a9f90e.pdf 2a7ca2e86e4639de61a174680ae54802 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Nationally, the number of domestic violence calls are on a decline, even though the number of cases are on an incline, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah Bowen, executive director of The Alpha Omega Center in Slippery Rock, says that as stress increases, violence also increases. This abuse can be between domestic partners or child abuse. “People are concerned about the economy, their jobs and putting food on the table, and those things can sometimes come out in very unhealthy and violent ways,” Bowen said. “I think the biggest thing to know is that if someone is in the house with a violent partner or if they are concerned about the situation becoming violent, there is help.” She said crisis shelters are still functioning and that there are mental health institutions and other institutions that can make people feel calmer and help them deal with the emotions they are feeling. One of those crisis shelters is Victim Outreach Intervention Center, better known as VOICe, in Butler County. “The work we do is absolutely essential to our community; therefore, all of our services remain open and fully operational,” said Maizee Zaccone, a VOICe outreach and volunteer advocate. “However, during this time we have had to make adjustments to ensure the safety and health of our staff and clients.” Zaccone said VOICe has adapted every service to an online or remote functionality. “Our shelter continues to operate, but with the current emphasis on social distancing and quarantining, our shelter residents have been relocated to individual hotel rooms and remote facilities,” Zaccone said. “All faculty are currently working remotely from home.” Bowen said The Alpha Omega Center is also taking those precautions. They are disinfecting as much as possible between clients and their parenting program has moved completely online. “Our moms and dads don’t have to come in,” Bowen said. “We didn’t want them to have to ride the bus or share rides.” Zaccone said there is no data to suggest that the numbers are increasing locally, specifically in Butler County. “While this may be true on a global scale, at this time, we do not have the data to suggest that it is a fact locally,” Zaccone said. “However, current abusive relationships are absolutely more at risk with vulnerability of quarantine orders, and we suggest anyone experiencing a crisis or anyone with questions to call our free, confidential, around-the-clock hotline.” The hotline is 1.800.400.8551, and Zaccone said calling is the first step they advise because it is the gateway to all other services that VOICe offers. “The hotline also allows the caller to talk through the situation with a trauma-informed staff member and help the caller determine what safety plan is best to implement for themselves,” Zaccone said. Bowen said that calling or texting 911 is also always an option. She said texting during an emergency can help if someone feels that people are listening to their conversations. “You can even call 911 from a phone that does not have a current plan,” Bowen said. “You can also message domestic violence or crisis shelters through Instagram, Facebook and sometimes even Snapchat so that the messages will disappear.” Zaccone said at the time she is unaware of any online services and that VOICe does not use email. “We do not provide services across email because of safety issues,” she said. “Emails can easily be found in someone’s system, even after hitting delete. Plus, many people have their email set across multiple devices.” Zaccone said they always refer people to their hotline to access services. She recommends those who are stuck in quarantine at home in an abusive situation, blocked from technology with no ability to leave, to put some measures in place for themselves. “We advise everyone, no matter what scenario they are in, to create a thorough safety plan that can be adapted for the situation,” Zaccone said. “For those quarantined at home, this can mean gathering up important documentation, money, clothing, and any vital resources so that if an opportunity to leave safely arises, they can do so.” She said that calling the hotline is still the safest option, and she only recommends the safely escaping plan to anyone that needs it or is blocked from all technology. Bowen said that another option if you feel in danger is to remove yourself from the situation and walk down the street. “Walk down the public street until you come to a police station or a nonprofit that is open and then walk inside and ask for help,” Bowen said. She also said stress is unavoidable and the stress everyone feels right now is extremely high. She encourages all parents to sign up for Alpha Omega Center’s Parenting Program to avoid losing their temper during this stressful time. “Even the best parent can lose their temper during this,” Bowen said. She also said if someone is in a relationship that is abusive, they must understand that it is okay to leave. “Just because it’s a crisis and because the other person is having a hard time does not mean you have to subject yourself to an unhealthy situation,” Bowen said. She said even though The Alpha Omega Center isn’t specifically designed to deal with these types of situations, they can make referrals and screen all clients for domestic violence. “We encourage our clients that if they need to leave and don’t have anywhere to go to give one of us a call, and we will help right away,” Bowen said. “We have even told clients that if we are opened and they feel unsafe they can come straight here and wait until we find the place they can go.” Bowen’s biggest advice for anyone, whether they are being abused or worried about becoming abusive, is to walk away until they calm down. She said that The Alpha Omega Center is here to help, and another local shelter is the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County. VOICe is also local to Slippery Rock. “Men are not excluded in any way from any of our services, nor is anyone of any gender or identity,” Zaccone said. “If you are a survivor of a violent crime, that means you are eligible to pursue our services.” If you are currently in a domestic violence situation and need help, you can call the domestic violence hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE or call 911. VOICe is also available 24/7 at 1.800.400.8551, or go to womenshelters.org. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Crisis shelters offer services during COVID-19 pandemic Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Haley Potter Relation A related resource SRU Student Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-06 Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/da7757068c7ee6f0f47dd1e131c6a7f9.pdf 8007aa4c78c2358e225d4269ab888558 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Many concerns about the coronavirus remain at the forefront of most people’s minds, with more problems and worries arising as numbers continue to increase. Among these worries are concerns about the short-term and long-term effects that this pandemic may have on the economy. Sunita Mondal, an associate professor of economics, said the U.S. economy has come to an abrupt halt due to this coronavirus outbreak. “Due to the extent of the shutdown of businesses and the suddenness of the event, which has caught most households and firms completely off guard, this is having a devastating impact on the economy in the short-run,” Mondal said. Mondal said the most detrimental short-term effect is job losses. All non-essential businesses in the United States have been forced to shut down, causing the unemployment benefit claims to reach more than 6.6 million. “Although layoffs have been most pronounced in the retail, hospitality and tourism, restaurants, hotels, airlines, cruises and warehousing and manufacturing sectors, the impact of COVID-19 has been witnessed across almost every sector,” Mondal said. Because of the course of the virus being unknown, social distancing measures are needed, which stalls economic activity. As long as this continues, Americans will continue to see businesses suffer, and additional layoffs are likely to occur. Mondal said small and local businesses are particularly vulnerable during this time, as they tend to have low cash cushions. “Even short periods of economic shutdown tend to have huge negative impacts on small businesses, which will struggle to remain afloat,” Mondal said. Mondal predicts that if this period of economic inactivity continues over longer periods of time, even medium-sized businesses will find it hard to maintain their current employees, which will force businesses to carry out further layoffs. As a result of all of this, Mondal said economic growth will be substantially lower in the comings months. “The extent to which such negative effects would persist is harder to predict since the economic downturn is closely related to the course of the virus,” Mondal said. Mondal said that although financial crises have happened before, this economic situation is much different than the 2008 economic crisis. “The problems this time are not as deep-rooted in the financial system,” Mondal said. “However, the unpredictable nature of a threat to public health makes this situation far more volatile and unsettling, thus further aggravating the economic impact and making it nearly impossible to forecast the path of recovery.” Another short term effect of this is the labor shifts. While retail, restaurants and many more establishments have witnessed record layoffs, companies like Walmart, CVS, Amazon and other grocery stores have experienced surges in demand due to the pandemic. These companies are looking to hire in big numbers right now, but Mondal said this will in no way be able to offset the millions of job losses. She said many of these job shifts will be temporary. As for preventative measures, the U.S. government has put a stimulus package into effect. To prevent a prolonged recession, economists recommended providing Americans with a stimulus package to help families, workers and small businesses. But Mondal doesn’t think this will be as effective as they think. “The stimulus would only be fully effective if people were able to go to restaurants, bars, hair salons, shopping and attend concerts,” Mondal said. “In other words, [it would be effective if people] were able to spend the money to revive the economy.” This stimulus package is meant to help people deal with this negative phase. This includes things like expanding eligibility for unemployment insurance, giving checks to households so they are able to pay bills, delaying mortgage payments for loans backed by government-sponsored enterprises and many more measure such as these. “The Federal Reserve has utilized several emergency lending programs to try and maintain cash flow through the financial system in the economy,” Mondal said. “In an unprecedented manner, led by the economic-rescue legislation signed by the president, they will now have the ability to finance businesses, states and cities.” The Federal Reserve has also aggressively slashed interest rates in an effort to encourage borrowing and spending in the economy, according to Mondal. There is a provision in the third phase of the fiscal stimulus package, the Education Stabilization Fund. This would be about $14 billion that would be allotted to colleges and universities, part of which would be used as a direct emergency aid to students and part to be used by institutions in supplementing lost revenues, covering technology costs and more. “It is difficult to estimate the true impact of this on the institutions, since the details of clauses are hard to determine,” Mondal said. She said it is important to keep in mind that after the 2008 financial crisis, per-student state funding was lower than pre-recession levels. This means higher education, like many other sectors, will be negatively effected. “With the funding for public health services being a top priority for state budgets, this is likely going to effect funding for higher education,” Mondal said. Mondal said fiscal stimulus support is needed for higher education. “It is of utmost importance to maintain the current safety nets for financial aid students,” Mondal said. Mondal said even with all of these imperative measures to attempt to keep the economy afloat, the United States will ultimately fall to have the full extent of the impact, as the U.S. is unable to lift the lock down, which is exactly what is causing economic inactivity. She said the bottom line is that 6.6 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits, a 3000% increase compared to the pre-pandemic levels, is different from previous recessions. These layoffs, unlike in previous recessionary phases, are due to a sudden, sharp contract in economic activity. Along with all of these negative effects and worries comes the positive ones. Mondal suggests that there may be an increased appreciation for the simple things in life and things we formerly took for granted. “Even realizing how much we all enjoying going to work, above and beyond the paycheck associated with work, this realization could lead to improved productivity of workers, once normal operations are resumed,” Mondal said. Mondal said it all comes back to the same point: if the United States and its government can control the spread of the virus, economic rebound could be faster than after regular recession. “If the virus is contained relatively quickly, and fear and uncertainty subside, the economy will be able to rebound quicker,” Mondal said. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Understanding the economic impact of coronavirus Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-06 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Nina Cipriani Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/60e7cd75dee5cf6779bb40d572ac7502.pdf 985337c0b5926f9603564a03aeb6676c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document For students who may not have access to high-speed Internet or own a personal laptop, transitioning and adjusting to distance learning may have been troublesome. SRU administration, however, devised and enacted a solution to this problem: Connectivity. Connectivity, which was established by SRU President William Behre, provides laptops and other technology to students who don’t have access to them at home and assists students with Internet connection issues. Dr. John Ziegler, associate provost for Information and Administrative Technology Services (IATS), said Connectivity has helped a lot of students prepare for online classes. “Most laptops were loaned through Bailey Library, and most students picked up their laptops themselves to avoid any unnecessary hassle,” Ziegler said. “We’ve also suggested that students reach out to their Internet providers to get a hotspot, which Connectivity has reimbursed them for.” He added that turning a smartphone into a personal hotspot, if it has that capability, is an option for students as well. For example, if a student loses electricity at home or their Internet is down temporarily, enabling the hotspot capability on their phone is a practical backup plan. So far, according to Ziegler, Connectivity has loaned 24 laptops to students, who will be required to return them to the library. “Many students only have satellite communication at home or have no connectivity at all,” Ziegler said. “I’ve heard about students having to use or borrow Internet from their neighbors in order to do their schoolwork.” He added that, although IATS has been busy throughout the past two weeks, they haven’t been unusually busy. “We haven’t really received any complaints so far,” Ziegler said. “It’s kind of been business as usual. We’ve been pretty busy, but it hasn’t really been anything out of the ordinary. We’re still working hard to help our students.” For more information, contact connectivity@sru.edu or view the “Technology” section of the COVID-19 Student Resources page on SRU’s website. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Connectivity assists students with technology issues Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-07 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Allison Downs Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/7772a48c583dd3c25523a655d7dd8cc7.pdf 8b06b4c1efe8e7f546ea8031a5f6936c Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Registration for summer and fall classes begins on Monday, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are some changes this time around. Here is what you need to know before you schedule: 1Registration pins are not required… In the past, undergraduate students were required to enter a registration pin from their advisor. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, students and their advisors are unable to meet in person. 2… but you should probably talk to your advisor anyway. In an email to students on April 1, the Office of Academic Records and Registration encouraged students to meet virtually with their advisors. While the elimination of registration pins means that students don’t have to take this step, According to the email, the Office of Academic Records and Registration states that advisors “will provide you with accurate information and will recommend the appropriate classes available to fulfill your degree requirements without wasting time and money on irrelevant classes.” 3Summer classes will be held remotely. All summer classes will be held online, SRU President William Behre announced via email on March 30. This announcement came after Dan Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, informed university presidents of an extended suspension of face-to-face classes. While the majority of SRU’s summer courses are normally held online, this will change the nature of some courses originally designed to be taught on campus this summer. 4Get familiar with MyProfile before you register. The Office of Academic Records and Registration recommends verifying your information is up to date. After logging into MySRU, click on “MyProfile” on the homepage. Select the “Personal Information Page” and ensure all of your information is still accurate. 5Figure out when you register. After logging into “MySRU,” click the “Registration” tab and select “Step 1: Prepare for Registration.” Select the summer 2020 or fall 2020 term and you will be redirected to a page that will list when you are permitted to register. This page will also notify you if you have any holds preventing registration. 6Know where to go for help. Picture this: You have all your course registration numbers (CRNs) ready and you are at your computer waiting to register. As soon as your time to register comes and you go to submit your class schedule, you suddenly get an error code preventing you from getting a seat in a class. It has happened to most of us for one reason or another, but it is helpful to know where to go ahead of time should a problem arise. If you receive an error code while registering for a class, you will need to contact the professor of the course (or, if the professor is listed as TBA, the department chairperson). Make sure you inform the professor of the error codes you received so they can potentially put in an override for you. The Office of Academic Records and Registration notes that if you get an override from a professor, you will still need to register for the class. For other questions and concerns about scheduling, contact the Office of Academic Records and Registration at academic.records@sru.edu or 724-738-2010 or Academic Services at academicservices@sru.edu or 724-738-2012. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource How to prepare for scheduling for classes remotely Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-08 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hannah Shumsky Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/1749296ffde6a92d65d2024b2f4dcdcd.pdf f8fe18e519beb9b4db6c6a1f4f0f7a80 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document In a hard time such as this, and with Easter fast approaching, religious student communities are continuing to do their best to pass on the word of God. During a typical week on campus, The Harbor, a Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO) campus ministry, meets on Wednesday evenings in the Smith Student Center. The group talks before listening to context for their reading later in the meeting. The members then break into smaller groups and read through a passage of the Bible, typically discussing and interpreting 10-15 verses afterwards. The readings are meant to be applied to the students’ lives and the Slippery Rock campus. On a weekly basis, Cru, another religious student community, who sometimes collaborates with The Harbor for events, does men’s and women’s bible studies, usually on Thursday nights in ATS. Neither The Harbor or Cru have given up on their weekly meetings. “It’s been a whirlwind for everyone, especially the leaders,” said Lilly Beck, a fifth-year senior social work major and animal-assisted interventions minor who is a Harbor community member who used to be on the organization’s leadership board. “Because they’re still striving to connect with people that they’ve either just met or to make friendships.” Cru has found a way to include other northwestern Pennsylvania colleges and mission trip partners such as Clarion, Penn State-Behrend and Edinboro. Micah Garber, a junior biology major and the president of Cru at Slippery Rock, said that the organization is taking advantage of the extra time that Zoom meetings allow. “What’s cool about it is we all just hang out then afterwards, just to catch up and get to know one another,” Garber said. “Moving to virtual club meetings have definitely been an adjustment for us,” said Ally Velcko, a junior plastics engineering technology major at Penn State Behrend, who has participated in the meetings. “However, it has provided opportunities […] to build a community across northwestern Pennsylvania and interact with students that we wouldn’t have gotten to see on a day-to-day basis when we were on campus. The Harbor’s community members were challenged by the leaders during the first meeting to reach out to one or two new people every week or so to make new friends. “[We don’t] want to lose that connection simply because we’re online now,” Beck said. Transitioning organization events has been the biggest hurdle in adapting, added Beck. The Harbor frequently provides tea to students in the Quad on Tuesdays. “The Dock,” an open mic night held once a semester, usually in the Ski Lodge, may not take place this spring. Both Garber and Velcko said the Cru community prays that God’s name is glorified and that people will grow because of this time. Garber feels that religion is sometimes used only in times of need. “It’s like your life vest,” said Garber. “You only depend on it whenever you need help. It really gets taken for granted. I think it’s important 24/7.” “Just because church services are canceled doesn’t mean our worship is canceled as well,” Velcko said. “Everyday, we are called to live in a way that glorifies God: not just Sundays. We do that by loving others well and serving them the same way Christ did. And, remember, God is in control. None of this has come as a surprise to Him. Trust that He will work everything out for good and that He will be glorified in spite of the coronavirus.” While Garber feels student-to-student interaction is helpful in community growth, he said that attending mass or bible studies aren’t the most important factors in demonstrating one’s faith. “My biggest advice would be to just continue to spend time in the world by yourself,” Garber said. “It doesn’t always have to be with other people and that’s where sometimes I think people miss the mark. It’s not about going to church, it’s about your relationship with God.” Members of Cru are hopeful that the interaction continues once the situation blows over. “It will be exciting to see how we will incorporate the virtual element of these meetings when we transition back to campus in the fall,” Velcko said. “We don’t have anything planned at this time, but I am hopeful that all of the northwestern Pennsylvania campuses will continue to meet together once classes end.” Garber offered advice on worshipping during this time, saying that sermons and podcasts from pastors are posted online. He also said that some worship musicians are putting out new music sooner than previously expected. “A church isn’t simply a […] building,” Beck said. “It’s a community, and I think now is the time to really make those deeper connections.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Religious communities praise despite pandemic Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-10 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brendan Howe Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/632d2d271a193f5a7c54fc9b964789d4.pdf 49302ede9c21b80c06c460d5c52913c7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document The Macoskey Center hosted Virtual Birds and Bagels Tuesday morning over ZOOM, adjusting the event to an online format. Samantha Laurence, the manager of the Macoskey Center for Sustainability Education and Research, said that it was the center’s third year of the event. Laurence said that the Macoskey Center wanted to involve the community in Project Feeder Watch, a citizens’ science project through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. As part of the project, two feeders were set up outside the Macoskey Center windows and data was recorded twice a week with various bird species. “We thought, what better to do this with our larger community,” Laurence said. “We would typically go out on the trails and hike to record bird data as well, with food and free coffee to make it more enticing.” Now, the Birds and Bagels event was shifted to a virtual format, with Garrett Talkington senior geography major with a concentration in environmental studies and sustainability leading the 9 a.m. session. Talkington said that he developed a lesson plan for the session and utilized the breakout rooms feature on Zoom. The feature enabled viewers to view two virtual cameras that were placed in Ithaca, New York, the location of Cornell University and at a location in Alabama. “There is no way we could have done that if we were at the Macoskey Center,” Talkington said. The first virtual birds and bagels event attracted about 20 audience members, from students to those outside the area, such as Maryland. Talkington said that sustainability is the foundation for why the Macoskey Center is in Slippery Rock. “Sustainability doesn’t stop at the student level, it reaches out into the community,” Talkington said. “For us to build relationships and partnerships with the community, means that we are supporting them in whatever efforts they want to take in terms of sustainability” Laurence agrees. Along with the importance of adding to citizen’s science and collection data, she said that is important to promote building community through the interaction with nature. Laurence said that the Macoskey Center had to quickly shift to think what building the community would look like virtually. “People are seeking resemblance of normalcy, community and contact with people,” Laurence said. “Bird watching is one of the most calming things you can do and the birds don’t stop during a pandemic; they are still migrating. I think the fact that we can focus on something that is still continuing in it’s normal patter like that has a sense of security and comfort in the midst of all that is changing around us.” Laurence said that the Macoskey Center is still providing a community as well as outlets and options to distract from the regular daily challenges. “Seek solace not only in nature but also through sustainable actions and projects,” Laurence said. Throughout the rest of Earth Month, the Macoskey Center will have posts focused on what students and the community can do at home to promote and practice sustainability. The Macoskey Center will also be releasing a series of videos of staff showing how they live sustainably. Future events for the Macoksey Center are a film screening of Taking Root, in collaboration with the Women’s Center and another Virtual Birds and Bagels, April 28 at 9 a.m. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Virtual Birds and Bagels connects the community to nature Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hope Hoehler Relation A related resource SRU Student Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-10 Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/1604d344c35f9277c5ad712e77c3a95b.pdf d735236c240582a2867444e84c8415c6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document Despite changes with distant learning, the Office of Disability Services at SRU is trying to remain as normal as possible. All faculty and staff are working remotely from home and using Zoom and Google Voice accounts to communicate with students. Dr. Natalie Burick, the director of Disability Services, said even though she misses having face-to-face interaction with the students, that her office is not changing all that much. She said that all the staff are working remotely and utilizing Zoom for face-to-face meetings and Google Voice to text and call students. “We are still doing a lot of virtual meetings and staying connected with our students as much as we possibly can,” Burick said. She said they send out weekly email updates to the students who utilize their services about anything they need to look out for, upcoming scheduling, how accommodations can work for them from a virtual environment, and asking them if they need the office to contact faculty for them. She said faculty is being really helpful and working closely with them to accommodate students. “We are keeping busy and working a lot with faculty on figuring out accommodations and how they can work with testing,” Burick said. “They, in D2L, can extend students’ time for tests, so we have sent those instructions out to all faculty.” She said several students use the extended time option for tests, such as student dealing with anxiety. Faculty can also give students with accommodations unlimited time to take exams if they choose to. Burick said that faculty have changed the time allotted and the date for when the test is due for certain students. Burick said that some students need their tests read to them. “We read tests for students in our office on a daily basis,” Burick said. That option is still available, she said, if students go to D2L and request that they take a test with the office of Disability Services, just like they would if staff was in the office. “We will get the test request in an email and approve it and then schedule a Zoom meeting to meet with them to actually read it to them,” Burick said. She said many students are very overwhelmed right now and that she is working with faculty to come up with a better plan for those students. She said that there are two graduate assistants that work for the office that are also helping to meet with students who choose to still set up meetings. Class note-takers are still being utilized as well. “We put an email out to note-takers basically saying that if you are taking notes for someone, to please continue as you normally would because those students will definitely still be needing notes,” Burick said. She said some students are finding it hard to take notes for students because everything is detailed in D2L, and if that is the case, the office works with both the note-taker and the student receiving notes to make sure they are getting what they need. Burick said that Accommodate is the program that they use, which provides easy access for everyone. “Accommodate is a web-based program that makes it easier for our staff and students to access the program,” Burick said. “Students can access through D2L and there is a link for staff, meaning that I can access it right from my home.” Burick said she wants to make sure students know that they can reach out. “We are taking new students and new requests as well,” Burick said. “If a student finds themself in a situation where they need accommodations or are injured, such as with a concussion, we can set up new accommodations virtually as well.” She said they are still doing their fall 2020 freshman class meetings as well to ensure those students know they are here for them too. Burick said that she is happy with how everything is going, despite being stuck at home without human interaction. “We aren’t doing tests in our office or face-to-face meetings, but everything else is pretty much the same,” Burick said. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Office of Disability Services continues to aid students Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-10 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Haley Potter Relation A related resource SRU Student Virtual Birds and Bagels connects the community to nature https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/3eba11bb8d1188a00873188621fb3a4b.pdf 4055f426fb3ea46ed107d02669a38c34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document While the Aebersold Recreation Center has been closed since March 12 in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Campus Recreation has continued its wellness initiative on its social media platforms. Karen Perry, director of campus recreation, said that Campus Recreation promotes all aspects of wellness, not solely physical wellness. “Campus Rec is wellness, so we hit all aspects of wellness everyday in what we do in Campus Rec,” Perry said. “So whether it’s social, physical, or mental, it all comes through.” Last week, as SRU’s classes resumed online, Campus Recreation began to push a stronger social media presence on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Posts include contests, at-home workouts and videos. “We tried to hit more from the social media standpoint because that’s what a lot of people are relating to right now,” Perry said. As a continuation of the Rock 30 campaign, “Walk 30” will take place April 8 through May 8 to encourage social media followers to take a 30-minute walk or do 30 minutes of exercise at home each day. Karly Balon, a senior exercise science major, worked at the ARC since her freshman year. In her final semester at SRU, she was hired as one of three interns in the fitness center under the leadership of Ryan Stack, assistant director of wellness. After face-to-face classes at SRU were suspended, Stack spoke with Balon and the other interns about continuing to promote wellness and campus recreation remotely. At this meeting, Balon offered to do live workouts. “We wanted to keep everyone active, keep everyone moving, so we sort of discussed what we could bring as students and as interns,” Balon said. Campus Recreation is partnering with the Virtual Involvement Team to continue engagement with the SRU community remotely. Balon specifically hosts an Instagram Live session each Wednesday at 4 p.m. for #WellnessWednesday, one of the weekly themes for virtual involvement initiative. During the first trial run on April 1, Balon’s live workout earned 56 engagements on Instagram. Now, the other two fitness center interns, Rose Henzel and Andrew Green, will host workouts on Instagram Live at 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, respectively. If someone cannot follow along to a live workout, workouts are posted regularly on Campus Recreation’s Twitter page. “Social media wise, we’re using Instagram and Twitter to promote almost like a wellness challenge,” Balon said. “So whether it’s meditation, whether it’s writing down positive things about yourself or whether it’s a workout challenge, we just want to keep campus and the community healthy in all aspects of health, all aspects of wellness.” Balon hopes that community members working out alongside her during the live workouts get good energy, some laughs and the motivation to complete a workout. “Even if they are in their own home or outside, really I just want people to stay active in this time,” Balon said. “I know it’s a big stress reliever for me. If I can do my part by helping others through, if that’s the way I can help others, then I’ll do it.” Concerning other aspects of wellness, Perry reminds the SRU community that taking care of yourself is essential during the pandemic. Perry, who lives close to SRU and has been walking on campus as part of her routine, recommends creating a flexible routine that includes some aspect of wellness. “If you’re not taking care of yourself through either sleeping, taking time for some sleep or from activity or that routine of what you have to do then prioritizing the things that are really important each day, then I think it’s going to be too overwhelming,” Perry said. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Promoting wellness remotely: Campus Recreation engages community via social media Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-11 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hannah Shumsky Relation A related resource SRU Student Virtual Birds and Bagels connects the community to nature https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/a1f6a7337eaf69b7b2908416f2cd1bac.pdf 639ed06ee84a5a675c595ba7f06f5ed3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document UPDATE (April 14, 2:06 pm) — MultiVersity Housing Partners, owners and management for University Village at Slippery Rock, has responded for comment. Anthony Magnelli, principal of MultiVersity Housing Partners (MVHP), sent a prepared statement regarding rent and COVID-19. “We are absolutely empathetic regarding the situation and challenges the COVID-19 pandemic is creating, as well as the impact it’s having on everyone,” Magnelli said. “We have been actively researching local and national financial support resources that we can refer residents to even as we get updates on legislation and other relief resources. We have also been working with residents on waiving late fees for payments as well as [setting] up payment plans or working through any hardships they may be eligible for. “Given we are a private operator, we are independent from the University and as such, our leases are not connected to the University’s operating status or whether or not school is in session,” he continued, “so we have an obligation to stay open on behalf of our residents who chose to stay or plan on returning in order to keep the facilities operational.” Magnelli added that MultiVersity Property Management (MVPM, LLC) is launching a fund that will provide relief to residents of their communities. According to a statement sent by Magnelli, the MVHP Resident Helping Hand Fund has been created to provide financial relief to residents that have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus. “The fund shall endeavor to raise additional funds to help expand our relief efforts for our student-residents,” the statement reads. “Each resident with a demonstrated financial need for the 2020-21 school year will be able to submit a written request in a format provided by the fund for assistance.” According to the statement, the fund identifies tuition, rent and textbooks as costs that qualify for assistance. Further information and details about the fund will be released in the coming weeks, Magnelli said. ORIGINAL STORY (April 13) — Campus closures have forced many students to return home as they continue their studies online, but what does this mean for those who live in off-campus housing? With nearly 10 million Americans filing for unemployment (including many college students), April 1 was sure to be a difficult day for apartment tenants. According to CNN, 31% of American renters didn’t pay their rent this month. Many students who have leases with off-campus housing complexes are still expected to pay rent, even though many of them have left their Slippery Rock apartments to return home. Many of these students were employed on campus or were laid off because their employers had to close business and currently don’t have a source of income. Stonecrest tenant and SRU student Delaney Shaffer was working on campus for the WSRU-FM radio station and the Office of Student Conduct. She said she’s still receiving her stipend for her position at the radio station, and she’s doing alternative student work eight hours per week, but her current income isn’t enough to pay her rent. “I thought ahead and saved up enough to pay this month’s rent,” Shaffer said. “But I don’t have steady jobs like I had on campus anymore.” Shaffer said all Stonecrest tenants received an email March 25 stating that they must continue to pay their monthly rent to the best of their abilities. If they cannot pay rent, they must submit documentation outlining why they’re unable to pay (e.g. job furlough, layoffs) and a payment plan. Depending on the individual’s situation, Shaffer added, all late fees will be waived as well. “It just doesn’t seem right that we have to pay for something that we’re not using right now,” Shaffer said. Stine Evenstroem, an SRU student from Norway, said The Ivy at University Village is still charging the full rate for rent, including charges for closed amenities like the clubhouse and volleyball court. She added that there is an additional $20 service fee when paying online, which only further inconveniences tenants like her. “I have to use my Norwegian card because I don’t have checks in the United States,” Evenstroem said. “I have to pay online — I don’t really have a choice.” She added that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the economy in Norway as well, which has caused the value of its currency to increase. She said one U.S. dollar is normally equivalent to nine Norwegian krones (NOK), but because of the coronavirus’s impact on the economy, it’s increased to 12 NOK per USD. “Because I’m paying for my apartment in U.S. dollars while my bank account has Norwegian currency, I’m paying $200 more than I normally do with the currency change,” Evenstroem said. “That money could’ve gone toward other things like groceries.” She said she was working on campus for Athletic Communications, but with campus being closed and all campus sports being cancelled indefinitely, she doesn’t really have a job. Her only source of income now, she added, is the money she receives from the Norwegian government that goes toward her education, housing, groceries and other necessities. “I was able to pay this month’s rent with the money from the government, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to continue paying rent for the rest of the semester,” Evenstroem said. “I just don’t think it’s right that University Village isn’t doing anything to help us out.” SRU student Alyssa Smith said she recently moved out of her apartment at The Grove because she could no longer afford to live there. She said The Grove is still expecting all current tenants to pay the regular rate for rent, even though amenities such as the fitness center and clubhouse are closed. “It really speaks for itself,” Smith said. “It shows just how little they actually care about their tenants. A lot of their tenants are students, who can barely afford rent as it is.” Meagan Reed, general manager of The Grove, said she cannot provide any express comments, but shared a statement from The Grove’s ownership. “Thank you so much for reaching out,” Reed said via email. “We hope that you and everyone are staying safe and healthy. During this challenging time for all, we are not providing any specific comments, as we are working hard to support and stay focused on our residents.” University Village and Stonecrest did not respond for comment. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Students expected to pay rent amid campus closure Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the news section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-13 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Allison Downs Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/42a0aab06235c95be90464c571e1287e.pdf 6a9bc40670d25c66f712e9af1899be86 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document In the event of football being postponed or outright cancelled in the 2020 season, there will not be layoffs or budget cuts in order to “save” the athletic department — which has been discussed at various Division I institutes — at Slippery Rock University, according to SRU Director of Athletics Paul Lueken. “Division I football at the Power Five level is such a money generator, it’s the lifeblood of their athletic programs in a lot of places, where at our Division II level, yeah, we generate some revenue, it would hurt us in some areas if we couldn’t play — more so the parking revenue and ticket sales since that money goes back to athletic scholarships — but we could survive it,” Lueken said. “We wouldn’t have to make any drastic cuts like some of those schools at the Division I level are taking. We wouldn’t be looking at eliminating any sports.” While the athletic staff and coaches do not have to worry about being laid off or furloughed, and there is no imminent threat to “smaller” sports being cut altogether, that does not mean the athletic department is not facing big changes. If the NCAA decides to postpone the college football season or extend the suspension of spring sports this semester, Slippery Rock would follow suit with the NCAA guidelines, Lueken said. The only way that would change, in regard to football, would be in the event that the NCAA postpones the season through January or February. “Playing football games in January in Slippery Rock just doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Lueken said. Still reminiscing on Slippery Rock’s December playoff game against Minnesota State, Lueken had the sight of swirling snow and biting winds in mind. While the football team has the ability to play outdoors late into the winter, most teams at SRU do not have the facilities or the ability to run late into the winter months. “[Football] could do it, we’d be fine — our facilities’ folks are good at clearing the field — and we have brand new turf, but I don’t know if people want to sit out in the cold,” Lueken said. While the fall season is still wildly uncertain, and not likely to be decided for some time, the coaches — of all sports — have continued to work from home. In a way, the coaches are in the same boat as the students. “We’ve put together a plan, and the coaches have all been really good at developing that plan for each of their sports,” Lueken said. “We hadn’t totally been taken off campus yet, and I already had the coaches working on what we’re calling a plan of operation plan for the spring.” Lueken said the coaches have each submitted a report to him, focusing on four topics: fundraising, student support in academics and welfare, reviewing strength and conditioning and recruiting. With the forced time off from physical recruiting and actually being in-season, Lueken said the coaches have been working on revising strength and conditioning plans to come back stronger in the fall — since there likely won’t be scheduled team activity once summer rolls around. Additionally, coaches have continued to build recruiting databases, work on non-conference schedules and finalize budgeting with the Slippery Rock Student Government Association. Like SRU students reporting to their professors, the coaches report back to Lueken on what they have been doing. “Everyone is working remotely, using Zoom to connect with student-athletes, and doing well,” Lueken said. “Each Friday, they give me a report on the four areas and anything else they’re working on.” While coaches can not physically interact with their athletes, they have been finding virtual ways to stay connected and in the loop. “They’re zooming and video chatting, texting and emailing their student-athletes,” Lueken said. “We’re allowing eight hours a week of countable athletic related activity, but no physical activities. The workouts are on their own, and they can’t report that back.” With two hours of film a week, Lueken said the teams have used Hudl to watch film and Zoom to interact while watching. It’s been a way to keep Zoom speeds higher while still regularly communicating throughout the week. With long-time field hockey coach Julie Swiney stepping down at the end of May, Lueken said the nationwide search has continued through Zoom. “We Zoom interviewed four candidates, and we had a session for our student-athletes on the field hockey team with each candidate,” Lueken said. “We surveyed them and got feedback from them. Right now, the committee is reviewing background checks for candidates.” With coaches working from home, the only access to the facilities has been Travis Wunsch and Noah Hastings, the facilities team at Slippery Rock. Lueken said the two have been coming in periodically, at different times to ensure social distancing, to check on facilities, equipment rooms, taking inventory and making sure everything is running without incident. But with the lack of a presence at the facilities, Lueken said stronger precautions have had to be enforced. “We’ve had to secure some of our facilities a little tighter than we normally would,” Lueken said. “People sometimes like to help themselves. It’s a challenge, especially our stadium. We’re doing some work on the one end, and there was an opening in the fence, but we closed that Thursday.” The borough police have been helping to ensure that people have not been trespassing in athletic facilities on campus, but for the large part, the community has been cooperating during the unprecedented times. Lueken said he is incredibly grateful for that, but you can not keep everyone away. “We had to put a padlock on the lights in the field house to stop people from helping themselves to the indoor track,” Lueken said. “The doors are locked, but people always find a way.” Lueken stressed that Old Thompson Field remains open to the public, and he encouraged people to continue going and practicing social distancing. With the disappointment of a cancelled spring season, Lueken lamented the loss of some promising sports. “I was disappointed for spring sports,” Lueken said. “We were excited about lacrosse. They got the brand new turf, they got to practice on it but didn’t get a chance to play a game on it. Baseball was getting a new facility, and softball was done last year.” Despite not being able to take the field at Jack Critchfield Park, Lueken said the park was a week from opening when the workers were forced to shut down. The warning track and turf on the outfield and the fair territory on the third base side needs to be finished, but Lueken praised the beautiful facility. Of course, no one knows when the park will finally be opened for games, as Slippery Rock recently announced the cancellation of all face-to-face activities on campus until at least July 31. As no teams actually report back to campus until the second week of August, Lueken was just hopeful that Rock athletics will be able to return to its normal schedule. With the hazy schedule, a theme for literally everyone in the United States, Lueken said student-athletes will need to do a good job conditioning away from the team. With veteran teams across most of the varsity sports, teams will know what to do. For Lueken, a 25 — almost 26– year veteran as an AD, the only thing that comes to mind in terms of sheer shock and magnitude of shutdowns is 9/11. That weekend, everything was shut down for a time of mourning,” Lueken said. But even then, he acknowledged that leagues started back up rather quickly. The fastest way back to the fields, courts, pitches, in Lueken’s eyes, lies in listening to those who know best. “We gotta do what our medical professionals and leaders are telling us to do,” Lueken said. “Stay home and social distance.” While the cancellation of athletics this season has been hard on Lueken, it has only been temporary. Thankfully, no sports have had to be cut, which is all he can ask for. “It’s up there,” Lueken said. “It’s not the top one, though, in 2006, when we dropped those sports, that was a tough decision. That was the toughest thing I ever had to experience in my athletic career.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The state of athletics, zoom learning and locked facilities Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the sports section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-14 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Karl Ludwig Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/ba463cff7c9bbb854a4549ab0ffc2c8e.pdf 5dcdb4062e48bea5e518144977fb4daa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document In a statement released by the University Program Board (UPB) Thursday afternoon on Twitter, the Roddy Rich spring concert has been cancelled “due to the recent closure of Slippery Rock University’s campus and the transition to remote learning for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.” Derek Brewer, a junior advertising major and director of Concerts and Comedians, said in an emailed statement that he is really sad the outcome had to be like this and that he works hard on these events for the students. Refunds for original ticket holders only will begin Friday the 17. Those who purchased tickets with their card can see a refund on their card within a week. Students who purchased tickets with cash will see a refund in the form of a check mailed to their SRU Banner Address. Students should wait two to four weeks for their checks to arrive. “No one needs distractions more than now, and music is the best distraction in my opinion,” Brewer said. “I wanted this to be great for everyone, but no one should risk their lives for a concert.” In their Twitter statement, UPB said that they appreciate the patience during this unique situation and are looking forward to providing new entertainment experiences in the future. All questions should be directed to the SRUPB and can be emailed at upb@sru.edu. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource UPB sponsored Roddy Ricch concert cancelled Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-17 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hope Hoehler Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket https://slipperyrockcovid19.org/files/original/3e2db8d85c9268edd6f452bc1995de26.pdf f728ca00cb647934cace30e3bd86d90d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Rocket Description An account of the resource Items from Slippery Rock University's official student newspaper, The Rocket. Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Text Any textual data included in the document National Student Employee Appreciation Week is April 13-17 and offices and departments on Slippery Rock’s campus have began to recognize their student workers through social media. The Office for Inclusive Excellence (OIE), Payroll and Student Employment and other offices celebrated their student employees with posts of their pictures and names on social media, such as Twitter. Although student workers aren’t on campus, they are still working remotely with their superiors. Amy Kayser, a second year graduate student in the master of public health program with a major concentration in health promotion and wellness, is a graduate assistant with the enrollment services office. Kayser manages Slippery Rock’s social media account including Youtube, Instagram and Twitter as well as helping the office manage the SRU Students account on Twitter. “I really love working with students and getting to hear all their stories,” Kayser said. “Part of the job is to produce the SRU success story videos that you may have seen floating around the internet. I really get to learn where students come from and how their background feeds into their success at Slippery Rock.” Similarly to Kayser and her enjoyment of working with students, Emma Burgman, a senior public relations major, worked with housing and residence life and is currently a social media specialist at the Office for Community Engaged Learning. Burgman said that she loved going to work and being able to talk with her boss and work with the graphic designer at the office. Although a senior, Burgman is working remotely, mainly to train the next student who will take over her position. Burgman started in the position when she was a sophomore and holds a place on the media and outreach team where she runs the social media accounts and keeps a favorable image of the different programs offered. “I get to graduate with experience in the field I want to go into,” Burgman said. “My second [favorite part] would be the community of the office. Everyone is so supportive and it wasn’t like they are my coworkers, they are my friends too.” A common theme following the community of student workers on campus is friendship, and Gabby Yannellio, a sophomore public relations major, agrees. Yannellio works for the Payroll and Student Employment Office and helps with marketing materials, assisting students with applying for jobs and going through their paperwork. “All of my coworkers have gotten me out of my shell,” Yannellio said. Although these students are missing the campus community and their coworkers, they are still working remotely during the semester. Kayser said that her job doesn’t ever stop and that social media is 24/7 and constantly has to be checking the accounts. “..it’s stressful, especially during this pandemic,” Kayser said. “At first, a lot of people were tweeting at Slippery Rock wondering where their money is, where this is at, or what are we going to do? It’s difficult to not always have those answers as a graduate assistant.” Also managing social media accounts is Burgman, who said that she is currently focusing on handing over the position to another student, which was in the process before classes moved online. Burgman is also letting students know through the social media accounts that the Office for Community Engaged Learning is still there for them. “To anybody, especially underclassmen, when it comes to employment, branch out and see what is out there,” Burgman said. “There is a lot of opportunities on campus and honestly, I didn’t think I would be graduating with the experience that I had.” Gaining valuable experience through student employment is something that Gabby Yannellio is familiar with. Before taking her position as the Payroll and Student Employment Office, she worked a little bit with the President’s Commission for Gender Identity and Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO). “You have to interact with students all day and all the people I work with are really outgoing,” Yannellio said. From home, Yannellio creates content for the Payroll and Student Employment Office, keeping in touch with her supervisor and sending drafts back and forth. Although the employees are missing their on campus jobs and their coworkers, all agree that searching for a job on campus is a good way to gain experience and establish a connection with the campus community. “If you’re looking for an opportunity to really make yourself well-rounded and build your connections, friendships and professional relationships, then student employment is the way to go,” Kayser said. “I really think that some of the most fun jobs out there are on our campus.” Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource SRU supports student employees Description An account of the resource This story was originally published in the campus life section of The Rocket's website, theonlinerocket.com. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-04-17 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Hope Hoehler Relation A related resource SRU Student Article SRU Student Story The Rocket