By: Alexis Cavalli, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, acc5407@psu.edu

Students protested Republican Presidential candidate John Kasich while he spoke to his constituents while visiting Penn State Brandywine on Thursday, April 21.

Students from Dr. Pauline Guerin’s Multicultural Psychology class used the opportunity to voice their opinions on different issues that Governor Kasich has spoken on throughout his years in office. Some of the topics included funding for Planned Parenthood, LGBT rights, needle exchange and gun control.

Brandywine student Bria Raynor explained what her protest sign that read “my health, my life, no matter what” meant to her.

“Governor Kasich feels as though Planned Parenthood should be defunded,” Raynor said. “However. I feel as though Planned Parenthood should be funded because of all the benefits such as free healthcare for women, sex education and their other resources. Planned Parenthood is about much more than abortions.”

Raynor’s poster was one of many the students had on display. Another poster read “Mentally Ill Don’t Kill.” This poster was a reaction to Kasich’s comment during an interview in which he said the country needed to focus on firearms and making sure states uses databases to upload the people who have mental illnesses.

“There is such a stigma with mentally ill patients, and to say that mentally ill people are the only people who perpetrate violent crimes is ludicrous,” Duane Belgrave Jr., the student holding that sign said.

Guerin will teach this Multicultural Psychology class again next spring; it’s a class where students will be provided the tools to speak out for civil rights at events like this.

REMINDER: Pennsylvania primary voting is April 26, 2016.

By: Michael McCarrick, Lion’s Eye Writer, mqm5415@psu.edu

Most job fairs at Penn State have company representatives recruiting students for jobs or internships but what if it was a fellow classmate pitching the company themselves?

That scenario happened on Feb. 19, when Brandywine students pitched their company at the internship fair. The fair was established to encourage and inform fellow students in an effort to recruit new interns and promote internships.

In the Tomezsko lounge, each student represented the company they were completing an internship at with a poster board of facts and contact information; some even had promotional items to give out such as brochures and pens.

Unlike traditional job fairs, the atmosphere was relaxed and attendees didn’t have to be dressed professionally or be assertive to representatives. Instead students could express themselves and chat with fellow students. Over a dozen recognizable and respected companies were represented at the internship fair.

Those particular businesses included: R2C marketing company, Wimico County Inc., Farmers Insurance, Sage. net, Matrix Design, BDO, Coatesville Kids Go to College, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Riddle Memorial Hospital, Maplezone Sports Institute, WMS: Wealth Management, Fierce Newtrition, Creative Financial Group Services, Goff’s Suds & Soda, Delaware County Government Center and Brandywine’s very own Vairo Library.

Brandywine student Molly Nichols is interning as a sports marketing intern from Wicomco County Inc.

“It’s good to get out and see what everyone else is doing, how they got their internships,” Nichols said.

Student Malaika Hamid has the luxury of working right in the Vairo Library, where she creates the advertisements seen on their video screens. She said the event benefits the campus in general because students can present what they do and help jumpstart their career after graduating.

Another student is an intern at the R2C Group. Lia Caprara, talked about the steps she took to secure the position she wanted.

“I took the internship class by looking at this fair,” Caprara said. “It’s a good way to network [with other students] and prepare to get an internship.”

This internship fair showcased students internships that will help them prepare for future careers.

Updated by the Lion’s Eye web staff

Cupcakes and condoms

Deja Footes, Lion’s Eye Staff Editor, dmf5475@psu.edu

Safe sex is smart sex.

Putting a humorous, yet honest, twist on sex and love, Dr. Justine Shuey came to Brandywine to speak to students and give them insight on things to keep in mind. Next to the speaker was a table full of cupcakes and condoms that caught a lot of students’ attention.

As class began to let out, more students filled the Lion’s Den, and Shuey began her presentation about practicing safe sex. Many students turned heads and laughed as she used specific words. She explained the terms in the context of a relationship.

“What is sex,” Shuey asked the crowd. She could tell that people were shy, but this event was a ‘no holds’ barred discussion. She explained, “Sex is deeper than a boy and girl or people of the same sex coming in physical contact with each other, but it is special when it is with someone you love.”

The focus on safe sex included threats of diseases. Preventative methods were shared and alternatives were given.

“She was funny,” Deja Smith, a Brandywine sophomore, said, “I enjoyed the presentation because she turned an awkward conversation into something really funny.”

Students also appreciated the relevance of the discussion

“If you don’t want to catch any diseases, it is important you take the right precautions and choose your partner wisely in order to be healthy,” Smith said.

Shuey’s discussion in the Lion’s Den also offered flavored condoms for men and women if they are performing oral sex. For example, the use of condoms can reduce not only the risk of unwanted pregnancy, but disease by 99.9 percent.

“I love how Dr. Shuey had props to describe certain things,” Freshman Sabria Williams said. “My favorite part of her presentation was how she made everyone laugh and feel comfortable, while still making us aware of the importance of safe sex.”

At the end of this event students were given cupcakes and were told to take as many condoms as they wanted. Students were able to walk away with valuable information that could prevent them from making bad decisions in the future and be a reminder to other students who are having sex that safe sex is always better.

By: Paul Alberici, Lion’s Eye Editor, paa5102@psu.edu

Since the late 1970’s, The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, commonly known as “THON” has raised millions to benefit families who are experiencing hardships associated with pediatric cancer while also helping fund cancer research at the Hershey Medical Center through The Four Diamonds Fund.

The main event of each year is the Dance Marathon in State College where student volunteers stand and dance without resting for 46 straight hours from 6:00 p.m. Friday night to 4:00 p.m. Sunday night. In THON 2016, Brandywine’s Benefitting THON group once again sent dancers to the dance floor to take the stand against pediatric cancer to join the 705 other dancers.

This year’s dancers from Brandywine were #18A: Alexis Proctor; #18B: Derek Osborn; and #18C: Abby Wilt. Each of them went through both physical and mental training to take on the task.

“I just tried to get lots of sleep two weeks ahead of time,” sophomore Public Relations Captain Alexis Proctor said. “I also started drinking a lot of water and did cardio leading up to the weekend.”

“Going in I knew I could do it, I had to, so there was no stopping me from getting through, and physically I tried to work out every day, working on cardio, my legs, and my lower back,” Derek Osborn, THON’s Fundraising Captain added.

“[I went to the] gym about every day for an hour where I mixed strength training and cardio to build strength and endurance,” senior Abby Wilt, whose involvement in THON started back in 2012, said. “The mental part didn’t really set in until after the weekend, knowing family and friends were with me every step of the way.”

Throughout the weekend, the dancers play games, listen to a variety of live music and just play with the kids who are on the dance floor of the Bryce Jordan Center. They learn the THON line dance which is new each year and highlights Penn State news, world news and pop culture references from the year prior. There are also visits from major personalities from the university both alumni and current.

“[One of my favorite parts was] The Pep rally and getting to see Leah and Devon Still,” Proctor said. “Plus, all of the fun dances from sports teams.”

The weekend itself is both trying and painful for the dancers. The physical pain of standing for such a long period of time is only matched by the mental and emotional fatigue that goes with staying awake. Around 3 a.m. on Sunday morning (which is hour 33 of 46), the dancers are given what is called a “support pass,” this is a short period of time where the dancers get to see two people closest to them and all three of the dancers agreed that was one of the toughest points of the weekend.

“That was when what I call ‘sleepy tears’ kicked in,” Wilt said. “Seeing people close to me at that time made me realize I was close but, I was so tired at that point.”

However, this also came right before the final four hours. During this time one of the most emotional periods of the weekend begins, known as “Family Hour.” During this period of the weekend, Four Diamonds families affected by cancer are introduced. There are multiple speeches made by the affected families, with some of the stories told by both the kids and their parents, but other families only have a picture of their child to hold on to. There is then a slideshow across the big screen in the arena, commemorating all those who had lost their battle with pediatric cancer over the years. The emotion was felt throughout the stadium, as all the THON volunteers in the stadium linked arms and showed their unity in the fight against cancer.

The Brandywine dancers took the stand and then succeeded in making it through all 46 hours without sitting or sleeping, and they were very excited about what they had just gone through.

“It was the best feeling ever, being able to dance meant that I could do anything and everything for these amazing kids,” Proctor said.

Getting to finally sit again after standing for so long was a welcome feeling, not just because of the chance to relieve their pain, but for a much bigger reason.

“It wasn’t so much the fact we got to sit after 46 hours,” Osborn said. “But the feeling of accomplishment that we did it. We made it 46 hours without sleeping or sitting. I felt like I made that small difference I cared so much to make, and I felt like I did something important.”

Shortly after the dancers got to sit came the moment everyone anticipated, the total reveal of how much THON had raised this year. THON 2016’s total was $9,770,332.32. While this number was lower than years prior, this number also comes with only one canning weekend being held rather than the usual three weekends throughout the fall. Canning is usually the biggest way that THON raises money throughout the Commonwealth. With that in mind, and knowing that the families are benefitted regardless of the total, none of the dancers were disappointed.

“I am very pleased, especially with what happened this year,” Wilt said. “Regardless of whatever was raised, I’m happy knowing any bit goes to the families and research to find a cure.”

Going through something this monumental tends to leave an impression on those involved and each of the campus’ dancers have something they’ll take away from this experience.

“The best thing I’ll probably take away is just taking it all in, and by that I mean, just looking at the kids playing and enjoying themselves for one amazing weekend knowing that I’m a part of why they can have a big smile on their faces is something I’ll keep in my heart forever,” Proctor said.

“The biggest thing I’ll take away from the weekend is how much of a difference dancing can actually make for the families. All the little kids I saw and all the kids I could make happy and have fun with, that what’s dancing is all about, that’s what we’re here to do, to make a difference in those kids lives and make it so that they don’t have to be a cancer patient anymore, they can be kids again,” Osborn said.

“My biggest take away from this will be the memories and friendships especially with this being my last THON,” Wilt said. “Not just with this year, but over my time at Penn State, I am so happy that I got to meet our THON family and all the amazing people within our THON group. I’ve grown so close to all of them.”

The end of THON weekend put a close on the fundraising year of 2016. Now, the returning students begin planning for the next year. Come September, Penn State students will come together once again to show the world what a bunch of college students can do when they unite for one cause “For the Kids and For the Cure.”

By: Alexis Cavalli, Lion’s Eye Editor, acc5407@psu.edu

Psychology students spend spring break in New York City at the Eastern Psychological Association Conference.

Spring break has notoriously been known as a time for college students to travel the world or catch up on some much needed sleep, but this year some of Brandywine’s Psychology students decided to skip the airports and get out of bed in order to experience the Eastern Psychological Association Conference in New York City.

The students spent Friday through Sunday in the Big Apple where they had the opportunity to attend multiple key notes including one about human sex trafficking which was a part of the United Nations Human Rights campaign.

“The trip was amazing,” Dan Kozieja, a senior Psychology student, said.  “It was great to learn about all the hot topics in psychology as well as bond with my Penn State Brandywine peers.”

The conference featured speakers from highly accredited institutions like New York University and Harvard Medical School. These speakers spoke about many different areas of Psychology including Clinical, Social, and Applied.

“The talks were interesting, and it was really nice to see the city and go out with everybody,” Senior Psychology student Alex Wells said.

The students were offered this opportunity through the Psychology Club which funded the trip through the Student Activity fee. This school funded trip is one of many that various clubs offer to any student willing to attend throughout the year. Clubs and trips like this not only offer students an opportunity to network but also the opportunity to make lifelong friends.

“It was really fun,” sophomore Emily Cataldo said. “I went not really knowing anyone and now I feel like I made some new friends.”

For more information on how to join the Psychology Club and attend future events like the Eastern Psychological Association Conference contact Dan Kozieja, Psychology Club President at aqk5419@psu.edu.

By: David Brown, Lion’s Eye Editor, dvb5451@psu.edu

The 2016 Presidential race has been like no other with record turnout for Republicans and an almost too-close-to-call race between the Democratic nominees.

After many primaries and mass media uproars, voting for the next candidate for President of the United States, is complete in multiple states. Both Republicans and Democrats started their campaigns in Iowa, where the rules are a little different when it comes to voting.

Unlike most states, the Iowa caucus takes about an hour. The Republican candidates, or a representative, stumps to convince Iowans to vote for them. After each representative or candidate pleads their case, the voters then privately vote.

The Democrats’ caucus is a bit different; voters break into groups for who they support and whoever has the bigger group wins that state. If a group doesn’t get at least 15% of the voters in that state, those voters must pick between the remaining candidates with at least 15%.

In this year’s Iowa caucus, that scenario was illustrated when Governor Martin O’ Malley wasn’t able to get 15 percent of voters in an acceptable amount of states. His remaining voters were persuaded by Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders supporters to join their groups.

Clinton and Sanders’ races were close from the beginning and it ended with both candidates giving victory speeches.
Controversy swirled after Clinton won Iowa by a narrow margin, because of how the tie breakers were conducted.

In Iowa, and surprisingly some other states, the tie breakers are decided by a coin toss. Yes, a coin toss. Throughout social media, outraged Sanders’ supporters pleaded unfairness and a recount that was never granted.
Although Clinton technically won, overall, Iowa was already predicted to be an easy win for Clinton. Sanders has since gained a great deal of money and support.

Controversy surrounded the Republican Iowa race as well. With Donald Trump leading the polls, he made a political decision that may have cost him the state of Iowa.

“I think some people were disappointed that I didn’t go into the debate,” Trump said, after coming in second to Ted Cruz.

Three days before the voting began, Fox News was hosting the Republican debate where one of the moderators would have been Megyn Kelly. Kelly and Trump have been known adversaries.

“Mr. Trump, one of the things people love about you is you speak your mind and you don’t use a politician’s filter,” Kelly said. “However, that is not without its downsides, in particular, when it comes to women. You’ve called women you don’t like ‘fat pigs,’ ‘dogs,’ ‘slobs’ and ‘disgusting animals.”

Kelly went on to ask, “Does that sound to you like the temperament of a man we should elect as president, and how will you answer the charge from Hillary Clinton, who was likely to be the Democratic nominee, that you are part of the war on women?”

After the debate Trump stated that Kelly and Fox News had treated him unfairly. With that said, Trump refused to participate in a debate if Kelly was one of the moderators.

When Fox didn’t budge, Trump kept his promise and held a fundraiser for veterans instead. Trump then placed second in Iowa, behind Senator Ted Cruz, with Senator Marco Rubio in a very close third. While Trump had a small lead going into Iowa, it is hard to tell if that debate was the reason he dropped in the polls.

At that point in the primaries, Republican candidate Carly Fiorina, and Senator Rand Paul suspended their campaigns. On the Democratic side, Governor Martin O’ Malley also suspended his campaign. Only a week after the Iowa caucus, the New Hampshire polls were opened.

Governor John Kasich, who received less than 2 percent of the voters in Iowa, expected a huge turn around in New Hampshire. Kasich actually skipped the state of Iowa all together; instead he campaigned in New Hampshire for nearly two months while other candidates remained in Iowa.

While Trump won New Hampshire with a huge lead, Kasich placed second with Cruz at third and Rubio a close fourth.
For the Democrats, the race had been decided early. Sanders won big, beating Clinton by nearly 23 percent. However, this win was expected since the Senator’s state, Vermont, is directly next to New Hampshire, giving Sanders home field advantage.

The elections for the Democrats then moved to the state of Nevada. Here, Clinton was favored, but, Sanders still hung in the fight. Clinton ended up winning Nevada with 52 percent of votes compared to Sanders 47 percent.

Most people think the race between Sanders and Clinton is close but, when it comes to delegates, Clinton is winning by a huge margin. Clinton has 502 delegates to Sanders’ 70; this is because of super delegates.

Super delegates are democratic elected or former elected officials who, by supporting a certain candidate, reward them with a delegate. Clinton has been given 451 super delegates compared to the 19 Sanders has been handed.
To win the nomination for the Democrats, a candidate must reach 2,383 delegates. That being said, Sanders still has a chance to win, but the race is not as close as it appears. While the Democrats voted in Nevada, the Republicans held their own in South Carolina.

Trump won big again with 10 percent more than Rubio and Cruz. Rubio came second with Cruz coming in third. The other 20 percent was split between Governor Jeb Bush, Governor John Kasich, and Dr. Ben Carson. Bush decided to suspend his campaign after South Carolina, leaving the Republicans with only five remaining candidates.

Donald Trump leads so far with 67 delegates. Ted Cruz has 11, Marco Rubio has 10, John Kasich has 5, and Dr. Ben Carson has 3. To win the Republican nomination a candidate is required to obtain 1,237 delegates.

Even with Trump’s strong lead, there is still time for the other candidates as well. However, if Carson and Kasich don’t gain votes in the next upcoming states they may be at the end of their campaigns. With Cruz and Rubio on the rise, they need to find a way to take votes away from Trump and gain momentum.

With only a few states decided, the race is far from over, but voters have made it obvious who they support. While record turnouts and first time candidates dominate the field, there is no way to predict who will win each nomination.

Erin Dolan, Lion’s Eye Staff Writer, evd5158@psu.edu

Penn State Brandywine’s senior volleyball player and setter Miranda Biondi has earned herself a commemorative banner hanging in the rafters at the Brandywine Athletic Center.

After ending her last season with the Brandywine volleyball team, Biondi’s academic and athletic resume sets her apart from other competitors.

During the 2016-17 season, Biondi was Brandywine volleyball’s first-ever United States Collegiate Athletic Association All-American, USCAA Student-Athlete of the Year and Penn State University Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She was also a USCAA National Academic Team nominee, selected to the Capital One Academic All-District Team in 2014, and a three-time PSUAC All-Academic Team honoree.

Biondi has kept a modest outlook regarding her awards and nominations.

“It was an amazing feeling,” Biondi said. “So many people kept telling me I was going to get it, but I wanted to stay humble if and when I was called. In that moment, I felt like everything I worked for academically and athletically paid off.”

Biondi concluded her four-year career on the volleyball court as Brandywine’s all-time leader in  assists (2,169) and aces (327).

In the future, she plans to transfer her volleyball communication skills into her career.

“I am going to take away the ability to work with different personalities and try to make connections with people,” Biondi said. “As a setter, I need to communicate and be a team player 24/7, so I plan to continue doing that.”

With the help of her team, Biondi led the PSUAC and ranks seventh in the USCAA, averaging 7.82 assists per set. She led Brandywine to its first-ever conference championship, tallying 36 assists and 15 digs during Brandywine’s title-clinching 3-1 victory over Penn State Fayette.

Biondi’s impact on the court has been recognized across the area. She was one of seven volleyball student-athletes from Philadelphia’s thirty area institutions to earn Academic All-Area accolades from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Head Coach Melissa Algeo had more than enough to say about Biondi.

“One of those players you want on your team,” Algeo said. “She is talented, humble and a hard worker. She is an extremely gifted athlete but her abilities reach far beyond the court; she’s dedicated and focused in the classroom.”

Aside from Biondi’s immeasurable impact on the 2015-16 season, Coach Algeo became Brandywine’s first volleyball coach to reach 100 victories after the Lions defeated Penn State York 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-12).

Coach Algeo is already looking forward to her next 100 victories.

“I am extremely proud and grateful to be part of this wonderful program,” Algeo said. “I am thankful to all my players, current and past, who made this possible.”

Coach Algeo’s accomplishment was not the only highlight for Brandywine’s team.

With the 2015-16 season record of 21-6, the team earned its first-ever bid to the USCAA Tournament. In addition, Brandywine went undefeated in their conference and claimed its first PSUAC crown.

Coach Algeo will miss Mirandi Biondi’s self-effacing spirit and dedication during games and practices.

“Miranda is a fantastic young women who I have been honored to coach for the last four years and will miss beyond words,” Algeo said.

It’s safe to say that Biondi has left a legacy unimaginable at Penn State Brandywine and is excited to move forward in a career after volleyball.