May 2, 2014 caltimes

INSIDE

CAL TIMES CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

BOTS IQ MAY 2, 2014

IN THE

NEWS OPENING THE VAULT

Students returning to Cal U next year will notice a new store in town––it may be exactly what those looking to get their gaming Àx had hoSed Ior

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OPINION FATE VERSUS COINCIDENCE Do you believe that you have control over your liIe or do you Ieel like you¡re the star oI some Sre-Slanned tragedy" 2ur oSinion editor and a contributor Sresent a heavy case Ior you to contemSlate the summer

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ENTERTAINMENT PITTSBURGH NEW WORKS FEST

StaͿ :riter /auren *ri΀th shines a sSotlight on a 3ittsburgh Iestival uniTue Ior shining sSotlights

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SPORTS CAL U SOFTBALL & BASEBALL SSorts (ditor -ose 1egron and StaͿ :riter 0att +agy take a look back at Cal U¡s landmark baseball and soItball seasons

Pages 11 & 12

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CALTIMES.ORG

VOL. 35, NO. 11

California University of Pennsylvania marks 178th Commencement May 9 and 10 Attorney Reginald A. Long Sr. ’81, a Hill District native, will address Cal U graduates CaliIornia University oI 3ennsylvania will mark its 178th Commencement with seSarate ceremonies Ior undergraduate and graduate students Ceremonies Ior graduate students will be held at 7 S m 0ay 9 in the Cal U Convocation Center 0aster¡s degree candidates will be vested in their academic hoods during the ceremony Ceremonies Ior bachelor ¡s and associate degree candidates will begin at 1 a m 0ay 1 also in the Convocation Center ,nterim University 3resident *eraldine 0 -ones will conIer the degrees and Sersonally greet each graduate who walks across the stage *raduates¡ Iamilies and Iriends are welcome to attend 0ore than 9 undergraduates and 8 graduate students will receive their degrees although not all will attend the ceremonies ,n keeSing with Cal U¡s tradition oI inviting distinguished alumni to address the graduates attorney 5eginald $ /ong Sr Class oI 1981 will sSeak at both ceremonies $ sSecialist in the legal Sractice areas oI com-

mercial real estate corSorate Ă&#x20AC;nance ]oning and land use /ong is a Sartner in the law Ă&#x20AC;rm oI /ove and /ong //3 which has oÎ&#x20AC;ces in 1ewark 1 - and 3hiladelShia 3a +e Sreviously was emSloyed by 7,$$-C5() a )ortune Sension Iund where he worked in the 0ortgage and 5eal (state DeSartment ,n that role he was instrumental in Ă&#x20AC;nancing and develoSing shoSSing malls hotels retail entertainment comSlexes and mixed-use SroMects including the 0all oI $merica in %loomington 0inn /ong serves on the board oI directors Ior the )oundation Ior CaliIornia University oI 3ennsylvania and the Union /eague oI 3hiladelShia and on the board oI trustees Ior the 3eoSle Ior 3eoSle Charter School ,nc and )amily Connections +e also is a member oI 2mega 3si 3hi )raternity ,nc $ native oI 3ittsburgh¡s +ill District /ong earned his bachelor¡s degree in business administration at Cal U +e holds an 0%$ Irom the )ordham University *raduate School oI %usiness in 1ew <ork and a

Attorney Reginald A. Long Sr. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;81

Muris doctorate Irom 1ew <ork /aw School +e is a member oI the bar in 1ew -ersey 1ew <ork and 3ennsylvania /ong now lives in South 2range 1 - with his wiIe /isa and their two sons

Both ceremonies can be viewed live online at www calu edu )or more inIormation about Cal U¡s sSring 1 Commencement visit www calu edu

Big Event sparks Cal U into community service action Cal U students gave back to the community during The Big (vent starting at 8 a m $Sril 7 The Big (vent began at Texas $ 0 University in 198 when student leaders saw a need to give back to the community that had long suSSorted their university Cal U¡s Student *overnment $ssociation and the Center Ior Civic (ngagement have been teaming uS since 7 to lead students in their Tuest to lend a helSing hand around CaliIornia Borough The Big (vent took Slace at more than sites including CaliIornia 3ublic /ibrary 5otary 3ark the CaliIornia +istorical Society headTuarters and the United 0ethodist Church 9olunteers also SerIormed a variety oI tasks Ior local residents including window washing Sainting and general yard work 1early student volunteers Irom more than organi-

photo: Lauren Griffith

]ations registered to SarticiSate in this year¡s event â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me this event was so sSecial because it was the Ă&#x20AC;rst moment that , had the ama]ing oSSortunity to meet *arrick last year Âľ S$B 9ice 3resident Su]y +art said â&#x20AC;&#x153;+e was so

F a c e b o o k â&#x20AC;&#x201C; C a l T i m e s N ew s p a p e r

Sassonate about this event and giving back to the community , enMoy SarticiSating in this event because I love to volunteer and helS the community This year I had the Sleasure oI working at two diÍżerent sites raking weeding moving gravel and more

Twi t t e r â&#x20AC;&#x201C; @ C a l T i m e s

The big event is a wonderIul exSerience and I look Iorward to it every year During this year ¡s event students will be asking area residents to suSSort the *arrick /ackey 0emorial ScholarshiS

CAL TIMES

From the editor Cal Times reader, This is my last issue of the Cal Times. That was a hard sentence to writeâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown fond of this publication and, during my two years as graduate assistant and editor in chief, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve helped to build something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m very proud of. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m ready to start the next chapter of my life, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to miss working with the staff of university employees who are above me and the staÍż of university students who work under me. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to miss the muÎ&#x20AC;ns from 0odeco. 0ost of all, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to miss having a 12-page canvas to work with each weekâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;which leads me to the one reason I would like to stick around.

Our award-winning publication weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re award-winning now is getting some plastic surgery this summer. When you come back in the fall your campus weekly will be a smaller, all-color 16-page paper. The

changes donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop at cosmetic though. The new format of the Cal Times is begging for you to be a part of itâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;the page increase provides the Times with more room to showcase student writers while the fullcolor pages are a designer â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playground. I wholeheartedly encourage you to get involved with your student newspaper.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your voice on campus and in the California community.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your opportunity to publish your work and make yourself more marketable once you hit the job market. I joined the Cal Times while studying history. I returned while studying education. The staÍż of the Cal Times will welcome you and no matter your skill level they will help you along the path from concept to print.

The world is always changing and, although it may not seem like it, that includes California, Pa. The look of this publication is changing and, thanks to the people Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve worked with over

the last two years, the betterlooking Cal Times is going to have higher quality articles to match. To every student reading this, no matter your major: I hope those articles include some of your work. A nostalgic and sentimental side of me wants to be around to read it and edit it and place it, but I know Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m leaving the Cal Times in good hands.

Thank you Jeff. Thank you Pam. Thank you JR. Thank you Joy. Thank you Billy. Thank you girls in 0odeco and Ralph in Flatz and, most of all, thank you to my editorial staff and every single person who has ever given me an article to print. Whether it was fate or coincidence see pg. 8 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve contributed to something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m extremely proud to have been a part of. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to next year. *ene Axton Cal Times graduate assistant and editor in chief

From Entertainment Editor Jamie Rider

There are many mile marks in a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. 0ost of them are noted by the passing of various birthdays. You get to drive when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 16, vote when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 18, and drink when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re 21. If you want to really push it, you can even celebrate the weird age of 25 where you can rent a car.

When I Ă&#x20AC;rst started writing for the Cal Times I took assignments that required me to spend about 30 minutes in the oÎ&#x20AC;ce for meetings, and then the rest of the work I did on my own.

0y relationship with the paper was very simple. Two years later and on the cusp of graduation so much has changed.

I have spent on average 10 or more hours a week in the oÎ&#x20AC;ce

with a group of exceptional people who have given worth to the time Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put in here. I was aÍżorded opportunities that have made me a better writer, a better leader, and a better person.

This part of my life I consider a mile mark; a time where I became more conĂ&#x20AC;dent in my abilities as a student journalist and as a writer in general.

I want to thank the numerous people who have been apart of this staff or have had any involvement with the paper since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve started here. They have made my time here not just educational, but fun.

I have watched friends graduate, move across the country and change their entire lives

over the last few years and I am so excited to Ă&#x20AC;nally be in that position myself. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll end up, but I do know that joining the staÍż of the Cal Times was one of the best decisions I made during my time here at California University of Pennsylvania.

Along with serving as an entertainment editor and work study with the Cal Times, Jamie has served on the executive board of the Society of Professional Journalists â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Cal U chapter. From everyone at the Cal Times, thank you for your time and your words!

MAY 2, 2014

Cal U Police Reports

Dispute in Hall C On April 21 at 10:30 p.m., it was reported to police that a verbal dispute had occurred between students in Residence Hall C Stolen Cal Card On April 25 at 12:57 p.m., a student reported having their Cal card stolen from the Fitness Center the previous day. Police are still investigating Exposed for Exposing Yourself On April 25 at 11:10 p.m., police received a report of a disturbance on the third Ă oor of *uesman Hall Building C . According to residents, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a black male was knocking on doors and pulling down his pants.â&#x20AC;?

Partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Over On April 26 at 7:20 p.m., police were called to break up a large party on Park Street.

Damaged Elevator On April 27 at 9:21 a.m., it was reported to police that someone in Building B had damaged the control panel of an elevator.

Up In Smoke On April 27 at 7:06 p.m., it was reported that a student set paper on Ă&#x20AC;re in Building B, activating the Ă&#x20AC;re alarm.

WANTED: YOU The Cal Times is in need of writers for the Fall 2014 semester!

Any major. Any standing.

Any story.

Make the Cal Times your Ă&#x20AC;UVW VWRS QH[W VHPHVWHU

â&#x20AC;˘ Transfer WCCC summer credits to your university and earn a degree faster â&#x20AC;˘ Avoid college debt with one of the lowest tuitions in the state â&#x20AC;˘ 200-online courses to fit your work and vacation schedules

Sessions starting May 19, June 9 & June 25

145 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697 â&#x20AC;˘ 724-925-4000 â&#x20AC;˘ wccc.edu An affirmative action, equal opportunity college.

TIMES STAFF CALTIMES.ORG

GENE AXTON...........................................................EDITOR IN CHIEF TAYLOR BROWN......................................................OPINION EDITOR JOSE NEGRON..........................................................SPORTS EDITOR JAMIE RIDER...............................................ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR LAUREN GRIFFITH.......................................................STAFF WRITER MATT HAGY.................................................................STAFF WRITER DAN MADER...............................................................STAFF WRITER LAURA ZENO................................................WEBSITE COORDINATOR JEFF HELSEL..........................................DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

PAGE 2

CALTIMES CONTRIBUTORS: SONYA MINNER THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO WROTE OR READ! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

CALTIMES@CALU.EDU 724-938-4321 POLICY: The California TIMES LV SXEOLVKHG LQ WKH 0RQRQJDKHOD 9DOOH\ DUHD PRVW )ULGD\V RI WKH DFDGHPLF \HDU ZLWK WKH H[FHSWLRQ RI KROLGD\ EUHDNV Â&#x2021; $Q\ PHPEHU RI WKH XQLYHUVLW\ FRPPXQLW\ PD\ VXEPLW DUWLFOHV HGLWRULDOV FDUWRRQV SKRWRJUDSKV RU GUDZLQJV IRU FRQVLGHUDWLRQ Â&#x2021; 'HDGOLQHV DUH DV IROORZV $OO ZULWWHQ FRS\ DQQRXQFHPHQWV H PDLO FDOWLPHV#FDOX HGX DQG DGYHUWLVLQJ VXEPLVVLRQV DUH GXH DW QRRQ RQ WKH 0RQGD\ EHIRUH SXEOLFDWLRQ ([FHSWLRQV WR WKHVH GHDGOLQHV PXVW EH DUUDQJHG ZLWK WKH HGLWRU $OO VXEPLVVLRQV DUH WKH RSLQLRQV RI WKHLU FUHDWRU V Â&#x2021;7KH &DOLIRUQLD TIMES UHVHUYHV WKH ULJKW WR HGLW RU UHIXVH VXEPLVVLRQV DV LW VHHV ÂżW ZLWKRXW RIIHULQJ MXVWLÂżFDWLRQ IRU FRQWHQW RU DGYHUWLVLQJ VHFWLRQV

NEWS

MAY 2, 2014

PAGE 3

photo: Gene Axton Josh Friend (left), Bill Dawson and their newly-acquired storefront.

Opening the vault Future tenants of California deal in treasures from the past

____________________________ BY

GENE AXTON

editor in chief ____________________________ California, Pa. residents searching for their Mexican cuisine Àx will have to travel a little further thanks to the closing of Madres Mexican, but starting Aug. 1 those who value video games, comics and everything nerdy just as much as they value the perfect bean burrito won’t have to look any further than the site of the former restaurant. *ame 9ault, a store specializing in games and consoles from Atari to ;box, will be the newest edition to California’s downtown when students return to classes later this year.

Bill Dawson opened the Àrst *ame 9ault in his hometown of Uniontown, Pa., in October 2010. Since then, 33 year-old Dawson has moved the store to a bigger location, padded his inventory and brought on a partner––22 year-old Josh Friend, a fellow Uniontown native. When the two began to consider a second location they didn’t have to look any further than California.

“We’ve been trying to get into a better spot and >the town of California@ had an opening,” Dawson said. “Josh went down and found the building––it was right in the central location at Cal––and we thought that was a good move because of the population.”

The population of California can be a tricky thing for businesses to deal with considering the college town loses a share of its money-paying customers when California University of Pennsylvania classes break for summer. Dawson assured me that they’ve taken this into account.

“The money that we make over the busy seasons we’ll use to cover the off-seasons, and we’re going to be marketing to people in the surrounding communities. Obviously it’ll be a lower amount of volume but that’s something we’re prepared to deal with.”

The *ame 9ault isn’t just moving into town to service college students though––they want it to be clear that everyone is welcome and they hope to foster a sense of community within their store with a focus on social events and excellent customer service. The *ame 9ault specializes in new and used hardware and software from every era of gaming, but the California location will put a heavier focus on comics, collectibles and card games than its Uniontown counterpart.

“We want to Àll the void that everyone wants,” Dawson said.

“If they’re not getting their comics we’ll get them. If there’s a certain type of toy, statue, collectible« let us know, we’ll get into it.”

“We’re not going to tend to just the kids on campus,” Friend added. “We want everybody to know in the immediate

community that we will have, hopefully, midnight launches, tournaments« stuͿ that isn’t going to be exclusively for Cal U or people that live in California.” Dawson and Friend hope to draw customers from Brownsville, *rindstone and other nearby towns to the California location.

Dawson and Friend estimate that they’ll hire around five

people for their new location.

They’re planning to move two employees from their Uniontown store to make the opening as Áuid as possible, but the rest of the positions will be staͿed by new hires.

If Dawson sees his current plan through, those new hires may be helping to open additional *ame 9ault locations in the future.

“We want to be everywhere,” he said. “The second store took us a couple years to get launched but hopefully we should be opening one every one-to-two years from here on out.”

For more information on California’s newest business, visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com *ame9ault.

photo: Gene Axton Game Vault owners Josh Friend (pictured) and Bill Dawson hope to carry a variety of game, movie and television collectibles.

PAGE 4

CAL TIMES

MAY 2, 2014

1HWÁL[ 3LFN RI WKH :HHN Top Spotify streamed songs in the country and globally The following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, April 21, to Sunday April 27: UNITED STATES 1. John Legend, “All of Me” (Columbia Records) 2. Iggy Azalea, “Fancy” (Virgin EMI Records) 3. Katy Perry, “Dark Horse” (Capitol Records) 4. Jason Derulo, “Talk Dirty - feat. 2 Chainz” (Warner Bros. Records) 5. Bastille, “Pompeii” (Virgin Records Ltd) 6. Idina Menzel, “Let It Go” (Disney Enterprises, Inc.) 7. DJ Snake & Lil Jon, “Turn Down for What” (Columbia Records) 8. Coldplay, “Magic” (Parlophone UK) 9. Aloe Blacc, “The Man” (XIX Recordings LLC/Interscope Records) 10. Lorde, “Team” (Republic Records) photo courtesy: wikipedia

“Doctor Who” This show has been around so long your parents have probably seen it, but that does not mean it should be dismissed. This BBC show has taken American pop culture by storm in recent years.

1etÁix has classic Doctor Who episodes, as well as the newer episodes that started in 2005. You can watch the evolution of the show from ts campy beginnings to its recently more dramatic themes.

Genre: Science Fiction Originally Released: 1964, 2005 Starring: Christopher (ccelston, David Tennant, Matt Smith

Making music in Monessen Monessen is raising its voice for the Third Annual Raise Your Voice Music and Arts Festival, which will be held at Monessen City Park on Saturday, May 3, 2014 from noon until 7 p.m. The festival will feature local musicians Michael Christopher, Hey Compadre, Sarah Barger, Wind Waves, Fiveunder, *regg Johnson, Chicos Del Muertos, Jonathan Bass and many more! There will be varying genres––something for everyone! There will also be food, vendors and crafters.

The entire area is encouraged to come to Monessen spend an afternoon in the park! Bring a Frisbee, some horseshoes, a blanket, or a picnic and enjoy the day! The festival is presented by the Raise Your Voice Campaign and Monessen Communities That Care, and is sponsored by Roscoe Sons of American /egion, Douglas (ducation Center, The Counseling House, Dr. Mrs. Martin Dudas, Monessen Community Development Corp, Monessen Public /ibrary, *reater Monessen Historical Society, Valley First Credit Union, From the Top Music Shop, La Eda’s and others and is supported by the City of Monessen and the Cal U Music Department.

Emcees will be Lil-D Da Prince and .ate Sickels!

Visit our Facebook page (Raise Your Voice Campaign), website (http: www.raiseyourvoicemon.wix.com RYVC) or the festival event page on Facebook (3rd Annual Raise Your Voice Music and Arts Festival!) If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Matt Shorraw at sho5348@calu.edu, check out OrgSync or check out our website.

GLOBAL 1. Clean Bandit, “Rather Be feat. Jess Glynne” (Warner Music UK Limited) 2. Katy Perry, “Dark Horse” (Capitol Records) 3. Mr. Probz, “Waves - Robin Schulz Radio Edit” (Ultra / Sony Music Entertainment Netherlands B.V.) 4. John Legend, “All of Me” (Columbia Records) 5. Coldplay, “Magic” (Parlophone UK) 6. Aloe Blacc, “The Man” (XIX Recordings LLC/Interscope Records) 7. Calvin Harris, “Summer” (Columbia Records) 8. Pharrell Williams, “Happy (from Despicable Me 2)” (Back Lot Music/Columbia Records) 9. The Chainsmokers, “#SELFIE - Original Mix” (Dim Mak Inc.) 10. Pitbull, “Timber” (RCA Records)

ENTERTAINMENT

MAY 2, 2014

PAGE 5

photo courtesy: wikimedia commons

Pittsburgh New Works, celebrating theater in the city VWDÍż ZULWHU

_______________________

For anyone vaguely familiar with the area, it is no surprise that Pittsburgh is home to a thriving center of the arts. Film premieres, concerts and art festivals are just some of the events that take place in various corners of the city. However, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival is something a little diÍżerent.

The New Works Festival has been around since 1990 and has since been gaining popularity among playwrights, production companies and patrons. The festival accepts submissions of plays 40 minutes or shorter that have never been performed before. The plays then go through a series of hands and, if chosen, will Ă&#x20AC;nally end up being performed by volunteer actors on stage. The production companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;all based out of the Pittsburgh areaâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;take a look at the plays and decide which one they wish to sponsor. The festival received upwards of 220 electronic play submissions before this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s April 6 deadline.

12 of the play submissions will be fully staged, with costumes, props, makeup and technical features. The other six will be staged readings. The Festival, which advertises almost exclusively online, is held at OÍż the Wall Theatre in Carnegie.

Once the plays have been selected the actors are cast in the roles. For the purpose of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, plays are limited to Ă&#x20AC;ve or six characters and auditions for the actors are held in mid-July.

The playwright has a limited influence on the outcome of their play because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t direct it. Each production company uses its own directors, and while the playwrights can sit in on rehearsals and give slight directions of clariĂ&#x20AC;cations, their contact is intended to be limited, so the end result may diÍżer from the original submission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Normally I write in bits and pieces, its start and stop. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start writing until I know the first thing I want the audience to see and the last thing they see,â&#x20AC;? says F.J. Hartland, a playwright who submitted to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Until

I have those pictures in my head, I really canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t write. And then my Ă&#x20AC;rst draft is seeing if I can get from that Ă&#x20AC;rst picture to the second picture.â&#x20AC;? Hartlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scattered,â&#x20AC;? had serious overtones about death and grieving, with several comedic lines thrown in about how a group of friends deal with it.

Because the judging process is subjective, it makes coming to a Ă&#x20AC;nal consensus about each play diÎ&#x20AC;cult, added Hartland, who also on the festivalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board of directors. The process is based on a system of a total of 50 possible points for each play.

Playwrights, including Hartland, are notiĂ&#x20AC;ed of their acceptance or denial to the festival in late June or early July. Hartland has had 13 of his plays in the Pittsburgh New Works Festival over the last 20 years. His plays have also been published in United Stages, Original Works and the Louisville, Kentucky Review. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have people that have been with usâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;travel with us everywhere we goâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;or as long as the festival has been around.

Everybody waits for us every year and says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oh, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting,

letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go!â&#x20AC;? said Claire DeMarco, the president of the board of directors for the festival.

The festival oÍżers several different options for purchasing tickets, and all performances are open to all ages. Tickets for individual shows are sold, but month long passes, which includes admission to all of the works included in the festival, are also available for purchase through their website.

Andy Coleman, the communications director for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, said that the most rewarding part of the festival is watching the plays Ă&#x20AC;nally take stage after all the preparation and practicingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;especially for playwrights from out of town. Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festival received submissions from London, Switzerland and Israel. The playwright from Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-act play was accepted to the festival and he traveled to Pittsburgh to see it performed.

Several of the members from the board of directors, including Coleman and DeMarco, started on the opposite end of the festival as volunteers and actors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was actually a patron and looked forward to the festival

â&#x20AC;˘ Transfer WCCC summer credits to your university and earn a degree faster â&#x20AC;˘ Avoid college debt with one of the lowest tuitions in the state â&#x20AC;˘ 200-online courses to fit your work and vacation schedules

Sessions starting May 19, June 9 & June 25

145 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697 â&#x20AC;˘ 724-925-4000 â&#x20AC;˘ wccc.edu An affirmative action, equal opportunity college.

every year,â&#x20AC;? DeMarco said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I met one woman on the board [of directors], and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Do you ever need anybody to help with volunteers?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; She said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Oh yes, we do.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; She was ready to transition oÍż of the board, and so the rest is history.â&#x20AC;?

Another part of the festival is the opening night celebration for each week. A local company supports the night out with finger foods and appetizers and a board member donates wine and beer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chance to get together and socialize after the plays. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would like to continue to see the festivalâ&#x20AC;Ś grow more and more each year,â&#x20AC;? DeMarco said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now that we are in Carnegieâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;we had a very wonderful Ă&#x20AC;rst year thereâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I would like to see it grow, see more people come, and maybe even create some new programs that would strengthen the festival.â&#x20AC;?

F o r m o re i n f o r m a tion about the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, check out their website at pittsburghnewworks. org.

_______________________

BY LAUREN GRIFFITH

PAGE 6

CAL TIMES

The dedication of the brand new Cal U arena by President Geraldine Jones begins the competition on Friday.

It was a battle against time to get the robots ready for each bout. They were usually quite destroyed after each battle.

MAY 2, 2014

Grand Champions of the Bots IQ competition Plum Area Highschool won with their robot “Still N’ Shock”.

The Ringgold High School team work on their robot “Simply Green” between rounds on the second day of competition.

Students from Highland High School watch as their bot “Notorious B.O.T” takes on another bot in the Cal U arena.

High school students of all ages and backgrounds came together last Friday and Saturday to see whose robot could withstand the test of the rink. Team members were vying for the coveted Grand Champion Award. Over 60 teams came to the Convocation Center to see if their had the talent to win it all. In addition to the Grand Champion award, 1st and 2nd place winners were declared as well as additional awards for coolest bot, best engineered bot, and best rookie team.

Photos by S.C. Spangler and Laura Zeno

Cal U’s Department of Applied Engineering and Technology assistant professor Jennifer Wilburn participates as a judge during competition at the Cal U arena.

MAY 2, 2014

CAL TIMES

PAGE 7

WCAL members Steve Maggio, Cody Jennette, Ian HatÀeld, Kaitlyn O’Toole present the check raised through the lock-in to Molly Vogel , the Development Coordinator for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

?

does

size really

matter

coming this fall . newer, better, smaller cal times.

OPINION

PAGE 8

Life Happens: Fate vs. Chance _______________________

BY TAYLOR BROWN contributing editor

SONYA MINNER for The Cal Times ____________________________ Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: The Cal Times is provided as a service to the Cal U communityâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;we exist to give you a voice and the best example of this is the Cal Times opinion section. If you agree or disagree with this or any other article then take the time to let us know, caltimes@calu.edu.

Everything Happens For a Reason Sometimes when I lay in bed at night I think about how small that I am in a universe that is so big. I think about what would happen if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist before ultimately coming to the conclusion that if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist, it wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter because I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know or miss anything.

Sometimes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to grasp the concept that your human existence is irrelevant to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that with or without your minuscule or outrageous contributions to society, life would still go on and the world would continue to turn. Life is relative, but it has to mean something. We as people crave to feel a sense of purpose and that is where fate comes in.

A lot of people associate fate with religion and believe that to believe in fate you ultimately have to believe in some kind of God that knows whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to happen before you do, but I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite right.

Although my father was religious growing up and I was raised as a Methodist, eventually common religious practices started Ă&#x20AC;zzling out of my home life and I Ă&#x20AC;gured out that a God I had been told to pray to before I went to sleep every night, I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so sure existed at all. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say that I lost my faith, but rather opened my mind to what I believed were more practical possibilities.

The decision to not believe in God doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that my belief in fate is Ă awed.

Fate, noun, the development of events beyond a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.

Supernatural, noun, that which is not subject to the laws of physics, or more Ă&#x20AC;guratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature.

To believe in fate is to have faith in the future and your own decision-makingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hoping that you make the right choices to end up where you are meant to be, with who you are meant to be with and exploring diÍżerent options along the way.

Do I believe that I would only be happy doing one thing with my life? No. Do I believe there is something that I am meant to do and accomplish, if not for anyone else then for myself? Yes, I do. Do I believe that there is one person in this entire world that I am deĂ&#x20AC;ned to be with? No. Do I believe that there is a reason why people come in and out of my life? Yes, I do.

Fate is about where you end up and where you are meant to be, not the decisions you personally make to get there. In all honesty, fate might be some made up idea that serves as a cushion when tragedy strikes.

It might be the comfort found in telling yourself that everything happens for a reason. It might be the only way that some people fall asleep at nightâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;how they rationalize and cope with all of the horrible things that happen in this world.

When you believe in fate, it means that you take things for face value and give yourself comfort in knowing that there are rational explanations for irrational acts even if we as people never Ă&#x20AC;gure out what they are.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about taking comfort in knowing that everything will work out like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supposed to.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having faith in a future you cannot see.

Just because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in God doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in fate. Just because I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in God doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t believe in ghosts, or the supernatural or magic. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what fate is to me, a form of magic thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sometimes dark and unreasonable.

Even if it is not the right or most common way to rationalize all of the diÍżerent things, good or bad that happen in life, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier to sleep at night when you believe that everything happens for a reason.

Creating Your Own Destiny Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society is one that relies on consolation and the idea that everything happens for a reason. We take comfort in the idea that when things are horrible there is a reason they are horrible. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easier for people to think that something bad happened to make room for something good.

I, however, disagree wholeheartedly.

I hate the saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;everything happens for a reason.â&#x20AC;? I took comfort in that saying for a long time. My mom used those words when I got rejected from my first choice for college in hopes of making me feel better. Whenever something bad happens, our Ă&#x20AC;rst instinct is to tell that person that everything happens for a reason as a form of comfort, as if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know

MAY 2, 2014

Twitter question of the week

@CalTimes Do you believe things happen in life by fate or chance? Why? #CalUOpinion Mysterious F. @MysteriousF007 @CalTimes Is it so hard to believe that, sometimes, coincidences can really happen? I think not. #CalUOpinion Emily Geyer @Emily_Geyer93 @CalTimes I think somethings just happen by coincidence and others we make happen for ourselves. #CalUOpinion /DXUHQ *ULIĂ&#x20AC;WK @laurr_GRIFF @CalTimes I believe in both. Somethings are XQGHQLDEO\ IDWH EXW LW¡V DOO DERXW ZKDW FKDQFHV \RX¡UH given and the ones you make for yourself. #CalUOpinion D Bicky @DanBickerton @CalTimes mixture of both. #CalUOpinion

Gene @anomalyone @CalTimes , GRQ¡W NQRZ DERXW IDWH RU FKDQFH EXW it feels like luck plays a big part in whether your day will be good or bad. #CalUOpinion

:H ZDQW WR NQRZ ZKDW \RX¡UH thinking! Follow @CalTimes on Twitter to see the question of the Tweet @CalTimes week and tweet us your thoughts using the hashtag #CalUOpinion to EH IHDWXUHG LQ QH[W ZHHN¡V HGLWLRQ what else to say.

I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a false statement, though, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s merely oÍżering false hope and a false sense of security.

The idea that fate is controlling our lives is something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never agreed with. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think bad things happen to make room for something better and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that someone is in control of the events of your life. I think the only person in control of what happens to you is you and everything else is just a coincidence.

I think the idea that things happen for a reason is just a source of comfort when things are bad, but I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more comfortingâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;and trueâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C;to accept the idea that, sometimes, bad things just happen for no

reason. You may miss your bus going to work, or you may get a Ă at tire on your early commute.

This doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily mean youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to miss having a fatal accident or something equally horrible all because you were an hour late to work. It just means youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an hour late to work.

I understand peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s need for comfort when times are tough, but I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree with it. If you want to believe that fate exists and someone out there, some higher power or whatever you believe, is in control of your future and has your life path laid out for you, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ă&#x20AC;ne. I just donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t agree. We are the ones making the Ă&#x20AC;nal decisions in our lives. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nobody out there controlling the decisions we

make except ourselves. There may be things around you that are inĂ uencing your decisions, but in the end you are the one making the Ă&#x20AC;nal choice.

Ultimately, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the one making the decisions in your life. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the one choosing the path you go on and when things divert you from this path they are mere coincidences. If you happen to be late to work one day and miss getting into an accident because of it, if you meet the love of your life because you happened to go to the grocery store at a certain time or if anything else in your life occurs because you were in the right place at the right time, those are all merely coincidental happenings in the string of happenings that make up your life.

ORGANIZATIONS

MAY 2, 2014

PAGE 9

The Internship Corner

BY DEVEN L. BOURQUIN

Summer Camp Counselors

College or graduate students needed to work with elementary school children in an active summer camp in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.

9-10 per hour, Áexible hours, must have own transportation. Between 2 and 4 ten-hour days per week, your choice. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net

The following are internship opportunities that are available: Political Journalist— PoliticsPA is accepting applications for Summer 2014. They’re looking for interns interested in writing and politics. Interns will have the chance to gain journalism experience and a stronger understanding of Pennsylvania politics. Additionally, interns will have the opportunity to build a portfolio with published political writing. Intern duties include writing news stories, monitoring press releases and regional news outlets for relevant source material, covering political and government events and conducting other research, including taking transcripts. The internship is unpaid and requires a commitment of at least 15 hours per week. Applicants must have a working knowledge of Pennsylvania politics and strong writing skills as well as strong research skills.

Marketing and Administrative Internship— Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is looking for interns for Fall 2014. The internship is based in Jacksonville, Fla. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applications for the Fall internship are due by June 1. The interns should be self-motivated, have strong communication skills and organizational skills, be working towards a bachelor’s degree and have strong customer service skills. HJGT prefers that interns have sales and marketing experience as well as an interest in golf. For more information about HJGT, visit their website at www.hjgt.org.

Hospice Internship— Amedisys Hospice of PA is searching for interns for Fall 2014. The work schedule is Áexible and the intern may work anywhere from ten to 40 hours. Interns have the opportunity to provide companionship or respite to patients and families. Interns have the opportunity to visit patients, participate in activities of socialization with patients and participate in bereavement calls and or bereavement support groups. PTA interns can develop exercise programs for patients and residents. Interns can develop socialization projects for patients and residents. Applicants should have an interest in gerontology, health care, psychology and be a caring individual.

Personal Fitness Trainer Internship— One on One Fitness Consultants Inc. is searching for an intern for Summer 2014. This internship is geared toward putting your education into practice by immersing you in an environment that readies you to be a personal Àtness instructor. 4ualiÀcations include: a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s university faculty, a cover letter, a resume with relevant experience and be in the Ànal semester of an exercise science related program.

To view these and all of our internship opportunities, create a proÀle in InternLink at www.myinterfase.com/cup/student. For more information, please visit the Internship Center webpage at www. calu.edu/internships or stop by the Internship Center, Eberly 230. For questions or comments, please call 724-938-1578 or email Tracie Beck at beck_t@calu.edu. The Internship Center will assist you in taking the steps toward gaining career experience.

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA CA

SUMMER COLLEGE

SOAK UP SOME KNOWLEDGE THIS SUMMER! California University of Pennsylvania’s Summer College makes it easy for you to earn extra credits or pick up that class you need. Courses offered from May to August include face-to-face classes and more than 100 online courses. Choose the ones that fit your summer schedule!

Visiting students are always welcome at Cal U’s Summer College. To apply online, visit www.calu.edu.

Registration is now open. Special Session classes will be held in May, June and July.

FIVE-WEEK SESSIONS JUNE 9 – JULY 12 and JULY 14 – AUGUST 16 TEN-WEEK SESSIONS JUNE 9 – AUGUST 16

For a complete listing of classes, visit www.calu.edu, or e-mail summer@calu.edu. For a printed copy of the schedule, call 724-938-5962.

SUMMER COURSES TO ADVANCE YOUR EDUCATION AND YOUR CAREER.

PAGE 10

CAL TIMES

MAY 2, 2014

SPORTS

MAY 2,112014 PAGE

photo: sports information Senior Chuck Gasti has been a main contributor for the Cal U baseball team this year, hitting .303 this season and is now well known for his sliding catch that he made in a game against Mercyhurst University on April 12. The catch gained huge media attention from Fox Sports Live, Bleacher Report, and ESPN.

Cal U baseball team looks to build off of impressive season

_______________________

BY MATT HAGY VWDͿ ZULWHU

____________________________ Eight California University of Pennsylvania baseball seniors walked oͿ of CONSOL Energy Park last Sunday for the Ànal time in their collegiate careers.

Unfortunately for the seniors, there would be no Ànal playoͿ run as the Vulcans were swept away by Seton Hill in a fourgame weekend set to close out the regular season.

The Vulcans entered the Ànal weekend one game behind the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats for the final playoff spot. As

the Vulcans were being dominated by the Àrst place Gri΀ns, UPJ was well on their way to the playoͿs as they swept the Gannon Golden Knights in four games to lock up the Ànal playoͿ spot in the PSAC. While the end result was not what the Vulcans wanted out of this great season, there were many things to take away from this 2014 campaign.

Sophomore Mick Fennell emerged as a team leader both offensively and defensively.

Through the Àrst month of the season, Fennell scorched the PSAC in pitching by going 2-1 in his Àrst four starts, including two complete-game shutouts.

Fennell also established himself as the Vulcans leadoͿ man by batting .336. He also hit his Àrst home run as a Vulcan against IUP. Going into the future, Fennell looks to be the Vulcans premier two-way player as he leads the Vulcans back to glory. One of the bright spots that the Vulcans had was the establishment of a young pitching staͿ that looks to be the core of the team going into the next season.

The Vulcans return all four of their main starting pitchers in Fennell Justin Taylor, Jack Dennis and Cory Craig. Junior GJ Senchak will also return and look to have a bounce back season after losing his season to

11 MAY PAGE 2, 2014 injury on the last day of March.

The emergence of the young arms also saw one of them turn in one of the best pitching performances Cal U has ever seen in its baseball history. On April 16, Jack Dennis pitched a no-hitter against the UPJ Mountain Cats which was the first no-hitter thrown by a Vulcans pitcher since March 2008. Dennis faced just one batter over the minimum and was just one hit-by-pitch away from a perfect game. In that stretch, Dennis was coming off of a two-hit shutout against the Mercyhurst Lakers and ended up having a scoreless streak of 19.2 innings.

With all the great pitching performances turned in, the biggest headline of the Vulcans 2014 season came from the defensive side of the ball. On a picture perfect day in CONSOL Energy Park, the Vulcans were locked in a tight spot in the Top of the sixth inning. The Mercyhurst Lakers loaded the bases with two outs and looked to possibly slice into the Vulcans 5-0 lead. On a 3-2 count, Laker hitter Ethan Cox lined a high foul ball down the Àrst base line that seemed to land foul in the visitor’s bullpen. As the ball came crashing down in foul territory, senior right Àelder Chuck Gasti had other ideas. Gasti went Áying into foul territory from right field and made a spectacular sliding catch to end the inning and preserve the eventual 5-0 shutout win.

“I saw the ball right oͿ the bat and I knew I was going to get to it,” Gasti said. “However I didn’t know how close it was going to be to the fence where the ball eventually was going to land. As I closed in I knew I was going to have a chance to get the ball and it worked out for the best in the end there.”

Fortunately for Gasti, CUTV was broadcasting both games of the doubleheader that day against Mercyhurst and had

footage of the catch to edit out and showcase on social media.

With the help of some CUTV crew, the catch went viral on the internet starting on Twitter which eventually leading the play to be named the second best play of the day on FO; Sports Lives’ daily countdown. The appearance on FO; Sports 1 was only the beginning for the catch.

MLB network used the catch on its daily show “Intentional Talk” and also garnered stories from Bleacher Report and MLB Fan Cave’s Twitter page. “I’m very fortunate, I mean it is always been my dream to be on ESPN or something similar. While it did not make ESPN, I’m blessed to have seen it on Fox Sports 1 and MLB Network. There were a lot of people helping promote the play including the Cal U Athletic Department and CUTV. I would not have had the national publicity without everyone’s help.”

The unique thing about the catch was where Gasti ended up after catching the ball. Gasti had his left leg caught in the fence after the catch which at Àrst had him thinking back to an earlier injury in his career. “The only diͿerence between the catches was this was a fence and not concrete,” Gasti said. “Concrete always wins but there was enough gap in the fence to make the catch. I couldn’t exactly feel my leg to begin with but then I realized it was just stuck.”

The Vulcans Ànished the season 25-22 with a 12-16 conference record and missed the playoͿs for the Àrst time since 2001 with a Àfth place Ànish in the PSAC West. Despite the miss of the playoͿs, the Vulcans look ahead to bounce back next season with head coach Mike Conte who earned his 500th career win against IUP in early April.

Fans should be very excited to see this Vulcans baseball team next season as they look to take things to the next level.

Track & Field athletes impress at multiple weekend meets parts of the 5,000 meter run.

heat after posting a time of 3

and freshman Summer Hill

feet), which marked the first

5,000 meter race that included mostly Division I standouts–– Dinzeo Ànished Àfth and set a new season best by crossing the line at 14 minutes, 4.49 seconds.

Dinzeo improved his NCAA provisional qualifying time by over 21 seconds and now holds the fastest time in the PSAC in the event this season by nearly Àve seconds. Junior Abel Robinault Ànished in third place while running in the college Áight of the 5,000 meter race. He bested his personal record in the event by nearly 20 seconds after posting a time of 14:28.60.

The Vulcans 4x400 relay team set a season-best time the next day. The relay team that included freshman Savon Salter, freshman Francis Jajua, junior Morgan Huegel and freshman Joe Vedilago placed sixth in their

by over two seconds.

On the women’s side, freshman Julie Friend shattered her own school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Friend broke the school record in the event for the third time this season while becoming the Àrst female runner in school history to record a sub-11 minute time.

She placed 22nd overall in the championship Áight after crossing the Ànish line in 10 minutes, 59.73 seconds, which eclipsed her previous best time by over six seconds. Friend now boasts the third-best time in the PSAC this spring.

The Vulcan women also had their 4x400 relay team compete last Friday. The relay team that included: The relay of senior Jordyn Reagan, junior Danae Burgwin, junior Allison Hall

primarily NCAA Division I programs.

Along with the Penn Relays, several Vulcans also competed in the Paul Kaiser Classic in Shippensburg last Saturday. The competition was highlighted by junior Alex Zanella winning the 1,500 meters by over two seconds after crossing the Ànish line in 4 minutes, 41.97 seconds.

Zanella also qualified for the league championships in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:20.48, placing 12th overall in a Àeld of 75 runners.

On the men’s side in Shippensburg, Senior Chris Avampato broke his own school record in the hammer throw and registered a pair of top-five Ànishes. Avampato placed second in the hammer throw with a heave of 50.30 meters (165-0.5

previously set the school record in event last spring and set the school mark in the weight throw during the indoor season.

Avampato also Ànished third in the discus throw with a personal-best distance of 47.17 meters (154-9.25 feet). Sophomore Jaylen Jordan also qualiÀed for next week’s league championships in the long jump and set a personal record in the triple jump on Saturday. He posted a distance of 6.50 meters (21-4.0 feet) in the long jump and placed Àfth in the triple jump with a mark of 14.05 meters (46-1.25).

Both the men and women will be competing in the PSAC championships this weekend in Shippensburg. The Vulcans have qualified 24 individual male entries and 17 female entries for the championships.

_______________________ Junior Aaron Dinzeo competed minutes, 21.01 seconds, which Ànished with a time of 4:03.95 time in school history a thrower in the championship Áight of the eclipsed the previous best time while running in a field of eclipsed the 50-meter mark. He

BY MATT HAGY VWDͿ ZULWHU ____________________________ Hundreds of high schools, colleges and professionals descend on historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia every year for the annual Penn Relays. With all the media coverage and professionals attending the event, the Penn Relays are the perfect opportunity for young athletes to showcase their skills in front of a national audience. Cal U sent two relay teams and a pair of runners to Philadelphia last weekend and came away with a decent showing.

When the Penn Relays began last Thursday the Vulcans had two runners set NCAA championship qualifying provisional times while running diͿerent

SPORTS

11 Page 12

may 2, 2014

photo: sports information The California Unversity of Pennsylvania softball team finished the 2014 regular season with at least 30 victories for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Vulcans also finished the regular season with a perfect 23-0 conference record.

Cal U softball team finishes regular season with longest active NCAA Division II win streak

_______________________

by Jose NegroN sports editor

____________________________ When it comes to sports at California University of Pennsylvania, winning has become synonymous with many of our different teams. A few teams at Cal U are carried long winning streaks this year, including the women’s soccer team and, this spring, the women’s softball team.

Going into the PSAC Tournament, the softball team ended the regular season with a perfect 23-0 conference record for the first time since 1998 and a 30-4 record overall. The 30 victories for the team marks the fifth time in six years that they have been able to accomplish that feat. The team also finished the season with a 26 game winning streak that began on March 15 against West Virginia State University in a game during the Salem Invitational in Salem, Va. After opening the season with four losses in their first 11 games of the season, the Vulcans

settled down and tore through their PSAC schedule. One of the biggest reasons for the Vulcans success is the coaching and educating of head coach Rick Bertagnolli. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Bertagnolli has always found a way to fire up the team each and every time they hit the field and especially during this long streak.

“With our long winning streak, we really just listen to Coach Bertagnolli’s words before each game,” sophomore pitcher Alex Sagl said. “That is to realize that everyone is gunning for us and what we have been doing is so great that we can’t take anyone lightly and we need to really continue to play the exact same every game.”

The pitching staff, including Sagl, fellow classmate Haley Bashada and freshman Kaity Davis, has been a key part of the Vulcans success this season. The three had a combined ERA of 1.91 on the season, with Bashada taking a reliever role while the two sophomores took the role as starters. Sagl, who finished the

season with a 19-2 record and a 1.49 ERA, in particular has learned a lot more about what goes into having success both individually as a pitcher and together as a team.

“Personally I have learned that focusing on every pitch and not dwelling on past innings or pitches is crucial to my performance,” Sagl said. “I have learned the support of your teammates and coaches on and off the field has been what has made me successful overall. Our team has great chemistry and everyone picks one another up.

It is pretty rare to find a team as close as ours.”

While getting support from their tough pitching staff, the Vulcans have also had a lot of success on offense––specifically with the long ball. In their final game of the season against Slippery Rock University on Monday, the Vulcans hit a season high five home runs in the game, giving them a PSAC leading 42 homers on the year. The main contributor to the power attack against SRU was also one of three seniors honored on Senior

Day two days earlier. Senior Natalie Wideman tied a single game school record with eight RBI on the day and scored three runs while hitting two grand slams in the Vulcans 16-1 win.

“It was very encouraging to have some positive results against SRU,” Wideman said.

“During batting practice, I had to spend some extra time on the tee after hittng live pitches thrown by Coach B because things felt a little off. After smoothing that out, I realized it was all about my mental approach at the plate.”

Three others joined in with home runs, including the other two seniors, Stephani Ellis and Shelby Lia, and sophomore Natalya Smarra, who was also recently named the PSAC West hitter of the week.

“This game was especially important in order for us to get in playoff mode and I think it shows we are ready,” Wideman said. “As we went through the lineup, we all looked for pitches that were our pitches that we knew individually could be hit hard and it showed. We had

confidence and focused every pitch, regardless of the score.”

It’s no surprise that the Vulcans received the No. 1 seed for the PSAC Tournament and are a favorite to go far in the NCAA Tournament. Their 26-game winning streak is the longest active streak in NCAA Division II and they remain the only team from the PSAC to be ranked in the NFCA top 25 poll, moving to No. 12.

The combination of veteran and young talent, consistency within the offense and pitching staff and chemistry within the team has lead to a historic season for the Cal U softball team and a chance to go for an NCAA Division II National Championship.

“We know what we have on and off the field is something incredibly special and not many athletes have this experience so we are making the most of it,” Wideman said. “The best part is the fun we are having along the way.”