Cal students rally for Tuition Freedom Day

INSIDE
CALI F ORNIA UNIVERSITY
Cal U receives $500,000 funding
PAGE 2
Students root for Winter Olympians PAGE 3
Movie/music reviews
PAGES 6-7
Track records set by Cal athletes
california university of Pennsylvania
February 26, 2010
PAGE 10
vol. XXIX, No. 5
Award-winning author
gives advice to students
during visit to Cal U
By Alex Vucelich
For the Cal Times
Photo by: Kathryn Fitzgerald
Students march from the Kara Alumni House for Tuition Freedom Day, celebrating the day when state taxpayers begin paying for student’s tuition. The rally moved through campus to the Natali Student Union for speeches by Student
Government President Jackie Davis and Coordinator of Student and Young Alumni Programs Ryan Jerico.
Cal students rally for
Tuition Freedom Day
By Marc Stempka
News Editor
Students took to the streets
and marched across the California University of Pennsylvania
campus. The students weren’t
protesting, however. They were
expressing their appreciation to
the taxpayers of Pennsylvania.
The march through campus,
from the Kara Alumni House
to a rally in the Natali Student
Union, was part of Cal U’s Tuition Freedom Day.
The march and rally marked
the change over from students’
tuition dollars paying for their
education to when the state taxpayers begin paying for tuition.
Coordinator of Student and
Young Alumni Programs Ryan
Jerico structured the events of
the day. Jerico said students
should be aware that this
changeover in tuition funding
took place.
“It’s about celebrating and
about creating the awareness,”
Jerico said. “We want students
to be aware that tuition could
be a lot more if it weren’t for the
[Cal U] private donors and with
the help of the commonwealth
taxpayers.”
The Pennsylvania State Sys-
tem of Higher Education is
comprised of 14 universities. To
fund each of the approximately
117,000 students in the system,
in the 2009-2010 academic year,
62 percent comes from student’s
tuition and financial aid and 38
percent comes from the taxes
paid by state residents.
The official date of the tuition
payment changeover was Feb.
9. Due to the snowstorms earlier
this month, the event had to be
rescheduled.
The date of the 2008-2009
Tuition Freedom Day was Feb.
8. If trends continue, Jerico said
the tuition changeover day will
continue to fall later and later.
“It is very important students
realize this because it gives them
a sense of appreciation and with
appreciation comes the fact they
can give back to our campus and
continue to help to keep tuition
freedom day from happening
later and later in the year,”
Jerico said.
Joshua Wright (junior-criminal justice) took part in the
march and attended the rally.
Wright said he is thankful for
the taxpayers and hope they
will continue to pay their taxes
to support a publicly funded
education.
“We’re grateful for their taxes
for paying for us,” Wright said.
“If they could, I would like them
to vote for more so we don’t
have to pay such a high tuition
rate. I want them to know that
we are grateful for what they
give us.”
Student Government President Jackie Davis spoke at
the rally in the union. She announced the Cal U student
government is drafting an open
thank you letter to taxpayers on
behalf of the students at Cal U.
Davis said this is a first-of-itskind letter that is meant to show
the gratitude and appreciation
felt by the students. Those two
emotions Davis believes are
enforced through the Cal U For
Life program that started with
this year’s freshman class.
“It’s not just a ploy for them to
want to give more, but it is just a
sincere thank you because we do
appreciate what [the taxpayers]
do,” Davis said. “What better
way is there to express our appreciation than to draft a sincere
letter to everyone?“
Organizers of the event are
hoping awareness of Tuition
Freedom Day will continue to
grow and expand in the coming years.
The keynote speaker of Black
History Month at California
University of Pennsylvania took
the stage at Natali Student Center Feb. 23. The author, activist
and poet Sapphire was there
to discuss her work - a tragic
collage of a 16-year-old African
American female’s spiritual and
mental growth during the 1980s
in New York City.
Sapphire’s book, “Push” was
recently adapted into the movie
“Precious: Based on the novel
Push by Sapphire.”
The stories comprising Sapphire’s writing have turned
from a novel, to movie, to movement, to Oprah approved, to being translated into 13 different
languages and to being nominated for six Academy Awards.
The story of Precious, an
African American raped by
her father and abused by her
mother, is making its way into
the conscious of the American
mainstream, something that
Sapphire never thought would
Photo by: Mike Thoma
Sapphire, whose novel “Push” was
turned into the Oscar nominated
“Precious,” was the keynote speaker
of Black History Month at Cal U.
happen.
Sapphire said she knew that
she’d achieved something artistically with the book and also
with the movie, but also knew
that many great stories and films
often end up in the “straight to
DVD” category.
It wasn’t until she returned
from the Sundance Film Festival
and had a missed call, that she
See SAPPHIRE
Continued On Page 2
Photo By: April Staniszewski
Swim team sets two
school records at PSACs
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Upping the ante
Casino revenues to help
equip conference center
By Marc Stempka
News Editor
California University of Pennsylvania took a gamble in October on bidding for casino
revenues to help pay for a portion of the under construction
convocation center.
Earlier this month, the university received word the gamble
turned out to be a good bet.
The Washington County
Board of Commissioners voted
February 4 to approve the university for $500,000 in Local
Share Account funding to help
pay for a portion of the executive conferencing equipment
that will be in the convocation
center.
Cal U originally requested
$750,000 from the LSA funds.
The funds are available through
slot machine revenues from the
Meadows Racetrack and Casino
in North Strabane.
The university plans to use
the money to purchase and
install state-of-the-art “smart”
technology for the executive
conferencing center in the convocation center.
Cal U President Angelo Armenti Jr. said he is grateful to
the county commissioners and
the LSA review committee for
bringing this project closer to
reality.
“The conferencing center will
be a tremendous assest to the
region’s business and nonprofit
community, allowing business
leaders to offer top-quality
training sessions right here in
Washington County,” Armenti
said.
The total cost of the executive
conferencing component is $2.3
million. The university has
already secured $1.55 million
of that total. With the $500,000
from the county, there is still a
$250,000 gap in funding.
University Director of Communication and Public Relations Christine Kindl said the
shortfall won’t have a major
impact on the construction and
development of the executive
conferencing services.
Kindl said aside from the
equipment, the funds were also
going to be used to hire a technician to maintain the “smart”
equipment and provide training
to outside personnel who want
to use the technology in the
classrooms.
That position will now not be
included and the training and
equipment maintenance will be
handled by existing university
information technology staff.
“The funds we received are
enough for the university to
move ahead and equip the conferencing center,” Kindl said.
The funds will be used to install intermediate-level “smart”
technology in two conference
rooms and advanced-level technology in a third.
The Washington County
Chamber of Commerce sponsored the Cal U request for the
LSA funds. Also submitting letters of support were state Sen.
Richard Kasunic and state Rep.
Peter Delay, a member of the
University’s Council of Trustees.
The Washington County commissioners will forward their
fund distribution recommendations to the state’s Department
of Community and Economic
Development for final approval.
The Department of Community and Economic Development
have the final say on casino allocations, but historically they
accept the recommendations of
the counties.
This was the first time Cal U
requested funds from the LSA
account. Kindl said this probably won’t be the last time the
university will look into accessing funds through this avenue.
“The university would expect
that if we have a project that
does fit the requirements of the
grants, that we would move
forward again,” Kindle said.
The conferencing center at
Cal U will the first in Washington County. There are three
comparable conference centers
in western Pennsylvania, all of
them in Pittsburgh.
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February 26, 2010
SAPPHIRE Continued From Page 1
knew things were getting
ready to take off.
“When I got home, I heard
that Oprah had called,” Sapphire said with a chuckle. “I figured, well if she can get Obama
in the White House, she could
get us in a Cineplex.”
The novel “Push” was released in 1996 and has been circling the underground for over a
decade. Sapphire, born Ramona
Lofton, gathered her inspiration
for the work from the stories
she heard from her encounters
with different African American
women throughout the early
part of her life.
Sapphire said some critics
of her book said that the story
was an over dramatization of
the struggles going on in the
black community. She wholeheartedly disagrees.
“The stories of sexual abuse
that I’ve heard from black women makes ‘Precious’ look like a
walk in the park,” she said.
Sapphire said that one of the
ways to help stop the epidemic
of sexual abuse is to speak out
about it.
“Silence will not save African
Americans,” she said.
The rawness and graphic
language of “Push,” which had
to be scaled back for “Precious”
to make it to theaters without an
X rating, is a disturbing look at
the reality some people in this
country face.
Sapphire’s work has left certain readers wanting no more
truth for the time being.
“I thought it was beautifully
written and is an amazing piece
Photo by: Mike Thoma
Sapphire performs a scene from her novel, “Push,” in the Natali Student
Union Feb. 24. She wrote “Push” after the various stories she heard from African American women throughout her life.
of literature, but it’s something
I can’t read again,” said Monica
Ruane, a Reference and Instructional Librarian who assisted in
setting up a book group discussion on “Push.”
Vanessa Huggins (senioreducation) said that the movie
definitely made an impression
on her, especially the character
of Precious’s mother, played in
the film by Mo’Nique.
“She was the most despicable
character that I think I’ve ever
seen in a movie,” Huggins said.
For her efforts, Mo’Nique
earned an Academy Award
nomination for best supporting
actress and already won a Golden Globe in the same category,
something Sapphire thought
was well deserved.
“She’s set a bar that hasn’t
been seen in American cinema.
I was just honored for her to be
reciting my words,” Sapphire
said.
When asked what advice she
would like to offer to Cal U’s
aspiring artists and slam poets,
Sapphire said to remember that
it is the artist’s job to breathe life
into the characters they create
and to not be scared to grab the
mic and let your voice be heard.
Sapphire also said that after
she finishes with the whirl wind
of press and the Oscars, she
plans on returning to “normal
life,” but until then will continue
to spread the word about her
Precious.
as well as the test date of their
first exam.
“It prolonged my preparation
to excel on my test in Earth Science since it was moved to the
following week,” Bonar said.
The setback of classes forced
teachers to switch some things
around and make the best out of
the situation. Assistant Professor of Earth Science Swarndeep
Gill had to adjust his class syllabus to accommodate for losing
a week of class.
“It made things more rushed,”
Gill said. “I try to build the syllabus with cushioning for sick
days and such, but the weather
had taken many of those away
resulting in less time to covers
the material now.”
Despite the delay, Gill’s classes were back on schedule by the
end of the week the university
reopened.
The week off didn’t just affect
class schedules, but also affected
the jobs of residence hall community assistants. Kalla Brinkley (senior-education) is a CA
in Residence Hall C and had to
make changes to her residence
life programming schedule.
“I had to move a program I
had scheduled [the week of the
storm] to this week because a lot
of people had gone home and
would not have participated,”
Brinkley said. “While everyone
else got a week off and could go
home, I stayed here and kept the
building from falling down.”
With Vulcan Blizzard 2010
now becoming only a memory,
classes and events are starting
to return to normalcy. Cal U students and faculty are adjusting
as classes resume and continue.
Students, faculty adjust to syllabus
changes after Vulcan Blizzard 2010
By Stacy Skiavo
For the Cal Times
The snow storms earlier this
month made California University of Pennsylvania’s campus
a mess. Classes were canceled
for an entire week on account of
the dangerous weather and the
effects of the storm on the community. Losing a week of school
may seem great at first, but it
also brings much aftermath.
The week-long university
closure made many faculty alter their course syllabi, causing
changes to scheduled events
and pushing back several assignments, projects and tests for
students.
Examples of course changes
were found in Brandon Bonar’s
(junior-business management)
Intro to Earth Science class. Lab
due dates were pushed back
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CAL TIMES CONTRIBUTORS:
Alex vucelich, stacy skiavo, grant krinock, tom carroll jr, derek
pegritz, chuck brutz, dave frye, april staniszewski, alyssa kruse,
dominique thornhill, meaghan clister, sports information
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features
February 26, 2010
page 3
POLICE REPORTS Krinock’s Gourmet Corner: chicken and sausage gumbo
2/3/2010
Drug Arrest
Three students were identified sitting in a vehicle in the
river parking lot engaged in
drug use. The investigation
continues.
Suspicious Activity
At 10:14 p.m. University
Police were dispatched to
Residence Hall A Room 425
for the smell of marijuana.
Upon an investigation nothing was found and police
were cleared.
2/4/2010
Assist
University Police were
called to assist with a disorderly male subject at J. Coles
Bar. The male was uncooperative with police who was
later arrested after a brief
struggle with police officers.
2/5/2010
Traffic Accident
University Police responded to a traffic accident along
State Route 88 near Adamson
Stadium. A university student lost control of her vehicle on snow covered roads
striking a pole. The student
was not injured.
Assist
At approximately 11:08
p.m. California Borough
Police requested assistance
transporting a drunk driver
from Wood St. to the borough
building. Suspect was transported without incident.
2/9/2010
Harassment
At approximately 1:47 a.m.
University Police responded
to Residence Hall B where a
student was harassed by a
former boyfriend. The male
was advised to stop making
contact with the female.
Theft
At 6:29 a.m. a student reported items stolen from his
car.
2/10/2010
Harassment
A non-student and ex-boyfriend were escorted out of
Carter Hall at the request of
a female student whom the
male was visiting.
2/12/2010
Assist
At 3:48 a.m. University
Police was requested to assist at 131 Wood St. Apt. 302
where a loud party was taking place.
Assist
University police assisted
with a traffic accident on
Wood St. extension.
By Grant Krinock
For the Cal Times
Winter has buried everyone
and everything beneath layers of snow and ice. Every
morning has an eerily familiar
routine - shovel the snow from
the driveway, warm up the car,
and navigate through narrowly
plowed roads. Day after day,
winter reigns with an unrelenting grip. It is during these
weary times, we find comfort in
even the smallest of things. So
tonight, after the driveway has
been shoveled for the second
time, indulge yourself in a bowl
of chicken and smoked sausage
gumbo.
Gumbo, a Louisiana trademark, has become one of the
state’s most popular dishes. The
many variations of the dish have
made it a favorite of both the
rich and poor. It is so popular
that every October there is the
annual World Championship
Gumbo Kickoff in New Iberia,
La. At the Kickoff, you can taste
several different types of gumbo, including oyster, crab, ham,
and beef. Tonight, let’s stick
with the traditional chicken and
sausage gumbo.
Here’s some things to keep
in mind when making gumbo:
a great gumbo always starts
off with the roux. For those
of you who don’t know roux
is the sauce, or broth, that is
thickened by mixing flour and
fat. The best roux is usually a
dark reddish brown or black.
Also, keep in mind that gumbo
makes for great leftovers, which
is perfect for a day when you’re
snowed in and feeling the winter blues. If you’re looking for a
couple side dishes to go along
with your gumbo, try buttered
corn bread, or even a potato
salad. A Guinness or any heavy,
dark beer will compliment the
intense flavor. Alright, time to
forget about winter and dip into
the heart of Louisiana cousin!
CHICKEN AND SMOKED
SAUSAGE GUMBO
(Makes up to 7 main-dish
servings)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken, cut up
½ to 1 lb. smoked sausage
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped green
bell peppers
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs. garlic powder
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1 tbs. cayenne
½ teaspoon salt
7 cups basic chicken stock
5 to 6 cups cooked rice
Vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Rub chicken in garlic powder
and cayenne, then let stand for
20 min at room temperature. In
Photo By: Myrecipes.com
Need a way to warm up during the cold winter months? Look no further than
this dish, a spicy yet delicious chicken and sausage gumbo.
a bowl combine onions, green
bell peppers, and celery, and
set aside. Next mix the garlic
powder, salt, cayenne, flour,
and chicken in a zip lock bag.
Shake, mix well. In large skillet carefully heat vegetable oil
for frying. Put chicken in and
fry until it appears brown and
cooked on both sides. Then put
cooked pieces on a paper towel
to soak up the oil. Very carefully
pour the remaining hot oil into a
tall measuring cup. Scrape loose
particles off pan and pour ½ to ¾
cup of hot oil back into the pan.
Turn stove to high heat. Carefully stir, whisk, ½ cup flour into
the oil. Continue to whisk for
about 3 to 4 min. as the roux, (oil,
flour, and fat mixture), darken
to a reddish brown, almost
black color. Carefully remove
the pan from the heat and add
vegetable mixture. Then turn
heat to low, and return pan to
heat. Continue to cook for 4 to
5 min. or until vegetables have
softened. Stir occasionally. Next
pour the basic chicken stock into
a large saucepan, and bring to
a boil. Gradually add the roux
mixture to the stock. Continue
to stir 1 to 2 min. after adding
mixture. Reduce heat and add
the chopped garlic clove and
the smoked sausage. Reduce
heat to simmer, and keep at this
temperature for 45 min. Once
the gumbo is cooked add the
chicken and remaining spices.
Serve hot, and enjoy!
Students cheer on Ohno as U.S. leads medal count
By Carol Mannix
Staff Writer
The United States is sitting
atop of the 2010 Winter Olympics medal heap with a total
of 26 medals, as of press time.
Those medals are in large part to
this year’s Olympic celebrities
like speed skater Apolo Anton
Ohno and skier Lindsey Vonn.
“Apolo is one of, if not the
best, speed skater in the world,”
Ashley Rocco (junior-education)
said. “And I’m not just saying
that because I like him. He really is.”
According to US Magazine,
Ohno has become the most
decorated U.S. Olympian ever,
earning his seventh medal Feb.
20.
“His strategy is just awesome,” Kelly Neiderhauser
(junior-special education) said.
“He starts in the back and just
comes out of nowhere and gets
a medal.”
Ohno has been receiving a lot
of press this past week, as his
career high medal count has also
allowed him to break a record
previously set in 1994.
“He just broke Bonnie Blair’s
record for speed skating by getting seven Olympic medals,”
Rocco said. “And he still has two
races to go.”
This year’s games may be
especially sentimental for
Ohno, considering he perfected his craft in the very
city he is now competing in
for the final time.
“He’s from Seattle, and he
learned to skate in Vancouver,”
Neiderhauser said. “He is retiring soon, so it’s like he went full
circle.”
Ohno first competed in the
2002 Olympic Games, where
he won gold and silver medals. Rocco, however, said she
became fascinated with speed
skating before she began following Ohno.
“I always enjoyed ice skating,” Rocco said. “I was introduced to speed skating a few
Olympics back and it is just
something so amazing. I would
love to learn how to do it.”
Rocco went on to describe
Ohno’s determination,
and how it’s this quality
that keeps him and similar
Olympians going for the
gold.
“He skated at the race in
Torino (Italy) with a hamstring
tear and torn ligaments in his
left ankle, but he still raced and
won gold,” Rocco said. “I was
floored when I found that out.
It made me admire him that
much more.”
Rocco compared Ohno’s 2006 medal efforts despite
inju-
ries to what happened with
Lindsey Vonn this year.
“She’s been skiing with an
injury to her shin,” Rocco said.
“I guess when you train for that
long, for four years, something
like that isn’t going to stop you.”
Even though Ohno has announced this will be his last year
on the track, fans like Rocco are
optimistic for the future.
Speed skating fans are setting their sights on 18-year-old
J.R. Celski. While competing in
September 2009, Celski fell and
cut this leg with his own skate,
missing a major vein by only
inches.
“He could have bled out right
there, but he survived
and he’s competing in
the Olympics,”
Roc-
Top U.S. Medal Winners
Bode Miller - Gold, Silver,
Bronze
Shani Davis - Gold, Silver
Lindsey Vonn - Gold, Bronze
Julia Mancuso - Silver, Silver
Apolo Ohno - Silver, Bronze
co said. “I just think that’s an
amazing story. His skating
techniques are very similar to
Apolo’s. “
Along with the athlete’s individual drive, the spirit of the
Olympic Games is also very
prominent for its followers.
“I’ve found that the Olympic
creed is the most inspiring,” Rocco said. “It
says, ‘The most
important thing
in the Olympic
games is not to
win but to take
part, just as the
most important
thing in life is not
the triumph but the
struggle. The essential
thing is not to have conquered
but to have fought well.’”
As of press time, Ohno had
won both a silver and bronze
medal for men’s short track
speed skating. The closing ceremony for this year’s Olympics
will take place on Feb. 28.
Apolo
Ohno, who
just earned
his seventh
Olympic medal, still
has two races remaining, and is already the most
decorated U.S. Olympian of
all time.
Photo courtesy of: apoloantonohno.com
page 4
OPINION
Attack Theatre Arrives Wednesday
Attack Theatre will bring its spontaneous blend of conversation, creation,
dance and music to Cal U on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh-based company will
stage an experiential workshop at 11 a.m. in the Performance Center and a
show at 6 p.m. starting in the lobby of Steel Hall Mainstage Theatre.
The group uses innovative spaces to create one-of-a-kind, interactive theater
performances. This show will incorporate artwork produced by a Cal U student
and a member of the University faculty.
February 26, 2010
Correction
The Feb. 19 front page article
on Vulcan Village erroneously
stated that:
“The University is paying for
the hotel rooms and providing
every displaced student with
ten dollars for everyday they are
without power.”
It should have stated:
“Vulcan Village and SAI paid
for the hotel rooms and University Housing staff assisted with
temporary residence hall placements. Additionally, only the
displaced Building 9 students
who commuted from home
or stayed in the hotels from
Sunday, February 14 through
Wednesday, February 17 will
have a $40 credit applied to
their March rental installment
at Vulcan Village.”
Entertainment
February 26, 2010
Classics revisited: the birth of Motown
By Tom Carroll, Jr.
For the Cal Times
Moving into 1959, the United
States was still strongly divided.
The North and South shared
the same country, but remained
separated by an invisible border.
The South kept to their political, religious and moral beliefs
after the Civil War, holding on
to their own Jim Crowe laws.
Much like the state of society
before the war, inequality was
also hell and faced no chance
of refinement before and after
the Civil War. Being black in
America, especially in the South,
meant no choices, no chances on
the horizon.
As 1959 rolled in, the changes
that were slowing beginning
to boil carried on in a slow but
deliberate fashion with two significant issues for the Negroes
in the South in 1954 and 1957.
In 1954, a unanimous decision
was given by the Supreme Court
in Brown vs. Board of Education
of Topeka, Kan., making a very
minor dent in the set thinking
of the South. Then, in 1957, the
first civil rights legislation since
1875 passed. Senate majority
leader Lyndon Baines Johnson,
a senator from Texas, led the
bill through from beginning to
end. In 1963 he became our 36th
President, moving every major
piece of civil rights legislation
through to the finish. Later that
decade, Johnson appointed Thurogood Marshall to the Supreme
Court, the first black man to
become a Justice.
That brings us to Detroit, in
January 1959. What began in the
EXPLORE
POLAND
Dozier and Holland opened
the recording booth to Norman
Whitfield. Prior to the change,
Holland and Co. were so singles
driven that Whitfield gave the
radio and turntables a new and
deeper feel. He rearranged the
pop driven productions, which
earlier had been mastered for a
strong dance feel.
Between 1961 and 1971, Motown charted 110 top ten singles.
Berry Gordy really wanted no
part of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s
Goin’ On,” but became involved
Photo courtesy of: dissonskating.com thanks to a strong push from
“Smokey” Robinson. That reSmokey Robinson (left) and Berry Gordy (right) were pioneers of the Motown
lease became Motown’s biggest
music scene. Robinson would later become vice-president of Gordy’s company
seller.
that signed acts such as The Supremes, The Temptations, and the Jackson 5.
In 1972, the operation in De“Motor City” was just a dream into a recording studio. Gordy troit closed its doors and moved
for a young Detroit songwriter moved in upstairs, and the to Los Angeles. Motown continnamed Berry Gordy. He had name “Hitsville USA” was in- ued, with some artists gaining
started in music by writing augurated.
complete control of their recordfor Detroit artists, his biggest
His first hit out of the new ing, songwriting and producsuccess coming out of Jackie studio, Barrett Strong’s “Money tion. The artists who made this
Wilson’s release of “Lonely (That’s What I Want),” climbed choice included Marvin Gaye
Teardrops.” Feeling like he was to number two on the Billboard (who started the trend) and the
stuck on the low end of the R&B chart. In 1960, The Miracles no longer little Stevie Wonder.
totem pole in the business, he reached number one on the R&B Each artist turned out some of
decided to borrow $800 from his chart, and number two on Bill- the absolute best music that any
family and launch his own label, board’s Hot 100 chart, becoming set of ears out there could tune
Tamla. Gordy kicked off a new Berry Gordy’s first million seller. into and listen.
wave in black music on a new
After this milestone release,
Beyond February being Black
label owned by a black man.
Tamla incorporated and of- History Month, the music that
His first signing was a group ficially named itself Motown Berry Gordy introduced and
called The Matadors (who later Records. The roster grew and continues living today can be a
changed their name to The Mir- grew, bringing in some very year long celebration. Enough
acles), led by William “Smokey” talented young people ready has been written about the hisRobinson. The first release came for the chance to cut a record. tory of Motown and the music
later that year with Marv John- The roster was delivering hit movement it created that it
son’s “Come To Me”and in after hit. The Temptations, The would take a year long discovSeptember the “Smokey” Rob- Supremes, Marvin Gaye, and ery and a lifetime of learning to
inson led Miracles released “Little” Stevie Wonder, moved realize that beyond the impact
“Bad Girl.” Between the start of in and out of “Hitsville USA.”
of Motown, equality should be
the label and it’s first releases,
In the last half of the opening studied, learned and continuGordy had purchased a piece decade, problems with the main ously practiced.
of property which he converted production team of Holland,
SPRING BREAK
2011
Open to Cal U
community
Info:
www.eftours.com
tour #423884
or contact
Sean C. Madden [email protected]
Basia Kossecka [email protected]
page 5
Entertainment
Wrap-up
In Theatres Friday:
Cop Out
The Crazies
New Video Games:
Endless Ocean: Blue World
Heavy Rain
Last Rebellion
New on DVD:
The Informant!
The Box
Everybody’s Fine
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant
Weekend Events:
Black Eyed Peas - Mellon Arena - March 4
Martina McBride & Trace Adkins - Peterson
Events Center - Saturday, Feb. 27
New Found Glory with Saves the Day - Club
Zoo - Friday, Feb. 26
cal times
page 6
February 26, 2010
Photo courtesy of: ign.com
Toy Story fans will be pleased to see that the regular cast of characters will be back for Toy Story 3 with most of the original voice actors, including Tom Hanks and Tim Allen.
Pixar celebrates 15 years with Toy Story 3
By Chuck Brutz
For the Cal Times
The third installment of a
certain film franchise opens
this June in theatres, and once
again some fans will be split into
two groups: Team Woody and
Team Buzz. On top of that, 2010
marks the 15th anniversary of
the original theatrical release of
Toy Story, so fans get to be taken
to infinity and beyond twice.
According to ign.com, Toy
Story 3 starts with Andy from
the first two films now college
bound, and Buzz, Woody, and
the gang thrown out by Andy’s
mom.
The toys end up in a daycare
center and encounter a new
group of toys. The new toys include Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear and
Barbie’s boyfriend Ken, voiced
by Pittsburgh’s own Michael
“Beetlejuice” Keaton.
Along with the rest of the
cast, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen
are back as Woody and Buzz.
The exception being the voice
of Silnky, Jim Varney, who died
in 2000.
Let’s take a trip back to the
magical year of 1995. Agents
Mulder and Scully were on the
case in The X-Files, people were
dancing the “Macarena,” and
Toy Story, the first fully computer animated film, opened in
theatres.
“A mismatched buddy comedy between a cowboy and a
INSIDE THE VULCAN
THEATRE THIS WEEK
spaceman” is how director John When asked if she was excited beyond!”
Thalman said her three faLasseter described the film in a about the upcoming third film,
vorite characters are Woody,
December 1995 Starlog Maga- Jennifer Thalman (sebecause he’s sort of the father
zine interview. He also stated nior-English)
figure, Buzz the Adventurer,
that at one time Woody was a enthusiand Jessie because she’s
ventriloquist dummy, and Buzz astically
respondthe sisterly type.
a wind up tin toy.
“I always enjoyed the
In the same interview, Lasse- ed “Yeah,
mutant toys,” Allison
ter said that during the making to infinity
Helman (senior-English)
of the film, Pixar sought permis- a n d
said. “They were scary and
sion from toy companies. They
mean looking, but underneath it
received a rejection from Mattel,
all, they were really nice.”
who wouldn’t give the okay to
“I can’t wait, I’m so excited,”
use the character of Barbie, and
Stephanie Punjack (senior-comHasbro, who withheld the GI
munication disorders) said. “I
Joe character.
love the aliens, but my favorite
Toy Story was the top film
is Jessie because we both have
of 1995, followed by a 1999 sequel, and the characters earned
Photo courtesy of: ign.com
See TOY STORY
a beloved spot in pop cul- A new character to the series, Lots-O’-HugContinued on Page 9
ture, winning over many fans. gin’ Bear is a helpful new friend for the toys,
The Blind Side: better suited
for the Hallmark Channel?
voiced by Ned Beatty.
By Derek Pegritz
For the Cal Times
Showtimes are 4 and 8 p.m. daily, February 28
through March 6.
I love football movies. Friday
Night Lights. Any Given Sunday. Varsity Blues. Hell, even
The Waterboy! Perhaps it’s the
mixture of carefully-planned
plays and bone-snapping physicality, or maybe it’s the dramatic
potential inherent in any team
effort—there’s something about
the noble game of football that
always seems to make for good
cinema.
Unfortunately, The Blind Side
is not a football movie.
Oh, there’s football in it, alright. After all, it’s the true
story of Michael Oher, a severely-neglected young AfricanAmerican man who was adopted by a Caucasian family in
Memphis, Tennessee, and went
on to become a multiple-awardwinning, All-American college
football player and a 2009 firstround NFL draft pick. The focus
of the film is not on the game
itself, but on Oher (played by
Quinton Aaron) and his adop-
tive family, headed by matriarch
Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra
Bullock)—and rightly so, as this
is more a biographical study
of Oher and the Tuohy family,
rather than a traditional sports
movie. However, if director John
Lee Hancock—who previously
directed the wonderful baseball
film The Rookie—had represented the game itself a little
more strongly in the film, perhaps The Blind Side wouldn’t
have come across as so overly
sentimental.
This is by no means a bad film.
Though it gets a little drawnout in the last quarter, the pace
is steady and upbeat for most
of its two hour length, and the
performances are all adequate.
Quinton Aaron brings a sad,
downtrodden tenderness to
the character of Michael Oher,
which makes him a very sympathetic lead, and Sandra Bullock is surprisingly steely but
warm as his nominal mother.
It’s nice to see Ms. Bullock in a
dramatic role that lets her exercise a modicum of acting skill,
especially after the giddy, pointless abomination of All About
Steve and the seemingly endless
stream of mediocre romantic
comedies that she’s been wallowing in for most of the 2000s.
Unfortunately, she’s absorbed so
much of those romantic farces’
sentimentality that she seems to
glow with a faux-saintly aura of
perfection as Leigh Anne Tuohy.
In fact, the Tuohys’ in the film
are all the very embodiments of
non-denominational Christian
charity. Now, I have no doubt
that those folks are wonderful
people—but the film makes
them out to be perfect angelic
beings. Oh, there’s a little suggestion of some residual racism
here and there when Michael
first comes to live with them, but
these smudges are wiped away
in seconds, leaving them gleaming and golden. Michael’s backstory, which is implied through
several quick flashbacks and
a brief scene with his actual
See BLIND SIDE
Continued on Page 8
Entertainment
February 26, 2010
page 7
Crime in Stereo continues to rewrite hardcore scene
By Chris Orient
Managing Editor
Crime in Stereo turned melodic hardcore upside down with
2007’s Is Dead, an album that
not only solidified their place
in the Long Island scene, but
completely rewrote the book.
Three years after the release of
Is Dead, the quintet is back with
I Was Trying To Describe You To
Someone.
The album opens with the
twitchy electronics of “Queue
Moderns” before exploding
into CIS’s well known aggression. Vocalist Kristian Hallbert
sounds crisp and sharp, and the
band matches him note for word
throughout Describe’s 11 tracks.
“Drugwolf” is the band’s
catchiest song to date and will
no doubt become a standard
during their extremely faninvolved shows. “Exit Halo”
is a fury of effects pedals and
contains a bridge that sounds
like an F-16 taking to the skies,
while “Not Dead” has a strong
drumbeat coupled with an
equally strong breakdown and
outro. The title, a possible nod
to Is Dead, proclaims that Crime
in Stereo are alive and thriving.
The middle section of Describe is the real highlight of the
album as a whole. “Odalisque”
wavers on the edge of control
and sheer chaos. “Young” has
a quiet intro with just Hallbert
and lead guitarist Alex Dunne
then builds into a jagged, full
band composition. “Type One”
and “Republica” round out the
bulk of the record, both bringing
the perfect mix of aggression
and emotion to the table.
“Dark Island City” serves as
a bridge between the closer, “I
Cannot Answer You Tonight”
and the rest of the record. “Dark
Island City” also sounds hauntingly familiar to Brand New’s
“At the Bottom.” Both bands
sprouted from the same scene as
Glassjaw, I Am The Avalanche
and The Movielife, all of whom
have similarities in music and
lyrics.
“I Cannot Answer You Tonight” also returns to Crime in
Stereo’s deeply sunken roots in
Long Island hardcore. It matches
the upbeat opener and cements I
Was Trying To Describe You To
Someone as their most ambitious and brilliant release thus
far. What it “lacks” in hardcore
sound, it more than makes up
for in lyrics and delivery. It looks
as though the hardcore rulebook
has been rewritten again, now
who will follow? Certainly not
Crime in Stereo.
Photo Courtesy of Myspace.com
Crime in Stereo, led by Kristian Hallbert (pictured above) came out of the Long Island music scene and helped their
genre progress and evolve with each new album.
Alkaline Trio combine original sound with new instrumentals
By Gene Axton
Entertainment Editor
Alkaline Trio is less a band
than an institution. Guitarist
Matt Skiba, bassist Dan Andriano, and drummer Derek
Grant have influenced both
fans and peers with their music
(case in point: Bayside vocalist
Anthony Raneri’s Trio tattoo).
This Addiction, Alkaline Trio’s
seventh album, was built up
as a return to the bands roots.
They recorded the album in the
same studio and with the same
producer as 1998’s Goddamnit,
and released it via punk label
Epitaph. Walk in, however, and
not everyone may find what
they’re looking for.
The album begins with the
titular track, and as soon as
the first chords hit the album
seems to be making good on it’s
The new LP seems to stop
that tradition. Instead of carrying the sound over from
Agony & Irony, their 2008 release, the band seems to have
taken Goddamnit and combined
the musical ethos of that album
with the musical experiences of
their newer releases. Overall,
it works.
Songs like “Dine, Dine My
Darling” and “Dead On The
Floor” could easily be part of the
first two Trio albums, and much
of the other efforts seem to follow suit. There are a few choices
that, in the end, stop this from
Photo Courtesy of Myspace.com being a true “return to form.”
The recording style is very
With cover art of a heart comprised of different pills, This Addiction focuses
on the personal lives of the band members and themes such as suicide, love,
clean, with the grit of early Trio
and war.
LP’s missing and the glossy
promise. Once the verses begin has aged well, carrying a sound shine of newer efforts intact.
though, the song takes a pop from release to release while The inclusion of the first ever
route, and the new Alkaline Trio expertly adding to it, creating horn in an Alkaline Trio song
seems forced and drags down
shines through. Alkaline Trio a new experience for listeners.
the otherwise enjoyable “Lead
Poisioning.”
Other choices include use of
synth in “Eating Me Alive”,
which not new territory for
the band and works surprising
well, but makes the track sound
decidingly un-Trio. This Addiction isn’t necessarily brought
down by the experimentation,
but it doesn’t necessarily bring
anything else to the table either.
Seven full-length records and
counting, Alkaline Trio isn’t
going anywhere. Their brand
of emotional punk rock hasn’t
missed a beat since 1998 and
continues to be the premier
place to go if you’re looking
for alcohol soaked melodies
about heartache, anger, and loss.
Staying both new and true, This
Addiction is a good decision for
any Trio fan and a great place to
start if you’re unfamiliar.
puzzles & Weather
page 8
february 12, 2010
Brainiac Scorecard
Zero to five --- You’re at college for a reason.
Six to Ten --- Drink less, study more.
Eleven to Fifteen --- Got a Good head on
your shoulders.
Sixteen to Twenty --- Don’t get too excited
there, Honors Student.
Twenty-one to Twenty-five --- You are really
smart...or you looked at the answers.
Welcome to the easy edition of Brainiac. This
weeks academic subject is about U.S. History. The
bonus question is worth 5 points. Good Luck!!!!
“Week in Review...” --- Questions about
“Fill in the Blank: U.S. History” --- This
events that have occurred in the past week. Category is only one question with 4
blanks to fill in worth a total of 8 points.
1) The White House unveiled President
The paragraph is concerning The Great
Barack Obama’s plan to overhaul the
Depression.
health insurance system that would provide
coverage for 31 million uninsured and set
Historians most often attribute the start of
up federal monitoring of private insurers’
the Great Depression to the total collapse
what?
of US stock market prices on October 29,
a) Employee Paychecks
1929, known as __(1)__. By mid-1930,
b) Limits of Coverage
__(2)__ had dropped to low levels, but
c) Rate Increases
expected deflation and the reluctance of
d) Employers Paychecks
people to add new debt by __(3)__, meant
that consumer spending and __(4)__ were
2) What former Army general who bedepressed.
came White House chief of staff during the
“Shuffle Up and Deal” --- Match the
Watergate scandal and secretary of state
Correct Card game with the following
during the Reagan administration, died
premises.
Saturday at the age of 85?
a) Alexander Haig b) Henry Kissinger
1) A trick-taking card game most comc) K.T. McFarland
d) George Shultz
monly played with four people in two
partnerships with a deck of 24 standard
3) An immigrant of what descent, acplaying cards.
cused of plotting a bomb attack on New
York City is expected to plead guilty on
2) a card game originating in Uruguay,
Monday, a court official said, speaking on
in which players attempt to make melds
condition of anonymity.
of 7 cards of the same rank, and “go out”
a) Iranian
b) Afghan
by playing all cards in their hand and
c) Saudi
d) Pakistani
discarding.
Difficulty: Medium
“Fill In The Blank”
1) Black Tuesday
2) interest rates
3) borrowing
4) investment
Answers:
“Shuffle Up and Deal”
1) (b) Euchre
2) (a) Canasta
3) (c) Around...
mother, is never adequately
fleshed out in the film, though
it suggests depths of character that the film really should
have explored. Quinton Aaron
does a great job of playing the
wounded, lost young man…but,
ultimately, that’s all he really
seems to be: a wounded young
man. Even at the end, when Michael briefly wanders back into
Hurt Village, the ghetto where
he grew up, and confronts some
stereotypical “gangsta thugs,”
the film shies away from depicting anything truly gritty
and delivers only another soft,
almost tender moment.
The problem with the film is
that it’s too soft. Whereas Precious absolutely did not shy
away from exposing you to
the feculent reality of Precious’
inner-city life, The Blind Side
merely hints at Oher’s troubled
youth while focusing entirely on
the salvation Michael finds in
the Tuohy family. I’m not saying
the film needs to dwell on the
deprivations of Oher’s child-
hood, but it’s hard to feel truly
sympathetic with the protagonist if all you really know about
his past is that it was “bad.”
Also, even the sport of football is
softened up and overly-padded
in this film, and it’s therefore
hard to understand how Oher
became such a wonderful player
if all the opponents he played
on the highschool gridiron were
such utter pushovers (literally:
he pushes them right over).
The Blind Side is a great family film. But in aiming to present
a very positive, inspiring story, it
gives the viewer a warm-toned,
comfy li’l Hallmark Channel
True Story and mostly ignores
or completely blunts the hard
edges of life which, just as much
as his new family’s love, helped
shape Michael Oher. It’s a nice
story and it’ll make you feel
good—but if you want the real
Michael Oher story, read the
book the movie was based on,
Michael Lewis’ masterful The
Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,
which really does show how
family and football together can
make a titan out of a broken boy.
“Week In Review”
1) (c) Rate Increases
2) (a) Alexander Haig
3) (b) Afghan
BONUS
1) Book Flights Online
BLIND SIDE Continued From Page 6
3) This game is also known as Irish
Poker, Chico High Low, North Carolina
or Up the River Down the River.
Choices:
a) Canasta
b) Euchre
c) Around The World
BONUS --- “Week In Review”
1) Continental Airlines Inc is cutting 600
reservation agent jobs, effective April 11,
as customers increasingly do what over
booking in person?
Organizations
February 26, 2010
page 9
The Internship Corner
The perks of a federal internship
By Alyssa Kruse
-Between the years 2008 and
2010, up to 214,428 federal
employees have retired or are
expected to retire, resulting in
many available jobs throughout
the country
-Only 16 percent of federal
jobs are located in Washington D.C. (our region has 29.5
percent)
-There are federal positions
available for all courses of study
-Federal agencies may assist
you in paying up to $10,000 per
year in student loan fees
-Federal employment offers
job security, stability and room
for advancement
-More than 40,000 federal
employees work abroad
One way to determine whether or not federal employment
would be ideal is to participate
in a federal internship.
As with employment, the
federal government can offer
a number of internships in a
variety of areas.
Government organizations
include cabinet level departments, federal subcomponents
(such as the National Park Service and the Bureau of Labor
Statistics) and independent
federal organizations (such as
the Peace Corps, and the U.S.
Postal Service).
Federal internships will help
students get ahead of the competition by offering increased
knowledge about government
service and by helping students
get their foot in the door.
Several Web sites are available
TOY STORY Continued From Page 6
red hair. She’s who I’d be if I
were a character, she’s fun.”
According to a 2006 Entertainment Weekly, back when Pixar
and Disney almost parted ways,
Disney was planning to go full
speed ahead without Pixar on
Toy Story 3.
The disregarded plot involved
all the Buzz Lightyear toys becoming defective and getting
recalled back to the corporate
toy company office in Taiwan to
be fixed. Woody and the other
toys discover that Buzz won’t
to assist students in finding a
federal internship that could
eventually lead to federal employment. Students interested
in working or interning with a
federal organization are encouraged to visit www.USAJOBS.
gov, agency Web sites or utilize
personal contacts.
The following are internship
opportunities currently available through the Internship
Center:
California University of Pa.
Cal U is seeking students of
all majors to participate in a
summer conference assistance
internship. The position is paid
with room compensation. Interns should be able to work
well with others, have leadership skills, possess excellent
phone skills, have the ability
to work independently and the
ability to think creatively. Interns are required to live on
campus, work on evenings and
weekends and have a valid
driver ’s license. Those interested should contact Richard
Dulaney for more information
at 724.938.1573 or dulaney@
calu.edu.
Comcast
Comcast, of Pittsburgh, is
seeking business administration, business economics and
marketing students for a paid
direct sales representative internship. Intern duties involve
selling cable, telephone and
internet services. Interns should
have a high school diploma and
six months of sales experience.
Those interested should visit
www.comcast.com/careers for
more information.
To view these and all of our
internship opportunities, register for InternLink at www.
myinterfase.com/cup/student.
For more information: Visit the
Internship Center web page at
www.calu.edu/internship or
stop by the Internship Center,
Eberly 230. Questions or comments? Call 724.938.1578, or
e-mail Karen Primm at primm@
calu.edu.
UPCOMING EVENTS
WANT Job Fair
Friday, February 26
be repaired, but destroyed, and
they launch a mission to save
Buzz before it’s too late.
Fences are mended though,
and Pixar’s fully involved with
the making of part three in glorious 3-D. The beloved toys face
much competition this summer
movie season though from Iron
Man, Edward and Bella, and the
A-Team.
Who will be the summer
champ that goes to infinity and
beyond at the box office?
Buzz and the toys are ready
to play.
9:00 am - 1:00 pm Westmoreland County Community College
Register for free at: www.wantexpo.org
WestPACS Job Fair
Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, PA
Pre-registration closes at midnight on March 22, 2010
Pre-registration fee - $5.00 Walk-in registration fee - $10.00
CAREER AWARENESS WEEK – It’s time to focus on your career!
March 16 – 19
Services Offered include:
Career Coaching, Job Search Assistance, Resume/Cover Letter Review, Interview Preparation,
Job Shadow, Co-op (Paid career-related experience)
Dress for Success!
When you are job hunting first impressions are critical. It doesn’t matter if you are going on an
interview or attending a job fair, make sure that you are dressed in a professional manner. Check
out the Career Services website for tips on professional dress.
Looking for a job?
Check out College Central, Cal U’s job posting website – www.collegecentral.com/calu
Are you Linked in?
Linked in has over 15,500 Cal U members. For tips on how to effectively job search using linked
in, schedule an appointment with Career Services.
CORNER
BSU
With the economy in a current state of disrepair, it can be
a daunting reality for students
when it is time to graduate and
join the “real world.”
What students may not realize, however, is that there are
many job and internship opportunities available through
the federal government.
For students who are unsure
or skeptical about working for
the federal government, here
are some facts and statistics to
demonstrate the advantages
that come with federal employment:
By Dominque Thornhill
Black History Month Spotlight
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
~ President Barack Obama
Our current President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama,
truly represents what’s next for African Americans. Born to a white mother, Ann
Dunham, and a Kenyan father, Barack Obama Sr., Barack grew up in Hawaii. Obama is no stranger
to differences and diversity, and has proved that the color of a person’s skin should no longer be the
basis for a person’s chances at success.
Obama spent childhood years in Indonesia, and later returned to the States, attending Punahou
School, Hawaii’s top prep academy. Obama later went on to study at Columbia University and
Harvard Law. In 1990 he became the first African-American editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Obama later went on to practice civil-rights in Chicago, fighting for the rights of victims of housing
and employment discrimination. During this time he met and married his lovely wife Michelle, who
also worked for the firm.
Moving forward Obama was elected to the Illinois senate, and later in 2004 Obama was elected to
the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. At the Democratic National Convention in Boston, President Barack
Obama delivered a ground breaking key note speech. Despite having only four years of national
political experience, Obama ran for presidency and won! In January 2009, he was sworn in as the
44th President of the United States, and the first African-American ever elected to that position.
Obama, meaning “blessed by God” in Arabic has become a symbol of hope that anything is possible, not only for African Americans, but for the human race is general. Voted Time magazine’s “100
most influential people in the world” in 2005 and 2007, Obama will forever be recognized for his
confidence, determination and strength.
“I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper—that makes this country work.”
~Barack Obama
Reminders:
~Thanks to everyone who came out and supported this year’s Black History Month events. Continue to come out every Thursday to BSU meetings, at 5:15 p.m. in Carter Hall’s Multipurpose Room!
~Our Annual Trip has been rescheduled to March 20, 2010. We will travel to Wilberforce, Ohio to
The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center.
CAL TIMES
page 10
February 26, 2010
Three’s Company: Vulcan CHA team heads to playoffs
By Allison Steinheiser
For the Cal Times
Even though the CHA hockey
team may not get the attention of the CHE team here at
California University, they are
a vital part of the Cal hockey
program. With their season
finishing up with a win against
Carnegie Mellon University Feb.
20, the team was able to clinch
first place in the College Hockey
Association.
The CHA team finished with a
10-3 record in CHA play, amassing 20 points, good for first place
in the CHA South Division.
The Vulcans were followed by
CCAC (18 points), Pitt-Greensburg (13 points), and Carnegie
Mellon University (11 points).
In the north, St. John-Fisher finished with 19 points, followed
by Canisius (18 points).
By making the playoffs, Cal
hockey was able to score the hat
trick of having all three hockey
teams advance into post season
play. The women’s team played
in Hagerstown, Md. Feb. 20
against American University
and won to advance to the final
against the University of Virginia the following day. Unfortunately, the team was not able
to hold of the Lady Cavs, and
lost a heart breaker by a score
of 3-2. The CHE team is gearing
up for playoffs this weekend as
well. They have clinched a bye
in the first round and are looking to win their fourth straight
College Hockey East division
championship.
While the both the CHE and
women’s teams have experiences of winning division titles,
the CHA Vulcans are trying to
avenge past playoff experiences.
They have made the playoffs
almost every year of their existence; however, they have failed
to win a championship. They
will be looking to do so this year
in the CHA Playoffs, which take
place in Rochester, N.Y. Feb. 27
and 28.
Photo by: Geoff Bernstein
Dustin Snare (above) has helped California’s CHA team to the playoffs as they seek their first CHA Championship.
Junior Brice Myers breaks
school record at Kent State
By Sports Information
For the Cal Times
California University of Pennsylvania junior Brice Myers
(Pittsburgh/McDowell) broke
his own school record in the
60-meter hurdles and won the
event with a NCAA Division
II Championship automaticqualifying time on Saturday
at the Kent State Tune-Up. In
addition, the Vulcans also qualified three new entries for next
weekend’s Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC)
Championships.
Myers posted his fourth victory of the season in the 60-meter
hurdles, crossing the finish line
in the finals in an amazing 7.99
seconds. The McDowell product
broke his previous school-best
mark set last week by four-
hundredths of a second and became one of only three hurdlers
in Division II to run a sub-eight
second race this season. After
finishing second at last year’s
PSAC Championships, Myers
enters next weekend’s championship at the top seed in the
55-meter hurdles.
Also in the finals of the 60-meter hurdles, freshman Toby
Oduho (Erie, Pa./Cathedral
Prep) finished eighth overall
with a season-best and PSACqualifying time of 8.57 seconds.
The Vulcans qualified a pair of
runners for the PSAC Championships in the 5,000-meter run,
as sophomore Tim Lahmers
(Delmont, Pa./Franklin Regional) posted a season-best time of
15 minutes, 43.99 seconds and
freshman Chris Werner (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) was
close behind in 15:46.58.
Freshman Gavin Volosky (Dubois, Pa./Dubois) also qualified
for the league championships on
Saturday, finishing the 800-meter run in a season-best time of
1:57.93.
In the 400-meter dash, junior Frank Ehrensberger (Saint
Marys, Pa./Elk County Catholic) crossed the finish line fourth
overall with a time of 48.65
seconds. Freshman Da’Joun
Heidelberg (Erie, Pa./Cathedral
Prep) also posted a season-best
time of 7.01 seconds to finish
seventh in the 60-meter dash.
The Vulcans return to action
Saturday, Feb. 28, when they
open competition at the PSAC
Championships in Edinboro, Pa.
before taking part in the NCAA
Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., March 11-13.
The book on:
BRICE MYERS
Class
Junior
Specialty Event
Hurdles
Height
6-2
Hometown
Pittsburgh, Pa.
High School
McDowell
2008-09 Highlights
Photo by: Jessica Zombek
Bryce Myers (above) has set two school records and has won a
PSAC Track Athlete of the Week award earlier this season.
*PSAC Indoor Track Athlete of Year
*All-American at the NCAA Indoor
Track and Field Championships
*Finished 2nd in 55-meter hurdles
(7.599 seconds)
*Finished 3rd in 60-meter hurdles
(8.12 seconds)
Williams claims fourth
PSAC West Honor
By Sports Information
For the Cal Times
After a milestone week, California University of Pennsylvania senior guard Brooque
Williams (Pittsburgh/Perry)
captured the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference (PSAC)
West Player of the Week award
for the fourth time this season
on Monday, announced the
league office.
Williams averaged 26.0 points,
7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 5.0
steals, as the Vulcans took sole
possession of second place in the
PSAC West standings. During
the week, she became only the
second player in school history
and 11th player in league history to score 2,000 career points.
Williams also is now one of only
three players in PSAC history to
collect 400 steals in a career.
Against rival IUP on Feb. 17,
the Pittsburgh native scored a
game-high 27 points (17 in the
first half) after hitting 13-of-25
shots from the field. She added
six rebounds, two assists and
two steals in the 75-56 win
against the Crimson Hawks.
Williams then posted her 15th
20-point game of the season
on Feb. 20 in an 80-44 victory
over Edinboro, finishing with
25 points on 10-of-21 attempts
from the floor and 5-of-11 from
the free-throw line. She also
finished with eight rebounds,
four assists and a season-high
eight steals.
The award is the 12th of her
career after receiving it five
times as a junior and three times
as a sophomore in 2007. Williams is within reach of joining
Sara McKinney – the program’s
all-time leading scorer and rebounder – as the only players
in school history to finish their
Photo courtesy of calvulcans.com
Brooque Williams is currently
second among California’s all time
scoring leaders, needing roughly 100
points to pass Sara McKinney.
careers with 2,000 points and
1,000 rebounds.
This season, Williams ranks
second in the league in scoring
at 20.3 points per game and is
fifth in rebounding with 8.7 per
game. She also leads the 16-team
conference and ranks among
the nation’s elite with 4.1 steals
per game.
California is currently in second place in the PSAC West, and
is looking to wrap up the spot
and earn home field advantage
in the first round of the PSAC
Tournament. The first round
will be held on March 2 at 7
p.m., and the PSAC Tournament
semifinals and finals will be held
on March 5 and 6 at the site of
the top seed in the PSAC West.
Times for those games have yet
to be announced.
The Vulcans are also looking
to earn a berth into the NCAA
Tournament, which would be
their first under head coach
Mark Swasey. Stay tuned to
www.caltimes.org for more information on the Vulcan baskeball teams.
CAL TIMES
February 26, 2010
PAGE 11
Vulcan swimmers set records, finish fifth at PSACs
By Sports Information
For the Cal Times
Behind four top-10 finishes in
the finals on Sunday, the California University of Pennsylvania
swimming team moved up one
position to finish in fifth place at
the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference (PSAC) Championships.
The fifth-place team finish
by the Vulcans in 2010 ranks as
the second-best performance in
program history at the PSAC
Championships behind only
last year’s third-place showing.
The Vulcans received 32
points in the team standings
after the 400 freestyle relay of
sophomore Melissa Gates (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley),
senior Rachel Kurta (McDonald,
Pa./South Fayette), freshman
Kelly Geras (Reading, Pa./
Muhlenberg) and graduate
student Ester Bosch (Barcelona,
Spain/Universidad Ramon Illull) finished third overall in the
finals with a time of 3 minutes,
31.25 seconds.
Gates and Bosch posted backto-back finishes in the 100 freestyle, finishing third and fourth,
respectively. Gates shaved nearly two-tenths of a second off her
preliminary time to finish the finals in 51.13 seconds and Bosch
Photo By: April Staniszewski
(From left to right) Ester Bosch, Melissa Gates, Kelly Geras and Rachel Kurta finished third overall in the PSAC finals
last week. The Vulcan squad finished with a 6-10 overall record, but posted a 5-1 record at home during the season.
swam a NCAA Championship
‘B’ time at 52.12 seconds.
Freshman Georgia Emert
(Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield)
closed her impressive performance at the PSAC Championships by finishing sixth overall in the 200 backstroke after
touching the wall in 2:07.73. In
the preliminaries of the event,
Emert made a NCAA ‘B’ time
of 2:07.41.
Emert also eclipsed a school
record in the 400 IM with a time
of 4 minutes, 32.94 seconds on
Saturday. In the preliminaries
the previous day, she eclipsed
the previous record set at last
year’s league championships by
April Staniszewski.
Emert was also a part of the
record-setting 800 freestyle relay
on Saturday night. The relay of
Bosch, Emert, Gates and Geras
finished third in the finals with
a record time of 7:46.34. The
previous school record of 7:47.03
was also set at the 2009 PSAC
Championships.
In the preliminaries of the
“Joining Cal’s swim team
helped me to improve my times,
especially in the 50 and 100 freestyle, and I knew I just wanted
to keep swimming after high
school and see where it would
take me.”
Gates serves as only one member out of the 14 woman on the
team. She feels the team is very
close and that is a key factor in
their success.
“By the end of the season the
team is like my second family.,”
she said. “We go through everything together and are always
supporting each other.”
The team’s success, as well as
her own, have been showcased
in the previous NCAA and
PSAC competitions.
“This past PSAC meet we
earned 5th out of 14 teams in our
conference, which is very good,
considering a lot of the girls are
freshmen,” Gates said. “Only
three out of the 14 members this
year were upper classmen. We
have even swam against some
Division I teams, like Pitt and
Marshall.”
Swimming has taught Gates
the value of team work, friendship, and that nothing is out
of your reach. She stays fully
focused to reaching her goals
with her team mates.
“I love the quote from the
movie The Pursuit of Happiness: ‘If you have a dream, you
have to protect it. People can’t
do something themselves they
want to tell you that you can’t
do it. If you want something, go
get it. Period.’
“In the end, the only one that
can get you to reach your goals
is you, and that applies in life
200 butterfly, freshman Bruna
Carvalho (Para, Brazil/Miltom
Campos) posted a NCAA ‘B’
qualifying time of 2:10.56. Also
in the event, sophomore Ellie
Imhof (Bradford, Pa./Bradford)
posted a personal-best time of
2:14.67, which was nearly 15
seconds off her seed time.
West Chester won the PSAC
Championship for the fourthstraight season with an untouchable 756 points. Clarion
finished in second with 469
points followed by Shippensburg (397) and Kutztown (351).
On the final day of competition,
California moved passed Gannon to finish fifth in the team
standings with 323 points while
the Golden Knights tallied 299
points. Bloomsburg came in
seventh, Edinboro eighth, Lock
Haven ninth, and IUP rounded
out the top ten.
The Vulcans conclude their
season when they send six
swimmers – Bosch, Emert,
Gates, Geras, Kurta and freshman Caitlyn Sirkoch (Plum,
Pa./Plum) – to compete at the
NCAA Championships, which
will be held in Canton, Ohio,
from March 11-14.
Visit calvulcans.com for more
the latest information on the
Vulcans swimming program.
Making waves: Melissa Gates swims to the top
By Shelby McAdams
For the Cal Times
The women’s swim team is
known for being on top of their
game and leaving their competition in the dust, but one student
seems to stand out on the team.
Melissa Gates (sophomoreenvironmental science) has
helped lead the women’s team
to record-breaking achievements in the 50 meter freestyle
and the 100 meter breast stroke
events.
She is also an All-American
member of the 200 freestyle
relay, and a three time AllAmerican honorable mention at
this past year’s NCAA Division
II nationals.
Gates was one of the captains
at Conestoga Valley High School
in Lancaster, Pa. and wanted to
continue swimming throughout
her college years.
“In high school, I made it to
the PIAA state meet and YMCA
nationals my senior year, which
really helped me get the experience of a big competiton,” Gates
said.
and swimming,” Gates said.
The woman go on to compete
at the NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Nationals in
Canton, Ohio March 10 to 13.
Gates hopes she and the team
can end the season by working
toward their highest ranking.
The book on MELISSA GATES
Hometown
Lancaster, Pa.
Specialty
Freestyle/Breaststroke
2008-09 Highlights
High School
Conestoga Valley
Class
Sophomore
Gates finished with the best overall times on the Vulcans
squad in the 50 freestyle, 50 breast, and 100 breast races.
Photo By: April Staniszewski
Melissa Gates (above) has set numerous school records in her two years as a member of the Vulcans squad. She was
also a part of the 800-freelance relay that set a school record at the PSAC Championships with a time of 7:46.34.
sports
Page 12
February 26, 2010
League of Their Own A sneak peek at Vulcan Softball 2010
Vulcans look to repeat as PSAC West champs
The Road to Victory Cal’s 2010 Schedule
Sports Editor
3-6
1 p.m.
3-6
3 p.m.
3-7
9 a.m.
3-7
1 p.m.
3-8
3 p.m.
3-8
5 p.m.
3-9
9 a.m.
3-9
11 a.m.
3-10
11 a.m.
3-10
3 p.m.
1 p.m.
3-11
3-11
3 p.m.
3-12
3 p.m.
3-12
6:30 p.m.
3-19
7 p.m.
3-20
11 a.m.
3-20
5 p.m.
3-21
9 a.m.
3-21
11 a.m.
3-24
2:30 p.m.
3-26
2:30 p.m.
3/27
1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3-30
4-2
2:30 p.m.
4-3
1 p.m.
4-7
2:30 p.m.
4-10
1 p.m.
4-11
1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
4-13
4-16
2:30 p.m.
4-17
1 p.m.
4-18
1 p.m.
4-21 2 p.m.
4-23
TBA
Games held in Savannah, Ga. as part of Savannah Invitational
*
#
PSAC West match
By Alix Kunkle
The Vulcan softball team
finished 35-10 last season and
advanced to the NCAA Regional Championship game last
season.
With the wealth of talent
returning to the Vulcans this
season, an NCAA championship
may not be out of the question.
The Vulcans return their top
six hitters, including first baseman Julia Mueller and second
baseman Julie Mackenzie, as
well as their top three pitchers,
including Maria Greco and Sonia Petrosoniak, and have been
chosen to be the favorites in the
PSAC West.
The Vulcans, who finished
first in the PSAC West last season, are banking off of that comaraderie to help propel them
further into the playoffs.
“We returned a lot of girls
from last season and we have
high expectations, and we are
all working hard and hope to
have a great season,” Melissa
Lupinacci said.
Cal’s top six hitters are nothing to pass over, though. Julia
Mueller hit 0.357 last year to
lead the team. Alyson Johnson
hit 13 home runs and Jillian
Russell eight to pace the squad,
and Julie Mackenzie, the second
basemen, stole 12 bases in 12 attempts. Seven returning players
hit over .300, and each had at
least 20 RBI.
The pitching staff is just as
impressive. All three pitchers
Photo by: David Hague
Junior Maria Greco (above) posted 147 strikeouts in just 137 innings
last season. She looks to propel a veteran Vulcan squad into a playoff
opportunity.
(Petrosoniak, Greco, and Shaheen) had ERAs under 2.00, and
hitters hit a combined 0.209 off
of California pitchers.
Stacy Skiavo also contributed to
this report.
Best of the West
1B
2B
C
Home games are played at
Consol Energy Field in Washington, Pa.
Sciences in Philadelphia
Away *
Saginaw Valley (Mich.)
Away *
Truman State (Mo.)
Away *
Northwood (Mich.)
Away *
Concordia-St. Paul
Away *
Stonehill (Mass.)
Away *
Southwest Minnesota State Away *
Northern Kentucky
Away *
Minnesota State-Mankato Away *
Ferris State (Mich.)
Away *
New York Institute
Away *
C.W. Post
Away *
Wheeling Jesuit
Away *
Lynn (Fla.)
Away *
Wheeling Jesuit
Away %
Charleston (W.Va.)
Away %
Alderson-Broaddus (W. Va.) Away %
Davis & Elkins
Away %
West Liberty
Away %
Edinboro (DH) #
Home
Mercyhurst (DH) #
Away
Clarion (DH) Home
Slippery Rock (DH) #
Away
Gannon (DH) #
Home
Edinboro # Away
IUP (DH)
Home
Shippensburg (DH)
Away
Lake Erie (DH)
Away Mercyhurst (DH) #
Home
Slippery Rock
Home
Gannon (DH) #
Away
Lock Haven (DH)
Away
Davis and Elkins (DH)
Home
PSAC Semifinals
TBA
California returns six starters from last season. Here’s a
look at their starting nine for the upcoming season.
Julia Mueller
Alyson Johnson
Height
5-4
Class
Soph.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#22...from Waynesburg, Pa...
provded a power boost from
behind the plate, hitting 13 home
runs in 144 AB.
LF
Height
5-9
Class
Sr.
Bats
Left
Throws
Left
#12...from Bairdford, Pa...led all
Vulcan hitters with a 0.357 average...second on the team with a
0.987 fielding percentage.
Kayleigh Braim
Height
5-2
Class
Sr.
Bats
Left
Throws
Right
#6...from Macungie, Pa...third
on squad with a 0.347 average and
second with 10 doubles...led Vulcan
squad with 52 hits and three 3B.
CF
Julie Mackenzie
Height
5-5
Class
Sr.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#25...from Mississauga, On-
tario...led Vulcans with 17 doubles
and second with 15 walks in 132
AB last season.
Laurel Marshalek
Height
5-6
Class
Soph.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#24...from Scenery Hill, Pa...ap-
peared in 17 games for the Vulcans,
hitting 0.231 with 3 hits in 13 AB...
alao posted a perfect 1.000 fielding
RF
3B
Danielle Easton
Height
5-7
Class
Jr.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#10...from Hanover, Pa...third
on Cal with a 0.421 OBP...one of
only two Vulcans with more walks
than srikouets.
Merissa Daley
Height
5-3
Class
Jr.
Bats
Switch
Throws
Right
#7...from Whitby, Ontario...ap-
peared in 40 games for California and
posted a perfect 3-3 SB, second on the
squad...also scored 17 runs in 64 AB.
SS
Jillian Russell
Height
5-8
Class
Soph.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#16...from London, Ontario...
second on squad with 8 HR and
three tripples...third on squad with
81 total basess.
SP
Maria Greco
Height
6-2
Class
Jr.
Bats
Right
Throws
Right
#92...from Pickering, Ontario...
the staff ace on the Vulcan squad,
posting a 15-6 record and 12 complete games. Also struck out 147.