The Rocket

23/07/2024

PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein announced his decision to resign after six years in the role. Read more below.

Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Chancellor Dan Greenstein announced that he will resign his position on October 11, 2024, following the next Board of Governors meeting. Greenstein addressed an open letter to PASSHE students, faculty, staff and supporters of the 10 universities...

14/07/2024

🚨 BREAKING: Former US president Donald Trump was reportedly shot in the ear at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Several SRU students and Slippery Rock mayor Jondavid Longo were in attendance. The Rocket brings you continued coverage of this story.

A shooting at former US president Donald Trump’s July 13 campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show is being investigated as an assassination attempt. Gunshots were fired and one civilian, identified as Butler resident Corey Comperatore, was killed, according to Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s ...

03/05/2024

Assistant sports editor Alex Hanczar says "C'est la vie" as he rockets off the launching pad.

Joining The Rocket my senior year has been both the greatest and saddest experience. Throughout my journey at Slippery Rock, I always felt behind and felt constantly terrified of stepping out of my shell. It is for this reason my journey to The Rocket is sad: I wish we had more time. With that being...

03/05/2024

Shining a light on Professor Fiscella's research on physical activity! 👟

Professor Nicole Fiscella has been doing ongoing research since she was in college. She is about to complete her first year teaching at SRU. Fiscella works in the exercise science department and teaches Intro to Applied Anatomy and Intro to Exercise Science. “This was a great stepping stone for me...

03/05/2024

Multimedia editor Teiko Simms provides parting words to The Rocket ahead of Saturday's graduation.

Saying goodbye is never easy, but as I graduate, I find myself looking back at The Rocket and find myself with only one regret: not starting sooner. This experience has been essential to shaping my skills in content creation and storytelling, and I can never thank you enough. The amount of opportuni...

03/05/2024

Gage Gillott is strong with both his throwing arm and bat, making him a key asset for SRU baseball. ⚾
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02/05/2024

News editor James Cressman wishes The Rocket a fond farewell as he looks toward graduation.
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02/05/2024

Why is "rock water" the way it is? Our student life editor Annabelle Chipps traveled to the water treatment plant and talked to experts to bring you the answers. 💧 🚰

Slippery Rock’s water, both in town and at the university, is notorious for its taste and odor, known by students as “Rock Water”. These “aesthetic” issues are due to a large amount of iron and coal in the ground, a lack of funding and slow scientific advancement. The Rocket visited a wate...

02/05/2024

Ads manager Katie Shope says a heartfelt goodbye to The Rocket.

During winter break my sophomore year, I received an email from Dr. Fleming that asked if I wanted to apply for an advertising manager role at The Rocket. The first thing I thought was, “What is that?” After learning that it is the university’s newspaper and that I would be co-managers with my...

30/04/2024

Beginning May 1, SRU will put out a Request for Proposal to outsource Student Health Services on campus. Read more below. 🏥

Slippery Rock University (SRU) will move forward with a Request for Proposal (RFP) from May 1 to July 1. This request comes to outsource Student Health Services on campus due to a projected enrollment decline by about 18% until 2032. An RFP is an announcement of a project that is to be posted public...

27/04/2024

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Anderson says goodbye to The Rocket as she prepares to graduate in a week. 🎓 💚 📰

For the longest time, I wondered and debated if I was a “real” journalist. As an integrated marketing communication major, I always felt a little out of place with an award-winning newspaper (I have a few of those awards myself, now). I have one specific person that comes to mind. Joe Wells, bot...

26/04/2024

How was SRU's Karen Riley's first year as president? Find out here:

While some Slippery Rock University (SRU) seniors prepare to graduate and enter their next chapter, SRU’s 18th President, Karen Riley is wrapping up her first year at the university. Riley, who has appeared and spoken at various events on campus over the course of the year has consistently been re...

26/04/2024

A spotlight shines on SRU's international tennis players as they commemorate the whole team! 🎾

The Rock tennis has built a legacy of success and a family culture through their leadership, consistent play and coaching. Seniors Gabriela del Val del Toro and Nuria Martin Lopez are the latest duo of leaders continuing the tradition. “First, I had Olivia Warner who was a really good captain, the...

26/04/2024

SRU softball seniors reflect on their time with the team and journeys to leadership. 🥎

Through all the ups and downs, SRU softball has stayed consistent through leadership. Whether it be weather delays, cancellations or even the COVID-19 pandemic, softball is a sport of constant change. Seniors Mackenzie Freeman and Kelsi Anderson both know this and have learned through experience jus...

26/04/2024

Josh Gose is a leader on the track team. Luckily for SRU, the senior will return as a graduate student. 👟 💚

“There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do,” Derek Jeter said. Working hard is something in Joshua Gose’s blood. The senior men’s track and field athlete works his tail off both on the track and in the classroom. The Lew...

25/04/2024

Joey Purcell, another one of SRU baseball's three two-way players, discusses his inspirations and achievements. ⚾ 🔥

Joey Purcell is a two-way star for the Slippery Rock University baseball team. Purcell is a Holland, Pa. native who graduated from Council Rock South High School. Purcell was a multi-sport athlete, playing baseball and basketball, lettering in both. Purcell earned first-team Suburban One National ho...

25/04/2024

SGA held its last meeting of the academic year where they approved a large turfing project for the intramural fields and approved new senators. Concerns about outsourcing Student Health Services were also brought up.

SRSGA convened on Monday evening in the Smith Student Center (SSC) Theatre to wrap up this year’s business and organize the 2024-2025 senate. In the first meeting, normal business was conducted including approval of the 2024-2025 stipend budget and up to $2.5 million to fund the turfing of the int...

25/04/2024

Baseball sophomore Michael Kitko is one of three of the team's two-way players. He discusses his mentality and goals below. ⚾ 🔥

The hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball. Throwing multiple pitches with a consistent motion to high level hitters is up there too. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the level of baseball, the fewer two-way players one will come across. Enter the 2024 Slippery Rock University basebal...

25/04/2024

A review on the best study spots in town in time for finals week!

SRU students are currently spending hours studying and finishing up assignments as the end of the semester approaches and finals week is approaching quickly. There are various places to prepare for finals in Slippery Rock. A recent survey conducted by The Rocket shows that the top two places for stu...

25/04/2024

What is the gym culture at SRU like? Find out here 🏋️‍♀️

SRU has harbored a culture of students who enjoy exercise since the Aebersold Recreational Center was created in 1999. This includes bodybuilders and powerlifters who claim they have found community within their sports. Modifying yourself physically requires several types of effort. Those looking to...

25/04/2024

SRU football defense and offense went head to head last Friday in the annual spring game that brings fans back to Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. 🏈 💚 🤍

The Slippery Rock University football team hosted their annual Green and White spring game last Friday night at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. The format of the game was played in an offense versus defense style matchup. The offense was in white, while the defense was in green. The defense was given 17 p...

25/04/2024

Your CDR column for the week is here! The student organization brought an easy way to score secondhand outfits to campus this month with their partnership with Branded In Butler. 👚 👢

In a world with overconsumption and fast fashion at our fingertips, it is critical we actively try to create sustainable practices when looking for our next fashion piece. Thrifting is one of the many steps we can take to curb consumer fashion waste. Thrifting is an affordable avenue to reduce the n...

25/04/2024

FirstEnergy planted over 100 trees in Slippery Rock Park to celebrate Earth Day and contribute to efforts to improve the local space. 🌳 🌱

West Penn Power volunteers helped plant 136 trees at Slippery Rock Borough Park on Monday to commemorate Earth Day. The volunteers planted red oak, white oak, sawtooth oak, red maple, silver maple, river birch and eastern hop-hornbeam to repopulate tree species native to Pennsylvania. West Penn Powe...

22/04/2024

The following is Eric Gondella's opinion on Columbia University's use of NYPD force against student protestors over the weekend.

The shocking scenes coming out of Columbia University this past weekend demand the attention of both university administrators and student activists across the country. Columbia President Minouche Shafik’s decision last Thursday to authorize the New York Police Department to forcefully remove, det...

22/04/2024

State of the University updates are here!

SRU President Karen Riley delivered a presentation alongside her cabinet members to discuss updates for SRU’s six-year strategic plan on Tuesday during common hour in the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The updated strategic plan was announced on April 9 and based on four commitment pillars: Robust...

22/04/2024

Today and Wednesday's matches determine SRU women's tennis' future in the playoffs. Read about PSAC Championships outlook here. 🎾 💪

The Rock women’s tennis team is sitting at a 10-6 record this season. The team has been on a four-game winning streak. Last season, the White and Green achieved a 16-9 record and made it to the finals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament, losing 4-1 to Indiana University...

22/04/2024

Here is the Blotter from 4/12 to 4/19/2024! 🚓

April 12 – University Police received a fire alarm activation in Watson Hall and notified Safety to respond. Safety arrived and spoke to maintenance personnel working on the buildings plumbing. The determined cause was excessive steam. April 12 – University Police responded to a two-vehicle cras...

22/04/2024

Former vice president Mike Pence will be a frequent visitor at Grove City College as he has been announced the fellow for the new Center for Faith and Public Life.

Grove City College announced the establishment of the Center for Faith and Public Life on Thursday, April 11. This announcement coincided with former vice president Mike Pence’s keynote speech at the college’s Faith and Freedom Conference. Grove City College president Paul J. McNulty made the an...

19/04/2024

Have a favorite study spot on or off campus? Fill out this quick form to let your input be heard in an upcoming article! 📚 📝

The Rocket's Student Life section is ranking SRU's favorite study spots on and off campus. Fill out this short survey for your input to be included! Contact Kayla Raynak, assistant student life editor, at [email protected] with any questions or comments.

19/04/2024

SRU theater department performs "9 to 5: The Musical" this weekend!

The SRU Theatre Department will be performing “9 to 5: The Musical.” Individuals can experience the show for themselves this weekend only. There are four shows offered to attend, Friday April 19 at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. as well as Saturday April 20 at 7:30 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. The show...