INSIDE
CALIFORNIA UNIVERSIT Y Annual Webby Awards
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Tennis moves on
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Softball to host Regionals
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Get to know your Vulcans
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CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
MAY 4, 2012
VOL. 32, NO. 12
Rain doesn’t dampen the 17th Annual Pike Run Fishing Festival By Allison Steinheiser
Staff Writer It may have been wet and rainy on the morning of April 21, but nothing could dampen the spirits of the kids attending the 17th Annual Pike Run Fishing Festival. From 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., kids under the age of 15 could fish at Rotary Park, where the Parks and Recreation club had stocked the creek. There was also food, prizes, and a play area for the children. The planning for this year’s event was the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation club. “This year the Parks and Recreation club planned this so between 15 and 20 people were involved,” said Megan Schuh (senior president). Each year it rotates between a class and the club being in charge of the annual event. Even with the rain, the event was a success with between 150 and 200 children expected. “We are expecting around 200 kids, which is right around where it normally is,” said Ty
Schaffer The kids lined the creek trying to catch the biggest fish and win the trophy, but no matter what, every kid got a prize. Some were able to catch quite a few fish, while others were just having fun spending time with their families and friends. Fishing was not the only thing to do for the kids. This made planning the event a little more difficult and time consuming. “We started planning about two months ago. We had to get a food vendor here. Get the flyers out, and advertise,” said Schaffer. The event is held each year in the spring, and continues to be a success even after 17 years. The fishing festival is cosponsored by Cal U’s Student Government, the Dept. of Earth Sciences’ parks and recreation program and the Cal U Eco Learning Community, in cooperation with the Pa. Fish and Boat Commission, the California Rotary Club, the Borough of California and the California Borough Recreation Authority.
Photo by: Jeff Helsel A young angler tries her luck at the 17th annual Pike Run Youth Fishing Festival at Rotary Park in California Borough. The festival committee stocked the stream with nearly 800 rainbow, brook and golden trout. The festival was open to boys and girls ages 15 and younger.
Concussions: The ugly truth By Matt Hagy For the Cal Times
It is a word that every athlete fears when they hear it out loud: concussion. A concussion is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the way the cells in the brain normally work. Even though the majority of people will recover fully after they receive a concussion, the signs and symptoms of this injury may last from several minutes, several months, or even longer. Some long-term problems associated with a concussion can affect one’s thinking, memory, learning, language, and emotions. Although the majority of concussions that are repeat injuries are unknown in general, health risks are more likely among those who have had multiple concussions in the past. A repeat concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the first can slow recovery or increase the likelihood of having longterm problems.
When a young athlete enters high school, he or she has that invincible feeling when they start a sport for their school. These young athletes feel nothing can stop them or derail their ultimate goal of being the best at their sport. Because of this, risks are taken and sometimes those risks can lead to the abrupt end of their dream of making it to the top. Sometimes the mindset of being the best will add huge pressure on the young athlete and it will force them to make irresponsible decisions. Concussions have not just become a topic on major sports media outlets like ESPN or the NFL network; it is something being monitored in high schools across the nation. Coaches are being informed and educated on how to deal with concussions. Athletic trainers do their best to properly treat an athlete when they receive a concussion. In a random poll in a California University of Pennsylvania English class, seven out of 22 people said they have had a concussion in their lifetime. This is a number that needs to be controlled in the teen and post-teen age group. The teenage brain is still in a
state of development when they start their sport in high school. One blow to the head can permanently do damage to their brain and change the course of their lives and their learning process in the classroom. Most of the time, concussions are done by accident and there is nothing that the athlete can do about it; like a high fastball that flies out of the pitchers hand wrong and smacks the batter in the head. Other times, it just takes discipline from the athlete to learn how to play the sport right, for example, not leading with your head to tackle someone. Actions such as leading with your helmet have come under fire in the NFL. Helmet to helmet hits have dealt the most concussions in the NFL more than any other hit to the head. This can even lead to spinal cord damage, which is almost always an instant career ending injury. Hits like that can be easily avoided by properly training the player to tackle correctly and keep the head up.
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Students get their cruise on The Annual Spring Cruise on the Gateway Clipper, hosted by Inter Residence Hall Council and the Student Activities Board, set sail on Tuesday, May 1. The event is geared to give students a chance to unwind at the end of the semester, and a chance to dance, while traveling up the Monongahela River on an inland riverboat.
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