25 15 4134 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/5ce1a3feba188380d11de4b3baad6e77.pdf 5c80543e6755d850c0ad113ec00cb690 PDF Text Text The Beacon - October 2, 2024 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Volume 77, Issue 5 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Wilkes comes back in a classic on Homecoming Weekend By Sam Mullen Asst. Sports Editor It was a celebratory homecoming for the Wilkes Colonels after the football team faced off Saturday against St. John Fisher University and ended with a 28-21 win. It was a rough start for the Colonels, as they fell into a 21-0 hole going in at halftime. The team tried to establish the run game on offense, but created short breaks for the defense who saw the Cardinals gain yards, mostly through the air. The Cardinals started the second half where they left off, turning the Colonels over on downs and setting up in the red zone. The Cardinals missed the kick and the Colonels used this as their wake up call. On their second drive of the third quarter, senior running back Elijah Jules got Wilkes on the board with a 38-yard touchdown run. The fight continued with an interception from senior defensive linemen Steele Hess, who returned it 54 yards to set up Wilkes at the Cardinals 17 yard line. It led to senior wide receiver Zane Grover finding senior wide receiver Jimmy Johnson in the endzone on a trick pass. ...Homecoming cont. on p.19 Wilkes University welcomes Jacob Kelley, page 6 Senior quaterback Xavier Powell scrambles away from St. John Fisher defends as he grabs the win against the Cardinals 28-21 on Saturday. Photo by Sam Mullen Ofﬁce of Diversity Initiatives hosts Night on the Town event, page 10 A review of Lil Tecca’s fourth studio album “PLAN A,” page 18 Athletes of the Week, pages 22 and 23 �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Emma Broda: emma.broda@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Sept. 25 weekly meeting By Kayla Bicskei News Staff Writer Student Government held its fifth weekly meeting of the Fall 2024 semester on Sept. 25. This meeting addressed club recognition requests, funding requests, club reports, and Student Government team event planning. The Student Government treasurer began the meeting with an updated budget report of $48,376. The Wilkes Health and Fitness Club returned for week two of two for its club recognition request. Club meetings for the Wilkes Health and Fitness Club will be held once a month. The Student Government voted to approve the club recognition request of the Wilkes Health and Fitness Club. The Crochet Club also returned for its week two of two club recognition request. Members voted to approve the club recognition request of the Crochet Club. T h e International S t u d e n t Ambassadors Club presented for their week one of two club recognition requests. The club displayed its mission to enhance the university experience for international students. The club currently has 70 members and has four upcoming events, including a Diwali event, Dia De Los Muertos event, Panamanian Culture Day and an International Education Week. The International Student Ambassadors Club will return next meeting for their week two of two club recognition request. The Wilkes Chapter of It’s On Us presented next with its week one of two fund requests. The chapter reported its mission to combat sexual assault. The chapter presented its plan for three weeks of safetythemed events and one month of events for Sexual Awareness Month. The chapter is requesting $750 to aid in funding their upcoming weeklong and month-long events, and two of their three upcoming conferences. The Wilkes Chapter of It’s On Us will return next meeting for their week two of two funding requests. To end the presentation section of the meeting, the Student Government Executive Council presented the club reports of the Hospitality Leadership Club, NAMI Club and Cheer Club. Student Government ended the fifth weekly meeting of the Fall 2024 semester with team planning for upcoming Student Government-hosted events. The next meeting will occur on Oct. 2. with the Children’s Service Center to provide Narcan Training on campus on November 15th, in the Savitz Lounge. This is free training, and you will be provided with your dose of nasal Naloxone. Complete the survey by Oct. 14 to register for the event https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp QLSdMTYK1dzHJJts0jj0Qyz_1NvTDoBwsHxULIY-0janrMYlhQ/viewform?usp=sf_ link Scholarship opportunity for students of Polish descent Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff HPSC Clothing Swap: accepting donations Ready for a closet clean out? Donate your clothing in the Honors Office in Stark 259 prior to Oct. 22 or bring them to the Clothing Swap event Oct. 22! All monetary proceeds will be donated. For more information, visit https://docs. google.com/document/d/1LyicGaBfphJlg 6EzzqkPxBm0INEwigeAskDx9xyu71M/ edit?usp=sharing Bonner Leader's Program offers Narcan training The Bonner Leader’s Program is working HPSC Blaze Pizza fundraiser Support the Honors Program Student Committee (HPSC) by ordering Blaze Pizza from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 18. Come hang out with friends and grab some yummy pizza. Show this flyer to ensure the Honors Program receives 20% of the proceeds. The Polish Room Committee Scholarship has opened applications. Applicants must write a brief essay based on the following: Choose a person of Polish descent from the list of Marie Curie, Frederic Chopin, Pope Saint John Paul II, and Andrzej Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Explain how this person deepened your appreciation of what it means to be Polish American, and what influence it has or will have on your life. Preference will be given to applicants demonstrating financial need. This letter must be submitted, along with the applicant’s name, WIN, and contact information to Allison Naumann, APKC. Applications can be emailed to allison. naumann@wilkes.edu with the subject line “Polish Heritage Scholarships.” Upcoming Events: 2024 Fall Semester September Ongoing - Movie Ticket Sales October 2 - Coffee Hour 3 - Blockbuster Bingo 10-14- Fall Recess 17 - Wilkestober Fest 22 - Honors Thrift Store 24 - Sound Showdown 28-31 - Freak Week �� The Beacon - October 2, 2024 News 3 President Greg Cant's contract extended through 2029 By Andrew Marshallsay News Staff Writer Wilkes University has announced a contract extension for President Greg Cant. The extension places him at the helm of the university through 2029. Cant, a native of Australia, was named the seventh president of the university in December 2019. He began his tenure in May 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Cant’s leadership, students and faculty were able to safely return to classes in the Fall 2020 semester. Since then, Cant’s leadership brought about a number of implementations to improve the university’s financial and enrollment strength, which included the restructuring of the multiple colleges on campus. Wilkes University board of trustees chair Bill Miller is looking forward to having Cant back. “Greg has proven to be an exemplary leader for Wilkes over the past four years,” Miller said. “We are looking forward to seeing his leadership of a new vision, mission and values for the University,” continued the chair of the board. For Cant, his time at Wilkes has also brought about the Innovate, Engage, Thrive plan. This plan includes goals such as advancing academic excellence and student success, promoting innovation and partnerships, strengthening financials, infrastructure and prioritizing community and service. Cant said that he is honored to stay at Wilkes. “I am deeply honored to continue serving as President of Wilkes University,” he said. “This institution holds a special place in my heart, and I am excited to build on our progress and lead Wilkes into its next chapter,” Cant concluded. For more information on the President’s extension, visit news.wilkes. edu and www.thewilkesbeacon.com. Photo courtesy of Greg Cant �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 News 4 That’s So Honors: A “sweet” internship with Hershey Hotel By Morgan Steiner Contributing Writer Internship experiences can have a major impact on your future. Some students leave their internship with job offers, while others leave knowing what kind of jobs they are not interested in. Brenda Arias, a senior majoring in hospitality leadership, had a one-ofa-kind internship experience at Hotel Hershey this past summer. The Hotel Hershey, a AAA Four Diamond resort and Forbes Rated property, is a five-star hotel next to Hershey Park, offering accommodations and special packages for guests visiting the park. Arias worked in several areas at her Hospitality Level 1 internship. “I was mainly responsible for following the daily operations of the front desk department, like carrying out the check-in and check-out procedures while maintaining the Forbes standard of the property," Arias said. She continued by saying that she "also acted as a coordinator for the Guest Relations Department, which mainly connected with the VIP guests that resided in the Villas, the sister property of the hotel." Arias found out about the opportunity for the internship through the university. “I actually got to speak to them directly and introduce myself at one of the career fairs I attended…a lot of previous hospitality students look to Hershey for internships, but mainly in the amusement park area, so I wanted something a little bit more concentrated on my major so I applied for the hotel position," Arias said. Though Arias had a tight schedule and many responsibilities, she still found time for fun, exploring Hershey and enjoying the amenities that Hershey employees have access to, like free admission to Hershey Park. Arias echoed the importance of internships, saying that her experience has helped her gain perspective. “It was very helpful seeing most of the concepts that I learned in my hospitality courses being actually used in the workplace. "The experience also gave me a better understanding of what I want my career to look like and what my next steps can be.” Now that she’s back on campus, Arias Brenda Arias, senior hospitality leadership major, spent the summer interning at the Hershey Hotel. said her best piece of advice is to put yourself out there. “Opportunities aren’t always handed to you in life so it’s important that you’re able to advocate for yourself and do what you need to do," said Arias. "I also think that getting out of your comfort zone is greatly important as it will make you learn things about yourself that you probably otherwise wouldn't have." Students seeking internships should attend one of the many Career Development Center’s events this semester, including upcoming career fairs. To learn more about the Honors Program, follow @wilkeshonros on Instagram. Photos submitted by Brenda Arias Arias and Kit Kat, one of Hershey's many mascots, pose for a quick pic. �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 News 5 Students develop skills at CCDI's first annual Career Carnival By Emma Broda News Editor On Sept. 26, the Center for Career Development and Internships (CCDI) hosted a Career Carnival. This event was one of the many events the CCDI has planned for this fall semester. The Career Carnival was a way to get students excited and prepared for the upcoming career fair, which will be taking place on campus next week. The carnival included different resources, such as the “Resume Review Station,” to get feedback on resumes; the “Elevator Pitch Station,” to work on fine tuning students’ pitches for interviews; and the “Colonel’s Clothing Closet PopUp,” which gave students an opportunity to put together professional outfits. The CCDI staff and guests were present to speak with students about interviews, internships and their careers. Business recruiters from Enterprise and Children’s Service Center were present to give advice and feedback to students before the career fair. One student working for the CCDI, Kahlasia Carter, a junior nursing major, shared some information about the CCDI and the upcoming fair. “The Career Carnival is here to promote the Career Fair, which is next Tuesday on October first,” said Carter. She continued by saying that the CCDI is “offering [an opportunity for] networking with employers and resume checking for students for the upcoming fair.” Carter also spoke more about what the CCDI offers on a regular basis. “We offer resume building, interview workshops, the Colonel’s Closet, career planning, and we host events so students can get acquainted in the field they want to work in,” she said. Molly Blaskiewicz, a senior marketing major, shared that the carnival was beneficial, even if you do not intend to go to the Career Fair. “There’s opportunities to learn how to build your resume and how to do an interview, which are all basic skills you should have no matter what you are doing,” she said. While the intent of the event was information and preparation, there was still plenty of fun at the carnival. The event hosted a Dunkin Donuts truck that handed out free samples of coffee. Blaskewicz said she tried the new drink. Dunkin Donuts introduced a new drink outside of the Career Carnival. “It was really good, it tasted like coffee ice cream.” In addition, there were lots of food options within the CCDI building including hot dogs, walking tacos and popcorn. As this event was a carnival, there were also plenty of games like cornhole and basketball. The CCDI also hosted gift card giveaways for students in attendance. “Every table you went to you got a ticket, and then you could enter it into a raffle for a Visa gift card,” Blaskiewicz said. Photos by Emma Broda Enterprise gave students on-site feedback on interview tips and resumes. Internship Coordinator Jenna Weiss shows off the Career Carnival sign. �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 News 6 Interim assistant director of diversity initiatives named Wilkes University welcomes Jacob Kelley By Zach Paraway Sports Editor Many people will talk about the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion and how important it is to instill them in life. It is not often, however, that someone comes to embody those ideals and not just take them to use for their lives but to help improve the lives of those around them. Jacob Kelley has dedicated most of their adult life to helping others and creating better lives for others around them. Kelley joins Wilkes University for this upcoming semester but is familiar with the area from their youth. “I accepted the position at Wilkes University because I grew up and have worked in the NEPA Luzerne County area," Kelley said. "I have collaborated with many entities associated with Wilkes, which has allowed me to invest more time in understanding the impact of DEI within university structure. I see Wilkes University as a place where individuals grow, learn and aspire to achieve more. "Being part of that journey for others is incredibly rewarding,." Their background before Wilkes is extensive and encompasses many DEI initiatives. After college, they worked as a medical HIV case manager with multiple nonprofit organizations. They then moved into administration as the role of workplace culture director for CAAP (Community Action Association of Pennsylvania), where they oversaw policy, procedures and initiatives related to DEI. During this time, they also founded Mx. Kelley Queer Education LLC, where they help to oversee DEI and LGBTQIA+ training, including Safe Zone training, DEI metrics, and strategic planning for clients. They completed a masters from Widener University in 2020 and are currently a doctoral candidate for Widener’s human sexuality program. Kelley joins Wilkes as the interim assistant director of diversity affairs. They have strong goals for the office, especially when it comes to working with and for students. “My goals in this role are to uplift and elevate the college experience by empowering students to take control of their lives and strive for success," said Kelley. "I also aim to assist Wilkes University in its efforts around DEI and strategic planning. I’m eager to connect with the students and be part of their journey as they navigate their futures." When they are not at Wilkes, Kelley remains active in the local community and has a variety of hobbies. “When I’m not working at Wilkes, running my business, or performing as my drag persona Trixy Valentine, I enjoy traveling. I love visiting different countries, catching up with friends, and ensuring I’m thriving by experiencing the world.” Kelley will oversee the Office of Diversity Affairs for the next couple months. This includes working with students and staff on programs to promote DEI across campus, such as with clubs like the Multicultural Student Coalition and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Jacob Kelley joins Wilkes as the interim assistant director of diversity initiatives. Kelley meets with Multicultural Student Coalition Public Relations Ofﬁcer Joshua Ermeus. Photos by Zach Paraway �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Editor-in-Chief Sydney Allabaugh at sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu Bonner Leaders seek donations for Ruth’s Place By Kailey Vogel Special to The Beacon The Bonner Leaders Program is collecting donations for Ruth’s Plae, now through Nov. 25. “Ruth’s Place House of Hope is an emergency sheltering support group for women experiencing homelessness,” according to its website. The program was started in 2003 and provides women with shelter, food, personal hygiene products, and resources to get them back on their feet. These resources include job connections, social relationships, teachings of life skills, and other case management services. Brenda Arias is a senior hospitality leadership major with a minor in marketing. As a Bonner Leader, she has been involved with helping Ruth’s Place for the past four years. “I began volunteering with Ruth’s Place my first semester of my first-year at Wilkes; now I’m in my first semester of senior year. Since that point on, it’s been an established partnership that has grown over time.” she said. Her favorite part of helping aid Ruth’s Place and others in need is, “the fact that I get to learn a little more about the women at the shelter. “Working with people in need makes me more appreciative of the things that I have and it gives me more of an open mind on how I look at things. I also like the idea of using what I have to help support others. “I think one of the most important things to remember in life is that no matter how successful you become, you’re only as good as the people around you, so being able to use the resources that you have to uplift others is vital.” The Bonner Leader Program is a federal work-study program available at Wilkes that provides students with community service and volunteer opportunities around Wilkes-Barre. Established on campus in 2021, the program encourages students to give back to their communities and help those in need. In return, students are assisted financially and educationally, preparing them with leadership skills. Arias has been a member of the Bonner Leaders Program since her first semester. “Being a Bonner Leader means taking what you have to uplift others in any way you can. It’s more than service, even though it is a central part of it, but it goes beyond that. I think it’s about thinking innovatively and being able to be resourceful. “It’s learning how to work alongside others to foster growth that can make people better off. In short, it’s mainly about leaving every place you enter a little better off than it was before.” Arias suggested items that the program will be collecting, such as non-perishable food items (milk, fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, butter, etc.), frozen foods, Tupperware containers, toilet paper, paper towels, N95s and other medical face coverings, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, bottled drinks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, conditioner, shampoo, new clothing (sleepwear, socks, and undergarments), Tylenol, Ibuprofen, disinfectants, and Clorox wipes, to name a few. The Bonner Leader Program is asking students and staff members to donate. Donation drop-offs can be found in the Colonel’s Cupboard, located behind the Henry Student Center, or in the Honors Office, located on the second floor of the Stark Learning Center. Collections will occur now, until Nov. 25. For more information, email Brenda Arias for the full donation list, or how to get involved. Let’s RUT H ’S P L A C E W O ME N ’ S S HE L T E R WHAT IS NEEDED: DEODORANT BODY WASH SHAMPOO CONDITIONER TOOTHPASTE SHAVING RAZORS TOWELS WASHCLOTHS DROP-OFF LOCATION: COLONEL’S CUPBOARD OR HONORS PORGRAM OFFICE COLLECTIONS WILL BEGING 9/12 AND END 11/25 FOR THE COMPLETE DONATION LIST CONTACT: BRENDA.ARIAS@WILKES.EDU �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment Sydney Allabaugh: 8 Sam Mullen: COLE PIMP - Denzel Curry, Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J Not Like Us - Kendrick Lamar Stephen Youkoski: The Weeknd - Play Carti Save Your Heart - Mayday Paradise Megan Davis: Disconnected - 5 Seconds of Summer Adam Grundt: Leah Smith: Lonely is the Muse - Halsey Zach Paraway: O-o-h Child - The Five Stairships Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staﬀ picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bops! �Life, Arts & Entertainment The Beacon – October 2, 2024 9 Banned books celebrated, added to campus Little Free Library By Natalia Willians Staff Writer On Sept. 23, The Wilkes University Alpha Gamma Alpha chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Society hosted a celebration for banned books. Attendees were offered cupcakes and celebrated banned books. In addition to this, several banned books were added to the Little Free Library, which is located outside of Kirby Hall. Anyone borrowing books from the Little Free Library is urged to return them to the library or share it with another student to ensure as many people as possible can read a banned book. Banned Books Week established in 1982, brings awareness to the surge of the number of books being challenged in bookstores, libraries, and schools. This year’s theme was “Freed Between the Lines” Book banning is a form of censorship, when government officials or organizations remove books from school reading lists, libraries, or bookstores due to themes, content, or ideas. According to the Free Speech Center of Middle Tennessee State University, books that are banned or censored contain themes or ideas such as graphic violence, lack literary merit, include offensive language, or express disrespect for parents and family. Banning and censoring books has surged in the past year. According to the American Library Association, in 2023 alone, there were 1,247 efforts to censor books and other resources in libraries, which is an 65% increase from the year before. “I am certainly opposed to banning books—beyond those that instruct on violence and means of violence, or have some significant national security threat,” said English professor Dr. Chad Stanley. “We thrive by considering other ideas and perspectives, whether historical or purely fictive and imaginative.” In total, 4,240 book titles were targeted and many of them were representing the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC experiences and voices. When looking at the top 10 most challenged books of 2023 provided by the ALA, more than half contain themes about race and LGBTQIA+. Books that have been banned in multiple states across the US include “Gender Queer: A Memoir,” by Maia Kobabe; “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas; and “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Have you read a banned book lately? Indian,” by Sherman Alexie. Banning books with these themes makes it harder for students to access books that teach valuable lessons. “Sexuality and gender have always been key target areas/topics,” Stanley said. “This has persisted, but we are also very sadly now in an era in which there is newly active denial of the historical realities of racism and the past enslavement of human beings.” The Beacon is looking for writers and photographers interested in covering Life, Arts & Entertainment Interested? Email kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu �The Beacon – October 2, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 Office of Diversity Initiatives: Night on the town @ La Cantina Amigon As part of its efforts to provide learning experiences surrounding the history and customs of cultural groups, the Office of Diversity Initiatives recently took students to nearby La Cantina Amigon to enjoy a variety of foods. Above, from left, Najhae Johnson, Shanelly Hinds, and Joey Savorsky attended the Night on the Town event, sponsored by the Office of Diversity Initiatives. Below, from left, Shanelly Hinds, Joey Savorsky, David Hesiner and Starr Sandt enjoy dinner from La Cantina Amigon. At top right, Jacob Kelley, interim assistant director for the Office of Diversity Initiatves joins students for dinner at La Cantina Amigon. Photos by Zachary Paraway �Football Word Scramble alfolotb agmemrisc wnod nnoesocrvi axrte tpion reups wlbo istrf nwod seltac tlioaann pansiichhpom hlteme otondwcuh galf football scrimmage down conversion extra point super bowl first down cleats national championship helmet touchdown flag Answer Key: �� Word Scramble The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 11 �The Beacon- October 2, 2025 12 Slominski hed by Shannon p ra g to o h p ly m Mullen al Pep R tographed by Sa o h p y lt ya o R g Homecomin �The Beacon- October 2, 2025 13 HOMECOMING COURT �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Opinion Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact assistant opinion editors: leah.smith@wilkes.edu or logan.colonna@wilkes.edu. Editorial Staff 2024-25 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Sydney Allabaugh Managing Editor: Stephen Youkoski Social Media Manager - Megan Davis Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Emma Broda Sports - Zach Paraway ASSISTANT EDITORS Opinion - Logan Colonna Opinion - Leah Smith Sports - Adam Grundt Sports - Sam Mullen DESIGNERS Head Designer - Lara Mullen Designer - Laura De Lora Layout Designer - Brady Melovitz SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Kayla Bicskei LA&E - Natalia Williams Opinion - Shawn Carey Opinion - “Freeze” Sports - Andrew Marshallsay Sports - Ava Tureen 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu or Sydney Allabaugh at sydney. allabaugh@wilkes.edu. The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Combining two major events was a poor choice September is always a busy month at Wilkes University. Students are just getting comfortable on campus, classes are still getting underway and the school had many events going on during this time. Two of these key events during this month are Family Day and Homecoming weekend. Family Day, which usually takes place the second or third Saturday of September, is a chance for students to have their families come see their day-to-day lives on campus. It’s great for first-year students who are still adjusting and could use the opportunity to see their families, and it works well for upperclassmen who, as the years go on, can now have more and more of their family come and see them. Then we have Homecoming weekend, the last weekend of September or the first in October. Everyone knows what Homecoming looks like, with all the events for alumni, students and staff all weekend. Whether that is the football game, any dinner or brunch or the dance, there are events for all. While they are both in the same month, they take place during different weekends to give space for not only students but for the campus as a whole. That was until this year with the combination of Family Day and Homecoming weekend into one this year, which led to a variety of issues. Many of the problems about the weekend revolved around the same thing, space. This campus is simply not big enough to support both parents and alumni properly. First and most obvious of all, parking. While no places on campus closed their parkings lots thankfully, they were all full due to the sheer amount of people. Not only was all the parking gone, but everywhere you turned, an event was going on. While this can be seen as fun and great for the campus as a whole, it comes off as disingenuous when on any other weekend on this campus, hardly anything happens. The campus shouldn’t necessarily feel responsible for putting on events every single weekend for the campus as a whole, but they should take more of a responsibility of making events for the students in the same breadth that they do for alumni. The student leaders and clubs should not be solely responsible for creating that; that idea has led to many of our student leaders feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. That responsibility has to fall more on the offices within this university. Another issue with the weekend was the complete lack of information given to the students. Many students had to find out everything about parents’ weekend from their parents. This included a change to now charging for events for the weekend. While it is understandable that there is a need to charge the parents for events being held by the school, students need to also understand this information. That becomes especially true when parents call their child asking why it is now $20 per person to preregister for the weekend. This is not even to mention the parking issues for the football game and not widely publicizing to the students about how to get parking. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Opinion 15 The Icebox: Wilkes spirit through “Pokemon Go?” By “Freeze” Opinion Staff Writer Do you remember back in 2016 when GameFreak shattered the capabilities of mobile gaming through their revolutionary title, “Pokémon Go?” You may have noticed how it became the talk of the town for adults and children alike. The truth is, the game is very much still alive to this day, even here on Wilkes campus. If you are not familiar with “Pokémon Go,” it is a mobile game in which players are tracked in real-time by GPS so their avatar in-game can travel among the world of the Pokémon. Every so often there are Pokémon that appear and can be caught with pokéballs. All is done through augmented reality, an advanced camera software that combines the digital world with real life. Places in real life play an important role in the game. Significant areas are labeled as Pokéstops, where players can harvest items like fruits, gifts and more catching equipment. Some places which are even more important are gyms. Here, players can station a chosen Pokémon to defend a gym claimed by their team. There are three teams: Instinct (Yellow), Valor (Red) and Mystic (Blue). If a gym is not claimed by your team, you have the option of running a 6-team against the Pokémon stationed at the gym in order to defeat and conquer it, reaping many gym-specific rewards and enabling your teammates around the area to help defend the newly claimed gym. Now, how exactly can one show Wilkes spirit through such a game? It’s quite simple, really. First of all, many students on campus are likely to checkin through “Pokémon Go” at least once per day. During this time, they are very likely to participate in gym battles. Normally, you can get a good idea of the dominating team per area by seeing the color of each gym in proximity. When I check the gyms that are on campus, they are never the same color. This means that there are plenty of competitors somewhere on campus who are always ready to play. It gets even more interesting than just competing over gym locations. Players who friend each other are able to trade gifts and send each other postcards of places they have visited through the game. A group of players can organize a physical meeting in which they are all able to trade and showcase their Pokémon. It would be very interesting to have people on campus be able to bond over this game by setting up meetings on campus. In a way, we can encourage everyone that likes to play the game to connect with one another and create a Wilkes-wide program, perhaps even setting up adventures together. It would even be beneficial in the healthy sense in that it provides means of getting fresh air, physical exercise and even relieving some stress. Finally, the biggest reason to connect with others in “Pokémon Go” is the Shadow Raids, courtesy of Team Rocket. The Shadow Raids are an attempt for Team Rocket to take over gyms by placement of eggs. These eggs have a timer to let players nearby know when the raid will begin. Basically, a gigantic, shadow and often mega-evolved Pokémon hatches from the egg and takes over the gym. The raid only lasts for a limited time, but it is important that a player participates. When the raid begins, players who wish to participate can queue into a team, each with their own six Pokémon. The raid boss is supposed to be extremely difficult, so it will take all of the players working together to defeat it. The more people in the raid, the easier it will be to defeat the boss, free the gym and reap the rewards. Once the boss is defeated, it shrinks back to normal size and players have the opportunity to catch it before it flees. The Pokémon will be in shadow form, meaning it needs to be purified before it can evolve or be powered up. The boss is usually a very powerful and rare Pokémon, so defeating them is quite rewarding. There you have it, plenty of reasons to connect with your friends through this wonderful game and to make new friends on campus. Perhaps you forgot about how amazing “Pokémon Go” is and now you will log back in after many a year. In any case, I think this is a great way to create some unity and competition among the Colonels. At the very least, we can do better than our rivals across the Square. Why 1990’s and 2000’s music is better than modern music By Natalia Williams Life, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer Ever since I was little, I’ve always remembered hearing my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles always say, “People don’t make music like they used to.” I never understood why they said that, until I was old enough to grasp music and understand it. As I got older, I started to realize what they were saying was true. I have been surrounded by music from the ‘90s and 2000s practically all my life. Listening to music from back then and comparing it to now, it’s completely different. I’ve always gravitated toward throwback music because of the nostalgic feeling, the messages the music gave and just the overall feeling I get when I hear my favorite throwback track. Listening to the music artists used to write back then, I feel there was more passion, emotion and deep feelings put into it. Artists cared about the quality of the production and the lyrics during this time period. Songs in that era quickly became iconic pieces of music that allowed their listeners to connect with them on a deeper level. We do have some artists who are excellent writers nowadays, but a lot of the songs that are mainstream almost sound the same production wise and tell the same story lyrically. During the ‘90s and 2000s, we saw a rise in new and diverse genres. There were artists of many different genres releasing different and unique things. During this day and age, I feel even though artists are in the same genre, their music still sounds the same. Let’s use the pop genre for an example. If I turn on a playlist with the newest pop hits, they are most likely gonna sound the same production wise or storyline. Granted, most 2000’s pop songs gave the same vibe, but each had a different quality that made them stand out and sound different. I feel there aren’t any artists today that are simply iconic musicians. In my opinion, I have yet to see an artist genuinely make a statement and contribution to the music industry like artists used to do. Yes, we have artists like Taylor Swift, but I don’t believe that she has made an impact on music like someone like Mariah Carey or Britney Spears. Finally, the feeling I get when listening to throwback music is something indescribable. I love turning on a song and instantly getting taken back to a moment I had in my childhood. Whether it’s a good or bad time, it’s always so comforting to reminisce and cherish different memories. Even though I love some of the music that is coming out recently, I will always stick to my ‘90s and 2000s to listen to on a daily basis due to the connections I have and can make with the tracks, the diversity of the songs and that feeling of traveling back in time whenever I hit play on my playlist. �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Opinion 16 “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” is wildly underrated Why “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” is the best Batman movie By Leah Smith Asst. Opinion Editor �� Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Opinion 17 First-person vs third-person POV: Which is better? By Shawn Carey Opinion Staff Writer It’s pretty hard to describe the many important decisions an author must make when they start working on a new book, especially when it comes to fiction stories. Voice, themes, tone, genre and imagery are just a few of the literary devices an author must manage. Not all devices are of equal importance, however. I have always believed that one of the most important aspects of writing a fiction book is deciding what point of view it’s going to be told in. As I’m sure many know, in writing there are three points of view: first, second and third. For the sake of convenience, I’m not really going to talk about second person point of view. Second-person isn’t really used in fiction stories. Off the top of my head the only example that I can think of are those old choose your own adventure books. It has recently come to my attention that there is a bit of discord around what point of view a story uses, mainly among the “Booktok” crowd. I’ve seen countless videos of readers complaining about the use of third-person in books, with many of which outright saying that they refuse to read in books that are written in the POV. I was honestly a bit taken aback by this discoverly. I understand that everyone has their own preferences; I’m not faulting anyone for having an opinion. However, I do find it a bit strange that there’s such a vocal hatred for the POV. In this article, I want to find out if the hate is justified, or if everyone is just overreacting. I’m going to be comparing their strengths and weaknesses, what makes them unique and how they should be used. Before we officially get started, I want to say that I have experience writing in both POVs. Much of what I’m talking about will be based around personal works and what I’ve learned from them. First-person point of view is a way of telling a story from the perspective of a specific character. Pronouns such as “I,” “me,” “myself ” and “we” are the most commonly known ones. First-person is used quite often in our current literary environment. As of right now it’s most common to see it be used in romance and romance-adjacent stories. The “Twilight” series by Stephen Meyer is a pretty good example. There’s a lot of really interesting things an author can do with a first-person perspective. For instance, first person is often used to limit what the reader knows to only what the narrator knows. This leads me to my favorite reason for using first person: the characters. First person is able to make a story feel extremely intimate and conversational. The reader is directly involved in the characters’ thoughts; we get to know how they feel before anyone else. This includes things they don’t know. You can build tension much easier than you can in third person. Both the character and reader are kept in the dark. You’re going through the story together. As I mentioned before, romance is a great genre for first-person. However, I would make the argument that mystery may be an even better genre for the POV, mainly due to the limited POV the reader has, which in a way, turns them into amateur detectives. Moving on, next we have third-person point of view. Third person has it where the narrator is not part of the story and instead uses third-person pronouns, like “his” and “her,” to describe the characters’ actions. Third person is overall seen as a lot less personal than first person. However, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The POV gives us access to multiple characters’ perspectives, which helps the reader to feel more empathetic and attached to them. It’s also much easier to jump around to different scenes, helping build out the world around the characters. Speaking of world building, third person allows for more detailed scene description, making it the ideal POV for fantasy novels. You’re beyond a single character’s point of view; you can describe everything about a given location, even if they don’t know anything about it. There are actually multiple types of third-person points of view in writing: omniscient, limited, and objective. As the name suggests, omniscient has the narrator as this all-knowing being. They have the ability to share the thoughts and feelings of every single character, as well as their own opinions. Then there’s my personal favorite: limited. The narrator can only see what the protagonist experiences and thinks and perceives other characters through the protagonist’s eyes. If you think that this sounds a lot like first-person, you would be correct. It has all the important elements of first, just with different pronouns. Lastly, there’s objective. The narrator uses an observational tone and only describes what is seen and heard. The narrator doesn’t usually express or understand the characters’ thoughts or feelings. This one is probably my least favorite out of the three. I personally think that a story needs to be somewhat biased for the sake of it’s story. Third-person works really well with fantasy and sci-fi stories. The wider point of view allows for much more complex storytelling and world exploration, two things that are especially important in the previously mentioned genres. Third person is usually harder to write, especially with newer writers. You can very easily lose the plot, mainly by spending too much time describing a singular location. Now that we have everything out there, which one is better? I honestly don’t believe that one is better than the other. Yeah I know, that’s a bit of a cop out. After going through everything I must say, I honestly don’t think that I can say that I like one more. Sure, while I may prefer to write in third-person, I’m constantly using first-person techniques. I think that it depends mainly on the genre. Romance works really well with first-person so it makes sense why a romance-focused reader may like firstperson more. The same goes with thirdperson and fantasy. Even with that, there are genres that work well with both. Let’s look at horror. Two of the most popular horror novels are “The Shining” by Stephen King and “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. “The Shining” uses an omniscient thirdperson narrator for its story. Meanwhile, “Dracula” is told through old journal entries, making it first-person. The world of literature is an extremely complex place. I understand why a person would want to stick exclusively with one genre or POV. However, I believe that it would be beneficial for a person to read outside their comfort zone every once in a while. After all, you’ll never know what you might like. Perhaps you may even have a new favorite way of reading. Graphic by Maria Gonzalez �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Opinion 18 A review of Lil Tecca's fourth studio album "PLAN A" By Logan Colonna Asst. Opinion Editor If you’re like me and disapproved of Future’s most recent release “MIXTAPE PLUTO,” then you may have been steered into listening to a project that released the same night. For me, this was Lil Tecca’s fourth studio album, “PLAN A.” Coming off of his successful 2023 album, “TEC,” I expect Lil Tecca to deliver on this album as well. As always, we’ll dive into how Lil Tecca did on this project. Overall, I believe that he did pretty well. He does what he usually does on his tracks and simply raps over the instrumentals with ease. Each beat is made just for him so it’s hard for him to not sound good from track to track. Some standout songs are “TASTE” and “I CAN’T LET GO.” As for “TASTE,” I thoroughly enjoyed what Tecca did sonically. I loved his flow and vocals during the entire track. I thought it merged amazingly well with the production of the song. On “I CAN’T LET GO,” we see Tecca imitate the feature artist, Don Toliver, and I loved everything about his verses. I see myself liking quite a bit of Don Toliver songs, so this comes as no surprise to me. On top of this, Tecca continues to rap his heart out when stops copying Don, showing off how he grew his rapping capabilities. Side note, random lyric that I’m bringing up simply because I thought it was smart and clever. Off of “4U” we have this lyric, “Her and her friends come. She gettin’ way too physical, I’m callin’ AND1.” AND1 being a term used when a player is fouled for being too physical in basketball. I heard this lyric while listening to the album and gave out a chuckle when I first heard it. At the end of the day, Lil Tecca did great in my book. This next section is short this time around since there is only one feature on the album. That being Don Toliver off of “I CAN’T LET GO.” Don has been on one as of now, most recently releasing his fourth studio album, “HARDSTONE PSYCHO,” this album being my personal favorite. As for his feature, I love it. In all reality, this is more of Don Toliver’s song than it is Tecca’s. Tecca only has one verse while Don has three choruses and his own verse on the track. Per usual, he offers melodic raps for both his verse and chorus, those of which I enjoy. With nothing else to really say, I believe that the feature on the album was an outstanding addition to the record. Moving onto the production of the project. For the most part, “PLAN A” offers the typical trap beats you would encounter while listening to present-day trap music. With this being said, I do still have a few standout tracks that I believe are great sonically. This includes “TASTE,” “I CAN’T LET GO,” “TIME & A PLACE” AND “ALL THE TIME.” “TASTE” gives out a very smooth instrumental which matches Lil Tecca music style. “I CAN’T LET GO” offers a faster beat than usual to match Don Toliver’s rock approach to his music. This comes as no surprise since Don covers most of the runtime on the track. Next, “TIME & A PLACE” opens up with an ethereal instrumentation before the beat drops and goes into the main portion of the song. The usual trap production style is used here but some background sounds are used to make it just different enough. Lastly, “ALL THE TIME” yet again softens the beat and allows for Tecca to get slightly more melodic than usual. Just like “TIME & A PLACE,” this track isn’t all that different from the rest of the tracks, but does offer slightly different sounds that helps differentiate it from other tracks. With this, the production is good on the album. Next up, the replayability of the record. While the album isn’t too long, clocking in at 44 minutes, the album does start to become a drag near the last third of the runtime. Eighteen tracks is near the limit of what I’d like from an album, but these tracks apart from the few standouts I talked about all sound the same. This makes a few three-minute songs seem like one really big song, and it makes the album seem like it’ll never end. On the other hand, I did come back a few times to the album simply for the amazing transitions from track to track. I love transitions purely because most artists let the instrumental play from one to the next, leaving the production having a chance to shine. Although the transitions are great, it doesn’t outweigh the negative of the album having too many songs that sound alike. Because of this, the album’s replayability is mediocre at best. With all points being accounted for, I for one believe that this album was decent, despite my complaints. While there are multiple things holding this album back, there are various things such as Lil Tecca’s performances, Don Toliver’s inclusion and some of the production that all bring the album up. Because of this, Lil Tecca’s “PLAN A” gets a 6 out of 10 from me. Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Sports ...Homecoming, cont. from page 1 The momentum continued into the fourth quarter as Hess forced yet another turnover for the Cardinals. Jules was able to get a three-yard touchdown, tying the game with only three minutes. Finally, with 56 seconds left on the clock, senior defensive back Donnell Mackey-Woodson intercepted a pass and ran 65 yards for a pick-six. After another hold by the defense, the comeback was secured with a 28-21 win for the Colonels. Senior quarterback Xavier Powell completed six passes with a total of 66 yards and 23 rushing yards. Junior kicker Nick Valpone was successful on all four attempts for field goals and earned 100 career points during the game. Along with the pick-six, Mackey-Woodson had two pass-breakups, tying him for the team high. The Colonels open up conference play next week where they will travel to Juniata College on Friday, Oct., 4th at 6 p.m. Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: zachary.paraway@wilkes.edu Junior running back Ben Contella prepares to receive the ball. Junior kicker Nick Valpone succeeded on all four ﬁeld goal attempts and earned 100 career points during the game. Photos by Sam Mullen Fall season check-in: Wilkes University golf team Andrew Marshallsay Sports Staff Writer With just a few weeks left in the first part of the season, both of Wilkes University’s golf teams are gearing up for the final stretch. The men’s team currently holds a record of 3-2-1, while the women’s team holds a current record of 2-2 on the season. Playing two parts of the season in the fall and spring semester, the entire season takes place over the span of the school year, For the men’s team it is their second in the Landmark Conference. Last season, the team finished with an overall record of 14-5, with an 8-1 record in the fall and a 6-4 record in the spring campaign. Last spring, the Colonels placed eighth overall in the Landmark Championships, above ninth place Susquehanna and 10th place Lycoming. Most recently, the men’s team defeated Misericordia 332-446 in a win at Huntsville Golf Club on Sept. 21. Senior Cole Jungwirth led all players earning a medal in the process while shooting 3 over par, with a score of 75. Matthew Carlson played his best round of the season, shooting a 79 on the day. Looking ahead to the rest of the season, the Colonels face off against the University of Scranton on Oct. 5, Penn State WilkesBarre on Oct. 6, and Misericordia on Oct. 12. After that, Oct. 26 and 27 will be the Landmark Conference Fall Preview which will end the fall campaign. In last fall’s preview, the Colonels finished ninth over the two day event, with Drew University taking the title. The women’s team is also competing in the Landmark for the second time this season. Last season, the team finished 7-7 overall, with a 2-4 record in the fall and a spring record of 5-3. In last spring’s championships, the Colonels placed fifth overall, above teams such as Susquehanna, Juniata and Elizabethtown. On Sept. 28, the team faced off against King’s and Marywood in a tri-match at home from the Wyoming Valley Country Club. On the day, the Colonels had a score of 275 on the card. For the Monarchs and Pacers, they shot 332 and 336 respectively. Kyleen McCance set a program record during the tri- match, shooting a career best of 72 on the scorecard. For the rest of the season, the Colonels are back in action on Oct. 6 against Misericordia and FDU-Florham in a home tri-match at the Wyoming Valley Country Club in Hanover Township, Pa. Later in the month, the colonels travel to Irem Country Club in Dallas, Pa. to take on Misericordia. Ending the season, similarly to the men’s team will be the Landmark Fall Preview. The Colonels did not participate in the event last fall, with Catholic University taking the title. For more information regarding the Wilkes University Golf Team, visit www. gowilkesu.com and stay tuned with The Beacon. �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Sports 20 Q&A with Wilkes University baseball coach Mike Guy Stephen Youkoski (Interview) Managing Editor Andrew Marshallsay (Transcription) Sports Staff Writer The Beacon’s Stephen Youkoski sat down with Wilkes Baseball Coach Mike Guy to discuss the upcoming season. Last year, the Colonels amassed a record of 22-16 with an 11-13 record in Landmark Conference play. Q (Youkoski): How long have you been at Wilkes? A (Coach Guy): I’ve been here going on my second season. Stephen Youkosi conducts interview with WIlkes Baseball Head Coach Mike Guy. Q: Where were you coaching prior to coming to the university? A: The last 11 years, I was at the University of Scranton coaching in the same conference, the Landmark Conference. the teams we might have played out of conference in years prior. Then coaching at Scranton, knowing those different programs in the Landmark Conference, it gave us a little bit of a headstart with getting involved in the Landmark. Q: Do you have any other experience aside than being a head coach? A: Associate head coach, assistant coach, played in college, coached a local travel team as well. Q: How important do you think it was going .500 for the younger guys on the team? A: I think it was really important. I think we were a really young team. We graduated five seniors on the team, but we have a majority of the guys coming back this year. We had, whether they were freshman, sophomores, or juniors, they played significant roles. With the incoming freshman class as well, we are used to the conference and set up. We know the different styles of play that each team has. Some teams are trying to out hit you, other teams are trying to outrun you. Some teams have power arms, some teams have a crafty righty or crafty lefty. Just being more familiar with the style of play of each of the Landmark Conference teams will definitely help us out this year. Q: Where did you play at in college? A: I played at Salem Community College in South Jersey, then I went to my four year college at University of Maryland - Eastern Shore down by Ocean City, Md. Q: Why did you decide to come and coach for Wilkes University? A: I really liked the majors that were offered here. I think Wilkes provides a number of interesting majors as well as the master's programs. Being local, from Scranton, I’ve always been familiar with wilkes and their sports programs. I thought this was a really great place to recruit student athletes with the variety of majors and the great facilities we have. Q: How did you feel about the first season in the landmark conference? A: First year, pretty good. Would’ve liked to win the championship, but overall we went over .500. We were very familiar with the landmark conference, as a lot of Q: How do you feel that past season had an influence on recruiting? A: I think that for three or four weeks we were in the top 25 in the country. Recognized by the NCAA so that certainly help with recruiting when we were doing really well in the beginning of the season. I think the freshman coming in, when they saw the facilities, they saw the majors, they met the players and coach staff, I think it was a really good recruiting year for our freshman class coming in; especially with the success we had in our first year Q: Do you expect to see those top 25 rankings again? If so, do you have a sense of how often we can be in that position? A: I hope every year. I hope we win the Landmark every year. Ultimate goal is to make a regional run, postseason run hopefully. Get to a world series and give ourselves a chance to compete for a national title. It comes with a lot of hard work and sacrifice, especially with being a division 3 athlete. There’s no money involved, no NIL deals involved. Were not really sponsored by anybody. Guys who come here are firstly students, secondly athletes. They have a true passion for the game and there’s no extrinsic rewards they’re receiving for playing the sport. It’s all intrinsic and a lot of self motivation Q: How do you think a local team like Misericordia going on such a run, how does it affect our guys? A: I think it really inspires them because they are 15 minutes down the road. If they can do it, why can’t we do it? I know a lot of our guys know the Misericordia guys as well, whether they played with them in high school or they played against them in college. Some of them play with some of the Misericordia players in collegiate leagues. Coach Egbert over there for Misericordia has done a phenomenal job the last 15 years, 20 years that he’s been there. We’re trying to do the same thing here at Wilkes. Hopefully we get a chance to take that title from Misericordia and bring it back to Wilkes Q: What is your favorite memory here at Wilkes? A: My favorite memory would be when we played Catholic. In the eighth inning, we were down by four runs, and we had an 11 run inning. So, Catholic was another top 25 team in the country, went to regionals. We came back and we won the game by six runs that day. It was the biggest inning we had, it was at home in front of our fans. It was against a conference opponent, which was one of the best innings I’ve seen coach collegially, against one of our in conference opponents. For more information regarding the upcoming baseball season and schedule, which will be released later this year, visit www.gowilkesu.com or the Landmark Conference at www.landmarkconference. org. See the full interview on the Wilkes Now YouTube page. Watch the full interview on YouTube: @wilkesnow7145 �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Sports 21 WNBA announces award winners for the 2024 season Wilson MVP, Clark Rookie of the Year Ava Tureen Sports Staff Writer The Women’s National Basketball Association recently announced numerous award winners now that the season has concluded. This year they gave 17 awards to players and coaches throughout the league. This year's season set records for the league being the most viewed season in the its history. On Sept. 22, the league named star forward for the Las Vegas Aces, A’ja Wilson, the Most Valuable Player in a unanimous vote, the second to do so as such. Wilson has been awarded MVP three times since 2020 and has set the single-season scoring record, averaging 26.9 points. After a storied college career, Caitlin Clark came into the league with all eyes on her. She proved to be worth the hype, winning Rookie of the Year in a unanimous vote. She set a plethora of records during her season, but the biggest achievement was her leading her team from the first overall pick to the playoffs, having a seven-win improvement for the Indiana Fever. Connecticut Sun forward DiJonai Carrington took home the Most Improved Player Award after an immense improvement in the fourth season of her career. Starting every game for the first time in her career, she saw a jump in her numbers across the board as she helped to guide her team to the second seed in the Western Conference. The Defensive Player of the Year award was won by Napheesa Collier, forward for the Minnesota Lynx. This is her first time with the award in her six-year career,. She won after averaging 1.91 steals and 1.41 blocks on the season. Wilson came in second for the award, flipping the results for the MVP award where Collier came in second to Wilson. Coach and Executive of the Year awards were won by Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx. Reeve adds these awards to her career as she now holds the most COY awards of any coach in WNBA history, this being her fourth. It is her second EOY award, making her only the second executive to win the award multiple times. Dan Padover is the other. This comes after leading the Lynx to a franchise best 30-10 record, the second best record of the league. The awards were announced over the past week by the WNBA before the start of their playoffs, which are currently underway as of writing this issue. Additional information on the Women’s National Basketball Ass o ciation and the awards, can be found on ESPN. Graphic by Sydney Allabaugh First four weeks of NFL season riddled with surprises Adam Grundt Asst. Sports Editor With the NFL season often comes many surprises. This season, there are plenty. Arguably, the biggest surprise of the season thus far is the Minnesota Vikings. Projected prior to the season to finish at the bottom of their division, they have won four straight games to start the 2024 campaign. Most recently, the team traveled to Green Bay and defeated the Packers 31-29. After firstround draft pick JJ McCarthy suffered a season ending injury in training camp, seasoned veteran Sam Darnold, with the help of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, has led the Vikings to four straight wins. On the other side of this week’s game in Green Bay, the Packers are 2-2 to begin the 2024 season when most critics thought that this could be their year. Jordan Love missed weeks two and three with an injury and was captaining the offense when the team fell to Minnesota in week four as well as when they lost to Philadelphia in week one. Closer to campus, the Philadelphia Eagles are coming off a surprising loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week four. The Eagles are dealing with the “injury bug” in their receiver room, with their two best wide receivers in AJ Brown and Devonta Smith dealing with injuries. Elsewhere in Philadelphia’s division, the Washington Commanders are experiencing great production from their newest quarterback: Jayden Daniels. The rookie quarterback from LSU has been putting up outstanding numbers throughout the first four weeks of this new season. As it stands right now, he is the most likely contender to win the offensive rookie of the year award. Daniels’s Commanders (3-1) are atop the NFC North as it stands through four weeks, when many thought they would finish at the bottom. The Chicago Bears are experiencing a somewhat mixed start to the season. In week one, they defeated the Tennessee Titans, and then dropped two straight road games to the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. First-overall draft pick Caleb Williams set the Chicago Bears record for passing yards in a single game by a rookie in week three against Indianapolis. However, he threw for two interceptions in week two against Houston. With a not-so-trustful offensive line, strong defense, and promising quarterback, fans are dealing with different levels of production throughout the first four games. However, they are ecstatic for the potential that comes with a prospect like Williams. As of Monday morning, three undefeated teams remain heading into week five of the NFL season. The Minnesota Vikings (4-0), the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (4-0), and the Seattle Seahawks (3-0). It would have been four, however the Buffalo Bills took a big loss on Sunday night as the Ravens bounced back after an 0-2 start, winning 3510. Derrick Henry was the story of the game as rushed for 199 yards and scored two TDs in the win. On the contrary, there are two winless teams as it stands on Sunday night. The Tennessee Titans are 0-3, while the Jacksonville Jaguars stand at 0-4. The Jaguars come as somewhat of a surprise to be winless at this point in the season, but due to lackluster production from Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, the team remains at the bottom of the NFL through four weeks. As the season progresses, the playoff picture will begin to take shape and the leaves will begin to fall. Autumn will turn to winter, and the weeks will become more meaningful in the NFL. �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week 22 Teá Amerise Senior, 1st Singles & 1st Doubles, Women's Tennis The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Amerise led the tennis team to a 5-2 victory over Immaculata University with Julia Spaeth for a 8-3 No. 1 doubles victory. She won in singles match 6-0, 4-6, and 11-9 Major: Math; Minor: Statistics Hometown: Mountain Top, PA What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite memory was probably from my freshman year when we played Misericordia in the semifinals. It was a very exiting and competitive match, which we won, sending us to the finals against Stevens. The Beacon//Samantha Mullen Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? My favorite sports movies is "Space Jam." If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? I would probably play soccer What has been your favorite sports memory overall? My absolute favorite sports memory was from high schoool. What is your favorite professional My doubles partner and I won sports team (any sport)? our District Championship match I like all the Pennsylvania teams, and got to compete at the State particularly the Eagles and the Championships. Phillies. What is your favorite post-game What is your favorite thing to do meal? away from sports? I don't really have a favorite postAway from sports, I like spending game meal. I do, however, enjoy time taking care of and playing a sweet treat after a match like an with my 4 cats and my dog. I also Italian ice. enjoy giving tetnnis lessons and tutoring Calculus or Trigonometry How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? What is your favorite part of I am truly honored to be selected being an athlete at Wilkes? as the Athlete of the Week. I I like being part of the team and know all the athletes at Wilkes getting to meet people who are in work really hard, so I consider it different majors that I wouldn’t to be a privilege to be recognized. meet otherwise. Not many I am grateful to my coaches and students major in Math, so playing teammates because I know my a sport provides a way to meet a individual successes are a product more diverse group of people of working with and alongside them. �The Beacon October 2, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week Cole Jungwirth Graduate Student, Men’s Golf The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Jungwirth led the golf team to victory over Misericordia University after shooting a round-low 75, earning medalist honors at Huntsville Golf Club. Major: Corporate Finance Hometown: Minneapolis, MN What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? MAC Conference hockey championship game my freshman year in Utica What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? Minnesota Wild What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Getting ice cream at Josie’s What has been your favorite sports memory overall? Minnesota high school hockey What is your favorite postgame meal? Gerry’s sweet sauce pie How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I’m very proiud of myself and the entire team’s season so far! What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? The campus support for all of our athletic teams What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? “Miracle” If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Baseball Compiled by Samantha Assistant Sports Editor Mullen, Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." The Beacon/Sam Mullen 23 �The Beacon - October 2, 2024 24 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource This is Wilkes University's Beacon Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the Beacon's predecessors, The Bucknell Bison Stampede, 1934-1935 and The Bucknell Beacon, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>. Missing Issues: 1947 August 8th 1947 September 5th 1947 October 3rd 1947 October 17th 1947 October 31st 1947 November 21st 1947 December 19th 1948 September 9th 1950 April 28th 1953 April 10th 1962 February 2nd Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon, 2024 October 2 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 October 2 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/fbf46f43eaae664d0f404ed26904fb78.pdf 5e738b643a63f9e554a7ba2252003360 PDF Text Text The Beacon - September 25, 2024 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Volume 77, Issue 4 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” WUPB hosts fiesta event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month On Sept. 19, Programming Board hosted a ﬁesta on the greenway consiting of Hispanic food, drinks, dance, crafts and games to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. That’s So Honors: Student teaching in Cairo, Egypt, page 4 Student starts Buddhism club on campus, page 7 How DC is winning back fans and Marvel’s downfall, page 16 Photo by Emma Broda/News Editor ...More fiesta photos on p.12 Athletes of the Week, pages 22 and 23 �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Emma Broda: emma.broda@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Sept. 18 weekly meeting By Kayla Bicskei Contributing Writer Student Government convened for their fourth weekly meeting of the Fall 2024 semester on Sept. 18. This meeting addressed funding requests, club recognitions, a club report, and Homecoming Weekend team planning. The treasurer’s report showed a current budget of $51,781. SHPE began the meeting with their week two of two funding request. Within the past year, the club has organized professional development workshops, hosted two fundraisers, and was declared Club of the Month in October 2024. SHPE is requesting an allocation of $2,500 for the attendance of 13 students in the 2024 National SHPE Convention. The Student Government voted to approve a full allocation of $2,500. The Wilkes Health and Fitness Club was next to present their week one of two club recognition requests. To begin the presentation, the club explained the “freshman 15” and showed statistics. The WHFC representatives stated that they would help students by encouraging them to become physically active and improve their health. To achieve this goal, the club will have three branches addressing exercise, nutrition, and self-care that create a holistic solution for student health and fitness. WHFC will return at next week’s meeting. The Wilkes Crochet Club also presented for their week one of two club recognition requests. The mission of the club is to teach students how to crochet to relieve the burden of learning by themselves, give students who already crochet a place where they can talk about their projects and interests, and create a community of crochet lovers. The Wilkes Crochet Club will return next meeting. The club report recap was the last presentation of this week’s meeting. Wilkes clubs are no longer required to physically present their club report at meetings and their presentations will be reported by executive board members. The Equestrian Club’s report was the last to be presented at the meeting. To end the meeting, members separated into teams according to their class. Each team worked together to collectively plan the Fall 2024 Homecoming Weekend. The next meeting will take place on Sept. 25. Student Government editorial correction By Stephen Youkoski Managing Editor In Volume 77, Issue 2 of The Beacon, an editorial piece was written on the new club funding rules that were set in place for the 2024-2025 academic year. In the article, it is stated that the Wilkes University Student Government is the power that instated the rule, but this is incorrect. Student Government is in fact subject to this new change as well. The University Financial Aid Department is the body that initiated this new rule, NOT the Student Government. This information was deliberated to the larger student body at the Council of the Clubs on Sept. 9, which took place after all content was written and submitted for Volume 77, Issue 2 of the paper. The information on why it was instated, was correct. This information was also elaborated on and explained at the Council of the Clubs. Once again, it was a decision made by the university, not its students. We are committed to delivering correct and reliable information as students and as a newspaper. The staff of The Beacon would like to apologize to the Student Government and the rest of the student body for this glint in reporting. The Beacon strives to maintain accuracy and objectivity in its reporting. If you ever notice an error in an online or print article, you may reach out to one of the following sources: Kalen Chucher, faculty adviser; Sydney Allabaugh, editor in-chief; Stephen Youkoski, managing editor; or the editor of the section where the error occured. Once again, we apologize to the Student Government, the student body, and the community for this misunderstanding. For more information, you may visit the Student Government's response to this error on Page 15. You may also check out the Student Government on their Instagram page, @wilkessg, for any other information about campus activities or additional updates on this matter. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Upcoming Events: 2024 Fall Semester September 25 - Produce Pop-Up 26 - Programming Board giveaway 28 - LVU Ultimate Frisbee Tournament Ongoing - Movie Ticket Sales October 3 - Blockbuster Bingo 10-14- Fall Recess 17 - Wilkestober Fest 22 - Honors Thrift Store 24 - Sound Showdown 28-31 - Freak Week �� The Beacon - September 25, 2024 News 3 Wilkes University welcomes Japanese international students By Emma Broda News Editor This fall semester, Wilkes University welcomed a huge number of international students to campus, one of the university's largest groups yet. While a large contingency of students arrived from Nepal, a few came from other regions, including Japan. The students shared their experience on campus so far, as well as the major differences between studying in the United States versus Japan. Students Mao Takai, junior crosscultural studies major, and Towa Sasaki, sophomore applied physics major, both attend Kanagawa University in Yokohama. “I was born and raised in Niigata prefecture," Taikai said. "Niigata is a speciality of sushi and sashimi because it is by the sea. There is a lot of snow in winter, so many people visit from all over Japan.” Yokohama is well-known for many reasons, Sasakisaid. It is where Matthew Perry visited in Japan and where the American Naval Commander Matthew Perry signed a peace treaty with Japan in the 1850s. Sasaki also mentioned a particular area of Yokohama she recommends to anyone visiting. “Minato Mirai in Yokohama because the night view is really beautiful.” It is a difficult decision for many students in the United States to choose to move out of state, and for many it can also take some time to get adjusted to. The decision to come to a university in a different country can be even more difficult. “I considered going to a university in another country, and chose Wilkes University because I had wanted to study in the United States since I was a child,” Sasaki said. International students can join the University Preparatory Program to strengthen their English and to become well-adjusted to the American academic environment, which can be very different from the educational systems in other countries. Takai said the preparatory program was incredibly helpful to her. “it had my ideal program ... to improve my English skills and learn American culture and understand diversity for my dream.” Takai continued stating, “There is the Office of Diversity Initiative that values minority students and supports their education by promoting learning across social group boundaries.” The culture and university life in the United States is also incredibly different from Japan. One of the biggest differences is talking to strangers, Sasaki said. “In Japan, people don’t talk to someone in an elevator, and they don’t talk to someone sitting near you in a diner. I think it is a very nice culture." Takai said she noticed that there is a certain respect people have for the cultures and values of different students on campus. "There are few foreigners in Japan, so this environment is really stimulating for me and there are a lot of things that I learn from them,” Takai said. "Also, most of the food here is bigger and more voluminous than in Japan.” Takai and Sasaki do miss aspects of their Japanese life, including their family, friends, boyfriends and Japanese food. “I miss raw seafood," Takai said. "I love sushi and sashimi." Takai noted the lack of variety in sashimi in American supermarkets. Overall, howerver, both are excited to study and learn in the United States. "Professors provide many opportunities to students to give presentations and have discussions," Takai said. "It makes me have confidence and I can learn diverse ideas.” �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 News 4 That’s So Honors: Student teaching in Cairo, Egypt By Morgan Steiner Contributing Writer Daniel Yap, an Honors P1 Pharmacy student, spent his summer outside of the pharmacy, serving as a student teaching assistant for a high school biology class in Cairo, Egypt. Yap spent his summer in the classroom grading papers, teaching lessons and moderating discussions. For international students, high school looks different, and Yap’s teaching experience reflects that. In many other countries, the education system is modeled on the International Baccalaureate (IB), which encourages critical thinking over memorization. Though he worked a typical teacher’s schedule, Yap said he had plenty of time for fun and experiencing Egypt’s many historical sites, including the Egyptian Civilization Museum, the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphynx and the Alabaster Mosque. Yap shared that he has a deep respect for the educational discipline. “I think that it is always valuable to have experience teaching as teaching is the highest form of understanding. If you’re able to explain a concept to someone at a high school level it shows that you were able to understand it to the fullest degree.” The cultural experience was also a crucial element of Yap’s internship. Yap previously traveled to Egypt, but he came to understand the country even more through this visit. “While I had been to Egypt before, interacting with high school kids was a great way to get to know Egyptian culture Daniel Yap spent the summer in Cairo, Egypt, as a teaching assistant. and the diverse experiences of the students I interacted with. This allowed me to see how those experiences influenced their learning styles and how they liked to study. “As the program was during weekdays, I had evenings and weekends to explore everything Italy had to offer,” he said. Yap, who himself attended an international school, explained that students will travel across countries for school, and it creates an opportunity for both conflict and greater understanding of new cultures. "I have found that American school systems often have kids who have difficulty dealing with people who are different from themselves while international systems have trained students from a young age to deal with people who are different and how to bridge those differences," Yap said. Other than recommending that students familiarize themselves with public transportation, Yap says his best piece of advice is to keep an open mind. “I think it is super important for students to be able to experience a wide range of cultures and that means experiencing things that you would not expect to be normal and other places." Yap believes that putting yourself outside of your comfort zone is an invaluable expereince, especially with another culture. Students, no matter what major, have plenty of opportunities to experience new disciplines, particularly through the field of teaching. To keep up with Daniel and the rest of the Honors Program, follow the Honors Instagram, @wilkeshonors. Photos submittted by Daniel Yap Yap visited numerous cultural sites during his stay in Cairo, Egypt. �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 News 5 Wilkes University changes online library database By Stephen Youkoski Managing Editor Wilkes University has recently undergone a change in the online library database system. This change brings a new host, different materials and a change to the website layout. The former online database the university used was Summon, an online paid research program with thousands of sources, both scholarly and non scholarly, for schools to use. The change was announced in April and the transition occurred over the summer. The new system is Find@Farley, which is named after the university library. It is run off of the FOLIO programming. FOLIO is used by other local universities such as the University of Scranton, but also by national sources, namely the Library of Congress. According to Brian Sacolic, the director of the university's Farley Library, the change is due to three main reasons. Sacolic stated that the new system “offers increased compatibility with our full-text sources.” In other words, sources the university owns through the host, EBSCO Discovery Service, should be more readily available. Furthermore, Sacolic said that the new system is better for the library staff, as Find@Farley will streamline a number of in-house processes and improve overall work efficiency. Finally, the switch away from Summon is a huge money saver for the university. “[Find@Farley] will save the university nearly $15K over time,” Sacolic said. With the announcement being so late in the year, many students were unaware of the change. Allison Lussi, a sophomore English major, has not had to use the new system yet, so she did not realize anything was different. “I have used Summon before… around three times a semester or so,” said Lussi. She will be using it soon with some upcoming papers in her classes. Lussi is unsure whether she will find the new system better or worse with the new interface. Students with questions about the new database or about the library in general should email ask.librarian@wilkes.edu, or visit wilkes.libguides.com for more information. The new tools and resources tab on Find@Farley. The new search interface and dashboard tab on Find@Farley Read The Beacon online at www.thewilkesbeacon.com �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 News 6 Honors students clean up Shawnee Cemetery in nearby Plymouth By Emma Broda News Editor Honors students who helped clean up the Shawnee Cemetery include, from left, Sarah Arshad, Salma Lampack-Heverly, John Devereux, Megan Novak, Megan Sandt, Colleeen Ryan, Elena Rivera, Joe Sokolowski, Luke Mauro, Erik Mauro, Ryan Collins, Chris Kopiak, Kamea Paresa and Nate Martes. Students raked away brush that had grown over graves. From left, Luke Mauro, Erik Mauro and Colleen Ryan, were just a few of the volunteers who helped clean the cemetery. The Mauros are pharmacy majors, while Ryan majors in history. Students raked leaves that had been covering much of the cemetery. Photos submitted by Megan Rozanski �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Student begins Buddhism club on campus Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Editor-in-Chief Sydney Allabaugh at sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu By Kailey Vogel Special to The Beacon Dixon Rexach Toro, a first-year philosophy major has started Wilkes University’s first Buddhism club. The United Society of Buddhism is an organization dedicated to providing its members with a new outlook on life by bringing consciousness to the forefront of one’s daily life. The club will accelerate the development of minds through religious practice, letting members reflect on personal aspects of life to achieve enrichment, happiness, and bliss. The Buddhism club intends to provide a safe space in which one can learn techniques to drive out negative thoughts such as stress and school work, in order to focus on the ideas of personal enlightenment. This club is open to any student or staff member on Wilkes University’s campus and is currently looking for new members. Rexach Toro is a transfer student from Pasaic County Community College and has been practicing Buddhism for six years at the Japanese Zen temple Eiryu-ji Zen Center in Wycoff, NJ. Dixon became part of a Sangha in May 2023 and has decided to share what he has learned with the students of Wilkes University with the formation of this club. Dixon explained that Buddhism has been helpful in placing ideas for oneself. He explained that Buddhism allows those practicing it to understand relationships between other people and everything in the world around them. “Questioning the world” and how it works will also be a main priority of Dixon’s Buddhist club. Members will be immersed in the religion and its practices in a From left, Dr. Mun Young Chung, assistant professor of communication and media studies; Trinity Veaudry; and Dixon Rexach Toro, club founder, pose for a photo during the recent Club Day at Wilkes. variety of ways, from breathwork and breathing techniques to asking those worldly questions. However, his main focus is “advocating the practice and channeling people’s curiosity.” “I wanted to create a safe space where people can come in, grow, and expand their capabilities as a whole,” he said. Members are not required to have previous experience with Buddhism and are encouraged to join and learn the practices that provide important skills for all aspects of life. Rexach Toro has many ideas for the near and distant future pertaining to the club and the education of its members. Some community service events in mind for the club include: seated and walking meditation events, Tai Chi and Qi gong events, book study, and “Dharma Talk” events. He also hopes to get in contact with guest speakers for presentations and conduct engaging Buddhist-related field trips. In fact, Dixon is determined to continue creating connections with other Buddhist temples around Wilkes-Barre and has officially partnered with the Flowing River Sagna, a supportive community that aids in the practice of Zen meditation and traditions of the Buddhist faith. The United Society of Buddhism Club is looking for new members. The group meets on Thursdays during club hours. For more information on the club, email �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Sam Mullen: Sydney Allabaugh: Ballet - The Garden Stephen Youkoski: English Love Aﬀair 5 Seconds of Summer Emma Broda: Set the Stage - Lunar Vacation Bring Em Out - T.I. Adam Grundt: The Painter - Cody Johnson Leah Smith: True Friends - Bring Me The Horizon Zach Paraway: Lithonia - Childish Gambino Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staﬀ picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bops! �The Beacon – September 25, 2024 Career Carnival aims to help with jobs and internships By Natalia Willians Staff Writer The Wilkes Center for Career Development and Internships is hosting its first annual career carnival on Sept. 26. While enjoying some Dunkin coffee, walking tacos, and hot dogs, professionals at the the Career Carnival will offer information to help students prepare for internships, jobs and future career fairs. Students will be able to receive feedback and tips from recruiters from Enterprise, Greater Wyoming Valley YMCA, Reachum, PPL and Children’s Service Center. Attendees will also be able receive feedback on their resumes from real recruiters at the Resume Review Station. “Students should know that along with fun, there will be great opportunities as well,” said internship coordinator Jenna Weiss “There will be business recruiters on-site reviewing resumes and listening to elevator pitches, to give students feedback from the recruiter prospective.” She also recommends that students craft an elevator pitch, as well as bring along a resume. The event includes a bit of everything career- or internshiprelated. Not sure what to wear to an interview? Check out the “What Not to Wear” Colonels Clothing Closet Pop-Up. There, students will be able to find professional clothing for future career and internships fairs or interviews. According to Weiss, students should show up to the event as they are.“It’s a casual, fun event opposed to a Career Fair where they should dress professionally.” Other events include games and giveaways and handshake and hotdogs. At these events participants will be able to have a chance to win gift cards, enjoy fun games and grab a hot dog if the Handshake app is shown. “I’m genuinely excited to see everything come together,” Weiss said. “I look forward to students connecting fun with careers and internships, which can often feel intimidating.” Students are encouraged to stop by their table to see the employer list for some upcoming career fairs, learn more about the CCDI services, and additional information regarding Career Services and Internship Information. The Center for Career Development and Internships is a place available to help and guide students find their desired career paths by assisting in building resumes, internships, interviews and job searches. Through the center, students can discuss their options by meeting one on one with Career and Internship professionals. If interested, register on Handshake. Staff and Faculty wanting to take part are able to reach out to jenna.weiss@ wilkes.edu. Life, Arts & Entertainment 9 �The Beacon – September 25, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 Farmer’s Market brings fresh shopping for everyone, Thursdays on Public Square Photos by Shannon Slominski �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 11 Life, Arts & Entertainment Word Search �� Astrology Word Search Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. O G V C L D Y E Y N Z W G U D P E A I N W O U C U Z S I C V D I R O C S L Answer Key: E Dictionary.com O U H E G B Z A R E Q V W Z W V I A J S Y G B U X J V A Z B A B X M Q I T O R B C P Y C Q T R R Z Z D E D L I S A M O X G U H A Y T A C Q G S U P X N Z G N B Y C I R D L Z U X T H A S T E R I J W I R K F T C V U S A C X Y P D O B D F X T O O S G H E M S E I R A T R Q L E U I I R A U Q A E A I N S M N I B O B Q I T G D G L B R A X Z F D O E I K W K R T Q Q Q A J S W Q N B 1. pisces 5. leo 9. cancer 2. aries 6. taurus 10. gemini 3. aquarius 7. virgo 11. sagittarius 4. scorpio 8. libra 12. capricorn Word Bank B J G X B A U E G A U H B O J B Z S C Y P C B Y E W V T S L C I V Q M X A W Z V O R A E R A P I Z A P S I L Z Z O G V X C C G Y C T H Q R Y Q M R E S O D A I R I U I D Q B R E I D J E T S L C S U V N A C G H T Z T A X F K N U V G U Z N W O U T X O X D Y O Q S L E X F B I A A R E E O S B G A S T I P E Q B R I N Z S L T W K X K I A E N R O G U I S Q J U O Z D H I U Z Q Q A Q R D M A B W I Y T D I R Y C G N O R N D W Q R A T B D M I E L W G U C F D Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. Astrology Word Search Word Bank 1. pisces 5. leo 9. cancer 2. aries 6. taurus 10. gemini 3. aquarius 7. virgo 11. sagittarius 4. scorpio 8. libra 12. capricorn Dictionary.com �The Beacon- September 25 2024 12 �The Beacon- September 25, 2024 13 �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Opinion Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact assistant opinion editors: leah.smith@wilkes.edu or logan.colonna@wilkes.edu. Editorial Staff 2024-25 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Sydney Allabaugh Managing Editor: Stephen Youkoski Social Media Manager - Megan Davis Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Emma Broda Sports - Zach Paraway ASSISTANT EDITORS Opinion - Logan Colonna Opinion - Leah Smith Sports - Adam Grundt Sports - Sam Mullen DESIGNERS Head Designer - Lara Mullen Designer - Laura De Lora Layout Designer - Brady Melovitz SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Kayla Bicskei LA&E - Natalia Williams Opinion - Shawn Carey Opinion - “Freeze” Sports - Andrew Marshallsay Sports - Ava Tureen 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu or Sydney Allabaugh at sydney. allabaugh@wilkes.edu. The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Texas Roadhouse is the best restaurant chain In a world where fast food restaurants and mainstream restaurants chains reign over our society and diets, one restaurant stands out when it comes to quality in dining experience and delectable taste: Texas Roadhouse. Ever since its inception in 1993, Texas Roadhouse has been aiming to satisfy customers through both their Southerninspired aesthetic and hearty meal choices that have kept customers coming back to this day. Texas Roadhouse sets itself apart from other major restaurants for msny reasons. First and foremost, its look. The exterior of the restaurant tells you everything you need to know about what aesthetic the restaurant is going for: American Southern. The interior is a packed yet cozy countryheavy mix-match. There is usually a small crane machine for children to play with while they wait to be seated, a glass case showing off the steaks the restaurant is offering for the night, and the walls that are covered with country music star memorabilia and art from Dolly Parton to Keith Urban. TVs are also scattered throughout the restaurant; if you and your friends want to catch a game while enjoying a delicious meal, Texas Roadhouse is just the place for that. One of the best parts about Texas Roadhouse and most definitely what Texas Roadhouse is known for are their dinner rolls. Texas Roadhouse dinner rolls are exquisite. What makes them so popular among the masses is that they come with cinnamon butter rather than typical butter normally offered at restaurants. The cinnamon butter rolls are many consumers’ favorite item at the restaurant because of its sweet taste and buttery-doughy texture that melts in your mouth the moment it hits your tongue. The restaurant’s novelty steaks are also fantastic because not only do they have a variety of cuts that customers can dig into but also the restaurant cooks them to absolute perfection. Also, the addition of mushrooms and gravy just adds even more flavor to the juicy and delectable steak. For those who aren’t steak lovers, their other menu items are just as delicious They offer burgers, ribs, pulled pork, chicken and fish. One of their best options is the smothered chicken which comes with sauteed mushrooms and onions, a choice of melted cheese or gravy and two sides. The sides are also nothing to sleep on either since they come in a variety of unique styles. Their green beans are different from how other restaurants serve them due to Texas Roadhouse’s country style; they serve their green beans with bacon as a nod to the country inspiration of their restaurant. Their desserts, though limited, are also sweet and tasty. The Granny’s Apple Classic is notably one of their most unique desserts with the slice of apple pie coming with vanilla ice cream and honey cinnamon applesauce. It’s a dessert that is not only tasty but perfectly fitting the country aesthetic. What also makes Texas Roadhouse so great are its employees. The employees are enthusiastic and get into the spirit of the restaurant’s Southern-friendly atmosphere. They always wear a smile and become very animated whenever it is someone’s birthday. Birthday celebrations at celebrations are known to be awkward, but Texas Roadhouse does it the best by not only having their own country birthday song but by accompanying that song by having the lucky birthday individual hop on a wooden horse with a cowboy hat. This could seem embarrassing to some, but they do give the patron the option whether or not they wish to hop on the horse. Though, the song and enthusiasm alone bring a lot of fun and excitement that turn heads all around the restaurant. Texas Roadhouse is a fun and enthusiastic restaurant to go to for any occasion that sets itself apart from other major restaurant chains by having great food, energetic staff, a cozy Country atmosphere and the best dinner rolls ever to keep customers coming back over and over to enjoy all of those qualities and more. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Opinion 15 The Icebox: The Wilkes Colonels’ Smashtastic entry By “Freeze” Opinion Staff Writer Wilkes University Esports officially kicks off with their first matches of the season this week. The organization has grown so much since it was first introduced one year ago by the legendary Robert Eskra, assisted by coach Val. As of now, we have a team for five games: “Rocket League,” “Overwatch 2,” “League of Legends,” “Valorant” and my specialty “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” I think I speak for everyone in the Esports organization that we are very excited to start this season. Mostly every player is coming in hot with their practice and we are pumped up to defeat one college after the next in competition. Since I am a Smash player, I will give some insight on the competitive scene for collegiate, teambased Smash leagues. The format of our competition is a special mode called crew battle. Two teams of four players play against each other in a line-up format. Team A sends in Player 1 and Team B sends in Player 1 at the same time. The winner of the first match moves on to round two with the same amount of stocks that they finished the last match. Suppose Team B needs to send in a new player after their lead was eliminated. The entire Team B is allowed to strategize characters, players and stage bans as they send in Player 2. The first team to be completely eliminated loses the match. Since this is a competitive scene, it is traditional to play an entire set (best of three) against the opponent. There are a couple of additional rules to take note of, in case you would like to gather your friends and try this format for yourself. The same character cannot appear twice on a single team during the match. Once you have picked a character for the match, you must stick with that character until the next one. The stage-pick is done through a traditional banning system, which includes: Final Destination, Battlefield, Small Battlefield, Pokemon Stadium 2, Town and City, Smashville, Kalos and Hollow Bastion. Stage bans depend on the winner of a match, though a lot of players like to “gentleman into PS2.” The conference that Wilkes Esports is signed under is called the National Esports Collegiate Conference, or NECC. This organization spans the entire United States and includes hundreds of colleges and universities. The organizers of the conference have designated members for writing the rulebook for each of the games. These people are the ones who decide how competitions go and are constantly adjusting rules based on direct feedback from teams. It is thanks to such a considerable amount of effort that I, and lots of others like myself, am able to compete in my favorite video game while on campus. Some of those other people are my teammates whom I met through the program. They are worth cheering for. Last year, our star player was Mooch, aka Drew Fiedler. He mains Pac-Man, Pokemon Trainer and Kazuya, and was able to wipe out entire teams by himself. Unfortunately, he graduated, so we have some big shoes to fill. He can still be seen on stream attending local tournaments. Our current standing team includes Toggers (Robert Thomas), Cheese Toast (Logan Dickson) and myself, Master Freeze with the addition of a handful of substitute players who will soon make a name for themselves. Toggers mains Ness, but I promise it’s not what you think. While many Ness players spam “PK Fire” and make it hell for their opponent, Rob takes a new approach that makes the game practically unplayable if you don’t know the matchup. He makes great use of aerials, throws and just a sprinkle of special moves to absolutely dominate. Cheese Toast has experienced quite the improvement arc, originally maining Little Mac before switching to a more viable character: Samus. His movement as Samus combined with the stylish tossing of projectiles is very impressive. You should take a look at his controller, which we call the “cheese machine”. As for Master Freeze, I play Snake and Mr. Game & Watch. I will let you challenge me if you want to find out how I defeat my opponents. I am also working on improving my other favorites: Wario, Lucario and Villager. Surely, I will be unstoppable. Finally, I want to give a special thanks to our coach, Valentino Timonte, who dedicates so much time for the organization and has been the reason for so much improvement that we have all experienced as competitors. Letter to the Editor: A statement from Student Government By Michael Santini Student Government Treasurer Dear Editor, Thank you so much for the recent coverage on the changing club financial policy; the goal of our Council of the Clubs meeting was to give all students on campus the news and tools they need to succeed in the new environment. However, upon reading the opinion piece, I was disappointed to find a noteworthy perpetuation of misinformation that damages the image of the Student Government and our student body. In its simplest terms, the new university financial guidelines are not something that the Student Government, the executive treasurer, or any member of the student body has control over. This policy is based on direct instructions from our finance office, and we had hoped that our Council of the Clubs would reflect this by having representatives from the office present that section. Categorizing the policy as “Student Government’s change” places undue stress on our members and advisors as we attempt to address questions and misinterpretations such as this. Additionally, while the intricacies of why we made this change are still relatively unclear, the finance office has explained to me that the decision is necessary to align ourselves with general accounting standards, which, to my understanding, can not easily be refuted. Also, as a side note, the Student Government is not exempt from this policy, and in fact, it has absolved an entire fund that we reserve for campus improvements and capital projects. As the executive treasurer of Student Government, a student leader on campus, and a member of other clubs, I know that this subject affects many people on campus, as it has affected my job significantly and is near to my heart. I completely understand the author’s advocacy for our club accounts and their existing funds in light of the new financial guidelines. Your writer’s frustration and concern are similar to mine, and express what many students and advisors have approached me with as well. I want to assure you that SG is working to address these issues. Once again, thank you for your continued interest in our Student Government; we appreciate all feedback so that we can better serve the campus. The concerns over future funds are entirely justified, and as a member of the student body, I encourage club leaders and student organizations to continue voicing their concerns. Please contact me, the Executive Treasurer, at michael.santini@wilkes.edu if you have any questions regarding club funds in the future. Best, Michael Santini �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Opinion 16 How DC is winning back fans and Marvel’s downfall By Leah Smith Asst. Opinion Editor �� ¡�� Graphic by Maria Gonzalez �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Opinion 17 The culture of card collecting and its many problems How a simple hobby turned into a business By Shawn Carey Opinion Staff Writer It’s basic human nature to want to collect. Coins, stamps, dolls, bottle caps, magazines. If there’s multiple variations of the same object, there’s someone who collects it. I consider myself a pretty big collector. I love collecting physical media. Comics, books, video games, vinyls, figures, board games, the whole nine yards. I also collect trading cards, which is what I would say if I could actually buy them. Cards are probably the most common thing to collect, unsurprisingly. They’ve been around for forever, since 1868 to be exact. The earliest trading cards took the form of baseball cards, later evolving into tobacco cards. They were somewhat popular, nothing crazy really. These cards were by a variety of companies to promote their business, even if the product themselves had nothing to do with baseball. That would all change in the 80s when collectors started to realize that their collections could be worth something one day. Manufacturers started to increase their numbers due to everyone now buying multiple copies. It was also during the 80s that trading cards started to move further and further away from their sport origins. There were cards based on everything from movies to original concepts. The 90s brought even more change to the medium. This was mainly due to the introduction of trading card games, also known as TCGs. Cards in a TCG are specially designed sets of playing cards. Each card represents an element of the theme and rules of the game itself. Each card represents its respective game’s version of characters, locations, items, spells or events. “Magic: The Gathering” introduced all of this and more in 1993. As important and popular “Magic: The Gathering” is, it’s definitely not the first game you think of. No, that honor probably goes to “Pokemon.” “Pokemon” rules the 90s. The game, anime and toys were absolutely everywhere. As you probably guessed, the TCG was no exception. The very first set of cards were released in 1998 and even since, they have dominated the trading card space. “Pokemon” is often referred to as the franchise that made trading cards mainstream. This is something I see as a good and bad thing. I think it’s a cool thing that such a niche and nerdy hobby is so widespread. Collecting trading cards is an all ages activity; it can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone, especially TCG. You can either get the cards for the game or the artwork. As with most things, there are people who like to ruin a good thing. Remember when I said that collectors started to realize that their collection was going to be worth something one day. Well that day has arrived. The aftermarket for trading cards is absolutely insane. If done correctly, collectors can make massive profits off of cards. There are multiple websites built around aftermarket selling. Websites that not only list the value of every single card ever made, but also the projected value of every new release. It’s honestly pretty intimidating. I have never been a fan of selling my collectibles. I don’t know what it is, but something about it has always made me feel weird about t h e entire thing. As of today, I think I finally know what that something is. A lot of people only buy cards just to sell them again for an easy profit. These people are unaffectedly known as scalpers. There are many ways for scalpers to quickly build up a large inventory. The more technical ones have bots that automatically buy the maximum amount of allowed packs. Back in the day, i.e two years ago, scalpers used to wait outside for stores to open and buy every single pack possible. This has since changed. Stores like Walmart and Target picked up on this and now have a limit on how many cards a single customer can buy. About a year or so ago I went to Target with my friends with the intent of buying Disney’s new card game “Lorcana.” When we got to the store there was a long line of people waiting in the card aisle. A poor employee had to give packs out one at a time just to make sure everyone got one. This leads me to what inspired me to write this article in the first place. It’s no secret that I love “One Piece.” I adore every aspect of the series. About two years ago, they announced that the “One Piece” card would be getting an English release. I was beyond excited for this. Two years and two months later, I brought a starter deck and a few single packs. It is currently pretty much impossible to find “One Piece” cards in store. This is due to the rapid demand for them on the aftermarket. The “One Piece” card game is currently the second most popular TCG to resell. “Pokemon” is still the first. It’s getting to the point where you can’t even buy single packs online for their original price. Everything is marked up. This is a hugely disappointing situation. I’ve seen plenty of fans who want to get into the hobby but literally can’t. What makes this worse is that there isn’t really a way to fix this. We just have to wait for them to die down in popularity. The only other alternative I can think of is staying alert when new sets are coming out and buying them as soon as possible. Next month sees the release of the brand new “Ultraman” card game. I am excited to see how the game will be received in the coming months. Will it be another “One Piece?” Or will I actually be able to collect it? Graphic by Sydney Allabaugh �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Opinion 18 A review of Saba's sophomore album "CARE FOR ME" By Logan Colonna Asst. Opinion Editor Since no big albums were released this week, I thought it would be a perfect time to take a look at one of my favorite albums recently. This album is Saba’s “CARE FOR ME.” Released in 2018, this was Saba’s sophomore album. I personally found it back in 2022 and have loved it ever since. Without further ado, let’s get into the review. Before we talk about Saba’s performance, it’s important to get to know the background of the album. The project is dedicated to his late cousin, who was fatally stabbed in 2017. “CARE FOR ME” is an introspective piece that centers around how Saba was emotionally and mentally after his loss. With that being said, I admire Saba’s performance all across the album much, most importantly on tracks like “BUSY/ SIRENS” and “PROM/KING.” These two songs alone convey so much emotion that they nearly made me cry, especially “PROM/KING” as it tells the story that led to Saba’s cousin passing away. Building off of this, the content of each song ties greatly into the overall theme of Saba’s mental state at the time. We have songs like “BROKEN GIRLS” that tells the listener that he always looked into the wrong girls for the wrong reasons, adding to his mental torment, “SMILE,” which tells the listener that Saba wished for a life of peace ever since he was a child, and “PROM/KING,” which told the story of how Saba got closer with his cousin and how he was eventually taken away from Saba by the fatal stabbing. All of these tracks wonderfully tell the listener why Saba is how he is following his cousin’s passing. Saba’s vocals, lyricism, and flow throughout the entire album is superb. From front to back, his lyrics are never lacking. If you were to look up Genius’s annotations for the album, each song has quite a lot of lyrics annotated, showing that Saba crafted intricate lyrics that allow listeners to dive deep into each song’s true meaning. Without a great flow, I’d say that songs can be unlistenable. With that being said, Saba’s flow throughout each song is great, even offering multiple switches of his flow in order to keep listeners engaged and on their toes. It’s easy to say that Saba’s performance was a key factor to the success of this record. With only three features on the album, it’s important that each one is carefully implemented into the tracklist in order to not feel out of place and so they’re used to their greatest potential. First, we have theMIND on “BUSY/ SIRENS.” I’m personally not too crazy about his verse to close out the “BUSY” portion of the track, but it still does wrap up the half of the song nicely. It adds onto Saba’s softness throughout his two verses and the chorus and even gets listeners ready for the softer “SIRENS” part of the song. Next is KAINA’s feature off of “FIGHTER.” While her inclusion in the track is miniscule, it’s still a nice addition to the song. Her vocals are layered with Saba’s on the chorus and that’s it. I find it more odd that she received a mention on the track credits more than anything else. Lastly, we have the feature of “CARE FOR ME,” Saba’s cousin. At the end of “PROM/KING,” his cousin provides the listener with an outro. The alone fact that he’s on the album at all is heartbreaking and leaves listeners emotional. At the end of the outro, the line “I just hope I make it ‘til tomorrow–” is repeated numerous times. This severely adds to the emotions being created after knowing that he has passed since saying these lines. While each feature is small compared to the rest of the album, each and every one does provide a more than positive addition to the album. Next, we have the production that supports Saba on each track. I for one love each instrumental on each song. I apologize for heavily praising the same tracks again, but both portions of “BUSY/SIRENS” and “PROM/KING” offer wonderful beats that pair perfectly with the atmosphere of the album. As for “BUSY/SIRENS,” the first half opens up the album with a somber tone which pairs with Saba’s tone well. The second half slowly transitions from the first and offers an even slower, melancholic sound. I truly cannot put words to it, but the production on this song, the “SIRENS” portion more so, is beyond amazing. For “PROM/KING” the first half offers yet another sad tune to pair with the content matter of the track, being about Saba’s life before he started making music. As the song progresses into the “KING” half, the beat gets upbeat and allows Saba to be cheerful. This is his opportunity to celebrate his cousin’s life instead of being down all the time because of it. The outro track even follows suit after this shift and offers a more upbeat instrumental to yet again celebrate. With all of this being accounted for, I believe that the production on this album is great. Lastly, is the album worth revisiting even after various listens? I obviously say yes. Ever since 2022, this album has constantly found its way back into my listening rotation. This is for a good reason, too. Throughout the album, we find the theme of Saba finding ways to grow from his former self as he’s coping from his cousin’s death. This alone allows many listeners to be enticed to listen, and continue to listen over and over again, because so many people have had to deal with death. I personally have revisited this album quite a bit earlier this year when we had a death in the family, just as a way to cope. Besides this, each track contains lyrics that many will miss the point of on their first listen. This allows true music enjoyers to relisten to each song and really get the whole message. On top of this, while the entire album does offer a soft sound, each track does have its defining features, which lets the listener not get bored as they go through the tracklist. To back this up even more, the album only offers 10 tracks, totaling to 44 minutes. I believe that this is the perfect length for an album. Not too long in the grand scheme of things, especially in today’s world, and just the right amount of tracks so each listen doesn’t end with boredom. With this, the album is beyond replayable. Between Saba’s excellent performance, the fine-picked features, to the cloudy instrumentals and even the replayability of the album, it’s easy to give props to “CARE FOR ME.” Saba’s second studio album gets a 9 out of 10. �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Sports Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: zachary.paraway@wilkes.edu WVB: Battles but falls short, 3-2 against Albright College By Sam Mullen Sports Asst. Editor On Thursday night, the women’s volleyball team hosted Albright College. In the first set, the Colonels lost 25-17 but were able to find their footing in the second set where they won 25-23. The fight continued the rest of the night with the team winning the third set 25 to 21. By set four, the Colonel’s continued to push but fell 25-21. In the final set of the game, the team fought hard but lost 15 to 10 and lost the match 3-2. Senior Sierra Hines, junior Ally Sheridan, and senior Jenna Baron led Wilkes in points with each having 10 kills. Senior Alexa Cassel led in assists with 27 throughout the match. Sophomore Kendra Kalp had a total of 30 digs. They will host Neumann University on Wednesday September 25 at 7 p.m and travel to Penn State Altoona on Saturday September 28 at 1 p.m. Sr. Alexis Reedy spikes the ball over the net during the 3-2 contest against Albright College on Sept. 19. The team hulddes up after winning the second set in their 3-2 loss against Albright College on Sept. 19. Photos by Sam Mullen 2024-2025 National Hockey League (NHL) season preview By Ava Turren Sports Staff Writer This 2024-25 NHL season is right around the corner. After last season's insane ending between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, this upcoming season should have an interesting start. Many hockey fans believe that the Edmonton Oilers are going to win the Stanley Cup during the 2024-25 season since they came up short this past season in seven games. Conor McDavid, the captain of the Oilers, led his team to a near championship and many fans believe because of his records last season that they will do it again. Last season he scored 132 total points, with 64 goals and 89 assists. The Pittsburgh Penguins have made some moves this offseason. Earlier in the summer, they acquired Cody Glass from the Nashville Predators and a 2025 3rd round draft pick and a 2026 sixth round draft pick. They drafted Harrison Brunicke during the second round of the draft. Brunicke is an 18-year-old born in Johannesburg, South Africa and he will be the second player from there that will play in the NHL. The Calgary Flames have been trying to rebuild their team for a couple seasons now. During the off-season they traded a forward and a goalie for Dustin Wolf who will hopefully become the number one goalie in the NHL. This will be Wolf’s first season in the NHL but he has proven himself over and over again during his time in the American Hockey League (AHL) with a save percentage of .922. The Chicago Blackhawks are another team that have been trying to rebuild their team and Connor Bedard has helped them make massive strides. He now has one full NHL season under his belt and in his last season alone he had 22 goals and 39 assists. Unfortunately, this offseason, tragedy has struck the hockey community. Johnny Gaudreau was killed during a drunk driving accident and his team and all of the Columbus Blue Jackets fans are still grieving the loss of a beloved player. Without Gaudreau, who was the team's leading scorer last season, they are eager for the production from Adam Fantili who is going into his second season in the NHL. The Detroit Red Wings have had seven straight seasons without making it to the playoffs. This season if they don't make it to the playoffs for the eighth season in a row they might consider rebuilding the team. The Red Wings aren’t looking very promising. Alexander Ovechkin is very likely to break the all-time score record during this season. Overall, the Washington Capitals are going to go into this season with positives and negatives. Unfortunately for the Capitals, TJ Oshie suffered a long-term injury. However, the team received some new great players going into this upcoming season. The Capitals acquired Ilya Protas, the younger brother of another player on the team, and Aliaksei Protas who will be a player to watch. With their first round selection, the team picked Terik Parascak who was named to the 2024 CHL All Rookie Team. The Boston Bruins are hopeful for success this season. Last season a lot of the team's success was thanks to their goaltender pair; Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. This season they will no longer have Ulmark and the team is still working with Swayman on his contract which leaves this team with many unknowns. Going into the upcoming 2024-2025 season there are a lot of unknowns, however fans remain excited for what is to come. The NHL preseason started Sept. 21 and the season will begin on Oct. 4. �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Sports 20 Formula One World Championship Racing-Season Update By Andrew Marshallsay Sports Staff Writer With the end of the season in under two months, drivers and constructors in the Formula One World Championship are gearing up for the last stretch ahead. Leading the pack in the drivers championship is Max Verstappen. The current world champion, Verstappen is looking to win his fourth title in a row. If he wins, the Dutch driver will become the first driver since Sebastian Vettel to win four in a row. Vettel won consecutive titles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. For Sergio Perez, it’s been quite the opposite in terms of results compared to his teammate. Perez has struggled for most of the season, and questions have risen about his ability. While he is signed with Red Bull until the conclusion of next season, the 34-year-old from Mexico may be in hot water come the end of the current season. In the constructors championship, McLaren have taken the lead over Red Bull. Powered by the duo of British driver Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri. Norris and Piastri continue to perform well, with each having multiple race wins this year. Mercedes’ 2023 struggles continued into the early part of the 2024 season, with British duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell plagued early on with issues with their cars. However, Hamilton, who is set to join Ferrari in 2025, has begun to find his pace and was able to capture a race win at Silverstone Raceway in the British Grand Prix. For Logan Sargeant, it has been a dreadful season. The United States born driver has been replaced by Williams. After multiple crashes in races, Sergeant was replaced by Argentinian rookie Franco Colapinto. Another surprise this season has been Valteri Bottas. The former Mercedes driver has amassed zero points this season for Kick Sauber. The Finnish driver’s contract ends at the conclusion of the season. While his contract expires at the end of the year, Bottas is likely to stay with his current team next season. For the grid next year, Hamilton’s move to be with Charles Leclerc at Ferrari means Russell will be with a new teammate. 18-yearold Kimi Antonelli will join M e r c e d e s beginning next season. Also, Leclerc’s current teammate, Carlos Sainz will be joining Williams as Alex Albon’s new teammate. Norris and Piastri will still be on the grid for McLaren in 2025, while Red Bull and Aston Martin keep their lineups for next year as well. Nico Hulkenberg will be with Kick Sauber next season, with the team set to change their name to Stake F1. Drivers such as Kevin Magnusson and Guanyu Zhou are without a team as of now. Furthermore, Ferrari and Haas reserve driver Oliver Bearman will join Haas on a permanent basis for next season. For fan favorite Daniel Ricciardo, the Australian driver is without a team for next year, as RB Honda are unlucky to keep him after this season. That means Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda is likely to have a new teammate in 2025. Lastly, Alpine will welcome current F2 driver Jack Doohan to the team next year, pairing him with one of the team’s current drivers, Frenchman Pierre Gasly. Two grands prix are coming up here at home. The United States Grand Prix from the Circuit of the Americas is on Oct. 20. Later on, the second annual Las Vegas Grand Prix kicks off a month later on Nov. 24. �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Sports 21 The Wilkes Berries ultimate frisbee team offers fun for all By Zachary Paraway Sports Editor Walking by the greenway any given night, one could be liable to see a frisbee fly toward them followed by an invitation to join in on the fun. This would be the Wilkes Berries, Wilkes University’s club ultimate frisbee team. The team has been slinging the disk since 2017 and the team has never been bigger. Ultimate frisbee is a non-contact sport that sees one throw a frisbee like a football down the field into endzones. However, the person with the disk in hand cannot advance, making teamwork and passing is of necessity. Junior Brennan Reiner serves as the captain of the team and it is his third year on the squad. Reiner details what makes the team fun and unique. “Ultimate frisbee creates a strong community that allows for you to learn skills like growth, teamwork, and adaptability. What keeps making me come back is the smile on the team's face when we score a point. Whether that point was quick and painless or long and trying. The effort and work people put The Wilkes Berries join to take a photo after a tournament outing in Spring 2024 in at practice changes how they play and makes them better players. I see a lot of growth in new and returning players and I love to see how they change their style and their approach to the game," Reiner said. "Overall, It's fun because of the people. Whether you are playing in practice against your teammates or playing at a school two hours away, you can always learn, grow, and find a smile on your face." The team has spent the start of this semester getting the returners familiar again with the game and getting a lot of newcomers up to speed with the rest of the team. After attending Club Day, they saw a big growth in the people coming to their practices and look to keep capitalizing off of that. “I would tell you to give it a try. Whether you like it or not it is something new and you can meet and make new friends. If you wanna play that's amazing, if you wanna watch, join us too, if you have the time maybe frisbee is for you. Also we have some pretty sick jerseys so sign up and earn it.” Newcomers are finding fun with the Berries. Jr. Logan Smith really has enjoyed his time so far. “This team is super fun. I’m still learning the game, but hanging out everyone makes it all go faster. They are super helpful in teaching and it's something I'm going to keep coming back to,” Smith said. The team practices every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in either the McHale Athletic Center or on the greenway. The team also competes in optional tournaments once players get familiar with the game. For more information or interested to join, email brennan.reiner@wilkes.edu. Photo courtesy of Brennan Reiner Wilkes prepares for the third annual Kisses to Cancer 5K By Lexi McHugh Sports Writer Sept. 28 is an important day for the Wilkes community. Wilkes University AFROTC detachment 752, which trains and prepares hundreds of young men and women for future careers as United States Air Force officers, is hosting Kisses to Cancer 5k. Wilkes-Barre has been hosting this event for three years now in honor of Major Candice Adams Ismirle, an alumnus of Wilkes University who died from triple negative breast cancer in 2016. Ismirle was an example of resilience and dedication. Born into a military family, she continued the tradition, excelling at Wilkes University as an ROTC cadet before her career as a public affairs officer in the Air Force. Her achievements included awardwinning communication work and leadership during challenging times. She went on to win the ALOM Company Grade Officer of the Year Award two years in a row. Ismirle also received the General Harry Dalton Award for public affairs communication excellence in 2007. Despite a battle with aggressive breast cancer, she remained strong, producing a documentar y to raise awareness a n d continuing her service. She and her husband Ryan welcomed twin boys in 2015 before she passed away in 2016. Her legacy of service, strength and love lives on through her family and the Kisses to Cancer 5K in her honor. T h e proceeds for this race will go to a few different organizations. The first organization is Relay for Life: The Fight Against Cancer, specifically the “PinkKisses fund” in Candice’s name. The second organization is The Valor Clinic, which supports homeless veterans in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The final proceeds will go to Wilkes University Gold Bar Club, where Candice started her military journey. Registration is now open for the race. The tickets will cost adults $35, seniors $30, students $25, active and veteran military $20, and children $20, while infants can participate for free. When registering, participants can select the category that fits them best while adding their option to their cart and checking out. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together, support a meaningful cause, and honor the memory of a remarkable individual. Whether you're running, walking or donating, every contribution helps make a difference. Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week 22 Ava Bailor First-Year, Women's Cross Counrty The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Bailor finished in the top ten at the Couage Classic, crossing the line ninth with a time of 26:59.9. This is the second time she's finished as the teams runner-up. Bailor's efforts helped bring the Colonels to finish second as a team. Major: Pharmacy Hometown: Brogue, PA What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? Being a freshman, I haven't been here long, but my favorite memory so far is running in my first collegiate race at the Misericordia Invitational 4k. I have also enjoyed spending time with my teammates as they have been super welcoming and are all fun to be around! What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? I enjoy watching college basketball. My teams are Penn State and Michigan. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Away from sports, I enjoy spending time outdoors, going hiking and going camping. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? Being able to find a good academic and athletic balance The Beacon//Samantha Mullen Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? One of my favorite sports movies is "Dodgeball!" If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? If I didn't run cross counttry, I think swimming would be a fun sport. What has been your favorite sports memory overall? My favorite overall sports memory was medaling at counties my senior year and also running at the Paul Short Run Invitational at Lehigh University my senior year, as they were many collges racing at the invite and it was a really cool experience. What is your favorite post-game meal? Post-game meals always vary, but some of my favorite post-race snacks are pretzels and peanut butter and any kind of nut. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I feel honored being named Athlete of the Week, and am excited for the rest of the Wilkes cross country teams season! Compiled by Samantha Mullen, Asst. Sports Editor �The Beacon September 25, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week Conor Frey Senior, 4th Singles, Men’s Tennis The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Frey was the King’s Invitational Champion at the number four singles slot, with a record of 6-2 and 7-6 win in his quarter final match. He earned his way to the final with a 6-2, 4-6, and 10-2. He won the title with a 2-6, 7-5, and 10-8 against FDU-Florham. Major: Political Science Hometown: Binghamton, NY What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? Beating FDU in the MAC SemiFinals my freshman year. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? The Boston Bruins What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? I love to go to the gym and lift. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? The culture of the team, I love getting loud at matches and compeing at a high intensity If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Definitely hockey What has been your favorite sports memory overall? Team nighs and team dinners What is your favorite post-game meal? Yummy bowl How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I feel great, I’m honored! What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? “Miracle” Compiled by Samantha Mullen, Assistant Sports Editor Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." The Beacon/Sam Mullen 23 �The Beacon - September 25, 2024 24 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource This is Wilkes University's Beacon Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the Beacon's predecessors, The Bucknell Bison Stampede, 1934-1935 and The Bucknell Beacon, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>. Missing Issues: 1947 August 8th 1947 September 5th 1947 October 3rd 1947 October 17th 1947 October 31st 1947 November 21st 1947 December 19th 1948 September 9th 1950 April 28th 1953 April 10th 1962 February 2nd Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon, 2024 September 25 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 September 25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/f5ce2796868836932428e92e231e2701.pdf 1222cabe88deb1af3b63099633eabced PDF Text Text The Beacon - September 11, 2024 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Volume 77, Issue 2 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Colonels reclaim Mayor’s Cup 43-28 against King’s College Wilkes University sophomore wide receiver Juju Fears soon scores a receiving touchdown as King’s College senior defensive back Amir Gibson trails behind him. Wilkes won the game, 43-28. Senior quarterback Xavier Powell was awarded the MVP plaque by President Greg Cant. See pages 12 and 13 for more photos. Photos by Sam Mullen and Zach Paraway Wilkes University Programming Board hosts ﬁeld day event, page 3 Theatre Department announces season, page 7 Why you should play tabletop RPGs, page 17 Athletes of the Week, pages 22 and 23 �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Emma Broda: emma.broda@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Sept. 4 weekly meeting By Kayla Bicskei Contributing Writer Student government held its second weekly meeting of the Fall 2024 semester on September 4. The meeting started with a representative of the Wilkes University Chapter of College Democrats with their week one of two club recognition requests. The mission of this club is to advocate democratic values and promote students to become politically active leaders. The club also advocated for the Republican Club of Wilkes to be revived. The political club will return next week for their second presentation. Student government’s parliamentarian presented for the week two of two constitution changes. Updates to the constitution were revised. The changes decreased member requirements from participation with both 10 event hours and 10 office hours to a total of 10 hours participated through a combination of both. The election committee and food committee have been eliminated. R e qu i re m e nt s for new club recognition have also been revised. New clubs will now only need to present for two weeks in order to receive approval to be recognized as an official club. The number of signatures required to run for class representative, treasurer, vice president, and president have been lowered from 50 to 25 and 150 to 50, respectively. All constitution changes and updates were approved. Members of the homecoming coordinating team were the last to present at the meeting with their funding request. The presentation outlined the three days of events that will take place on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of homecoming weekend. On Thursday, a pep rally will be held on the greenway from 6 to 8 p.m. On Friday, two events will occur. The first is to decorate your own trucker hat from 5 until 7 p.m. The second is mini golf on the first floor of Stark Learning Center, set to start at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. On Saturday, students can get merchandise that will be given out at the homecoming football game. The homecoming weekend coordinating team is requesting $9,500 for the 3 days of events. They will return next week for the next part of their presentation. The next meeting will take place on Sept. 11. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff RHC Milkshake Giveaway Residence Hall Council will hand out free milkshakes on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Greenway in honor of National Milkshake Day. Welcome the the Neighborhood Social The Office of Diversity Affairs will host a neighborhood social on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to noon in Max Roth Center 105. Students can stop by for light refreshments and a meet and greet with the office. Dave & Busters Student Development Trip Student Development will host an evening at Dave & Busters on Sunday, Sept. 14. Students can sign up at the information desk in the Henry Student center and will need to provide their Wilkes ID and $15 payment at time of sign up. Transportation via the Wilkes shuttle will be provided. The shuttle will leave campus at 4:30 p.m. and return at 8:30 p.m. There are limited spots available. Contact studentdev@wilkes.edu with any questions. Produce Pop-up The Office of Civic Engagement will have their first monthly produce pop-up on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SUB. Those who bring their own bags can skip the line. Kisses to Cancer 5K Wilkes University’s AFROTC Detachment 752 will host the third annual Kisses to Cancer 5K on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m in honor of U.S. Air Force Major Candice Adams Ismirle, a Wilkes University alumni who died in 2016 after a battle with triple-negative breast cancer. To register for the event, follow this link: https://secure.touchnet.com/ C21800_ustores/web/product_detail.js p?PRODUCTID=218&SINGLESTORE =true Upcoming Events: 2024 Fall Semester September 12 - Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 13 - Student Government sign-ups 19 - Fiesta 26 - Programming Board giveaway October 3 - Blockbuster Bingo 10-14- Fall Recess 17 - Wilkestober Fest 24 - Sound Showdown 28-31 - Freak Week �� The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News 3 Wilkes University Programming Board hosts field day event By Emma Broda News Editor On Sept. 5, Wilkes’ Programming Board held Field Day as part of the second week of school activities. The event included classic field day games, food and prizes. Programming Board served “walking tacos” and Italian ice to students, who were able to sit and spend time with friends while they ate. Students got to choose whether their “walking tacos” were made in Doritos or Fritos chip bags, as well as what toppings they wanted. An interesting debate was stirred on which chip option was superior, with many votes towards Doritos. Emily Iannnucci-Furman, sophomore criminology and sociology major, shared her opinion on the debate. “Doritos one hundred percent, but it has to be the cheese ones,” she said. Many students shared that although they did not have a huge interest in participating in the games themselves, they still came to enjoy the food and watch others compete. Shauna Evancavich, sophomore early education major, and Iannnucci-Furman both said that they frequently attend Programming Board events as a way of spending time with their friends. They admitted they both came only for the food with no intent on playing games, but still seemed to be having a fun evening. Even thouigh they chose not to participate in the games,, many students still gathered on the Greenway to compete. Some games such as cornhole, frisbee and volleyball were played by students throughout the night without being a part of a competition for a prize. However, there were games played for those different prizes, many of which were classic field day games. These included tug-of-war, an egg race, water balloon toss, wheelbarrow race, potato sack race and musical chairs. Natalia Williams, sophomore double major in communication studies and Spanish, and Alyson Buchinski, sophomore education major, handed out walking tacos during the recent Field Day on campus. Food was a popular aspect of the Sept. 5 event. The prizes for the various events included a university branded sweatshirt, Owala water bottles, a cookware set, headphones and a spikeball set. Although many students were interested in winning the prizes, even those who did not win seemed to enjoy themselves. Camden Craig, freshman pharmacy major, participated in the potato sack race. The first-year student won the spike ball set as a result of his performance. “I wanted to do at least one event that I felt I was strong in,” Craig said. Craig added that no matter if he won or lost, he was “there for the fun.” Whether students came to the event to play games for fun, play to win or just to get food, the Field Day event gave everyone an opportunity to get together with friends and have fun. The next Programming Board event is the "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" event, which will include a trivia-based competiton between students. It will take place on Thursday, Sept. 12. Junior sociology major Sarah McAndrew was joined by Pierogi at the university's recent Field Day. Photos by Emma Broda Tug-of-war was one of the many ﬁeld day games challenging students. Other activities included an egg race, water balloon toss, wheelbarrow race, potato sack race and musical chairs. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News That’s So Honors: Welcoming a New Graduate Assistant By Morgan Steiner Contributing Writer This fall, the Honors Program welcomed a new Graduate Assistant (GA) and Honors Program alumnus: Lindsey Scorey!. Scorey graduated in 2023 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies. While she attended Wilkes University, Scorey embodied the idea of “That’s So Honors,” becoming heavily involved in both extracurricular and academic activities. She split her time between multiple cocurriculars in the Communication Studies Department. Scorey served as director and client manager for Zebra Communications, a podcast host, and social media manager for 90.7 WCLH. She also served as both a staff writer and assistant opinion editor for The Beacon. Outside of communication studies, Scorey worked as a Kirby Scholar, e-Mentor Orientation Coordinator, and interned with both the Office of Marketing Communications and Student Development. Scorey spent the last year working as a media consultant for the Times Leader Media Group before deciding to return to the university to pursue a master of Aarts and a master of fine arts in creative writing. In addition to her coursework, Scorey will serve as the graduate assistance for the Wilkes University Honors Program. A graqduate assistant position is a work-study opportunity made available to students enrolled in graduate programs. The type of work varies, depending on the office. For Scorey, much of this work involves facilitating the peer mentoring and small group programs and assisting with Honors Program events. “As a GA, I am really looking forward to being a part of any and all events and helping new students become acclimated to the program through it all,” Scorey said. “It has already been so great to see first year students being involved, so I think I Meet Lindsey Scorey, the GA for the Honors Program. Photos submitted by Lindsey Scorey will enjoy the events for myself, but also be living vicariously through seeing new students find their community here.” Despite the heavy workload between work and master’s programs, Scorey is excited to be working directly with the Honors Program Director and Assistant Director, Dr. Jonathan Kuiken and Professor Jen McLaughlin. “When I saw the Honors GA position was open for applicants, it was a nobrainer for me," Scorey said. Scorey, who hopes to work in academia, said the opportunity to work with extraordinary faculty and students was one of the highlights of this particular role. “What drew me to the Honors & Scholars Program GA role was the authenticity and student-centered aspect of it.” Scorey’s connections with her fellow students don’t end when she leaves the Honors Office for the classroom. “I began my MA/MFA program back in June and it has been better than I could ever imagine. 4 “I met my cohort back during June residency and by the end, we were all so emotional to leave each other,” she said. Scorey mentioned that her cohort is kind and talented, and that she is excited to be in a program surrounded by so many great people. In addition to her multiple responsibilities, Scorey has to balance her GA role, her job outside of Wilkes, and her daunting Master’s coursework, as she is enrolled in courses in both Poetry and Nonfiction, which requires not only a lot of writing, but a lot of reading. “...my favorite part is getting to read my fellow classmates' work and get their feedback on mine," she said. Scorey is looking forward to a year of education, fun, and new connections. Balancing two Master’s programs with a GA role and another job? That’s So Honors. To keep up with Lindsey and the rest of the Honors Program, follow @ wilkeshonors on Instagram. Scorey, who graduated in 2023, was an active member of both the Honors Program and campus community. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 New accounting practices for all clubs and organizations By Kayla Bicskei News Staff Writer Wilkes University clubs and organizations are now required to follow new accounting rules during the Fall 2024 semester. Clubs and organizations are no longer allowed to carry unlabeled funds from one fiscal year to another. Prior to the Fall 2024 semester, clubs and organizations were able to carry funds provided by Wilkes University, Student Government requests, and independent fundraising through multiple fiscal years to fund club and organization meetings, events, and trips. This change is due to previous accounting practices being labeled as irresponsible from the university. Money that clubs and organizations have received from Wilkes funds, Student Government requests, and independent fundraising will be diminished to $0 at the end of every fiscal year. According to the university, carrying money that does not have a labeled purpose from one fiscal year to the next is not an acceptable accounting practice. If clubs and organizations are saving money for an event, conference, or trip that is scheduled past the fiscal new year, they can label that money for that event, conference, or trip. This way, the clubs may keep any fundraised money from being taken away. The clubs and organizations can label this money on the fundraising application. When fundraised money is labeled, that News money can only be used for the event, conference, or trip it has been assigned to. The absence of funds in university organizations, such as the capital projects funds, might result in a relatively minor decrease in funding for some clubs and organizations. While surpluses do not roll over, the budget does not decrease for the next fiscal year. The Programming Board is one of the organizations experiencing a decrease in school funding. Programming Board Vice President and Wilkes University student, Logan Colonna, commented on the newly introduced accounting practices. “This could be a hard transition for some clubs and students, but I’m sure we can all band together as students and work through this hurdle,” said Colonna. “If we work together, then I’m sure everything will work out.” Club and organization money that is reset at the beginning of the fiscal year will be dissolved into Wilkes University. This money will be used for projects meant to improve student life outside of classrooms and academic buildings. Through this effort, students of all levels will be able to enjoy funded Wilkes University projects before they graduate. An example of a project this dissolved money will be funding are the new lights installed at Schmit Stadium. While it is cuurently unclear what the other projects may be, the university asssures that they will be beneficial to the student population. Professor Profile: Dr. Elyssa Gage 5 By Emma Broda News Editor This fall, Dr. Elyssa Gage joined the university as an assistant professor of history in the global cultures department. Gage was raised in Nice, France, where she first began studying humanities in high school. She moved to the United States to attend Pepperdine University in California where she graduated with a degree in international studies. She continued her education at the University of Florida where she received both her masters and doctorate in history. Gage previously taught at a university in Alabama, where her family lives. Gage shared that her interest in history became really clear from studying tensions in places such as North Korea and Pakistan. She found that looking at aspects of history she was more familiar with, like European colonialism, from a different perspective was very interesting. Gage herself is no stranger to world history, having spent time researching in multiple countries. These countries include France, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Italy. Her own research primarily focuses on French colonialism and empire, looking at its involvement in Africa and Asia. The new professor has been looking into territories that France is still present in the French Caribbean and how ideas of empire have changed. During this fall semester, Gage is teaching a course on the history of piracy. The Photo submitted by Elyssa Gage course looks at the role of pirates in global history, specifically with its association with the Caribbean. This includes studying the relationship between pirates in slavery, building empires and international law. She shared that piracy eventually was made illegal and empires created an “idea that if a country cannot prevent pirates from attacking traders, then they are a rogue nation” and that this is used as justification for colonization. Gage also talked about looking at the social dimension of piracy, that if piracy is made illegal and pirates are being attacked then why are people still becoming pirates? In the spring, Gage will be teaching a class on the African Diaspora. Interested in telling campus news and stories? Join The Beacon Email emma.broda@wilkes.edu or kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News Annual Club Day a successful event for all By Staff Reports With weather that wasn't too hot or too chilly, Club Day 2024 was a successful event that brought students, faculty, staff and administrators to the campus greenway. Students were able to enjoy free food, pick up "club swag" and explore the dozens of clubs and cocurriculars represented at the event. Even Walter, the first dog of Wilkes, made an appearance. 6 Club Day is an annual event on campus and is open to everyone, though it is often popular with first-year students looking to meet new people and get involved on campus. Though some clubs and activities focus around specific majors, many involve special interests and are open to anyone looking to start a new hobby or to keep up with an old one. Photos/Shannon Slominski Dozens of tables surround the greenway for Wilkes' 2024 fall Club Day. Sunny skies and not-too-hot temperatures provided a welcoming environment for hundreds of students. Photos/Shannon Slominski Gene McCormick, sophomore communication and media studies major, checks out the U.S. Air Force ROTC table at Club Day. Photos/Submitted photo Walter Cant, the first havapoo of Wilkes, enjoys some shade during the university's recent Club Day. Walter was a popular attraction at the event. Photos/Submitted photo A steady stream of students visit club and cocurricular tables circling the university greenway. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Editor-in-Chief Sydney Allabaugh at sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu University Theatre Department announces season By Cally Williams Special to The Beacon Tucked away on the corner of River Street sits the Dorothy Dickson Darte Centre for the Performing Arts. The centre houses convocation, your 8 a.m. yoga class and the university’s performing arts program, including dance, theatre, and music. This year, the theatre will put on four mainstage productions, including two straight plays and two musicals. Those include: “John Proctor is the Villain,” “And the World Goes Round,” “Between the Lines,” and “As You Like It.” “John Proctor is the Villain” takes place in Georgia in 2018, where a group of high school students are studying the “Crucible”. This play, by Kimberly Belflower, tackles subjects such as misogyny and sexual assault, while mentioning these topics in context of the Arthur Miller classic. “It tells a story that is so unfortunately realistic and shines a new light on a book that so many of us read at an age where we could be told what we were supposed to think about it,” said junior Madeline Meier. The production will be directed by Alison Morooney and intimacy and fight captained by Meier. Meier is a musical theatre major with a minor in sports psychology. “This show is the perfect mix of laughter and discomfort with a powerful message that the Wilkes community needs to hear,” Meier continued. She also will be playing Shelby Holcomb, an outspoken student who just recently came back to the school after leaving Isabella Ruiz will play Raelynn Nix, a cheerleader and aspiring goth who wants to break from what she’s used to while dealing with the return of her exbest friend, played by Meier, and turmoil within the school. “It is an important show,” Ruiz said. “It allows for conversations about healing, reconciliation and accountability.” Ruiz is a senior musical theater major and is very excited for this production. Those production runs from Oct. 3 through 6. **** John Kander and Fred Ebb are known throughout musical theatre history for their songwriting contributions. The duo is famous for musicals like “Chicago” and “Cabaret”. Their musical revue, “And the World Goes Round” includes songs from these hit shows, as well as many of their other works. “And the World Goes Round” features Jon Liebetrau as the director, Dr. Joshua Harper as the music director, and Lynn Esgro as the choreographer. Along with musical numbers, the show features exciting choreography. Bob Fosse is often associated with the Kander and Ebb style, as he choreographed and helped write several of their shows. Fosse was an influential choreographer and is well known for his distinct style of choreography, which will come through in several numbers. This revue runs from Nov. 14 through 17 at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Centre. **** Based on the book by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, “Between the Lines” tells the story of high school junior and book worm, Delilah. Delilah falls in love with the main character of the book she’s reading and finds out that the characters in the book are alive and can talk to her. Delilah jumps between the fairytale world with her prince and the real world, where she struggles with bullies and family Graphic courtesy of Wilkes University Theatre troubles. Featuring a score by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson and book by Timothy Allen McDonald, “Between the Lines” is for everyone who ever wished they could leave their lives behind and jump into a book. The musical will be on the Darte stage from Feb. 20 through 23. **** The season ends with the Shakespearean comedy, “As You Like It.” This play tells of Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they run away to the woods as Rosalind is exiled by her uncle, the Duke. Rosalind dresses up like a man and comedy ensues as the cousins meet hilarious characters while they run through the woods, followed by Rosalind’s admirer, Orlando. “For this season, I am personally very excited to be directing two very fresh new shows, both of which were written by female identifying playwrights,” Morooney said. Morooney is currently in rehearsals for “John Proctor is the Villain” and will be directing the second musical of the year, “Between the Lines.” Each semester includes two very different shows. “John Proctor is the Villain” is a very new play while “And the World Goes Round” includes songs from Kander and Ebb that were written in 1965. “Between the Lines” was first performed in 2023 and “As You Like it” was written by Shakespeare in the 16th century. “There is always a place for the great classics of course,” Morooney said, “and I am glad we are covering both ends of that spectrum in one production season here at Wilkes.” �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Sydney Allabaugh: NISSAN ALTIMA - Doechii Stephen Youkoski: Sam Mullen: ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas Night Moves - Bob Seger Megan Davis: Adam Grundt: Quarterback - Wallows one of wun - Gunna Emma Broda: Leah Smith: Interstate - Big Thief Stitch - Wage War Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staﬀ picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bops! �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 9 �The Beacon – September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 New app aims to increase engagement on campus By Natalia Williams Life, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer Forget when a particular event is being held? Looking for a way to publicize your next activity? Tired of using WIN numbers to collect an accurate picture of who attended a particular event? Good news Colonels. Communication and fostering student engagement on campus has just gotten easier this year. Clubs and organizations across campus have started to use an app that tracks what events students attend. Suitable, is an engagement app designed to help students publicize and be aware of events happening on campus. The app allows for a centralized spot for campus community members to see what’s happening and when. Clubs and organizations like Programming Board, Student Government and the Multicultural Student Coalition, are all utilizing the platform to track attendance and to inform the student body about events that are happening. For each event posted on Suitable, descriptions can also be included to provide additional information so users understand what the event is. According to Suitable’s website, the app utilizes the “20-60-20 Rule.” According to the rule, about 20 percent of students are engaged in campus activities. However, an equal amount are not very engaged at all, and the remaining 60 percent just need some additional encouragement. The app is designed particularly to help those students who need that extra help. Junior marketing major Jenny Nguyen enjoys the app because it is easier for clubs to handle administrative duties. “I think Suitable has been a big help in taking attendance because it makes things a lot easier for clubs and students,” Nguyen said. “All we have to do is scan a QR code and once you have the app set up you are good to go.” The app has also cut down the wait to enter events. Before Suitable, attendance was taken by taking students’ individual WIN numbers. Since the rollout of Suitable, students don’t have to worry about remembering their numbers. “I feel it was easier than the people going to everyone individually to take the WINs,” sophomore education major Shauna For those not wishing to use the app, a desktop verson of the student engagement app, Suiteable, is available. Evancavich. “It took less time.” To use Suitable, download it on your phone. Once you enter the app, you are prompted to enter your school email address. After, it will send you to sign in using the university portal. There, you can enter your username and password. Once finished you are ready to use the app. On the day of an event simply click on the QR code icon, and scan the QR code provided by whoever is taking attendance at that event. There is also a desktop version for folks looking to use something other than their cellphone. Overall, Suitable is proving to be an effective and efficient app for those around campus. It is helping students become more involved on campus and providing good information about events. At right: Students accessing the app will see a screen similar to the one pictured. After clicking on a event, they will see a screen with details of the specific event. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 11 Life, Arts & Entertainment Seek-A Word Back to School Word Search �� Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. D Y D K E S R D U G L Q L O S O Y X B P J H K Z K W A C D R L O V V W Q A U D C E V S F K O F I K S F F P R C W E S Z P T R D S W G T S Answer Key: C O A T Y Y F E B M G O S V C S K L R I F I H S W K J S I J C U Z X O O K S V Z S N T O U O V K T U C A D K Q H T P U P C D K N E Y L W L O I B M O C K S H B G L E Z K A B M O G U O H N I M Y Z S T J H Y O O K H C O I G M Y M D S N O T O U L C L C U A D U O S L Y T U M C N T X B T E Z S G Z O W J M J U G G R P X O A S R C H C T D S W G T Word Bank Z 1. notebook 5. school 9. computer 2. study 6. pencil 10. desk 3. homework 7. professor 11. class 4. backpack 8. student 12. syllabus L S F P O U F W E K T R C S O S Credit for this puzzle goes to: Dictionary.com www.dictionary.com P P K S C V K J O Y F V R D U D Y M Y R E V L S Z T D K X E F Z C E Y L U P D U T K C D K U B D R L B O V O U K G L S V S Q L N T Z I T G M Y Y U D C O H N I O I K C J X E N T M C Y L U T O S X P R G G U J M M O G U J O V Z S A B Z M O C B O O K S M D S G L U W Q A H Y H K N E A P D K W A C N O T I E Q H T M G O S K O F S Z O O K C X J U F O I H B C S K I B W A O W L I S L Y H S Z J G W Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. �Sr. Zane Grover waltzes in for long TD grab in win versus King’s Jr. Tallen Murray and So. Rob Barbarri combine for TD saving tackle during win versus King’s Sr. Donell Mackey-Woodson drops back into coverage during win versus King’s Jr. Tallen Murray lunges to make tackle during win versus King’s Jr. Josh Ermeus gets ready in pregme during win versus King’s Jr. Janas Sims takes reps in pre-game in win versus King’s Sr. Steele Hess and So. Mike Golay celebrate after a sack during win versus King’s �Sr. Donell Mackey-Woodson drops back on a 3rd and long during win versus King’s (From Left to Right) So. Luke Baker, Sr. Dame Grullon, Sr. Moe Guarino, and Jr. Anthony Messina in pass protection in win versus King’s So. Jackson Roberts gets ready in pregme during win versus King’s �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact assistant opinion editors: leah.smith@wilkes.edu or logan.colonna@wilkes.edu. Editorial Staff 2024-25 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Sydney Allabaugh Managing Editor: Stephen Youkoski Social Media Manager - Megan Davis Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Emma Broda Sports - Zach Paraway ASSISTANT EDITORS Opinion - Logan Colonna Opinion - Leah Smith Sports - Adam Grundt Sports - Sam Mullen DESIGNERS Head Designer - Lara Mullen Designer - Laura De Lora Layout Designer - Brady Melovitz SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Kayla Bicskei LA&E - Natalia Williams Opinion - Shawn Carey Opinion - “Freeze” Sports - Andrew Marshallsay Sports - Ava Tureen 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu or Sydney Allabaugh at sydney. allabaugh@wilkes.edu. The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Clubs should keep their unspent funds The Student Government’s change in club funding is without a doubt a controversial decision. Absorbing unused funds to make changes for other parts of the university is something that will create a divide in opinion among students. Many students however, specifically those who are frequent club members, are outraged by this. Absorbing leftover funds from university clubs because clubs saving the leftover money can be considered “poor accounting practices” and using that money for other resources around the university that students may not use or need is a questionable decision, to say the least. Many clubs use that money to cover future events or to plan programming to benefit the wider campus community. Even though students have been told there is a possibility that money can still possibly be saved for a big future goal (like a major trip), what are the chances this is guaranteed? In addition, what about the funding for future events that clubs would like to initiate for the student community? Many clubs participate in many small events, whether it’s for fundraising or to benefit the Wilkes community. These include events like Trunk-or-Treat and cookouts. Events such as these can only happen with the money that clubs are able to save, which may require using funds saved from previous semesters. Without this financial security, events like this could dwindle as club officers choose to be even more selective about which events to support. Ultimately, this can cause more stress for club leaders who must choose whether to support more general events or to save their funds for more club member-specific activities. They may also try to make up for the loss of money by hosting even more fundraising events, which could saturate the student environment. Clubs should not have to be put under this scrutiny because they are told saving money from previous years is “poor accounting practice.” If anything, splurging and making sure the money is gone before it can be absorbed is a poor accounting practice. This can be a bad example for students trying to budget themselves, which is especially important in a college environment. Fundraising events are crucial when it comes to Wilkes clubs and will become even more vital due to this funding change. Clubs will have to put what money they have left, whether it’s from Student Government or even out of their own pocket to develop an event that could raise more money. This becomes a challenge to students outside of clubs because not only are clubs asking for more money, but students may try to budget both college funds and other personal dues. This could make club fundraisers more challenging. Even if a club fundraiser does well, clubs will have no choice but to spend all of the money raised because that money will not be secured in the following year. Each year, clubs will go back to square one. Overall, this recent decision to absorb unused club funds is a poor choice because it will not only teach students poor budgeting skills, which is ironic given the reason for this decision, but it will also add on to the stress that students are already feeling in college. Now they will have to be increasingly selective of what to spend their money on and when. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion Analyzing toxic fandoms: The Icebox: An in-depth Are they inescapable? review of “Neon White” By Leah Smith Asst. Opinion Editor Fandoms are communities where fans across all forms of media can gather, whether in-person or online, to discuss, debate and celebrate the particular work of media that they enjoy. However, what has become present in modern fandom is toxicity, whether that toxicity is towardsanother fan, an upcoming project or a creator within that community. Toxic fandoms can be more than this; however, there’s toxic behavior from fans that can come out of love for a celebrity or project but gets lost in translation. The most common is the toxic behavior from fans that are negative, which mostly comes from criticism and a fan’s personal biases. One of the most popular examples of a toxic fandom is Star Wars. Star Wars fans are one of, if not the most, commonly known fanbase for their toxic fans and have even been dubbed by the internet as “The Fandom Menace.” The rise of this “Fandom Menace” wasn’t prevalent until Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Star Wars back in 2012. Fans had skeptic opinions about how the family-friendly company would handle the franchise, and those opinions were sought out in 2015 with the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Although loved by critics and general audiences, hardcore fans within the Star Wars fandom were unhappy with what Disney was doing with Star Wars, claiming that certain details weren’t accurate to previous Star Wars projects. They also argued that the female protagonist Rey was a “Mary Sue” or that having a female protagonist was a “woke” idea. Opinions like these become more loud and unavoidable as Disney continues pumping out more projects that make superfans more and more unhappy. Most recently, the Disney+ original “The Acolyte” was a victim to the Star Wars fandom even before the premiere. Many fans were once again throwing around the word “woke” due to the show starring a female black protagonist, and when the show finally did make its debut on the service, fans were “review-bombing” the show across all platforms and saying extreme things like the franchise is dead. These hyperbolic claims and personal biases that these particular fans throw out have gotten to the point where the stars of these projects themselves have gotten fed up with the unfair criticism. According to Variety, “The Acolyte” star, Amandla Stenberg spoke out on her Instagram story against the online “trolls” and said that she wasn’t surprised that they were receiving such harsh reactions and that she was experiencing “a rampage of hyperconservative bigotry and vitriol.” The other half of the toxic fandom is one previously mentioned where fans are toxic out of love for a project or a celebrity and end up becoming toxic due to uncomfortable behavior. This is a major case when this comes to the music scene. Fans of musical artists have been known for their toxic behavior, whether it comes from different people within the fandom, psychologically or a mixture of both. Recently, rising pop star Chappell Roan spoke out on Instagram about many fans who have made her uncomfortable.. She said that her fans have stalked her online or in-person, claimed that they knew certain things about her personal life and called her by her real name. Fans like these may not know that this type of behavior is toxic given how this type of superfan or “stan” behavior has become very popularized by social media. Women in the music industry, such as Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse, are the most targeted when it comes to this type of superfan behavior. Not every fan is like this of course, and most people who are a part of these fandoms and engage in these types of behaviors are a vocal minority. Will toxicity among fandoms ever end? The short answer is no, but what people in fandoms need to learn is that fandom at first is meant to be a community. There is a reason why people reach out to these communities, and it’s not because they want to bash each other and the projects they engage with. Fans reach out to these communities because they want to connect with others who love the same medium that they do. By “Freeze” Opinion Staff Writer Over the summer, I decided to turn up the heat a little with the PC Game Pass. I was able to try quite a few titles, but the one that really caught my attention was a first-person, parkour-shooter game called “Neon White.” You play as a character called Neon White, an assassin from hell who was given a unique chance to redeem himself of his sins. Basically, the purgatory department in heaven told Neon White and the other assassins of hell that they may compete for a sacred object called the Mechanical Halo, which allows the user to reside in heaven. This is the only chance that the assassins have of escaping hell, and the competition lasts for seven days. Our protagonist, Neon White, realizes that some of the other assassins seem familiar and that he may have known them in a past life. While aiming to be the victor of this competition and claim the halo, he also wants to uncover the mysteries of heaven by connecting with these assassins and finding out their truths. This is a single-player experience in which a Neon White maneuvers through beautifully designed levels while shooting demons and reaching the goal as fast as possible. Imagine if you gave Mario a gun, first-person POV,and set him into a series of short levels–maybe not the best analogy but it’s true. You might think this sounds like Doom or Halo, but it is very different in structure. First of all, the “levels” are quite literally just small areas in empty space with a set number of obstacles, weapons and enemies. Each weapon appears in the form of a Soul Card, which can be picked up and has limited ammo. A player can have three of the same card and hold two different types of cards. With such equipment, Neon White can speed through a level and must defeat all of the demons before reaching the goal. It is normal for him to never take damage or run out of ammunition, and there are no cutscenes to interrupt the graceful experience. Another important function of the Soul Cards are their respective discard ability. Each gun has a special effect when you 15 discard it. For example, the pistol allows you to double-jump when discarded, the rifle lets you shoot an explosive and the shotgun lets you dash forward. A player must make optimal use of both the shooting mechanic and the discard mechanic for each Soul Card in order to complete a level. Some enemies drop a weapon when defeated, which often lets a player know how to further optimize their route in the level. There are also bonus levels which are unlocked by claiming hidden gifts in the main levels and delivering them to the other assassins. Neon White engages in a lot of dialogue with them, some of which is slightly romantic as well. The format of this portion of the game is kind of like a dating simulator. I always skip the dialogue so I have no idea what is actually going on between Neon White and the other assassins. All I know is that they respond to his gifts with challenge levels. Neon Yellow’s challenges disable discard abilities while Neon Red’s levels make excessive use of them. Then there is Neon Violet; her levels are just pure torture. The speedrun aspect of this game is very important. In fact, it is one of the primary objectives. A player can unlock medals: silver, gold and ace depending on how fast they completed the level. With more experience in a level, Neon White gains “insight,” which is literally when the game guides you to beat the level even faster. Of course, that still won’t be enough if you’re aiming for the best possible time. The developers kept in mind that speedrunners would test the limits of this game, and so they set even more difficult records and encouraged the speedrun community to beat them. This may sound discouraging, but playing the game even normally makes you feel like a professional. If you enjoy that blissful feeling, I would highly recommend trying this game out. At the very least, you can compete with your friends for better times. There is a builtin leaderboard for each level that displays global results and that of your friends on Xbox. Try to get your friends to play this game and see who comes out on top. You never know, maybe you should claim your seat in heaven before it’s too late. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 16 Following the drama of collapsed historical empires By Noah Garraoui Contributing Writer �� Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 17 Why you should play tabletop role-playing games Dungeons and Dragons and beyond By Shawn Carey Opinion Staff Writer I’m sure that we have all at least heard of the game Dungeons and Dragons. Honestly at this point it’s pretty hard to miss. You may have learned about it from series such as “Stranger Things,” “Critical Role” and “Baldur’s Gate.” These are just some of the massive franchises that involve the popular roleplaying game (RPG). Each of the formerly mentioned series’ stories contain one of two things: characters playing D&D or characters existing in the world of D&D. Mentions of D20s and eldritch monsters fill the mouths of the protagonists, painting a very specific picture for the viewer. With that being said, what exactly do you think D&D is about? The first thing that comes to mind is probably an image of a bunch of nerds sitting around a table rolling dice and fighting monsters with their imagination, which is honestly pretty accurate. However, that is only half of the game. The second half of the game is almost never shown: the roleplaying aspect. When you play Dungeons and Dragons, you take on the role of a character of your own personal creation. You control every aspect of your character, everything from their name, race, class, weapons, spells, backstory and most importantly, their personality. When you play D&D, you don’t just play as a fantastical character, you become them. This isn’t exclusive to Dungeons and Dragons, however. Most tabletop RPGs have you become your characters. There are many different RPGs genres. The most popular tends to be fantasy, which includes games such as Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade and Call Cthulhu. There also tends to be a decent amount of sci-fi games, like Starfinder, Cyberpunk Red and Traveler, just to name a few. There’s also the case of license RPGs. The Last Airbender, Transformers, Marvel, Power Rangers and Star Wars are just a handful of the franchises that have received tabletop games. Due to the sheer number of different games, settings and potentially characters, there is an infinite number of ways to play, which is why I believe that everyone should play tabletop RPGs. First off, let’s talk about the story. Imagine all of the works of fiction that you have enjoyed in your life. Think of the compelling narratives, lovable characters, passionate villains and hilarious moments in them. D&D is not just a game, but rather, it is a way to take these stories and allow you and your friends to become the main characters by roleplaying. One of the most defining features of D&D is that imagination is the limit. If there is ever something you have wanted to do, you can make it happen. Instead of just watching or reading a story, you get to be a part of it. There’s weight behind your actions. What you say, who you attack and how you handle certain situations all matter. You’re in direct control of the story; it’s a totally unique experience that you can’t really find anywhere else. While you may have control over what happens, it’s not total control. Every action is determined by rolling dice, most commonly the D20, or a 20sided dice. The dice have just as much influence over the story as the players do. You can’t just say that you want to throw a fireball at a goblin. You have to roll for it. High rolls are successful while low rolls are failures. The unpredictable nature of the dice builds tension and helps create stakes at the table. It can also lead to some truly epic moments like rolling a natural 20, also known as a critical success. Now, not every tabletop game uses the same dice system. However, they tend to all have something very similar, such as the Marvel RPG’s d616 system. Sometimes a campaign doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. For example, a poor dice roll can totally derail an encounter or even a whole game. When this happens, the players and Dungeon Master (DM) usually have to find a creative way to get the story back on track. Tabletop games are a fantastic creative outlet. I am a firm believer that everyone should do something at least a little bit creative. Having a good creative outlet can be beneficial to one’s mental wellbeing and help to allow one to express themselves. Between the character creation, the story possibilities and general aesthetic, tabletop games are filled to the brim with creative possibilities. The best part of all of this is that playing TTRPG is a group activity. You’re not creating this world of chaos all by yourself. There’s this sense of partnership that comes with every action. Everyone’s attached to their respective characters and wants the best for them. It’s also a judgment free zone. You are allowed to get as nerdy as you want to get. Your character can be whatever you want them to be. As much as I enjoy the hobby, I will say that from a distance, it seems pretty intimidating. New players tend to believe that they need a whole shopping list of items. Everything from rule books, miniatures, a battle map, character sheets, multiple sets of dice, a dice tower and a DM screen. Now, don’t get me wrong, all of that definitely helps. However, the reality of the situation is much simpler. All you need is some friends and an internet connection. You can find most of the material needed online. There are plenty of websites that offer countless free and easy to use resources. D&D Beyond, Owlbear Rodeo and Roll 20 are just some of the websites that can help you get started. With that being said, I do recommend at least buying a set of dice and at the very least a starter set. You can of course just use a virtual dice roller; however, to me rolling a physical dice feels much more satisfying. As you probably noticed, I really like tabletop gaming. It’s a fun game to play with friends, a great way to be creative and overall just a positive experience. If you ever want to escape the real world for a few hours, I highly recommend trying out at least one tabletop game. Plus you can finally understand what the kids from “Stranger Things” are talking about. Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 18 Destroy Lonely releases "LOVE LASTS FOREVER" By Logan Colonna A track-by-track album review Asst. Opinion Editor Atlanta rapper Destroy Lonely is back again with another project titled “LOVE LASTS FOREVER.” He has a lot to prove with this album, since he’s been attempting to recapture the success he saw with his 2022 project “NO STYLIST” ever since it debuted. While I am excited for this record, I personally am not expecting much after hearing recent singles and features. Starting off, we have the performance of Destroy Lonely, or Lone for short as I will refer to him for the rest of this review. Lone isn’t necessarily known for his great bouts of lyricism and flow across his whole catalog; he more so lets the production do the talking on most tracks typically. This is no different on this record. Even after listening to the album five times, each track vocally still blends together and I can’t tell a lot of them apart from each other when casually listening. This is a huge issue I see in music nowadays: when artists can’t figure out how to correctly differentiate each track in an album. It makes the listening experience seem like a drag because every song blends together. Especially on a 21-track album, you can see how this can be a huge deciding factor in if the record is good or not. While I do enjoy what Lone brings to each track with his vocals and such, it really does mesh together quickly. This is made even worse when you have artists from the same label that Lone is a part of, like Ken Carson and Homixide Gang, who do the exact same thing as him. At the end of the day, while Lone’s vocal style is appreciated at times, he needs to change up severely or he’ll cease to have a fanbase besides his super loyal listeners. With only two features on the album, coming from Lil Uzi Vert and Ken Carson, I wish there were more in all honesty. This comes from the fact that a lot of the tracks end up sounding the same. With more artists collaborating, the more different the album can actually be. With this being said, I value the two features we did get heavily. Uzi easily had the better of the two features here when performing on “LOVE HURTS.” With his verse, we got a more melodic side of Uzi, which really does help separate this track from the rest of the record. Now with Ken Carson, although he does sound extremely similar to Lone, his feature is still a nice addition to the tracklist. The track “THRILL” as a whole is one of my favorites off of the album as well, with Ken Carson helping that decision be made. After being pleased with these two features, I can safely say that they are easily the best part of the entire album. Next, the production. Just like Lone’s vocals, the production from track to track is quite similar as well. Each track opens up with the same kind of predictable beat that you’d see all over Youtube when searching “Destroy Lonely Type Beat.” It’s baffling to me to see each instrumental lack so much personality. On top of that, the production is somewhat sleepy throughout the album, leaving me to genuinely fall asleep on my first two listens of the project. I get if that is the point of your music, but as a trap artist, I highly doubt Lone wants this to happen to listeners when first playing his album. This being paired up with Lone’s vocals allows the album to take forever to finish from beginning to end, and it’s not a good ride. With this being said, I do have a few outliers of his usual approach to the instrumentation. These being “LOVE HURTS” and “THRILL.” Besides these two tracks, everything else is a bore to listen to. The production as a whole on this record is lackluster at best. With all of what was said prior, this album is not replayable whatsoever. Like I’ve said before, nearly every track ends up blending together with three or four exceptions. Between the bland sounding vocals from Lone, and uninspired-sounding instrumentals, if you hear one track, you’ve heard them all. With this record having an hour and four minute runtime, the soundscape gets boring very quickly. By my fourth listen of this album, I wanted to skip so many tracks just to get to the end. Overall, beyond listening a few times for this review, I do not see myself coming back to this album whatsoever, besides playing three tracks maximum. This album is not very good at all. Lone attempted to revitalize his career, since he disappointed heavily with his 2023 project, “If Looks Could Kill.” However, he just dug himself an even deeper hole with this record. To improve, Lone could at the very least reduce the amount of tracks on his albums. No one in this day in age wants to sit there for 21 tracks for any artist, especially if their performance isn’t even good. To add on, Lone needs to harshly change his style. While it does work to a degree, I am personally tired of his specific style, even more so with multiple artists adapting to this style now. After all is said and done, this album is a 2 out of 10 for me. Graphic by Lara Mullen �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: zachary.paraway@wilkes.edu Women's soccer preview Men's soccer preview By Ava Tureen Sports Staff Writer �� By Ava Tureen Sports Staff Writer �� ¡�� ¢�� Graphic by Sydney Allabaugh �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports 20 The Palestra to host Wilkes basketball for 2024 season By Andrew Marshallsay Sports Staff Writer �� ¡�� ¡��¢�� ¢� �� The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports 21 Wilkes University 2024 field hockey season preview By Sam Mullen Asst. Sports Editor As the 2024 field hockey season approaches, the Wilkes University Colonels are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting and competitive year. With a mix of returning talent and promising newcomers, the team is focused on building on last season’s experiences to push further in the Landmark Conference. Coach Ashley Irwin is in her second season as the head coach of the field hockey team at Wilkes University. In her first season at Wilkes and the teams first season in the Landmark Conference, Irwin led the Colonels to a 4-5 conference record and a 9-9 overall record. Sophomore forward Morgan Hermanofski led the team in goals with eight for the year. Senior midfielder Olivia Gayoski followed shortly after with six goals. As a team, the Colonels averaged two goals a game, finishing with 36 total on the year. More than half of the goals for the year were assisted, totally 23 on the year. With six players from last year leaving, the 12 freshmen this year have some big shoes to fill. “The first-years have really worked hard during preseason and we are continuing to become closer on and off the field," said senior forward and captain, Bridget Rosenfeld. "We have not had a class this large in quite a while but I feel that they have integrated well into our team and we are so excited to see their impact on the field.” Senior captain Morgan Millard concurred. “This season we were able to bring in a decent amount of new players. It can be difficult to transition from high school to intercollegiate athletics, but lots of our new players have proven that they are willing to take on that challenge," Millard said. "They have contributed significantly to our team by bringing in new energy and a new style of play. I’m excited to see how they continue to adapt and grow into college players throughout the rest of the season," she added. The team already had their first home game on Aug. 31 against Oswego State. Senior midfielder Lexie Nevel put the Lady Colonels on the board first within the first minute and a half of the game. Nevel was able to get a goal off of a rebound from Rosenfeld’s shot. Hermanofski followed a few minutes later, gaining a two to zero lead. Right before halftime, senior midfielder Kellie Scott brought the Colonel’s to a two goal advantage after receiving a pass from senior forward Morgan Millard. Both first-year goaltenders Isabel Snyder and Olivia Wickel made a debut with Snyder having five saves and Wickel with one. After reflecting on the first game and win of the season, Rosenfeld said, “This season has started out great so far, we have great team chemistry even with a large first year class and it is showing on the field. The returners came back strong and we played like a true team last Saturday against Oswego.” Coach Irwin feels hopeful about the upcoming season. “The team looked great during preseason and stayed healthy, which was huge for us. Hosted our first Quad-Scrimmage with Division II school’s- Mercy and STAC, along with LVC joining us. Thought they had an awesome offensive debut at home with our season opener against Oswego. We want to play a fast offense with fresh legs (subs) often; we’re excited to see where it takes us,” she said. This past Wednesday, the Colonels traveled to William Paterson University where they sadly lost 3-2 after a double overtime. Rosenfeld got the Colonels on the board first after receiving a pass from first-year midfielder/forward Shaelyn Donnelly. She also got the second goal for the Colonels which was off of a penalty corner from Millard. In goal, Isabel Snyder started and finished the game, making a total of five saves. Olivia Wickel also made an appearance, making one save. Next week, the Colonels will travel to face cross-town rival King's College in a 9/11 Memorial game at 4 p.m. The new NFL season excites football fans everywhere By Adam Grundt Asst. Sports Editor The crisp fall conditions mean one thing for sports fans: the return of football. The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are set to open up the 2024 NFL season on Thursday, Sept. 5. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes as well as tight end Travis Kelce are looking to bring Kansas City back to the Super Bowl once again, while Lamar Jackson and newly-signed running back Derrick Henry are looking to bring the Baltimore Ravens to the big game for the first time in over 10 years. Wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking to have a breakout year in 2024. While many question marks rise in the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiving room, Rashee Rice is also looking to do the same as Flowers and have a breakout season. This upcoming NFL season looks to be exciting with many team, players, and storylines all coming to a head. Elsewhere in the league, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams, is looking to bring the Chicago Bears back to a level of dominance that has not been seen since the team’s last Super Bowl victory in 1985. Williams, who has been drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, is looking to be the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 in the history of the Bears’ franchise. Earlier this week, he was named the first rookie quarterback captain in the history of the franchise. Fans in Chicago are ecstatic for the success that can potentially come with drafting a prospect like Williams. The Bears are looking to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Closer to campus, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to make a statement in the NFC East division, a division that is seen as a toss-up to most experts. Two elite teams, the Eagles and the Cowboys, play in that division. The Eagles turned themselves into a juggernaut with the signing of Saquon Barkley, making them the favorite to win that division and make a deep run into the postseason. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, after appearing in the Super Bowl the season before. Wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are looking to propel the Eagles back to the “big game” alongside Barkley and star quarterback Jalen Hurts Coming into the season, the Kansas City Chiefs are the favorites to win their third Super Bowl championship in a row. The team that fell to the Chiefs in last year’s game, the San Francisco 49ers, are a close second. Following them are the Ravens, Detroit Lions, and then the Eagles. All in all, the fall time means many different things: the return of football, pumpkin spice and the leaves changing colors. This is one of the best times of the calendar year to be a sports fan, and it will inevitably be an exciting season to watch from a fan’s perspective. Photo from Wikimedia Commons �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 22 Sports Athlete of the Week Kellie Scott Senior, Women's Field Hockey, Midﬁeld The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Kellie Scott led the Colonels in total shots and shots on goal with three in the team's season-opening victory over Oswego State. Scott had one goal during the game. Major: Psychology and Communication Studies Hometown: Northport, ME If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Cross country - I just really love What had been your favorite to run. Fun fact: I ran 10 miles sports memory from your time this summer! Just for fun... and conditioning. as a Colonel? The field hockey's family tradition of embarrassing ourselves. We all go to tthe local Salvation Army and pick out outageous outfits for one another, followed by a delicious dinner. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? Boston Bruins, the Eagles.... and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Sleep, run and eat yummy food. What has been your favorite sports memory overall? I think it's a toss up between making it to the playoffs last season and honestly preseason this year. Preseason was so much fun and seeing where this new generation of Wilkes hockey is going is so exciting to watch and be a part of. What is your favorite post-game meal? A FAT italian sandwich with mayo and spicy pepper relish or mushroom sacchetti from Delvinos in Maine. What is your favorite part of How do you feel about being being an athlete at Wilkes? The people. Wilkes athletes and selected as the Athlete of the coaches are gritty, hardworking and Week? push one another to be the best. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? Creed or Miracle The Beacon//Samantha Mullen Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." It feels special, especially to represent my teammattes and coaches. Truly I am so excitted to see what this season brings and really push athletically towards our team goals. #DoHardWell Compiled by Samantha Mullen �The Beacon September 11, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week 23 Aidan Graff First-Year, Men’s Cross Country The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Aidan Graff finished 15th overall during the season opener at Misericordia University. In his first collegiae race, Graff finished with a time of 13:00. Major: Environmental Engineering Hometown: Scranton, Pa. What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite sports memory .as a Colonel is the friendships I made with my teammates before the season started What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? I don’t really have a favorite professional sports team. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Favorite thing to do away from sports is having fun with friends. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? My favorite part about being an athlete at Wilkes is being able to run at the collegiate level. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? If I didn’t run cross country I would probably be playing soccer. I played it during my freshman and sophomore year of high school and throughout my childhood. What has been your favorite sports memory overall? My favorite sports memory is when I became the District 2 champion for the 3200m during my senior year of high school. What is your favorite post-game meal? My pre-meet meal is always pasta. I don’t really have a post-meet meal; it’s wherever the teams wants to stop. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I feel honored to be seleced as Athlete of the Week. I didn’t even know it existed. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? “Remember the Titans” Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." The Beacon//Sam Mullen �24 The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Door’s open! �� Contact: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource This is Wilkes University's Beacon Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the Beacon's predecessors, The Bucknell Bison Stampede, 1934-1935 and The Bucknell Beacon, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>. Missing Issues: 1947 August 8th 1947 September 5th 1947 October 3rd 1947 October 17th 1947 October 31st 1947 November 21st 1947 December 19th 1948 September 9th 1950 April 28th 1953 April 10th 1962 February 2nd Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon, 2024 September 18 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 September 18 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/10b5326ea56805aa924ce999161e610c.pdf 1222cabe88deb1af3b63099633eabced PDF Text Text The Beacon - September 11, 2024 THE BEACON Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Wilkes University - Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Volume 77, Issue 2 1 “The news of today reported by the journalists of tomorrow.” Colonels reclaim Mayor’s Cup 43-28 against King’s College Wilkes University sophomore wide receiver Juju Fears soon scores a receiving touchdown as King’s College senior defensive back Amir Gibson trails behind him. Wilkes won the game, 43-28. Senior quarterback Xavier Powell was awarded the MVP plaque by President Greg Cant. See pages 12 and 13 for more photos. Photos by Sam Mullen and Zach Paraway Wilkes University Programming Board hosts ﬁeld day event, page 3 Theatre Department announces season, page 7 Why you should play tabletop RPGs, page 17 Athletes of the Week, pages 22 and 23 �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News News 2 Have a breaking story or a press release to send? Contact the news editor Emma Broda: emma.broda@wilkes.edu Student Government notes: Sept. 4 weekly meeting By Kayla Bicskei Contributing Writer Student government held its second weekly meeting of the Fall 2024 semester on September 4. The meeting started with a representative of the Wilkes University Chapter of College Democrats with their week one of two club recognition requests. The mission of this club is to advocate democratic values and promote students to become politically active leaders. The club also advocated for the Republican Club of Wilkes to be revived. The political club will return next week for their second presentation. Student government’s parliamentarian presented for the week two of two constitution changes. Updates to the constitution were revised. The changes decreased member requirements from participation with both 10 event hours and 10 office hours to a total of 10 hours participated through a combination of both. The election committee and food committee have been eliminated. R e qu i re m e nt s for new club recognition have also been revised. New clubs will now only need to present for two weeks in order to receive approval to be recognized as an official club. The number of signatures required to run for class representative, treasurer, vice president, and president have been lowered from 50 to 25 and 150 to 50, respectively. All constitution changes and updates were approved. Members of the homecoming coordinating team were the last to present at the meeting with their funding request. The presentation outlined the three days of events that will take place on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of homecoming weekend. On Thursday, a pep rally will be held on the greenway from 6 to 8 p.m. On Friday, two events will occur. The first is to decorate your own trucker hat from 5 until 7 p.m. The second is mini golf on the first floor of Stark Learning Center, set to start at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9 p.m. On Saturday, students can get merchandise that will be given out at the homecoming football game. The homecoming weekend coordinating team is requesting $9,500 for the 3 days of events. They will return next week for the next part of their presentation. The next meeting will take place on Sept. 11. Table of Contents News..................2 Life, A&E............7 Opinion............14 Sports................19 Beacon Briefs: Upcoming campus events Compiled by Beacon News Staff RHC Milkshake Giveaway Residence Hall Council will hand out free milkshakes on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Greenway in honor of National Milkshake Day. Welcome the the Neighborhood Social The Office of Diversity Affairs will host a neighborhood social on Thursday, Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to noon in Max Roth Center 105. Students can stop by for light refreshments and a meet and greet with the office. Dave & Busters Student Development Trip Student Development will host an evening at Dave & Busters on Sunday, Sept. 14. Students can sign up at the information desk in the Henry Student center and will need to provide their Wilkes ID and $15 payment at time of sign up. Transportation via the Wilkes shuttle will be provided. The shuttle will leave campus at 4:30 p.m. and return at 8:30 p.m. There are limited spots available. Contact studentdev@wilkes.edu with any questions. Produce Pop-up The Office of Civic Engagement will have their first monthly produce pop-up on Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the SUB. Those who bring their own bags can skip the line. Kisses to Cancer 5K Wilkes University’s AFROTC Detachment 752 will host the third annual Kisses to Cancer 5K on Saturday, Sept. 28 at 9 a.m in honor of U.S. Air Force Major Candice Adams Ismirle, a Wilkes University alumni who died in 2016 after a battle with triple-negative breast cancer. To register for the event, follow this link: https://secure.touchnet.com/ C21800_ustores/web/product_detail.js p?PRODUCTID=218&SINGLESTORE =true Upcoming Events: 2024 Fall Semester September 12 - Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? 13 - Student Government sign-ups 19 - Fiesta 26 - Programming Board giveaway October 3 - Blockbuster Bingo 10-14- Fall Recess 17 - Wilkestober Fest 24 - Sound Showdown 28-31 - Freak Week �� The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News 3 Wilkes University Programming Board hosts field day event By Emma Broda News Editor On Sept. 5, Wilkes’ Programming Board held Field Day as part of the second week of school activities. The event included classic field day games, food and prizes. Programming Board served “walking tacos” and Italian ice to students, who were able to sit and spend time with friends while they ate. Students got to choose whether their “walking tacos” were made in Doritos or Fritos chip bags, as well as what toppings they wanted. An interesting debate was stirred on which chip option was superior, with many votes towards Doritos. Emily Iannnucci-Furman, sophomore criminology and sociology major, shared her opinion on the debate. “Doritos one hundred percent, but it has to be the cheese ones,” she said. Many students shared that although they did not have a huge interest in participating in the games themselves, they still came to enjoy the food and watch others compete. Shauna Evancavich, sophomore early education major, and Iannnucci-Furman both said that they frequently attend Programming Board events as a way of spending time with their friends. They admitted they both came only for the food with no intent on playing games, but still seemed to be having a fun evening. Even thouigh they chose not to participate in the games,, many students still gathered on the Greenway to compete. Some games such as cornhole, frisbee and volleyball were played by students throughout the night without being a part of a competition for a prize. However, there were games played for those different prizes, many of which were classic field day games. These included tug-of-war, an egg race, water balloon toss, wheelbarrow race, potato sack race and musical chairs. Natalia Williams, sophomore double major in communication studies and Spanish, and Alyson Buchinski, sophomore education major, handed out walking tacos during the recent Field Day on campus. Food was a popular aspect of the Sept. 5 event. The prizes for the various events included a university branded sweatshirt, Owala water bottles, a cookware set, headphones and a spikeball set. Although many students were interested in winning the prizes, even those who did not win seemed to enjoy themselves. Camden Craig, freshman pharmacy major, participated in the potato sack race. The first-year student won the spike ball set as a result of his performance. “I wanted to do at least one event that I felt I was strong in,” Craig said. Craig added that no matter if he won or lost, he was “there for the fun.” Whether students came to the event to play games for fun, play to win or just to get food, the Field Day event gave everyone an opportunity to get together with friends and have fun. The next Programming Board event is the "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?" event, which will include a trivia-based competiton between students. It will take place on Thursday, Sept. 12. Junior sociology major Sarah McAndrew was joined by Pierogi at the university's recent Field Day. Photos by Emma Broda Tug-of-war was one of the many ﬁeld day games challenging students. Other activities included an egg race, water balloon toss, wheelbarrow race, potato sack race and musical chairs. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News That’s So Honors: Welcoming a New Graduate Assistant By Morgan Steiner Contributing Writer This fall, the Honors Program welcomed a new Graduate Assistant (GA) and Honors Program alumnus: Lindsey Scorey!. Scorey graduated in 2023 with a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies. While she attended Wilkes University, Scorey embodied the idea of “That’s So Honors,” becoming heavily involved in both extracurricular and academic activities. She split her time between multiple cocurriculars in the Communication Studies Department. Scorey served as director and client manager for Zebra Communications, a podcast host, and social media manager for 90.7 WCLH. She also served as both a staff writer and assistant opinion editor for The Beacon. Outside of communication studies, Scorey worked as a Kirby Scholar, e-Mentor Orientation Coordinator, and interned with both the Office of Marketing Communications and Student Development. Scorey spent the last year working as a media consultant for the Times Leader Media Group before deciding to return to the university to pursue a master of Aarts and a master of fine arts in creative writing. In addition to her coursework, Scorey will serve as the graduate assistance for the Wilkes University Honors Program. A graqduate assistant position is a work-study opportunity made available to students enrolled in graduate programs. The type of work varies, depending on the office. For Scorey, much of this work involves facilitating the peer mentoring and small group programs and assisting with Honors Program events. “As a GA, I am really looking forward to being a part of any and all events and helping new students become acclimated to the program through it all,” Scorey said. “It has already been so great to see first year students being involved, so I think I Meet Lindsey Scorey, the GA for the Honors Program. Photos submitted by Lindsey Scorey will enjoy the events for myself, but also be living vicariously through seeing new students find their community here.” Despite the heavy workload between work and master’s programs, Scorey is excited to be working directly with the Honors Program Director and Assistant Director, Dr. Jonathan Kuiken and Professor Jen McLaughlin. “When I saw the Honors GA position was open for applicants, it was a nobrainer for me," Scorey said. Scorey, who hopes to work in academia, said the opportunity to work with extraordinary faculty and students was one of the highlights of this particular role. “What drew me to the Honors & Scholars Program GA role was the authenticity and student-centered aspect of it.” Scorey’s connections with her fellow students don’t end when she leaves the Honors Office for the classroom. “I began my MA/MFA program back in June and it has been better than I could ever imagine. 4 “I met my cohort back during June residency and by the end, we were all so emotional to leave each other,” she said. Scorey mentioned that her cohort is kind and talented, and that she is excited to be in a program surrounded by so many great people. In addition to her multiple responsibilities, Scorey has to balance her GA role, her job outside of Wilkes, and her daunting Master’s coursework, as she is enrolled in courses in both Poetry and Nonfiction, which requires not only a lot of writing, but a lot of reading. “...my favorite part is getting to read my fellow classmates' work and get their feedback on mine," she said. Scorey is looking forward to a year of education, fun, and new connections. Balancing two Master’s programs with a GA role and another job? That’s So Honors. To keep up with Lindsey and the rest of the Honors Program, follow @ wilkeshonors on Instagram. Scorey, who graduated in 2023, was an active member of both the Honors Program and campus community. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 New accounting practices for all clubs and organizations By Kayla Bicskei News Staff Writer Wilkes University clubs and organizations are now required to follow new accounting rules during the Fall 2024 semester. Clubs and organizations are no longer allowed to carry unlabeled funds from one fiscal year to another. Prior to the Fall 2024 semester, clubs and organizations were able to carry funds provided by Wilkes University, Student Government requests, and independent fundraising through multiple fiscal years to fund club and organization meetings, events, and trips. This change is due to previous accounting practices being labeled as irresponsible from the university. Money that clubs and organizations have received from Wilkes funds, Student Government requests, and independent fundraising will be diminished to $0 at the end of every fiscal year. According to the university, carrying money that does not have a labeled purpose from one fiscal year to the next is not an acceptable accounting practice. If clubs and organizations are saving money for an event, conference, or trip that is scheduled past the fiscal new year, they can label that money for that event, conference, or trip. This way, the clubs may keep any fundraised money from being taken away. The clubs and organizations can label this money on the fundraising application. When fundraised money is labeled, that News money can only be used for the event, conference, or trip it has been assigned to. The absence of funds in university organizations, such as the capital projects funds, might result in a relatively minor decrease in funding for some clubs and organizations. While surpluses do not roll over, the budget does not decrease for the next fiscal year. The Programming Board is one of the organizations experiencing a decrease in school funding. Programming Board Vice President and Wilkes University student, Logan Colonna, commented on the newly introduced accounting practices. “This could be a hard transition for some clubs and students, but I’m sure we can all band together as students and work through this hurdle,” said Colonna. “If we work together, then I’m sure everything will work out.” Club and organization money that is reset at the beginning of the fiscal year will be dissolved into Wilkes University. This money will be used for projects meant to improve student life outside of classrooms and academic buildings. Through this effort, students of all levels will be able to enjoy funded Wilkes University projects before they graduate. An example of a project this dissolved money will be funding are the new lights installed at Schmit Stadium. While it is cuurently unclear what the other projects may be, the university asssures that they will be beneficial to the student population. Professor Profile: Dr. Elyssa Gage 5 By Emma Broda News Editor This fall, Dr. Elyssa Gage joined the university as an assistant professor of history in the global cultures department. Gage was raised in Nice, France, where she first began studying humanities in high school. She moved to the United States to attend Pepperdine University in California where she graduated with a degree in international studies. She continued her education at the University of Florida where she received both her masters and doctorate in history. Gage previously taught at a university in Alabama, where her family lives. Gage shared that her interest in history became really clear from studying tensions in places such as North Korea and Pakistan. She found that looking at aspects of history she was more familiar with, like European colonialism, from a different perspective was very interesting. Gage herself is no stranger to world history, having spent time researching in multiple countries. These countries include France, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Italy. Her own research primarily focuses on French colonialism and empire, looking at its involvement in Africa and Asia. The new professor has been looking into territories that France is still present in the French Caribbean and how ideas of empire have changed. During this fall semester, Gage is teaching a course on the history of piracy. The Photo submitted by Elyssa Gage course looks at the role of pirates in global history, specifically with its association with the Caribbean. This includes studying the relationship between pirates in slavery, building empires and international law. She shared that piracy eventually was made illegal and empires created an “idea that if a country cannot prevent pirates from attacking traders, then they are a rogue nation” and that this is used as justification for colonization. Gage also talked about looking at the social dimension of piracy, that if piracy is made illegal and pirates are being attacked then why are people still becoming pirates? In the spring, Gage will be teaching a class on the African Diaspora. Interested in telling campus news and stories? Join The Beacon Email emma.broda@wilkes.edu or kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 News Annual Club Day a successful event for all By Staff Reports With weather that wasn't too hot or too chilly, Club Day 2024 was a successful event that brought students, faculty, staff and administrators to the campus greenway. Students were able to enjoy free food, pick up "club swag" and explore the dozens of clubs and cocurriculars represented at the event. Even Walter, the first dog of Wilkes, made an appearance. 6 Club Day is an annual event on campus and is open to everyone, though it is often popular with first-year students looking to meet new people and get involved on campus. Though some clubs and activities focus around specific majors, many involve special interests and are open to anyone looking to start a new hobby or to keep up with an old one. Photos/Shannon Slominski Dozens of tables surround the greenway for Wilkes' 2024 fall Club Day. Sunny skies and not-too-hot temperatures provided a welcoming environment for hundreds of students. Photos/Shannon Slominski Gene McCormick, sophomore communication and media studies major, checks out the U.S. Air Force ROTC table at Club Day. Photos/Submitted photo Walter Cant, the first havapoo of Wilkes, enjoys some shade during the university's recent Club Day. Walter was a popular attraction at the event. Photos/Submitted photo A steady stream of students visit club and cocurricular tables circling the university greenway. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 7 Life, Arts & Entertainment Life, Arts & Entertainment Have any events or artists to be shared? Contact Editor-in-Chief Sydney Allabaugh at sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu University Theatre Department announces season By Cally Williams Special to The Beacon Tucked away on the corner of River Street sits the Dorothy Dickson Darte Centre for the Performing Arts. The centre houses convocation, your 8 a.m. yoga class and the university’s performing arts program, including dance, theatre, and music. This year, the theatre will put on four mainstage productions, including two straight plays and two musicals. Those include: “John Proctor is the Villain,” “And the World Goes Round,” “Between the Lines,” and “As You Like It.” “John Proctor is the Villain” takes place in Georgia in 2018, where a group of high school students are studying the “Crucible”. This play, by Kimberly Belflower, tackles subjects such as misogyny and sexual assault, while mentioning these topics in context of the Arthur Miller classic. “It tells a story that is so unfortunately realistic and shines a new light on a book that so many of us read at an age where we could be told what we were supposed to think about it,” said junior Madeline Meier. The production will be directed by Alison Morooney and intimacy and fight captained by Meier. Meier is a musical theatre major with a minor in sports psychology. “This show is the perfect mix of laughter and discomfort with a powerful message that the Wilkes community needs to hear,” Meier continued. She also will be playing Shelby Holcomb, an outspoken student who just recently came back to the school after leaving Isabella Ruiz will play Raelynn Nix, a cheerleader and aspiring goth who wants to break from what she’s used to while dealing with the return of her exbest friend, played by Meier, and turmoil within the school. “It is an important show,” Ruiz said. “It allows for conversations about healing, reconciliation and accountability.” Ruiz is a senior musical theater major and is very excited for this production. Those production runs from Oct. 3 through 6. **** John Kander and Fred Ebb are known throughout musical theatre history for their songwriting contributions. The duo is famous for musicals like “Chicago” and “Cabaret”. Their musical revue, “And the World Goes Round” includes songs from these hit shows, as well as many of their other works. “And the World Goes Round” features Jon Liebetrau as the director, Dr. Joshua Harper as the music director, and Lynn Esgro as the choreographer. Along with musical numbers, the show features exciting choreography. Bob Fosse is often associated with the Kander and Ebb style, as he choreographed and helped write several of their shows. Fosse was an influential choreographer and is well known for his distinct style of choreography, which will come through in several numbers. This revue runs from Nov. 14 through 17 at the Dorothy Dickson Darte Centre. **** Based on the book by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer, “Between the Lines” tells the story of high school junior and book worm, Delilah. Delilah falls in love with the main character of the book she’s reading and finds out that the characters in the book are alive and can talk to her. Delilah jumps between the fairytale world with her prince and the real world, where she struggles with bullies and family Graphic courtesy of Wilkes University Theatre troubles. Featuring a score by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson and book by Timothy Allen McDonald, “Between the Lines” is for everyone who ever wished they could leave their lives behind and jump into a book. The musical will be on the Darte stage from Feb. 20 through 23. **** The season ends with the Shakespearean comedy, “As You Like It.” This play tells of Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they run away to the woods as Rosalind is exiled by her uncle, the Duke. Rosalind dresses up like a man and comedy ensues as the cousins meet hilarious characters while they run through the woods, followed by Rosalind’s admirer, Orlando. “For this season, I am personally very excited to be directing two very fresh new shows, both of which were written by female identifying playwrights,” Morooney said. Morooney is currently in rehearsals for “John Proctor is the Villain” and will be directing the second musical of the year, “Between the Lines.” Each semester includes two very different shows. “John Proctor is the Villain” is a very new play while “And the World Goes Round” includes songs from Kander and Ebb that were written in 1965. “Between the Lines” was first performed in 2023 and “As You Like it” was written by Shakespeare in the 16th century. “There is always a place for the great classics of course,” Morooney said, “and I am glad we are covering both ends of that spectrum in one production season here at Wilkes.” �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 8 Sydney Allabaugh: NISSAN ALTIMA - Doechii Stephen Youkoski: Sam Mullen: ROXANNE - Arizona Zervas Night Moves - Bob Seger Megan Davis: Adam Grundt: Quarterback - Wallows one of wun - Gunna Emma Broda: Leah Smith: Interstate - Big Thief Stitch - Wage War Each week, the Wilkes Beacon staﬀ picks their favorite song of the week. Check out this week’s bops! �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 9 �The Beacon – September 11, 2024 Life, Arts & Entertainment 10 New app aims to increase engagement on campus By Natalia Williams Life, Arts and Entertainment Staff Writer Forget when a particular event is being held? Looking for a way to publicize your next activity? Tired of using WIN numbers to collect an accurate picture of who attended a particular event? Good news Colonels. Communication and fostering student engagement on campus has just gotten easier this year. Clubs and organizations across campus have started to use an app that tracks what events students attend. Suitable, is an engagement app designed to help students publicize and be aware of events happening on campus. The app allows for a centralized spot for campus community members to see what’s happening and when. Clubs and organizations like Programming Board, Student Government and the Multicultural Student Coalition, are all utilizing the platform to track attendance and to inform the student body about events that are happening. For each event posted on Suitable, descriptions can also be included to provide additional information so users understand what the event is. According to Suitable’s website, the app utilizes the “20-60-20 Rule.” According to the rule, about 20 percent of students are engaged in campus activities. However, an equal amount are not very engaged at all, and the remaining 60 percent just need some additional encouragement. The app is designed particularly to help those students who need that extra help. Junior marketing major Jenny Nguyen enjoys the app because it is easier for clubs to handle administrative duties. “I think Suitable has been a big help in taking attendance because it makes things a lot easier for clubs and students,” Nguyen said. “All we have to do is scan a QR code and once you have the app set up you are good to go.” The app has also cut down the wait to enter events. Before Suitable, attendance was taken by taking students’ individual WIN numbers. Since the rollout of Suitable, students don’t have to worry about remembering their numbers. “I feel it was easier than the people going to everyone individually to take the WINs,” sophomore education major Shauna For those not wishing to use the app, a desktop verson of the student engagement app, Suiteable, is available. Evancavich. “It took less time.” To use Suitable, download it on your phone. Once you enter the app, you are prompted to enter your school email address. After, it will send you to sign in using the university portal. There, you can enter your username and password. Once finished you are ready to use the app. On the day of an event simply click on the QR code icon, and scan the QR code provided by whoever is taking attendance at that event. There is also a desktop version for folks looking to use something other than their cellphone. Overall, Suitable is proving to be an effective and efficient app for those around campus. It is helping students become more involved on campus and providing good information about events. At right: Students accessing the app will see a screen similar to the one pictured. After clicking on a event, they will see a screen with details of the specific event. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 11 Life, Arts & Entertainment Seek-A Word Back to School Word Search �� Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. D Y D K E S R D U G L Q L O S O Y X B P J H K Z K W A C D R L O V V W Q A U D C E V S F K O F I K S F F P R C W E S Z P T R D S W G T S Answer Key: C O A T Y Y F E B M G O S V C S K L R I F I H S W K J S I J C U Z X O O K S V Z S N T O U O V K T U C A D K Q H T P U P C D K N E Y L W L O I B M O C K S H B G L E Z K A B M O G U O H N I M Y Z S T J H Y O O K H C O I G M Y M D S N O T O U L C L C U A D U O S L Y T U M C N T X B T E Z S G Z O W J M J U G G R P X O A S R C H C T D S W G T Word Bank Z 1. notebook 5. school 9. computer 2. study 6. pencil 10. desk 3. homework 7. professor 11. class 4. backpack 8. student 12. syllabus L S F P O U F W E K T R C S O S Credit for this puzzle goes to: Dictionary.com www.dictionary.com P P K S C V K J O Y F V R D U D Y M Y R E V L S Z T D K X E F Z C E Y L U P D U T K C D K U B D R L B O V O U K G L S V S Q L N T Z I T G M Y Y U D C O H N I O I K C J X E N T M C Y L U T O S X P R G G U J M M O G U J O V Z S A B Z M O C B O O K S M D S G L U W Q A H Y H K N E A P D K W A C N O T I E Q H T M G O S K O F S Z O O K C X J U F O I H B C S K I B W A O W L I S L Y H S Z J G W Words can be found in any direction (including diagonals) and can overlap each other. Use the word bank below. �Sr. Zane Grover waltzes in for long TD grab in win versus King’s Jr. Tallen Murray and So. Rob Barbarri combine for TD saving tackle during win versus King’s Sr. Donell Mackey-Woodson drops back into coverage during win versus King’s Jr. Tallen Murray lunges to make tackle during win versus King’s Jr. Josh Ermeus gets ready in pregme during win versus King’s Jr. Janas Sims takes reps in pre-game in win versus King’s Sr. Steele Hess and So. Mike Golay celebrate after a sack during win versus King’s �Sr. Donell Mackey-Woodson drops back on a 3rd and long during win versus King’s (From Left to Right) So. Luke Baker, Sr. Dame Grullon, Sr. Moe Guarino, and Jr. Anthony Messina in pass protection in win versus King’s So. Jackson Roberts gets ready in pregme during win versus King’s �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion Opinion 14 Have an opinion or want to write a guest column? Contact assistant opinion editors: leah.smith@wilkes.edu or logan.colonna@wilkes.edu. Editorial Staff 2024-25 MANAGERIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief - Sydney Allabaugh Managing Editor: Stephen Youkoski Social Media Manager - Megan Davis Adviser - Dr. Kalen Churcher SECTION EDITORS News - Emma Broda Sports - Zach Paraway ASSISTANT EDITORS Opinion - Logan Colonna Opinion - Leah Smith Sports - Adam Grundt Sports - Sam Mullen DESIGNERS Head Designer - Lara Mullen Designer - Laura De Lora Layout Designer - Brady Melovitz SECTION STAFF WRITERS News - Kayla Bicskei LA&E - Natalia Williams Opinion - Shawn Carey Opinion - “Freeze” Sports - Andrew Marshallsay Sports - Ava Tureen 141 S. Main Street Clayton and Theresa Karambelas Media & Communication Center Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Phone - (570) 408-5903 www.thewilkesbeacon.com Want to advertise in The Beacon? Contact: Kalen Churcher at kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu or Sydney Allabaugh at sydney. allabaugh@wilkes.edu. The Beacon Est. 1936 Pa. Newspaper Association Member Our Voice Each week, The Beacon’s editorial board will take a stance on a current issue. Clubs should keep their unspent funds The Student Government’s change in club funding is without a doubt a controversial decision. Absorbing unused funds to make changes for other parts of the university is something that will create a divide in opinion among students. Many students however, specifically those who are frequent club members, are outraged by this. Absorbing leftover funds from university clubs because clubs saving the leftover money can be considered “poor accounting practices” and using that money for other resources around the university that students may not use or need is a questionable decision, to say the least. Many clubs use that money to cover future events or to plan programming to benefit the wider campus community. Even though students have been told there is a possibility that money can still possibly be saved for a big future goal (like a major trip), what are the chances this is guaranteed? In addition, what about the funding for future events that clubs would like to initiate for the student community? Many clubs participate in many small events, whether it’s for fundraising or to benefit the Wilkes community. These include events like Trunk-or-Treat and cookouts. Events such as these can only happen with the money that clubs are able to save, which may require using funds saved from previous semesters. Without this financial security, events like this could dwindle as club officers choose to be even more selective about which events to support. Ultimately, this can cause more stress for club leaders who must choose whether to support more general events or to save their funds for more club member-specific activities. They may also try to make up for the loss of money by hosting even more fundraising events, which could saturate the student environment. Clubs should not have to be put under this scrutiny because they are told saving money from previous years is “poor accounting practice.” If anything, splurging and making sure the money is gone before it can be absorbed is a poor accounting practice. This can be a bad example for students trying to budget themselves, which is especially important in a college environment. Fundraising events are crucial when it comes to Wilkes clubs and will become even more vital due to this funding change. Clubs will have to put what money they have left, whether it’s from Student Government or even out of their own pocket to develop an event that could raise more money. This becomes a challenge to students outside of clubs because not only are clubs asking for more money, but students may try to budget both college funds and other personal dues. This could make club fundraisers more challenging. Even if a club fundraiser does well, clubs will have no choice but to spend all of the money raised because that money will not be secured in the following year. Each year, clubs will go back to square one. Overall, this recent decision to absorb unused club funds is a poor choice because it will not only teach students poor budgeting skills, which is ironic given the reason for this decision, but it will also add on to the stress that students are already feeling in college. Now they will have to be increasingly selective of what to spend their money on and when. Letter to the editor policy: The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor from differing viewpoints. Letters must contain contact information, including name, city, state and phone number. Phone numbers will not be published but may be used for verification purposes. All letters to the editor must be sent using one of the following methods: Email: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu Phone: (570) 408-5903 (Voicemail: 30 seconds or less, please.) Mail: 84 West South Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18766 Attn: The Beacon �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion Analyzing toxic fandoms: The Icebox: An in-depth Are they inescapable? review of “Neon White” By Leah Smith Asst. Opinion Editor Fandoms are communities where fans across all forms of media can gather, whether in-person or online, to discuss, debate and celebrate the particular work of media that they enjoy. However, what has become present in modern fandom is toxicity, whether that toxicity is towardsanother fan, an upcoming project or a creator within that community. Toxic fandoms can be more than this; however, there’s toxic behavior from fans that can come out of love for a celebrity or project but gets lost in translation. The most common is the toxic behavior from fans that are negative, which mostly comes from criticism and a fan’s personal biases. One of the most popular examples of a toxic fandom is Star Wars. Star Wars fans are one of, if not the most, commonly known fanbase for their toxic fans and have even been dubbed by the internet as “The Fandom Menace.” The rise of this “Fandom Menace” wasn’t prevalent until Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Star Wars back in 2012. Fans had skeptic opinions about how the family-friendly company would handle the franchise, and those opinions were sought out in 2015 with the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Although loved by critics and general audiences, hardcore fans within the Star Wars fandom were unhappy with what Disney was doing with Star Wars, claiming that certain details weren’t accurate to previous Star Wars projects. They also argued that the female protagonist Rey was a “Mary Sue” or that having a female protagonist was a “woke” idea. Opinions like these become more loud and unavoidable as Disney continues pumping out more projects that make superfans more and more unhappy. Most recently, the Disney+ original “The Acolyte” was a victim to the Star Wars fandom even before the premiere. Many fans were once again throwing around the word “woke” due to the show starring a female black protagonist, and when the show finally did make its debut on the service, fans were “review-bombing” the show across all platforms and saying extreme things like the franchise is dead. These hyperbolic claims and personal biases that these particular fans throw out have gotten to the point where the stars of these projects themselves have gotten fed up with the unfair criticism. According to Variety, “The Acolyte” star, Amandla Stenberg spoke out on her Instagram story against the online “trolls” and said that she wasn’t surprised that they were receiving such harsh reactions and that she was experiencing “a rampage of hyperconservative bigotry and vitriol.” The other half of the toxic fandom is one previously mentioned where fans are toxic out of love for a project or a celebrity and end up becoming toxic due to uncomfortable behavior. This is a major case when this comes to the music scene. Fans of musical artists have been known for their toxic behavior, whether it comes from different people within the fandom, psychologically or a mixture of both. Recently, rising pop star Chappell Roan spoke out on Instagram about many fans who have made her uncomfortable.. She said that her fans have stalked her online or in-person, claimed that they knew certain things about her personal life and called her by her real name. Fans like these may not know that this type of behavior is toxic given how this type of superfan or “stan” behavior has become very popularized by social media. Women in the music industry, such as Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse, are the most targeted when it comes to this type of superfan behavior. Not every fan is like this of course, and most people who are a part of these fandoms and engage in these types of behaviors are a vocal minority. Will toxicity among fandoms ever end? The short answer is no, but what people in fandoms need to learn is that fandom at first is meant to be a community. There is a reason why people reach out to these communities, and it’s not because they want to bash each other and the projects they engage with. Fans reach out to these communities because they want to connect with others who love the same medium that they do. By “Freeze” Opinion Staff Writer Over the summer, I decided to turn up the heat a little with the PC Game Pass. I was able to try quite a few titles, but the one that really caught my attention was a first-person, parkour-shooter game called “Neon White.” You play as a character called Neon White, an assassin from hell who was given a unique chance to redeem himself of his sins. Basically, the purgatory department in heaven told Neon White and the other assassins of hell that they may compete for a sacred object called the Mechanical Halo, which allows the user to reside in heaven. This is the only chance that the assassins have of escaping hell, and the competition lasts for seven days. Our protagonist, Neon White, realizes that some of the other assassins seem familiar and that he may have known them in a past life. While aiming to be the victor of this competition and claim the halo, he also wants to uncover the mysteries of heaven by connecting with these assassins and finding out their truths. This is a single-player experience in which a Neon White maneuvers through beautifully designed levels while shooting demons and reaching the goal as fast as possible. Imagine if you gave Mario a gun, first-person POV,and set him into a series of short levels–maybe not the best analogy but it’s true. You might think this sounds like Doom or Halo, but it is very different in structure. First of all, the “levels” are quite literally just small areas in empty space with a set number of obstacles, weapons and enemies. Each weapon appears in the form of a Soul Card, which can be picked up and has limited ammo. A player can have three of the same card and hold two different types of cards. With such equipment, Neon White can speed through a level and must defeat all of the demons before reaching the goal. It is normal for him to never take damage or run out of ammunition, and there are no cutscenes to interrupt the graceful experience. Another important function of the Soul Cards are their respective discard ability. Each gun has a special effect when you 15 discard it. For example, the pistol allows you to double-jump when discarded, the rifle lets you shoot an explosive and the shotgun lets you dash forward. A player must make optimal use of both the shooting mechanic and the discard mechanic for each Soul Card in order to complete a level. Some enemies drop a weapon when defeated, which often lets a player know how to further optimize their route in the level. There are also bonus levels which are unlocked by claiming hidden gifts in the main levels and delivering them to the other assassins. Neon White engages in a lot of dialogue with them, some of which is slightly romantic as well. The format of this portion of the game is kind of like a dating simulator. I always skip the dialogue so I have no idea what is actually going on between Neon White and the other assassins. All I know is that they respond to his gifts with challenge levels. Neon Yellow’s challenges disable discard abilities while Neon Red’s levels make excessive use of them. Then there is Neon Violet; her levels are just pure torture. The speedrun aspect of this game is very important. In fact, it is one of the primary objectives. A player can unlock medals: silver, gold and ace depending on how fast they completed the level. With more experience in a level, Neon White gains “insight,” which is literally when the game guides you to beat the level even faster. Of course, that still won’t be enough if you’re aiming for the best possible time. The developers kept in mind that speedrunners would test the limits of this game, and so they set even more difficult records and encouraged the speedrun community to beat them. This may sound discouraging, but playing the game even normally makes you feel like a professional. If you enjoy that blissful feeling, I would highly recommend trying this game out. At the very least, you can compete with your friends for better times. There is a builtin leaderboard for each level that displays global results and that of your friends on Xbox. Try to get your friends to play this game and see who comes out on top. You never know, maybe you should claim your seat in heaven before it’s too late. �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 16 Following the drama of collapsed historical empires By Noah Garraoui Contributing Writer �� Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 17 Why you should play tabletop role-playing games Dungeons and Dragons and beyond By Shawn Carey Opinion Staff Writer I’m sure that we have all at least heard of the game Dungeons and Dragons. Honestly at this point it’s pretty hard to miss. You may have learned about it from series such as “Stranger Things,” “Critical Role” and “Baldur’s Gate.” These are just some of the massive franchises that involve the popular roleplaying game (RPG). Each of the formerly mentioned series’ stories contain one of two things: characters playing D&D or characters existing in the world of D&D. Mentions of D20s and eldritch monsters fill the mouths of the protagonists, painting a very specific picture for the viewer. With that being said, what exactly do you think D&D is about? The first thing that comes to mind is probably an image of a bunch of nerds sitting around a table rolling dice and fighting monsters with their imagination, which is honestly pretty accurate. However, that is only half of the game. The second half of the game is almost never shown: the roleplaying aspect. When you play Dungeons and Dragons, you take on the role of a character of your own personal creation. You control every aspect of your character, everything from their name, race, class, weapons, spells, backstory and most importantly, their personality. When you play D&D, you don’t just play as a fantastical character, you become them. This isn’t exclusive to Dungeons and Dragons, however. Most tabletop RPGs have you become your characters. There are many different RPGs genres. The most popular tends to be fantasy, which includes games such as Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade and Call Cthulhu. There also tends to be a decent amount of sci-fi games, like Starfinder, Cyberpunk Red and Traveler, just to name a few. There’s also the case of license RPGs. The Last Airbender, Transformers, Marvel, Power Rangers and Star Wars are just a handful of the franchises that have received tabletop games. Due to the sheer number of different games, settings and potentially characters, there is an infinite number of ways to play, which is why I believe that everyone should play tabletop RPGs. First off, let’s talk about the story. Imagine all of the works of fiction that you have enjoyed in your life. Think of the compelling narratives, lovable characters, passionate villains and hilarious moments in them. D&D is not just a game, but rather, it is a way to take these stories and allow you and your friends to become the main characters by roleplaying. One of the most defining features of D&D is that imagination is the limit. If there is ever something you have wanted to do, you can make it happen. Instead of just watching or reading a story, you get to be a part of it. There’s weight behind your actions. What you say, who you attack and how you handle certain situations all matter. You’re in direct control of the story; it’s a totally unique experience that you can’t really find anywhere else. While you may have control over what happens, it’s not total control. Every action is determined by rolling dice, most commonly the D20, or a 20sided dice. The dice have just as much influence over the story as the players do. You can’t just say that you want to throw a fireball at a goblin. You have to roll for it. High rolls are successful while low rolls are failures. The unpredictable nature of the dice builds tension and helps create stakes at the table. It can also lead to some truly epic moments like rolling a natural 20, also known as a critical success. Now, not every tabletop game uses the same dice system. However, they tend to all have something very similar, such as the Marvel RPG’s d616 system. Sometimes a campaign doesn’t go as smoothly as planned. For example, a poor dice roll can totally derail an encounter or even a whole game. When this happens, the players and Dungeon Master (DM) usually have to find a creative way to get the story back on track. Tabletop games are a fantastic creative outlet. I am a firm believer that everyone should do something at least a little bit creative. Having a good creative outlet can be beneficial to one’s mental wellbeing and help to allow one to express themselves. Between the character creation, the story possibilities and general aesthetic, tabletop games are filled to the brim with creative possibilities. The best part of all of this is that playing TTRPG is a group activity. You’re not creating this world of chaos all by yourself. There’s this sense of partnership that comes with every action. Everyone’s attached to their respective characters and wants the best for them. It’s also a judgment free zone. You are allowed to get as nerdy as you want to get. Your character can be whatever you want them to be. As much as I enjoy the hobby, I will say that from a distance, it seems pretty intimidating. New players tend to believe that they need a whole shopping list of items. Everything from rule books, miniatures, a battle map, character sheets, multiple sets of dice, a dice tower and a DM screen. Now, don’t get me wrong, all of that definitely helps. However, the reality of the situation is much simpler. All you need is some friends and an internet connection. You can find most of the material needed online. There are plenty of websites that offer countless free and easy to use resources. D&D Beyond, Owlbear Rodeo and Roll 20 are just some of the websites that can help you get started. With that being said, I do recommend at least buying a set of dice and at the very least a starter set. You can of course just use a virtual dice roller; however, to me rolling a physical dice feels much more satisfying. As you probably noticed, I really like tabletop gaming. It’s a fun game to play with friends, a great way to be creative and overall just a positive experience. If you ever want to escape the real world for a few hours, I highly recommend trying out at least one tabletop game. Plus you can finally understand what the kids from “Stranger Things” are talking about. Graphic by Laura De Lora �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Opinion 18 Destroy Lonely releases "LOVE LASTS FOREVER" By Logan Colonna A track-by-track album review Asst. Opinion Editor Atlanta rapper Destroy Lonely is back again with another project titled “LOVE LASTS FOREVER.” He has a lot to prove with this album, since he’s been attempting to recapture the success he saw with his 2022 project “NO STYLIST” ever since it debuted. While I am excited for this record, I personally am not expecting much after hearing recent singles and features. Starting off, we have the performance of Destroy Lonely, or Lone for short as I will refer to him for the rest of this review. Lone isn’t necessarily known for his great bouts of lyricism and flow across his whole catalog; he more so lets the production do the talking on most tracks typically. This is no different on this record. Even after listening to the album five times, each track vocally still blends together and I can’t tell a lot of them apart from each other when casually listening. This is a huge issue I see in music nowadays: when artists can’t figure out how to correctly differentiate each track in an album. It makes the listening experience seem like a drag because every song blends together. Especially on a 21-track album, you can see how this can be a huge deciding factor in if the record is good or not. While I do enjoy what Lone brings to each track with his vocals and such, it really does mesh together quickly. This is made even worse when you have artists from the same label that Lone is a part of, like Ken Carson and Homixide Gang, who do the exact same thing as him. At the end of the day, while Lone’s vocal style is appreciated at times, he needs to change up severely or he’ll cease to have a fanbase besides his super loyal listeners. With only two features on the album, coming from Lil Uzi Vert and Ken Carson, I wish there were more in all honesty. This comes from the fact that a lot of the tracks end up sounding the same. With more artists collaborating, the more different the album can actually be. With this being said, I value the two features we did get heavily. Uzi easily had the better of the two features here when performing on “LOVE HURTS.” With his verse, we got a more melodic side of Uzi, which really does help separate this track from the rest of the record. Now with Ken Carson, although he does sound extremely similar to Lone, his feature is still a nice addition to the tracklist. The track “THRILL” as a whole is one of my favorites off of the album as well, with Ken Carson helping that decision be made. After being pleased with these two features, I can safely say that they are easily the best part of the entire album. Next, the production. Just like Lone’s vocals, the production from track to track is quite similar as well. Each track opens up with the same kind of predictable beat that you’d see all over Youtube when searching “Destroy Lonely Type Beat.” It’s baffling to me to see each instrumental lack so much personality. On top of that, the production is somewhat sleepy throughout the album, leaving me to genuinely fall asleep on my first two listens of the project. I get if that is the point of your music, but as a trap artist, I highly doubt Lone wants this to happen to listeners when first playing his album. This being paired up with Lone’s vocals allows the album to take forever to finish from beginning to end, and it’s not a good ride. With this being said, I do have a few outliers of his usual approach to the instrumentation. These being “LOVE HURTS” and “THRILL.” Besides these two tracks, everything else is a bore to listen to. The production as a whole on this record is lackluster at best. With all of what was said prior, this album is not replayable whatsoever. Like I’ve said before, nearly every track ends up blending together with three or four exceptions. Between the bland sounding vocals from Lone, and uninspired-sounding instrumentals, if you hear one track, you’ve heard them all. With this record having an hour and four minute runtime, the soundscape gets boring very quickly. By my fourth listen of this album, I wanted to skip so many tracks just to get to the end. Overall, beyond listening a few times for this review, I do not see myself coming back to this album whatsoever, besides playing three tracks maximum. This album is not very good at all. Lone attempted to revitalize his career, since he disappointed heavily with his 2023 project, “If Looks Could Kill.” However, he just dug himself an even deeper hole with this record. To improve, Lone could at the very least reduce the amount of tracks on his albums. No one in this day in age wants to sit there for 21 tracks for any artist, especially if their performance isn’t even good. To add on, Lone needs to harshly change his style. While it does work to a degree, I am personally tired of his specific style, even more so with multiple artists adapting to this style now. After all is said and done, this album is a 2 out of 10 for me. Graphic by Lara Mullen �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports Sports 19 Want your sport covered? Deserve to be Athlete of the Week? Contact the Sports Editor: zachary.paraway@wilkes.edu Women's soccer preview Men's soccer preview By Ava Tureen Sports Staff Writer �� By Ava Tureen Sports Staff Writer �� ¡�� ¢�� Graphic by Sydney Allabaugh �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports 20 The Palestra to host Wilkes basketball for 2024 season By Andrew Marshallsay Sports Staff Writer �� ¡�� ¡��¢�� ¢� �� The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Sports 21 Wilkes University 2024 field hockey season preview By Sam Mullen Asst. Sports Editor As the 2024 field hockey season approaches, the Wilkes University Colonels are gearing up for what promises to be an exciting and competitive year. With a mix of returning talent and promising newcomers, the team is focused on building on last season’s experiences to push further in the Landmark Conference. Coach Ashley Irwin is in her second season as the head coach of the field hockey team at Wilkes University. In her first season at Wilkes and the teams first season in the Landmark Conference, Irwin led the Colonels to a 4-5 conference record and a 9-9 overall record. Sophomore forward Morgan Hermanofski led the team in goals with eight for the year. Senior midfielder Olivia Gayoski followed shortly after with six goals. As a team, the Colonels averaged two goals a game, finishing with 36 total on the year. More than half of the goals for the year were assisted, totally 23 on the year. With six players from last year leaving, the 12 freshmen this year have some big shoes to fill. “The first-years have really worked hard during preseason and we are continuing to become closer on and off the field," said senior forward and captain, Bridget Rosenfeld. "We have not had a class this large in quite a while but I feel that they have integrated well into our team and we are so excited to see their impact on the field.” Senior captain Morgan Millard concurred. “This season we were able to bring in a decent amount of new players. It can be difficult to transition from high school to intercollegiate athletics, but lots of our new players have proven that they are willing to take on that challenge," Millard said. "They have contributed significantly to our team by bringing in new energy and a new style of play. I’m excited to see how they continue to adapt and grow into college players throughout the rest of the season," she added. The team already had their first home game on Aug. 31 against Oswego State. Senior midfielder Lexie Nevel put the Lady Colonels on the board first within the first minute and a half of the game. Nevel was able to get a goal off of a rebound from Rosenfeld’s shot. Hermanofski followed a few minutes later, gaining a two to zero lead. Right before halftime, senior midfielder Kellie Scott brought the Colonel’s to a two goal advantage after receiving a pass from senior forward Morgan Millard. Both first-year goaltenders Isabel Snyder and Olivia Wickel made a debut with Snyder having five saves and Wickel with one. After reflecting on the first game and win of the season, Rosenfeld said, “This season has started out great so far, we have great team chemistry even with a large first year class and it is showing on the field. The returners came back strong and we played like a true team last Saturday against Oswego.” Coach Irwin feels hopeful about the upcoming season. “The team looked great during preseason and stayed healthy, which was huge for us. Hosted our first Quad-Scrimmage with Division II school’s- Mercy and STAC, along with LVC joining us. Thought they had an awesome offensive debut at home with our season opener against Oswego. We want to play a fast offense with fresh legs (subs) often; we’re excited to see where it takes us,” she said. This past Wednesday, the Colonels traveled to William Paterson University where they sadly lost 3-2 after a double overtime. Rosenfeld got the Colonels on the board first after receiving a pass from first-year midfielder/forward Shaelyn Donnelly. She also got the second goal for the Colonels which was off of a penalty corner from Millard. In goal, Isabel Snyder started and finished the game, making a total of five saves. Olivia Wickel also made an appearance, making one save. Next week, the Colonels will travel to face cross-town rival King's College in a 9/11 Memorial game at 4 p.m. The new NFL season excites football fans everywhere By Adam Grundt Asst. Sports Editor The crisp fall conditions mean one thing for sports fans: the return of football. The Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens are set to open up the 2024 NFL season on Thursday, Sept. 5. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes as well as tight end Travis Kelce are looking to bring Kansas City back to the Super Bowl once again, while Lamar Jackson and newly-signed running back Derrick Henry are looking to bring the Baltimore Ravens to the big game for the first time in over 10 years. Wide receiver Zay Flowers is looking to have a breakout year in 2024. While many question marks rise in the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiving room, Rashee Rice is also looking to do the same as Flowers and have a breakout season. This upcoming NFL season looks to be exciting with many team, players, and storylines all coming to a head. Elsewhere in the league, the first overall pick in the 2024 draft, Caleb Williams, is looking to bring the Chicago Bears back to a level of dominance that has not been seen since the team’s last Super Bowl victory in 1985. Williams, who has been drawing comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, is looking to be the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 in the history of the Bears’ franchise. Earlier this week, he was named the first rookie quarterback captain in the history of the franchise. Fans in Chicago are ecstatic for the success that can potentially come with drafting a prospect like Williams. The Bears are looking to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Closer to campus, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to make a statement in the NFC East division, a division that is seen as a toss-up to most experts. Two elite teams, the Eagles and the Cowboys, play in that division. The Eagles turned themselves into a juggernaut with the signing of Saquon Barkley, making them the favorite to win that division and make a deep run into the postseason. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, after appearing in the Super Bowl the season before. Wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are looking to propel the Eagles back to the “big game” alongside Barkley and star quarterback Jalen Hurts Coming into the season, the Kansas City Chiefs are the favorites to win their third Super Bowl championship in a row. The team that fell to the Chiefs in last year’s game, the San Francisco 49ers, are a close second. Following them are the Ravens, Detroit Lions, and then the Eagles. All in all, the fall time means many different things: the return of football, pumpkin spice and the leaves changing colors. This is one of the best times of the calendar year to be a sports fan, and it will inevitably be an exciting season to watch from a fan’s perspective. Photo from Wikimedia Commons �The Beacon - September 11, 2024 22 Sports Athlete of the Week Kellie Scott Senior, Women's Field Hockey, Midﬁeld The Beacon: Female Athlete of the Week Kellie Scott led the Colonels in total shots and shots on goal with three in the team's season-opening victory over Oswego State. Scott had one goal during the game. Major: Psychology and Communication Studies Hometown: Northport, ME If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? Cross country - I just really love What had been your favorite to run. Fun fact: I ran 10 miles sports memory from your time this summer! Just for fun... and conditioning. as a Colonel? The field hockey's family tradition of embarrassing ourselves. We all go to tthe local Salvation Army and pick out outageous outfits for one another, followed by a delicious dinner. What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? Boston Bruins, the Eagles.... and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleading team. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Sleep, run and eat yummy food. What has been your favorite sports memory overall? I think it's a toss up between making it to the playoffs last season and honestly preseason this year. Preseason was so much fun and seeing where this new generation of Wilkes hockey is going is so exciting to watch and be a part of. What is your favorite post-game meal? A FAT italian sandwich with mayo and spicy pepper relish or mushroom sacchetti from Delvinos in Maine. What is your favorite part of How do you feel about being being an athlete at Wilkes? The people. Wilkes athletes and selected as the Athlete of the coaches are gritty, hardworking and Week? push one another to be the best. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? Creed or Miracle The Beacon//Samantha Mullen Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." It feels special, especially to represent my teammattes and coaches. Truly I am so excitted to see what this season brings and really push athletically towards our team goals. #DoHardWell Compiled by Samantha Mullen �The Beacon September 11, 2024 Sports Athlete of the Week 23 Aidan Graff First-Year, Men’s Cross Country The Beacon: Male Athlete of the Week Aidan Graff finished 15th overall during the season opener at Misericordia University. In his first collegiae race, Graff finished with a time of 13:00. Major: Environmental Engineering Hometown: Scranton, Pa. What had been your favorite sports memory from your time as a Colonel? My favorite sports memory .as a Colonel is the friendships I made with my teammates before the season started What is your favorite professional sports team (any sport)? I don’t really have a favorite professional sports team. What is your favorite thing to do away from sports? Favorite thing to do away from sports is having fun with friends. What is your favorite part of being an athlete at Wilkes? My favorite part about being an athlete at Wilkes is being able to run at the collegiate level. If you did not play your current sport, what sport would you have wanted to play? If I didn’t run cross country I would probably be playing soccer. I played it during my freshman and sophomore year of high school and throughout my childhood. What has been your favorite sports memory overall? My favorite sports memory is when I became the District 2 champion for the 3200m during my senior year of high school. What is your favorite post-game meal? My pre-meet meal is always pasta. I don’t really have a post-meet meal; it’s wherever the teams wants to stop. How do you feel about being selected as the Athlete of the Week? I feel honored to be seleced as Athlete of the Week. I didn’t even know it existed. What sports movie is your go-to for movie night? “Remember the Titans” Editor’s note : Athlete of the Week s elec tions are deter mined by the spor t s staff each week. At the e nd of the acade mic year, we w ill post a reader poll on Tw itte r @ Wilkes B eacon to c row n an “Athlete of the Year." The Beacon//Sam Mullen �24 The Beacon - September 11, 2024 Door’s open! �� Contact: sydney.allabaugh@wilkes.edu kalen.churcher@wilkes.edu � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon Newspaper Collection, 1947-present Description An account of the resource This is Wilkes University's Beacon Newspaper collection, 1947-present. We also have digitized copies of the Beacon's predecessors, The Bucknell Bison Stampede, 1934-1935 and The Bucknell Beacon, 1936-1947 June. It should be noted that Wilkes University does not have a complete set of issues for the Bucknell Bison Stampede and Bucknell Beacon. For researchers who are interested in seeing the complete issues for these publications, please contact <a href="https://researchbysubject.bucknell.edu/scua">Bucknell University's Special Collections Department</a>. Missing Issues: 1947 August 8th 1947 September 5th 1947 October 3rd 1947 October 17th 1947 October 31st 1947 November 21st 1947 December 19th 1948 September 9th 1950 April 28th 1953 April 10th 1962 February 2nd Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource The Beacon staff is comprised of Wilkes University students who are advised by a full-time faculty member of the Communication Studies Department. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1934-present Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Copyright of the Wilkes Beacons is retained by Wilkes University. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Professor Emeritus Harold Cox digitized the collection from 1934-1970 and created a <a href="https://beaconarchives2.wilkes.edu/">legacy website</a>. Digital Archives student John Jenkins digitized the collection from 1970-present. Special thanks goes to Communication Studies Professor Dr. Kalen Churcher, Editor-in-Chief Kirsten Peters, Beacon staff member, Emily Cherkauskas, and other Beacon staff for their help in acquiring digitized copies of the Beacons from 2006 onward. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wilkes Beacon, 2024 September 10 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Communications Department Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2024 September 10 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Type The nature or genre of the resource Newspaper https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/373c99713a2a16dbbf45628e8f7e8598.png 2a29ff3e3652cb0a381b48247b613350 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Stark Hall's Dedication Address by Admiral Ben Moreell, 1957 September 27 Description An account of the resource This is a snippet of a speech by Admiral Ben Morreell at the Stark Hall Dedication on September 27, 1957 in which he reflects on the vision for how Wilkes College will use the building and classrooms. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/10920">Admiral Stark Collection.</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1957 September 27 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Address/Speech https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/bc315c0eb344e8be256c358c4892e613.jpg fd26364c083f0ba9ae0de81758965c9c https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/3bb5035ad1676413238cb0b59274b157.jpg a8a565ca9802b555d01dd5a550fa7f8d https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/b5b306196d9d610118bee1d0850ec692.jpg c7442e729ff0405ae21d1700d23dbadc https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/5fa30ad52f6fbeb054b44ffd8cfae59c.jpg 6315f829158849a07aebfb732fcad015 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/5b30232307e00014360f3febe2e8e4c0.jpg f9924b882542c882494ad2d70d10daae Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Photographs of Stark Hall, ca late 1950s Description An account of the resource These are photographs of Stark R. Hall after it was built in 1957. These photographs can be found in our <a href="https://archivesspace.wilkes.edu/files/buildinganddonorfile/starklearningcenterdedication1957.pdf">Building and Donor File collection</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource post 1957 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEGs Type The nature or genre of the resource Photographs https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/f0e18df24b99f2c730a74d17a6fc6d7f.jpg e143b5eff09534c366ded98c74f01178 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/bdc8ecef36160a545cd648c1efd0e887.jpg 8d0b58f4a8504805943ed3229142a11f https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/a961cd24f5afefbaababe162f9e80230.jpg 1cf2afacae6a8acfb6c0bb1e0d5304b0 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/5dabbb07f66a8a020b44b30e59ff50bd.jpg 4bbbe9970563909441dc3cf39f7fadf6 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/d6d25acff746e2e30dfbcd60da95e12f.jpg ee6cb0984966710ea3042571720d8e2f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Photographs of Chase Hall from the Building and Donor File collection, 1984-2006 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://archivesspace.wilkes.edu/files/buildinganddonorfile/chasehall1984to2006.pdf">Building and Donor File collection</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca 1984-2006, some photographs may have been taken prior to this date range. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photographs https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/baae7a329b73b5a86204d245eef03747.jpg e2500f167a5bec6eff3fa20db8e82610 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Photograph of Harold Stark, Chief of Naval Operations, 1939 August 1, <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/s/stark-harold-r/nh-49928.html">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> Description An account of the resource The photograph depicts the Chief of Naval Operations Photographed in his office, reading the Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy for Fiscal Year 1938. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-people/s/stark-harold-r/nh-49928.html">Naval History and Heritage Command</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939 August 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/c34cc038fcc81c0e7bdbf4ea4b3475c6.jpg 0a5141e885eda321fb280296fa3958e3 https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/0ddeb394d8a3a5a5e4983b7ab464022f.jpg 7e4319c78ba1cc4f3e8ddf5858ebc69d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Commander Claud A. Jones, USN, 1 August 1932, <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/us-people/j/jones-claud-a/nh-48725.html">US Naval History</a> Description An account of the resource The photograph depicts Jones receiving the Medal of Honor, from President Herbert Hoover. … Others present are … Captain Harold Stark, Aide to the Secretary, partially visible behind him Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/us-people/j/jones-claud-a/nh-48725.html">US Naval History</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1932 August 1 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/b6d29bda149fe17fec99c46238ca63e4.jpg 974e89d648f3e5169ecf01eaffa651b4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Portrait Photograph of Harold R. Stark, Aide to Secretary of the Navy, [1930 June 25], <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/naval-officer-harold-raynsford-stark-in-uniform-news-photo/640458389?adppopup=true">Getty Images. </a> Description An account of the resource The photograph depicts a portrait of Harold R. Stark from June 25, 1930. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/naval-officer-harold-raynsford-stark-in-uniform-news-photo/640458389?adppopup=true">Getty Images</a>; ACD 2025 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1925 June 25 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/68749b3c8553d19129943fe5e6701474.jpg 1d7f905bcc5fe74ae070acf9c3f6e19d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource A Photograph of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Awarded Stark in 1942 and 1948 Description An account of the resource The photograph depicts the Navy Navy Distinguished Service Medal that Stark was awarded. It is a gold and blue medallion, with an eagle at the center, and attached to a gold and blue ribbon by an anchor affixed within a five pointed star. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient/recipient-16847/">Hall of Valor</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1942; 1948 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/39fc632c2bc82f0b47ba81a8b79fd297.jpg 05c5f7394c2924723571ef09abcf7ac4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Photograph of Samuel Shelburne Robinson (1867-1952), ca 1923 Description An account of the resource A Portrait of Navy Admiral, Samuel S. Robinson, photographed while commander, battle fleet [circa 1923] Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/24-P-00001/24-P-48.html">US Naval History and Heritage Command</a> Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca 1923 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/c9611e2035547371678a2c0e74e21f2e.jpg 17cb2a121cd7ae017452cca57d87f29b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Revised Service Torpedo Instructions, by Harold “Betty” Stark, 1915 Sep 8, found on <a href="https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/torpedo/87/">US Naval War College</a>; ACD 2025 Description An account of the resource This image depicts handwritten instructions for naval torpedo service with notes by Harold “Betty” Stark. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1915 September 8 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Manuscript Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/torpedo/87/">US Naval War College</a> https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/1c6f009c4fd42e4299e818690b7a73d9.jpg 9f2802432e023222fec51f6f708e4026 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Photograph of Francis Thomas Evans with Message and Signature [ca. mid twentieth century] Description An account of the resource This is a photograph with original message from Francis Thomas Evans to Admiral Stark at some point during Stark's military career. Transcription: For “Betty” Stark The man with the cheerful Aye! Aye! With best regards of F. T. Evans Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource ca. mid twentieth century Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Photograph https://omeka.wilkes.edu/omeka/files/original/a75780b1739419456268c98cdc924388.jpg a340f2c549377ed22e3ce55bd19ca7b6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Digital exhibit items from the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972 Subject The topic of the resource Stark, Harold Raynsford, 1880-1972 Description An account of the resource Digital items found in the Admiral Harold R. Stark collection, 1923-1972, located on <a href="https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu/repositories/2/resources/19">Archivesspace</a>. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1923-1972 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Painting of the Battle of Bennington, [ca. late nineteenth-early twentieth century], <a href="https://revolutionarywar.us/year-1777/battle-of-bennington/">Revolutionary War.US.</a> Description An account of the resource The image depicts a painting by Frederick Coffay Yohn, [ca. late nineteenth-early twentieth century], which illustrates John Stark leading his men into the Battle of Bennington. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource [ca. late nineteenth-early twentieth century] Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource JPEG Type The nature or genre of the resource Painting