The Alvernian- Volume 60 Issue 2

Is It Usually This Hot in February?

Tony Mongeluzi Contributing Writer

Climate change isn’t anything new. We’ve seen events happening all over the world like the polar ice caps melting, water levels rising, and the thing that all of us notice the most, temperature changes. That could not be more apparent now with the dramatic change in weather we had in the last two weeks of February.

It is February and we are still supposed to be in winter. Why was it in the 70s in the last week of February? Punxsutawney Phil even saw his shadow, so that should add six more weeks to winter, right?

Based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, since 1939 besides a few years between the mid-1940s and mid-1970s, the global average surface temperature has steadily been increasing every year. The temperature increase has led to an overall 2-degree Fahrenheit (1-degree Celsius) increase since the pre-industrial era.

People may think this is a small temperature change, but many do not realize how much heat energy it takes to raise the Earth’s average temperature even in minuscule amounts. To put this in perspective, in an article on global warming by Michael Kelberer of Mother Earth News, he says that “to raise the temperature of the planet one degree Celsius requires about 5 exajoules (5 with 18 zeros after it) of energy. That is equivalent to the entire energy consumption of the US for 4 million years.”

The amount of energy used is extremely hard to comprehend on such a ginormous scale. With the amount

of energy needed to warm the earth put into perspective, how dire is global warming really?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2022 was the sixth warmest year on record.” It is not only 2022 but the warmest years ever recorded have all occurred in the 2010s. Ashlynn, a college sophomore who lives in the area, said that “during 2017 or 2018” is the last time she remembered a winter with an abundance of snow.

Think back to your own experiences: When was the last time we had an actual winter with multiple snows that have accumulated to anything?

The extra heat is doing things like reducing snow and sea ice, intensifying heavy rainfall, making temperatures reach extremes in both heat and cold, and shrinking and expanding the habitats of certain species of plants and animals.

An example of this increase in heat is through the melting of snowpacks. Snowpack is the water stored in the snow on the mountains. Traditionally, the season that snowpacks melt is during the spring and summer. Global warming puts snowpacks around the country

at risk of melting too early. That may not sound like a huge deal, but the results of snowpack melting early can have detrimental consequences for places that go through droughts like California for example.

In an article by David Schechter, Haley Rush, and Chance Horner of CBS News called “Climate change is making winter weather warmer and “weirder”,” they say that “If (snowpack) melts too early, it can cause floods in the spring, and by summer there may not be enough water when it’s so critical.”

Looking at a chart from Chris Hacker of CBS News and data from Climate Base, there has been a noticeable trend of the temperature rising during the winter in 25 different cities. The average temperature in these cities has risen by over 50% since 1970. This average temperature per city is slowly rising toward 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Many regions that have snowpacks will begin to melt too early because they will not be able to stay cold enough anymore. This has made states like California use technology that measures the precise depth of the snowpack to manage water usage as best as possible. Many things are

affected by this melting of snowpack like winter sports tourism and agriculture as well. This means as time goes on, jobs in certain regions will be obsolete. An example of this is grape vineyards in California becoming much more difficult to grow with the volatility of winters across the United States. The main culprit for global warming is the pollution we create. In an article by Rebecca Lindsey and Luann Dahlman of Climate.gov called “Climate Change: Global Change,” they spoke about how the amount the Earth warms up in the future depends on the carbon emissions we emit. In the article, they also talked about “our activities—burning fossil fuels and clearing forests—add about 11 billion metric tons of carbon (equivalent to a little over 40 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide) to the atmosphere each year.” This is more carbon than what can be filtered out naturally. The excess carbon then sits in our atmosphere, slowly heating it more and more.

Lindsey and Dahlman also said that “According to the 2017 U.S. Climate Science Special Report, if yearly emissions continue to increase

Snow melting in the hot sun

Credit: Tony Mongeluzi

Climate

the alvernian

Managing Editor/ Layout

Sarah Mies

Section Editors

Kevin Kazokas

Aleksandra Kolenikova

Yesenia Maldonado

Sarah Mies

Cole Schlappich

Contributing Writers

Dareen Alanazi

Michkeel Allen

Samantha August

Taralle Hayden

Kevin Kazokas

Aleksandra Kolesnikova

Yesenia Maldonado

Sarah Mies

Tony Mongeluzi

Steven Pierce

Melanie SanchezGonzalez

Cole Schlappich

Peter Smith

Sherrin Smith

Atticus Wickert

Faculty Adviser

Ryan Lange

The Alvernian is the official student newspaper of Alvernia University.

To contact newspaper staff, the office telephone number is 610-796-8358.

Articles submitted for consideration into The Alvernian should be written in some semblance of AP style. Letters to the editor, requests for advertisements, and general comments and questions may be submitted to ryan.lange@alvernia.edu.

The editors reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, accuracy, and length.

The views expressed in The Alvernian are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the student body, faculty, staff, administration, or sponsors.

Continued from page 1

rapidly, as they have since 2000, models project that by the end of this century, global temperature will be at least 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 1901-1960 average, and possibly as much as 10.2 degrees warmer.”

Even if we did make some changes to our carbon emission footprint and we were able to lower it slowly by the year 2050, the temperature still would not recover to how it was in the first half of the 20th century. We would still be 2.4 to 5.9 degrees hotter than that in the early 20th century.

When questioning Professor Becker about the effects of our carbon footprint if it doesn’t lessen, he gave an answer from a whole new perspective. Professor Beck answered by saying that it is a “complex question.” The thing he said that he thinks will be the first major impact of climate change is conflicts. Becker said that “They will primarily be caused by two factors. One, certain parts of our planet will be uninhabitable because it is going to be too hot for humans to live without serious health effects of

being outside.” With this unsafe area to live in will come migration which means immigrants will have to move somewhere else. This will eventually lead to conflicts. The second reason Professor Becker gives is famine. He says that as fewer areas of our planet are inhabitable, “Places where we used to be able to cultivate certain foods, are not going to be able to be grown anymore in those areas. Then we are going to have people going through food insecurities in those areas.” Whenever food insecurities occur, usually conflicts will rise from them. This was extremely insightful as it opened a whole new way of thinking about the issue. This goes to show that this problem is much deeper and more critical than us getting less snow in the winter. There is no way we can stop carbon emissions because without them society would not be able to thrive. It is up to us though to find ways to at least limit our carbon footprint. Some ways to lower our carbon footprint we can do things like limiting how much you drive your car, unplugging things when you are not using them, and only turning

air conditioning and heat on when you truly need it. Other things we can do that you would not even think would help the environment are, for example, taking the elevator. Make sure that when you do laundry make sure that you have a full load. By doing this, it will limit the power used, which directly affects the number of carbon emissions produced.

If you believe that what you are doing is not having an impact, you have to realize something is better than nothing. Too many people are not critical about how important limiting the use of electric things really helps towards the environmental crisis that we are currently going through. People do not always understand this because we do not immediately see the effects of our excessive power usage. The immediate things we see are factories pumping out excessive amounts of carbon daily are things like factories and electric power.

According to studies of 2020 Total Greenhouse Gasses Emissions in the U.S. by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, commercial and

residential only account for 13% of the problem, agriculture accounts for 11%, transportation accounts for 27%, and industrial and electric power both combine for 49% of greenhouse gas emissions. If we want to get anywhere in lowering carbon emissions, it starts with the up top. We must voice our opinions more through peaceful protests and by appointing the right politicians that we know will help with this issue. Global warming may not seem that bad now, but it will get much worse in our lifetime. It is our job to make sure we do our best to help with the lessening of global warming to preserve a climate that would be recognizable to our ancestors.

Editor’s Book of the Month

Atomic Habits by James Clear

With spring cleaning in full swing, remember to also take the chance to clean out your mind of bad habits. James Clear helps his readers rid their lives of bad habits and start new productive ones. If you need help reaching your goals, this book is for you.

© 2023 The Alvernian

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The Trick to Getting in Shape

Contributing Editor

What is the quickest way to get in shape? Eat better and exercise more, which is easier said than done.

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” –Arnold Schwarzenegger

It is no secret that eating nutritious foods and being physically active are what makes up a healthy lifestyle. This article is not going to tell you to just eat your veggies and hit the gym. Rather, this will provide you with information needed to gradually change your mind set on what it means to get in shape.

First Step: The Diet

If you are like me, you have tried to change your diet in just one day. You tried to cut junk food, or whatever was considered unhealthy, and eat only nutritional meals. I could never do this for more than a day before I was craving pizza and soda. Instead, focus on the amount of food you are eating, rather than what you are eating.

“Moderation is the key,” Doctor Thomas G. Porrazzo, the Chair of Healthcare Science for Alvernia University, said. “It’s about quantity and quality of food. Most of us have seen Morgan Spurlock’s ‘SuperSize Me’.” I used to show that video when it came out in 2004. If I watch how much I’m bringing into my body and try to find healthier foods, I feel better.”

Let’s say you are someone who orders large meals from fast food restaurants, start ordering small. Do that for at least a week. If you can do that consistently without hesitation, start ordering meals without fries. If you are still hungry, drink water. This is how you start the process of disciplining your mind and body.

“That is, in essence, moderation and you are watching quantity. And you will see it, you will see it in your waistline. Stick with it and you will be saying, wow these jeans are fitting a little bit better.” Dr.

Porrazzo said.

Once you feel comfortable with the quality of food you are consuming, then you can look toward incorporating more healthy foods.

Second Step: Being Active

First, the most important part of a workout is getting your heart rate up. It is not about how much you can lift or how fast you can run. Whether you sweat a lot or a little, a faster beating heart means you are burning more energy stored in your body. The more you physically work, the better your body processes calories in general.

I understand that some people feel uncomfortable to be seen working out, as I am one of these people. I made the decision to purchase equipment for myself and work out in the comfort of my own home. However, it took me years to start using them regularly. So, it is up to you to make the decisions that will test you to see how determined you are. Also consider asking a friend to join you, as they will encourage you to keep pushing yourself.

“You got to know what you want,” Steven Pierce, Senior and Guard for Alvernia’s Men’s Basketball team, said. “If that is what you want, you got to get it and you got to be consistent. No lapse, just do it every day.”

Third Step: Know Your Body

What do you envision yourself looking like? If you are looking to shed some weight, the best thing you can do is to do cardio. Fifteen to twenty minutes on a treadmill each day will help you lose weight in no time. Again, make sure you get your heart rate up. If you do not have access to a treadmill at home or in a gym, then start going for a walk in your neighborhood or park.

If you are looking to build some muscle, whether it be for athletic performance or physical appearance, you need to know how muscles work. Muscles form and grow based on the type of physical activity

you perform. How do you know what workouts target which muscles? The best thing for you is to work with a personal trainer. They specialize in the understanding of how muscles work and how best to help you. Plus, you do not have to memorize workout regimens that use a variety of equipment. Alternatively, if you plan to work out on your own, you can print out or purchase workout posters that give you a visualization of how to work specific areas of the body. I purchased a pack of laminate workout posters from Amazon, and they have been extremely useful in keeping with a routine.

A tip if you are looking to exercise on your own: Muscles only pull, they do not push. What this means is that any workout you do on the front of your body, you should also put corresponding work into the back to maintain balance. For example, if you do pushups, also incorporate an exercise that involves lifting weights while standing or bent over.

Fourth Step: Your Safety

Lastly, make sure you know the difference between when you are sore and when you are in pain. Soreness comes after a workout, usually the next day. That feeling is your muscles repairing themselves. If you are in pain during a workout, do not workout. Contact your doctor or physician

immediately and get an exam of your body. Exercising should not be torture. Pain is your brain telling you to stop doing whatever is causing the pain. If you experienced pain when working out in the past, you may have injured yourself because of improper form.

“Injuries often occur when people move way too fast,” Doctor Christopher Wise, Department Chair and Professor of Physical Therapy, said. “Slow and controlled movements are the key to efficient and safe muscle development.”

Last Step: Be Patient

The most difficult aspect of getting in shape is to consistently work at it. You are not going to see progress in the first two or three weeks.

“It takes around six to eight weeks for muscles to form, also known as hypertrophy1.” Dr. Wise said.

It is a constant process of reevaluating yourself and sticking to a routine. You may not feel any instant gratification, but you will see the difference over time. There is no greater feeling than putting on a pair of pants that feel bigger than what you are used to. If you change your diet in moderation, have the discipline to keep at it and the confidence in yourself, you can form the body you want to achieve.

The TimelyCare app is now free for all Alvernia Students and can provide you with health and fitness advice!

Man going on a run through nature

Credot: Jenny Hill via Unsplash.cm

The Last Home Game

Mickeel Allen

Contributing Writer

Senior Night, often gives players a feeling of surreal bliss. The end is near and their time in college is dwindling. On the Alvernia Men’s basketball team there’s three seniors this year: Drew Miller, Keba Mitchell, and Malik Green. Our season began in the summer, when we built connections and started to bond through summer league games, different team lifts, and hanging out with one another whether it be through playing basketball or otherwise. The brotherhood wasn’t just something that was formed overnight, but instead created by blood, sweat, and tears. This year’s Senior Night game was electric from start to finish. In the last home game of the regular season the Golden Wolves beat the Lebanon Valley-Flying Dutchmen 97 to 83. Led by senior Malik Green and star junior Jacob Kell. Green had 20 points and 8 rebounds and Kelly had 20 points and 14 rebounds.

“I loved coming to practice, and I loved coaching these guys. This was a special group

of young men,” Head Coach Miller said Drew Miller, a senior transfer from Stevenson. When he came he was a little hesitant. He was the new guy and I was once the new guy, so I understood his concern. Overtime, he grew on the team. Miller was always positive, brought great energy and he made sure that everyone on the team always kept their heads up and played with a chip on their shoulders. Although Drew was here for only one year, he will be missed. Drew’s most memorable time during this season was being able to experience the MAC semifinals.

“ A win against eastern was something i’ve always dreamed of and having the l opportunity to represent Alvernia and show our classmates, familys and friends the outcome of all of our hard work that season was amazing. I was blessed to see all of my teammates succeed and be able to see all of our hard work pay off.” Drew Miller said.

A transfer from Desales Keba Mitchell was the second graduating senior on this years team. Mitchell became

a starting center for the team. During his fifth year here at Alvernia, Mitchell grew on everyone. He was the type of guy who didn’t talk much unless he knew you. However, once he got to know you it was a different story. His impact was tremendous for the team. Mitchell became known as a ferocious rim protector and a tenacious dunker, and led our team in blocks as well as the MAC. In the MAC Mitchell averaged 8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, and 2.3 blocks per game. Although his stint here at Alvernia was short, he will be missed dearly. Mitchells most memorable moments during this seas was his, “ favorite game of the season was vs Albright.

“Though it was a very competitive game. I thought we played well on both ends of the floor for both halves. I thought everyone had a good game,” Keba Mitchell said. “I also like how the students came out and supported us on the road the way they did. My favorite part of the season is how we all came together for one goal. It’s hard to focus and lock in on something for that long. I thought we did a good job of

that all season long”. He said he’ll always remember all the times we weren’t playing in the huddles, locker room, and on the bus.

The Golden Wolves’ final graduating senior was Malik Green. Since being recruited by the head coach and assistant coach out of high school, Green has lived up to the expectations put forth on him each year. each year. reen won rookie of the year and all-MAC honors in his freshman year. During his sophomore and junior years, he won 1st and 2nd team honors in the MAC, scored 1,000 career points, and received 2nd team all-region all while leading his team to victories. In his last year, Green led the team to the number one spot in the MAC, won player of the year, 1st team All-MAC, NABC first-team all-region, and

Looking For an Alveria Job?

Aleksandra Kolesnikova

Contributing Editor

Time at college can be expensive at times. Going out with friends, ordering takeout, and buying groceries or essentials can quickly deplete your bank account. You then start to look for a job on campus but realize you don’t know where to start. Here is a quick aid to help you with what jobs are here on campus and what would be the best fit for you. The jobs discussed here are just a few of the job opportunities on campus.

The O’Pake Institute is an amazing organization that works with small businesses with any aid they need. Students with majors in Engineering, Communications, Business and Criminal Justice are usually the majors that are perfect for the job, but anyone who would like to work can find a way to add value. They also offer GA positions to people who will go into the graduate year for Alvernia University.

“What I love about O’Pake is being able to connect with other students and the clients that come in,” Junior

communications major

Yesenia Maldonado said, “I love being a part of their projects and passions and having the opportunity to build my resume and gain more experience in my major.”

Yeseniina has been a fellow for almost a year and does a lot of editing and video footage for O’Pake as well as working for non-profits.

Contact Michelle Conaway by emailing Michelle. Conaway@alvernia.edu, or Max Horn at Sol.Horn@Alvernia. edu, if you would like to be a part of the O’Pake Fellows program to get the experience

you need.

The tutoring center is a great chance to give students help with any of their courses they are taking. From math to writing essays, the tutors are there to help.

Elizabeth Kavulak, year 24’, Nursing major took time to talk about how much the center has helped her shape her college career as a job and as an aid.She said, “Working at the tutoring center makes me feel like I’m helping people, I struggled with school at points, so I enjoy helping others.”

If you would like to help your fellow classmates

succeed, contact the tutoring center by coming to the office, which is located in Bernardine, office hours are from MondayFriday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. You’ll have a chance to instruct other students just like yourself.

Student Activities is a perfect way to get involved in campus events! You are not only creating flyers and helping with events, but you can also put your ideas in and create future events.

Ciena Schoch, a loyal student that has become a huge part of student activities, “I like being involved in all of the

D3 Hoops first-team all-region. Green had an astounding career as an Alvernia men’s basketball player and set the bar high. He finished his career with 1,824 points, and his love for the game drove him all those years. Green’s most memorable moment throughout his tenure at Alvernia was senior night.

“It was the most memorable moment of my senior year here.” Malik Green said. “There were many emotions going through me because it was the first time my mom would see me play in a home game. My highhight school and AAU coaches and teammates also came out to support. What I am going to remember most is my coach’s speech, where he said, ’I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to replace a this kid.”

events on campus and having a voice in the activities we have throughout the semester.” She is in the Nursing program and has worked for student activities for almost two years now, and she loves her job every minute of every day.

If you would like to help make campus events fun for every student that attends Alvernia, make sure you talk to the student activities office for a chance to join their team. You can email Abby.Shawtchick@ alvernia.edu for any more questions or information.

Lastly, you can work in the mailroom! A fun and laid-back job, you deliver packages around Alvernia’s various buildings.

Aidan Chumas, 24’ Athletic Training Major has worked for the mailroom for almost two years, he said, “I love working for the mailroom because my co-workers and I have become very close like a little family.”

There are still so many jobs on campus that have not been covered here., You can email or call the human resources office for more information or for an application.

Senior, Drew Miller, and his parents at Senior Night

Credit: Marissa Lombardo

A handshake after a sucessful job interview

Credit:Constantin Wenning via Unsplash

Senior Spotlight: Final Farewell

Samantha August

Contributing Writer

Think about how quickly the time goes as you approach the middle of the semester. These four years will fly by and the next thing you know it will be you walking across that stage. As graduation approaches, seniors will take in the ‘lasts’ of college and close this chapter of their lives.

I had the opportunity to speak with Alvernia seniors, who will in just a few months become alumni. Allison Kirschner, 21, will graduate with her Bachelor of Arts in Finance this May. Kirschner is a student athlete and an O’Pake Institute finance fellow. Alvernia has given Kirschner the opportunity to further her education, play the sport she loves, and make career changing relationships these past four years.

What do you love most about Alvernia?

“Alvernia not only brought me an education, but also brought me lifelong friends.”

How do you manage your time being a student athlete?

“Managing my time being a student college athlete has taught me a couple big things; work in advance as much as you can, don’t over commit, use the academic resources the university provides, and take time for yourself. Getting in the habit of working ahead and meeting deadlines has helped keep my stress under control. While being a student athlete already is a big commitment, there are many other memorable and enriching aspects of the college experience, and too many commitments can be detrimental to one’s academics and athletics.”

What advice can you give future/current Alvernia students?

“One piece of advice I would give a future or current Alvernia student is do things outside of your comfort zone. Whether that be talking to new people, joining a club, getting a job on campus, etc. At the end of the day, you are the only person who can write your future so by doing things outside of your comfort zone will set you up for success.”

What are your plans after graduation?

“After graduation I am working full time at Vanguard as a Financial Planning Associate starting June 12.”

What person or course did you feel made a major impact on you during your time at Alvernia?

“Alvernia softball has made such a big impact on my life the past four years. It is such an experience to have over 20 girls with different backgrounds, majors, and diversities to all come together to play on the field with the same goal. With all the ups, there also comes downs, which has taught me how to approach and handle different situations in a professional and teammate manner.”

Another senior from the class of 2023, Devan Hudson, 22, will graduate with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Devan is from Georgetown, Delaware. She came to Alvernia to pursue a career in nursing, all while being able to play softball. Time management is extremely important to this senior, as she was able to manage balance being a nursing major and a student athlete all at once.

What do you love most about Alvernia?

“I love that I can participate in a sport while also maintaining a high level of education in a demanding career. Alvernia has smaller classes where I can develop

my knowledge and grow closer to my professors who have educated me the past four years. Alvernia’s campus is beautiful and has so many resources to better my educational needs and athletic desires.”

How do you manage your time being a student athlete

“Time management is very important when playing a sport and being an avid learner in the classroom. Setting time to study, completing assignments, and participating in clinical while giving 100% at practice is very demanding, but it is doable with a scheduled plan throughout the day. It is necessary not to procrastinate but to keep in mind to always set time for yourself and not spread yourself thin. Throughout the years I have learned and adapted to my schedule by what works best for me.”

What advice can you give future/current Alvernia students?

“The best advice I can give to future Alvernia students is to make time for yourself and never take anything for granted. Time goes by fast, and memories last forever so be sure to excel in all aspects of life and maintain your inner happiness. Do not be caught up in getting perfect grades because you will miss out on experiences.”

What are your plans after graduation?

“After graduation I plan on becoming a pediatric nurse at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I can embrace their mission through quality care to children and their families from progressive environments.”

What person or course did you feel made a major impact on you during your time at Alvernia?

“Throughout the nursing courses here at Alvernia, collectively all the classes and professors have impacted my learning and the person I am today. Each professor and clinical instructor have enlightened me with the knowledge I need to be successful in the nursing field while also giving me life advice. I am so thankful for the people I have met along the way and how they have shaped me to be a well-rounded student athlete and future nurse.”

As a graduating senior myself, the best advice I can give to any student is to enjoy your time in college while it lasts. I feel like I blinked and now this chapter of my life is ending. I am so thankful for my time at Alvernia and all the amazing experiences I have encountered here. Alvernia will always be my second home and will forever hold a special place in my heart. Congratulations to the class of 2023 and farewell to the seniors! We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Allison kirschner and Devan Hudson at Senior Media Day

Credit: Allison Kirschner

Movie Theaters Vs. Streaming

Yesenia Maldonado

Contributing Editor

We’re having a movie night! Where are we headed? Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, HBO, or how about Amazon Prime?

Today, we have access to many movies and TV shows thanks to several streaming services that have come about, providing their own and other studios’ content. With a monthly or annual subscription, you can access films that are new, old, or somewhere in between. The rise of streaming has also been signaling changing times for our theaters, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it has overthrown the moviegoer experience.

Streaming services have many pros, as they make for a comfortable and cost-effective experience, open to you anytime. But it’s not the first time the way we watch films has been revolutionized. From the introduction of VHS to DVDs, the way audiences have been able to experience films has continually changed, offering people a way to see a movie outside of a theater. However, access to streaming has brought this to new heights. According to an article written by

Caelan Corkery in The

Dartmouth, by 2021, 78% of US consumers had one or more streaming subscriptions. And surpassing the technology before it, streaming has also made it quicker and easier to access these services from your television to the palm of your hand. These platforms allowed consumers to choose from massive collections of movies and shows without leaving their couches.

On the other hand, movie theaters are arguably one of the best gathering places for casual movie-goers and film buffs alike, and they still play a valuable part in the entertainment industry. However, after the pandemic hit and businesses temporarily shut down, the future of theaters would only become more drastically different. Per a 2020 Statista survey, which notes a change since 2018, 36% of people expressed a preference for watching a new release via streaming versus 14% in a theater. Like many other businesses, movie theaters got hit hard as everything in the country began to shut down, as seen most notably seen with AMC losing over 4 billion dollars in 2020. The shutdown also led many films to either be postponed or head straight to streaming, as seen with the release of movies like Godzilla vs. Kong on HBO Max and Disney offering Black Widow and its Mulan

remake for rent.

But aside from quarantine and health concerns, audiences’ preferences continue to change. Although theaters have been able to recover slowly, theater attendance has stagnated compared to its heights pre-pandemic,

“Reprogramming consumers out of the habit of watching filmed entertainment at home is going to be incredibly expensive, timeconsuming, and difficult for the studios,” Brandon Katz, a Senior Entertainment Reporter covering film and television, said in an article for the Observer.

The way films are consumed evolved even after the pandemic. This has led many studios to reconsider their release strategies and to more negotiations surrounding the theatrical window, which is how long a movie is exclusively available in theaters before further release. Traditionally, many films are available in theaters for an average of three months. Still, this window has been up for negotiation between movie studios and theaters.

According to an article by Travis Clark for Business Insider, many studios and theaters have made deals to shrink the theatrical window to 45 days, as seen between Warner Bros. and Cineworld, while companies like Universal have argued to shrink it even further to 17

days. The shift in release windows is an interesting shift in power dynamics, as the negotiations over the theatrical windows see the attempt of studios to benefit from both the theater and other platforms, but also a way for theaters to have still an opportunity to profit from box office success. But more than anyone, theaters are likelier to lose out, as they become just one of many options for film studios and their audience.

Additionally, this may change how we measure a film’s success. Can we determine whether a movie is good or bad if it bombs at the box office but excels on streaming? Further, we’ve seen many big names, between actors and filmmakers, move onto streaming platforms as well, as companies like Netflix have proven the ability to make their own movies as well, as seen with Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, which features stars like Robert De Niro and Al Pacino or Glass Onion, which is a sequel to Rian Johnson’s Knives Out that assembles another star-studded cast.

Nonetheless, we can argue that what you don’t get out of streaming is the actual movie-goer experience or the ability to “eventize” a film’s release. Films still can be widely desirable in theaters, as seen with the explosive success of Spiderman: No Way Home, which made over one billion worldwide

and was referred to by Pamela McClintock in the Hollywood Reporter as “the first Hollywood release in the COVID-19 era to achieve blockbuster status.” Or movies like Top Gun Maverick and Avatar: Way of the Water, also making over one billion and finding a way to excite people by bringing back pop-culture sensations. While streaming provides easy access and comfort, something about the movie-going experience can’t be replacedgathering friends or family, some good-old popcorn and soda, and focusing on nothing but the big screen as the story unfolds. It allows movie-goers to have a collective, cultural fan experience.

While streaming is convenient and appeasing, does this mean the death of movie theaters? Not necessarily. It’s difficult to tell whether movie theaters will die as an industry or if it is just a sign of the times. And as things change, we learn to adapt, which could mean an entertainment industry that embraces more of a hybrid model between theatrical and digital releases. Both experiences provide something different, but one thing’s for sure - in today’s world, movies are being consumed in an entirely different way than ever before.

Guests enjoying a movie together at a theater

Credit: Krits Luhaers via Unsplash.com

Tubi vs. Superbowl Fans

Peter Smith

Contributing Writer

Imagine sitting down in a comfy spot on the couch. A new episode of your favorite show is coming on. How would you feel if someone sat on the remote and changed the channel? Confused, annoyed, mad? All understandable reactions, but some football fanatics may have taken things too far.

One of the most exciting parts of the Super Bowl is the commercials. Even people who hate sports still look forward to this yearly event to see how advertisers try to draw attention. Some of these TV spots can be funny, embarrassing, or wholesome. One ad this year, however, got a starkly different reaction from viewers.

The free streaming service Tubi’s advert this year, titled “Interface Interruption,” starts with seemingly normal commentary of the game before showing a smart TV interface. The Tubi application is launched, with the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith being selected before showing the Tubi logo and then resuming regular programming. The commercial only lasted 15 seconds, but that was enough to throw people into a panic.

Everyone at my family’s Super Bowl party was confused and yelling at the TV. Other students had similar experiences, such as freshmen Janiah Dejesu and Hannah Defiore. Janiah said her family had a “good ha-ha moment” when the ad appeared, asking if they had ghosts. Hannah said her brother kept yelling at their dad, and everyone else froze. Luckily, this was all a misunderstanding, and things cooled down once the Tubi ad was over. Other people were not so lucky.

Many reports flooded

in from across America of women being yelled at by boyfriends, children being fearful of the aggression from their fathers, and bartenders having drinks thrown at them by irate patrons. The biggest story to come out is a nowdeleted Reddit thread titled, “I broke up with my boyfriend over the Tubi Super Bowl Commercial.”

The post shares how the user’s boyfriend went ballistic. Victim and user Usual-Umpire-4468 writes, “My boyfriend... began screaming at me violently, calling me things that I don’t even want to write down.”

It got to the point that the boyfriend punched a hole in their living room wall! The man eventually realized what happened and apologized, but by that point, the damage was already done. UsualUmpire-4468 writes, “I feel like if you can’t keep you [sic] anger in check and get that violent over something so small I don’t want to be around for it.” This post earned over 13,000 upvotes and many responses in support of the poster’s decision.

Many people on Twitter have admitted to flipping out at family during the

commercial. Some were apologetic, such as one man needing to repair his relationship with his motherin-law after cussing her out. Other users were not so kind, such as one mother admitting to yelling at her kids, followed by three laughing emojis. Can something like that really be considered a joke?

According to coverage on The Mary Sue, Tubi has not yet made a statement about this ad campaign and its repercussions. But is it Tubi’s fault? The company merely wanted to pull a prank and wildly succeeded. I believe we should instead hold the overreactors and abusers accountable for their actions. Freshman Janiah Dejesu agrees, saying, “You can’t blame a commercial for your temperament.”

Domestic violence is on the rise, and special events like these only spike the numbers. We need to start becoming more aware of this issue and giving help to those that desperately need it. If someone is going to hurt you physically or mentally over a 15-second commercial, it is probably best to leave for your own protection.

Domestic violence is very common on Superbowl Sunday

Credit: Marco Verch via Flickr

Mission Moment

“Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”

Theodore Roosevelt

CoFFee

Starbucks or Dunkin: Which Would You Pick?

Melanie Sanchez-Gonzalez Contributing Writer

We know that Starbucks is known for their fun creative drinks. Others may say Dunkin Donuts is known for their iced and hot coffee. People may say that older people like Dunkin’ Donuts, and younger people like Starbucks. However, when working at Dunkin’ Donuts, we have seen a variety of people coming to the store and it’s always packed.

Dunkin’ Donuts was established in 1950, making it 73 years old. Starbucks was founded in 1971 making it 51 years old. Dunkin Donuts, being a generation older, has had more time to establish long-time fans. However, Starbucks can position itself as an upstart.

“When I want a creative drink that I found on TikTok I go to Starbucks because I know they will make it for me” Jamie Albert, 2023

Dunkin’ Donuts is an every day, same order kind of deal, whereas a Starbucks

due to the price it might be an occasional treat. When we look at the prices of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.

Dunkin Donuts is clearly cheaper.

When we speak about Starbucks, we see that the menu is more broad. The menu is more customizable.

Starbucks is also trendy, customers will see a TikTok or instagram drink and go

to Starbucks and ask for that specific drink. It gets to the point that when you go to Starbucks and you start to explain what you want the Starbuck employee says “You want the TikTik drink?”. Dunkin Donuts has a classic coffee-and-donuts menu for the most part, though has grown into new areas. Such as, new drinks that

are not coffee based such as Refreshers and Coolattas.

As a fellow Dunkin employee, the majority of customers always have the same order, and it never changes regardless if there’s a new item on the menu. It is more of a comfort every day drink.

“I go to Dunkin Donuts everyday and I get the mini

bagels and a caramel ice coffee cream and sugar” Edward Suriel, 2023 Starbucks customers like to try the newest trend, like a pretty looking drink. An example is the “pink drink” its a Strawberry Acai Refresher with coconut milk. However, Dunkin Donuts is known for having better coffee at a lower price. They also offer a variety of breakfast sandwiches as well as donuts.

“When I go to Dunkin Donuts I spend half the price as I would at Starbucks” Elias Grehman, 2023 Starbucks has a number of options but it mainly known for unsual coffee drinks. Examples are the Cotton Candy Frappuccio, Nutella Frappuccino, and Orange Creamsicle Frappuccino. At Dunkin Donuts you can ask for unusal coffee drinks but it’s not as common as Starbucks. It is all about preference when you want a cup of coffee. If you had to choose between Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, what would you choose?

Coffee grinds being prepared

Credit: Nathan Dumlao via Unsplash.com

Five Healthy Tips for a Better College Life

Atticus Wickert Contributing Writer

It’s important to be able to make healthy choices when you first get to college. Making healthy choices can help you focus, learn, and overall, makes your time at college a lot easier. Let’s talk about five different, easy, affordable, and simple things you can do to start making your college experience better.

Making the gym a healthy habit! If it’s hitting the treadmill, or lifting weights, going to the gym builds healthy and good habits. Not only will you feel better about your health, but you will feel good about yourself! The gym also isn’t that hard to get into. Even just 30 minutes three times a week doing an easy small compound lift exercise based on what you want to achieve in the gym is do-able and sustainable with classes and busy schedules! If the gym isnt your style of exercise either, yoga, dance, sports, and just walking or running outside are great alternatives and super helpful for getting you into that healthy mindset!

Eating a good healthy well-rounded diet! We all know that ramen and chips are a college staple, but learning how to eat well and have a well-balanced diet is important as well. Everyone has unique needs for their meals, but it’s important to make sure you get vegetables, fruit, and other balanced options either in the cafeteria or in your own fridge! “When I first started here, I was not eating well whatsoever, I was having ramen every night and would eat snacks at like midnight, but then I started to cook and prepare my own lunches, and it really impacted my hunger and focus throughout the day” Said Nathan Rositzky a Senior at Alvernia. Do your homework and make sure to study! While everyone has their own preferences to how they like to study, and when they get their homework done, if you can do it consistently you are on the right track. Keeping a good habit of doing your work at a certain time each day can be helpful for some. Do not be afraid to ask people in your class to study together either, it can be an effective way to make

friends, and help you be even more prepared together! Remember, if you’re ever struggling with school work, a class, or studying for a test, or just generally want to get a better understanding of a class, the ASC has tutoring services for all students. To set up an appointment you can contact the ASC here https://www.alvernia.edu/ current-students/academicsuccess-center ! Getting enough sleep! We know that staying up late can feel essential with classwork and everything else. But staying on a good sleep schedule with at least 8 hours of sleep a day is important. Sleeping at the

How to Build your Resume

Sherrin Smith

Contributing Writer

Career readiness is what professors and advisors emphasize to students. It’s the sole purpose of college, to graduate and enter your career. However, getting ready for future jobs may be a struggle for some students. Fortunately, there are resources on campus to help students prepare for all things career -oriented.

The Career Development Center, located in Bernardine Hall, is a resourceful yet underused source of help here on campus. This is a place where students can receive help with resume building, mock interviews, and job searching.

Sophomore student, Olivia Noel, is a Peer Career Specialist in the Career Development Center. She assists students with resume help and conducts mock interviews. When asked about what makes a good resume, Noel said, “I think a good resume is being honest. To achieve a the good resume,

you really need to look at everything that you’ve done.”

Noel advised to discard everything from high school and “to focus in on the most important aspects of your resume.” Those important aspects include leadership skills, communication skills, or problem solving.

Once your resume is complete, the next step is to prepare for job interviews. To do so, Noel said, “ComeComing to mock interviews. It’s the best advice I can give you.” She added the importance of

them is to help students not imitate Porky Pig from Looney Toons. In other words, to not stutter over themselves or have trouble answering questions.

“The more you practice, the more confident you’ll feel within yourself and within what you’re saying to whatever employer that you’re trying to get a job from,” Noel said. Career Development offers mock trials, but if you are unable to have one, Noel added that you can practice with parents or friends.

body part afterwards, until you are fully relaxed.

Do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone! While it can feel comfortable to just hang out with the people you already know, or stay inside for a weekend, you should try and put yourself out there! Take a field trip with the school, walk around campus, or talk to someone in class! Making friends can be intimidating and hard, but it is a crucial step in making sure your year is as fun as it can be!

same time and for the same duration will help you with brain clarity, a healthy mind and heart, and will help with your concentration in class. Caffeine will not be a good substitute for multiple days without good enough sleep, so make sure you can find a good balance for you! Getting sleep can be hard, but a few tips would be to stay consistent with the schedule you set yourself up for, and make sure to stay off your phone for at least 30 minutes before bed. Another great tip for sleeping is a fun sleep science technique where you start with your toes, and flex every part of your body and then make sure to relax those

While there are so many more tips and important healthy choices you can make while going to college, these five can get you off to a good start! Making healthy choices and decisions can be hard, and challenging, and don’t be afraid to fail or not be able to keep up with everything at once.”Getting help when I needed it, and going day by day instead of constantly worrying about homework, and class workload is what I would recommend people doing” Said Nick Schuch a Junior at Alvernia. Failing and trying is a crucial step to being able to complete and stay on track with your goals next time!

Outside of Career Development, there are a few classes on campus that can assist students. One of them is Speech for Professionals (COM 223) with Dr. Fitzpatrick. When asked about the perspective her class gives in job preparation, Fitzpatrick said, “I think it makes it more real because I think everybody talks about it but not a lot of people actually do it. Because we have assignments that are attached to job preparation, it makes people think far more deeply about it and it makes them really work more to set goals, to achieve what they want to achieve, to get that dream job.”

To add on to Noel’s advice about resume building, Fitzpatrick said that “a lot of students think that they can approach a resume and have it finished very quickly because they’re writing about themselves. What they don’t realize is that…a resume is supposed to be an accurate reflection of your best skill sets and your best professional experiences and that kind of work takes time.”

Fitzpatrick also stated that it is best to receive feedback on your resume from your faculty advisor or a faculty member that you look up to, or even someone in Career Development.

Resume building can be hard, but there are external resources students have access to if they need assistance in creating one. Microsoft Word has templates to help create your resume and organize your skills and experiences. If you would like something more eye catching, Canva is an online and free graphic design website that users can use to create resumes as well. There are numerous templates available, however a subscription is needed if you would like more options. Lastly, there are a plethora of YouTube videos on resume building and interview preparation. All it takes is the drive to resume working on your career readiness to secure your future career.

Healthy food is an important part of a balanced life

Credit: Jannis Brandt via Unsplash.com

Workspace for a student working on a resume

Credit: Bram Naus via Unsplash.com

Season of Glory

Taralle Hayden

Contributing Writer

On October 15, 2022, the men’s basketball season was in full force. October seems like a really long time ago, but time flew by. The number one goal for the team was to win the MAC championship. Their chance to do so was on February 25 as they faced up against a conference rival, Widener University.

The two teams were respected throughout the conference for their ability during the regular season. While Widener was ranked third in the region, the Golden Wolves were right behind them in fourth. But in the MAC Commonwealth rankings, Alvernia was ranked number one from preseason all the way until the end of the season. By contrast, Widener bounced around from second to fourth, though was always in the hunt.

The Alvernia Golden Wolves and the Widener Pride met twice in the regular season. The first meeting happened on November 30 in Reading. The game went back and forth throughout the whole 40 minutes. But the most notable play of the game

came from the freshman, Jalil Schenck. Alvernia was down three, 65-68, with six seconds left to play and Schenck drills a three at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Widener was dialed in from the charity stripe all night, espescially in the overtime period where the seven of their ten points came from the free throw line. he Pride ended up taking the win 78-76 in overtime.

The two teams throughout the season received the respect that they should. While Widener was ranked third in the region, the Golden Wolves were right behind them ranked fourth. But, in the MAC Commonwealth rankings, Alvernia was ranked number one from preseason all the way until the end of the season. While Widener bounced around from second to fourth, they still maintained the respect that they should have.

The next meeting was at Widener’s Chester campus on January 25th in Chester, Pennsylvania, where Alvernia had to travel to Widener. The Golden Wolves came into the game with a different game plan, and it seemed to work.

Alvernia edged Widener

88-80 in a very up and down game that came down to the wire. AU shot 14-15 from the charity stripe in the second half and shot eight for eight in the last two minutes of the game to finish the game.

Widener and Alvernia were two teams to be selected out of the 64 across the country to make the NCAA tournament. It all came down to Saturday night here at Jack McCloskey Court. The Pride of Widener University and the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University faced off for the MAC Commonwealth championship.

The Golden Wolves came out the gates strong, and it looked like it was going to an easy win for Alvernia after the first 10 minutes. Alvernia held a 20-8 lead midway through the firstr half, but then the Pride went on a 23-13 run. By the end of the half only down two at 33-31.

The atmosphere Saturday night was one of the best crowds Alvernia has ever played in front of in years. With the 1,000 plus in attendance, the two teams gave them their money’s worth.

Alvernia started the second half strong by extending their lead to 6 with 17:19 to

play in the game. Widener answered by going on an 8-0 run to take the lead by two with just over 12 minutes to play in the game. As the game went on, the lead changed five times, but Widener had the last lead of the game at 74-69. The Pride took the 2023 MAC Commonwealth Championship. Widener improved to 19-8 as the Golden Wolves fell to 19-8.

On February 26, the Golden Wolves of Alvernia University received a bid to the ECAC tournament as the number one seed and faced off against the number seven seed Juniata University on Wednesday, March 1. Alvernia topped the

Eagles 69-58 to move onto the final four where they matched up against Neumann University on March 4 at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. The Golden Wolves continued their win streak with a 73-68 win over the Knights. Alvernia ended up falling just short in the championship game to Alfred University, 65-63. The Golden Wolves ended the year 21-8. Widener moved on to the NCAA national tournament where they fell to Tufts University, 66-78, on Friday, March 3. The Pride finished the year 19-9.

Keba Mitchell going for a dunk

Credit: Haleight Lackner