Day: October 5, 2015

Penn State Issues Statement about Vague Threats

Posted By under Uncategorized

An email was sent to Penn State Brandywine students Sunday about vague threats to a Philadelphia-area University.

The message stated:

Penn State, along with other universities that have a presence in the Philadelphia region, has learned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that there have been vague threats of violence at “a Philadelphia area University.” The FBI indicated that similarly vague threats have been made on social media across the country in the last several days. While law enforcement is not aware of any specific threat, Penn State University Police and Public Safety is closely monitoring the situation and police at Penn State’s Abington, Brandywine and Great Valley campuses will be operating with heightened awareness and diligence. Operations will continue as normal on Monday.

Students, faculty and staff at Abington, Brandywine and Great Valley should report any concerns or suspicious activity to police, either by dialing 911 or by calling one of the following numbers:

Abington: 215-881-7575
Brandywine: 610-892-1496
Great Valley: 610-648-3203

The FBI released the following statement over the weekend:

Out of an abundance of caution, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office notified local colleges and universities of a social media posting which threatened violence at a Philadelphia-area college or university for Monday, October 5. No specific college or university was identified in the posting. We encourage students, faculty, and employees at area colleges and universities to follow the guidance of their campus security officials. The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to investigate threats of violence, and, as always, we ask the public to report suspicious activity to law enforcement.

The threat was posted on 4chan, a message board where everyone is anonymous, last Friday, the day after the shooting in Oregon. It praises the gunman as a fellow member of the “Beta Rebellion.”

Brandywine campus abounds with new construction

Posted By under Campus News ,

As Penn State Brandywine began a new fall semester, students were greeted with new construction throughout the campus.

The construction can be seen all throughout the campus, most noticeably in front of the Commons building, where right now most of the patio is a dirt patch, but will, soon enough, be a water fountain.

Other locations of construction around campus are in the walkways where the school is adding more lamp posts. Another addition to the campus is right around Vairo Library and the tennis courts. Probably not many students noticed the few stones that made up a small short cut from the walkway that passes the tennis courts and connects to the walkway that passes the library. Those few stones are now newly built steps.

Many students and faculty are excited to see what the campus has in store for the new plans. Other students are excited but also feel inconvenienced by the schools construction.

“I think the construction outside of Commons is an inconvenience because it cuts off several pathways that lead to the entrance, but overall I think the construction will do the campus good,” one senior student who wishes to remain anonymous said.

Did you notice the upgraded lounge area in Viaro Library basement? Some of the furniture has been changed along with the outdated computers, which have been replaced with new Mac computers. Talks of adding a glass wall and entrance to the lounge have also been discussed.

Another reoccurring rumor around campus is when campus residence halls will be built. Well, rumor no more! The campus just received final township approval to construct the new student housing and student union projects. The school has plans to construct the residence halls right behind Vairo Library where the woods are currently located. The residence hall will be an L-shaped building able to house 250 students with a new dining hall.

“I am really excited that they will be adding dorms to the campus, it’s just a shame that I will be graduated by the time they are built, and I will not get to enjoy all of the new additions,” senior Anna Toshtzar said.

Some students would like to see other additions made to the campus in future years.

“I wish the school would build a better place for students to hang out,” senior Justin Gomez said. “I know that Commons is a place for students to hang out, but I wish that there was a place that had more chairs to relax in and more games for students to play such as a pool or foosball.”

Only the future will tell what advancements will be made on campus in the years to come. Penn State Brandywine is constantly updating in order to stay modern and competitive in the educational arena.

Lions Eye Staff Writer
 Tom O’Donnell, two5047@psu.edu
updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Campus celebrates Constitution Day

Posted By under Uncategorized

The Brandywine, PSU Civic and Community Engagement celebrated this year’s Constitution Day, on Thursday, September 17, 2015.

Lynn C. Hartle, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Coordinator, Civic and Community Engagement Laboratory
Lynn C. Hartle, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Coordinator, Civic and Community Engagement Laboratory
From left: Jamie Sabilion, Adasiah Blackshear, Yano Rodriquez, Cov comm intern
From left: Jamie Sabilion, Adasiah Blackshear, Yano Rodriquez, Cov comm intern

This date commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who are born in the U.S. or, by naturalization, have become citizens. In Vairo’s open-air patio, DJ Rohit Goswamy, kept the event lively with popular tunes and Karaoke. Students from the CIVCM 211 class, Adnaan Lambe, Brandi James, Brandi Johnson and CIVCM intern Yanira Rodriguez assisted with the festivities, which included a patriotic bandana decorating contest and Bill of Rights trivia game show. The main event was a “kick-off” for the campus voter registration drive, spear headed by Schreyer’s Honors student, Haleigh Swansen’s “Uncle Sam” squad. At this event, 25 students registered to vote. On-site voter registration will continue in the Vairo first floor lounge. Exercise your Right!

Lynn C. Hartle, Ph.D., Professor of Education, Coordinator, Civic and Community Engagement Laboratory
updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Students react to “The Walking Dead” spin-off

Posted By under Entertainment ,

When the AMC TV network and Walking Dead creators announced there would be a spin-off series to coincide with the critically acclaimed series The Walking Dead, fans were very excited yet curious as to what this series would be all about. Well on Aug. 23, fans got their first look at the spin-off titled Fear the Walking Dead.

The series is set in Los Angles and, instead of the apocalypse already being well under way like in the main series, starts at the very beginning of the outbreak in a much more populated area than the original show’s location of Georgia. The following for this show encompasses many people who have been fans of The Walking Dead since the very beginning.

“I have been watching the Walking Dead since it began in 2010,” senior Abby Wilt said. “It took me a while to get into the whole “zombie craze” but after the first three episodes, I was hooked.”

Because of the die-hard fans of the mainstream show, expectations have been high and the spinoff has its hands full trying to fill such big shoes.

“My expectations with this show will always be high, especially because I am comparing it to The Walking Dead,” senior Emily Battista said. “I am looking forward to seeing what they have in store.”

Some fans are also fully aware that like with any other show, the opening few episodes may be slow, but for good reason.

“It was as I expected,” senior Kevin Cardella said. “The episodes were kind of slow, but you can clearly see them building into large significant events. It’s also nice to see a different take to the show other than the original show.”

This show, however, takes a very different approach to the zombie apocalypse scenario. Instead of the seasoned veterans who know how to survive against the “walkers” (what this shows call zombies) in the main show, the characters of “Fear” have no idea how to handle this outbreak, or even what is going on. That, and the fact that there aren’t nearly as many walkers roaming around yet because the outbreak had just started, give it a unique twist.

“I expected the character to be naïve about what to do when approached by a walker,” Wilt said. “The thing that makes this show great is that it shows you what happened before the first episode of The Walking Dead.”

Kevin Cardella had a very similar opinion on the general population:

“In this new series they are living with the mind-set that these are just sick people who need help,” Cardella said. “By trying to help them and failing to see the danger of the walkers, people are getting infected more easily.”

With the show already renewed for another season before its first one is over, it will be interesting to see how these innocent people are forced to adapt. The spinoff series Fear The Walking Dead is on Sunday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. Season 6 of The Walking Dead begins Sunday, Oct. 11 at 9:00 p.m. on AMC as well.

Lions Eye Staff Editor,
Paul Alberici, paa5102@psu.edu
updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Women’s Soccer Looks for Bright Beginning

Posted By under Sports

As Brandywine’s fall sports’ seasons are well underway, new faces have the tough task of putting Brandywine’s women’s soccer on the map.

Penn State Brandywine has added women’s soccer to the mix. During the fall of 2014 the team played locally, but this year they have moved to an intercollegiate schedule. To accompany the new team, there are many newcomers on Brandywine’s campus and a new coach as well –Sharif Sabar.

Sabar, a Boyertown, PA native, worked as an assistant coach at Immaculata University and coached club soccer for 12 years. Sabar expects a lot this season.

“Our expectations are to have fun and build a culture around our team,” Sabar said.

Assistant Coach Takyiyah Thomas backed up Sabar’s idea.

“Our goal is to create a culture for this team and a foundation,” Thomas said.

With the season underway, Coach Sabar seems to be enjoying Brandywine thus far.

“I don’t like it, I love it, and it seems as if we’re one big family,” Sabar said. “The other coaches have been extremely helpful and supportive since my arrival.”

“I enjoy it here, and we have great facilities,” Thomas said.

While both coaches adapt to their new homes, the players embrace similar challenges. The players are looking forward to new challenges too. Freshman midfielder Ami Iannello, from Strath Haven High is excited about the team.

“So far I really like Brandywine, the teachers and students have been very supportive and welcoming,” Iannello said. “Our coaches are doing the best they can in developing the team, and it seems like we have really developed since the first day of preseason.”

This team has a lot of work to put in for the upcoming season and are hoping to improve skills and develop leadership among those who step up this year. It will be interesting to see the impact this team makes, not only on campus but also in the league as well. Developing chemistry throughout the new squad may be key to how they perform in the upcoming season. When the scrimmages come to a close, and the first games are played, Brandywine students and staff will have a better idea of how the new Nittany Lions look and what can be expected for the upcoming season.

 

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer

David Brown, dvb5451@psu.edu (updated by the Lion’s Eye web staff)

Brandywine Trap Club Takes Aim at New Year

Posted By under Uncategorized ,

Penn State Brandywine offers a diverse learning experience to all of its students. In keeping with its diversity, Brandywine also has a large number of clubs for students. One of these is the Brandywine Trap Shooting Club.

The Trap Shooting Club gives Penn State students the thrilling experience of learning about the game of trap shooting and master some key terms used within the sport such as pigeon, traphouse and no-bird.

Each new member is given special instructions on firearm safety and how to properly handle the firearm. Safety is a number one priority with the Trap Shooting Club, which is why they always have trained monitors standing by to assist members with questions or concerns.

The club welcomes members of all skill levels, from novice to expert and does not require that all of its members own a gun.

“It is beneficial if you have your own gun, however, we normally have extras on hand. The officers and sometimes other members allow those without their own gun to borrow theirs for a few rounds,” club president Carlie Swallow said.

Although trap club does not require members to own their own gun, there are only two types of guns allowed. The first is a 12-gauge shotgun and the second is a 20-gauge shotgun. The 12 and 20 represent the size of the shotgun shell; the higher the gauge the smaller the shell, and the smaller the gauge the larger the shell.

Currently, the club does not require members to pay a fee to shoot, but that may change. Members are required to wear eye and ear protection to ensure their safety. Other equipment that members may be interested in purchasing includes a shooting vest or shell bag.

In the past, the club has not competed against other schools. Given the number of members and strong interest, the club hopes that they will be able to compete soon.

There are a few mandatory meetings on campus for both officers and members to discuss upcoming shoots and address concerns. In addition to mandatory meetings, the club takes attendance one week prior to a shoot. The club uses the attendance records to estimate how many people will be there, how much ammo they will need to purchase before the shoot, and if they will need to borrow extra guns from Delaware County Sportsmen.

The trap club meets on the second, fourth and fifth Sunday of each month at noon at Delaware County Sportsmen—just 10 minutes from the Brandywine campus. To learn more or if you’re interested in joining the Trap Shooting Club, please feel free to email the club president Carlie Swallow at CAS6102@psu.edu or call 484-682-8372.

Lions Eye Staff Writer
Tom O’Donnell, two5047@psu.edu
updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff

Brandywine’s Men’s Soccer Full of Life After Much Needed First Win

Posted By under Uncategorized

David Brown, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, dvb5451@psu.edu

Starting the season 0-3, Brandywine’s Men’s Soccer looked to prove they still have winning expectations.

The first match playing Cabrini College was a close one, ending at a 3-1 win for Cabrini. After an early score, Cabrini put one in the back of the net for the lead. In the second half, Cabrini again scored, making it 2-0 with Brandywine on their heels. Answering back, #26, Nick Abhulimen scored in the box, cutting the lead 2-1. Only four minutes later Cabrini scored to advance their lead and eventually win 3-1.

Cabrini out-shot Brandywine 22-13, highlighting Brandywine goalkeeper, Pat O’Neill’s solid performance with five saves.

After that close match between Cabrini College and our Nittany Lions, the men’s team was defeated by both Washington Adventist University (0-3), and West Virginia Tech (0-9), getting out-scored 0-12, putting the struggling Lions in desperation for a win.

On the road, Penn State Brandywine would face the University of Valley Forge—looking to get their first win of the season.

The first twelve minutes of the match, Brandywine and Valley Forge came out hot, shooting six times with saves by both goalkeepers. Finally, in the thirteenth minute, #9, freshman Dan Tyler shot one past goalkeeper Alan Vera for his first goal as a Nittany Lion, and to take the lead 1-0 over Valley Forge.

Leaving the first half, Brandywine led 1-0 and looked to take more of a lead heading into the second half. Only two minutes into the second half, Valley Forge would draw the match at 1-1 for the time being.

With many shots from Brandywine’s #9 Dan Tyler and #14 Mannie Amine, they were able to assist #12 freshman Josh Burton to once again take the lead for the lions in the 55th minute.

After multiple substitutions and fouls by both teams, Brandywine and Valley Forge battled for 20 minutes until the final blow from #17 freshman Fornodson Pierre clinching the victory over Valley Forge 3-1 in favor of Brandywine.

Freshman Dan Tyler led the Nittany Lions with one goal and two assists, with Josh Burton and Fernodson Pierre with a goal each for their first collegiate goals for the Lions. Goalkeeper Pat O’Neill managed to stop both shots he faced early in the match, and freshman goalkeeper Joe Opdenaker was able to finish the match with four saves in the last 45 minutes.

This victory was much needed for the Lions and they hope to carry this new momentum into their upcoming matches.

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer

David Brown, dvb5451@psu.edu

 

Welcome Newcomers

Posted By under Campus News

Out with the old, in with the new.

Welcoming the freshman class of 2019, Brandywine was all about making them feel at home. Tons of festivities took place around campus, from reptile excursions to game shows. There was even a live reggae band sharing some of their traditional food and music with us.

The first year of college can be overwhelming to freshman because of the new curriculum they are about to experience. Brandywine put together a special week just for the freshman so they could feel at home.

On their first day of college, the freshman were excited for the delicious island food at the welcome back BBQ, where they caught a break from their classes. A long line of hungry students waited for the curry chicken and white rice, beef patties and jerk chicken. Many danced around to the reggae band, putting their own culture twist on the famous song, Earned It from the movie 50 Shades of Grey.

Looking around one could see everybody was in a good mood, catching up with friends, and some even making new ones. Even though it was uncomfortably hot outside, everyone was distracted by the fun they were having.

On Tuesday, August 25, the Think Fast game show took place in Commons. This was another campus activity that received a lot of freshman participation.

“I thought the game show we had here on campus was very entertaining and I learned a lot about different actors, music and even the world,” freshman accounting major Sabria Williams said.

There was a $200 cash prize for the winner at the end of the game.

“No I didn’t participate because of the prize, but knowing what the prize was made me more engaged in the game,” Williams said.

There were other students who looked like they still enjoyed the game even though they didn’t win the prize either.

By Friday afternoon, it was a beautiful day but campus was really quiet. Brandywine had a lot to offer for our incoming freshmen during welcome week.

Now that the fun is over, it’s time to get focused and worry about maintaining those “A” grades. Good luck!

 

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer

Deja Footes, dmf5475@psu.edu

Brandywine Students Attend Nittany Lions Football Season Opener

Posted By under Sports

The one tagline that Penn State University uses on many occasions is “We are one university, geographically dispersed,” and one of the few things that unites all the campuses outside of academics more than anything is the Nittany Lions football team.

This fact was highlighted on September 5, when the Nittany Lions opened the 2015 football season at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to take on the Temple Owls. And because of the stadium’s close vicinity to the Brandywine campus, Penn State Brandywine’s office of Student Affairs gave students the opportunity to see the season opener in person.

Needless to say, Brandywine students were excited to attend the game, many of whom had never been to a Penn State Football game.

“I was super excited because it was my first game,” Gene Cabrera, a Brandywine sophomore, said. “I enjoyed the day since I went with my dad and it was our first game ever!”

Since 1941, the Nittany Lions had dominated the Owls, winning every match-up between the two over those 75 years. With that fact and it being the first season since 2011 that the Nittany Lions were not under scholarship sanctions from the Sandusky scandal, expectations were high for Penn State.

“I honestly went into the game expecting Penn State to win like they did so many times before,” senior Tom O’Donnell said.

Because of Penn State’s large following throughout the state, the stadium was packed with as much, if not more, visiting PSU blue & white than the Temple red. The famous “We Are” chants could be heard ringing through the stadium. This was a fact Brandywine students noticed and thoroughly enjoyed.

“It was really amazing,” sophomore Derek Osborn said. “There were points throughout the game that the Penn State fans, the away team, were louder than the Temple fans; the energy was incredible.”

Unfortunately for the Nittany Lions, the streak that had covered the majority of the twentieth century and into this millennium, was ended as the Owls beat the Nittany Lions to the score of 27-10, putting the Nittany Lions at 0-1 to start the season.

After scoring 10 points in the first, the Lions went silent as the offensive line allowed 10 sacks on Christian Hackenberg and made it impossible to score. The defense held it together for most of the game, until late in the game when the Owls exploded on the scoreboard.

“The defense was mostly good for most of the time but the offense just wasn’t there when we needed it,” sophomore Coleman Hart said.

Despite the historic loss, the pride in the school was unwavering from Brandywine as they were chanting and cheering until the closing moments of the game.

“The outcome of the game was depressing, but it does not affect my pride for our school,” senior Anna Toshtzar said, adding a nice “WE ARE” cheer to the end of it.

It’s hard to take away any positives on the field after the embarrassing loss, and yet despite the lackluster performance, students from the Brandywine campus and Penn State fans all over still have immense pride in their school and are very happy to have their beloved Nittany Lions back on the field for yet another year of football.

Lion’s Eye Staff Editor

Paul Alberici, paa5102@psu.edu

Ambush at the Linc

Posted By under Sports, Uncategorized

The Nittany Lions were a part of history in their opening game against their in-state rivals the Temple Owls, but it wasn’t history that made Penn State students and alumni proud to be fans of the team.

For the first time since 1941, Penn State lost to Temple in a 27-10 rout in front of a record crowd of 69,176 at the Eagles Nest, Lincoln Financial Field (just the second sold attendance for an Owls game at the Linc).

The game had started out as expected for the favored Lions as they jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter featuring a 42 yard touchdown run by running back Akeel Lynch. As it progressed however, Penn State’s offense stalled and momentum began to shift near halftime. Temple cut the lead to 10-7 on a one-yard touchdown run by running back Jamad Thomas. Then they tied the game midway through the third quarter with a field goal, and on Penn State’s next possession, quarterback Christian Hackenberg made a mistake that opened the floodgates. He threw an interception deep in Penn State territory to linebacker Sharif Finch and returned the ball 26 yards to the two-yard line. Temple then took the lead with a quarterback sneak by PJ Walker, making it 17-10, and the momentum was on their side at the start of the fourth quarter. Hackenberg, along with the rest of Penn State’s offense, struggled to make any plays throughout the game as he was sacked a whopping ten times and was pressured for most of the snaps taken.

Their total yards for the last three quarters were an abysmal 34 as well. The junior running back Jamad Thomas had another touchdown run in the fourth quarter to extend the Owls lead to 24-10 and was, by far, the best offensive performer in the game. The best defensive performer was Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich who recorded three of the Owls 10 sacks. And a 30-yard field goal made with 5 minutes left in the game added insurance and sealed one of the biggest victories in the history of Temple’s football program.

“First thing, we have to give Temple and Coach [Matt] Rhule credit,” Penn State Head Coach James Franklin said. “They played extremely well. They dominated the front on each side of the ball. Their offensive line played well against our defensive line. The zone-read gave us some problems. Obviously, the sacks are an issue.”

This historic loss, 74 years and 39 previous matchups in the making, goes down as the worst defeat of the James Franklin Era, and a poor start to a season that followed a thrilling Bowl Victory over Boston College at Yankee Stadium last year. This game is an indicator that either Franklin and company have to reevaluate their game plan, or that the Temple Owls are a more compatible team then everyone thought.

The Nittany Lions moved on from this disaster by literally burying the game tape with a shovel on the practice field. Penn State has rebounded well, having since won four straight.

Lion’s Eye Staff Writer

Michael McCarrick, mqm5415@psu.edu, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer (since updated by Lion’s Eye Web Staff)

PSUTEMPLE3