Maddie Griffin, a student in Penn State's Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, created today's Slice of Pennsylvania on WPSU. It's a series where people in central and northern Pennsylvania talk about sounds in their lives that are meaningful to them.
Griffin talked to members of the State College Area Roller derby team, also known as SCAR, who practice together every Monday and Thursday from 8-10 p.m.
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Tiffany Kasper:
“So, my name is Tiffany Kasper. My derby name is Chemical Restraint, and I go by Chem. I'm currently the president. I have also been the vice president and the secretary. I am one of the coaches on the team. I teach pretty much every class of ‘fresh muscle,’ which is what we call them. The old school derby name was ‘fresh meat,’ but it's not very kind. So, we’ve moved PC into ‘fresh muscle.’”
“I have dedicated the last couple of years of my life to creating safe spaces, so I would really like people to come to SCAR and feel like it's a safe space. That they can have a bad day and have people who care about them anyway. That they can let out some energy and get rough with people in the safest, most effective coping way and have an outlet. I want people to feel like they belong somewhere, especially in a community that's pretty rural.”
Zoey Rhoads:
“So, my name is Zoey Rhoads. At derby, I'm Zoe Flake. So, what originally got me interested in roller derby was in 2019, I came out as transgender, and sports was a huge part of my life. And essentially, I was looking for an outlet where I could still compete and do sports. And I stumbled across this article. I think it was 'Trans athletes find a home in roller derby.’ And then I discovered State College Area Roller derby. And here I am. Been here for two years now.”
“So, for some people, SCAR might be a community, but to me it's a family. I didn't have family support, but now I actually have that family that accepts me for who I am. And my mental health is better because of these people. I know if anything happens to me, I'm missed and loved. And it just gave me a place to be me."