Cal Times Nov. 1, 2019

vol. 50 no. 4 Nov. 1, 2019

news

Nov. 1, 2019

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ABOUT THE COVER

It’s ele ction we ek! On Tues day, Novemb er 5, ele ctions for State and Lo cal government p ositions will take plac e. In this photo, C al U students showe d off their stickers after voting at the p olling plac e in C alifornia Borough on U.S. Ele ction Day, Nov. 8, 2016, C alifornia University of Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Hels el, S.A.I.) (D esign by Lily Gongaware)

Our lo cal college radio station is lo oking for club s and organiz ations for campus drops and advertising. If you’re int erest e d, ple as e contact Evan Peffer at PEF9535calu.e du

322 3rd Street California, Pennsylvania 724-938-2395

G et Involve d with S.A.B.!

We have a new me eting time at 5PM on Thursdays in the Vulcan The at er!

Advertise with the Place a classified or a full color print display advertisement in the Cal Times student newspaper at California University of Pennsylvania. Our bi-weekly print edition is circulated across Cal U’s campus and throughout the Mon Valley Region. For adver t ising rates and publicat ion dates,

please e-mail calt imes@calu.edu

c a l t i mes .o rg caltimes@calu.edu 724.938.4321

TOM CATON EDITOR IN CHIEF

LILY GONGAWARE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CAM KING OPINIONS EDITOR

SAM KUHNE

LEIGH SWARTZFAGER SPORTS EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

JEFF HELSEL

CONTRIBUTORS: Skyler Bogus, Hanah Burns, Angel Funk, David Hague, Veonna King, Chris Lisle, Rachael McKriger, Evan Peffer, Johnny Sakaguchi, Reggie Surpris, Hannah Wyman, Cal U Sports Information, Cal U Public Relations

POLICY: The California TIMES is a publication of the Student Association, Inc. and is distributed throughout the university campus and the Monongahela Valley area most Fridays of the academic year with the exception of holiday breaks. Any member of the university community may submit articles, editorials, cartoons, photographs or drawings for consideration. Deadlines are as follows: All written copy, announcements , e-mail (caltimes@calu.edu) and advertising submissions are due at Noon on the Monday before publication. Exceptions to these deadlines must be arranged with the editor. All submissions are the opinions of their creator(s). The California TIMES reserves the right to edit or refuse a submission as it sees fit without offering justification for content or advertising sections.

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Nov. 1, 2019

Inclusive Dining Options Debut in Gold Rush

Clarity and Vegan stations offer meat-free & allergen friendly meals

By Hanah Burns, Contributor BUR5738@calu.edu

Dining services at California University of Pennsylvania have rolled out brand new meatless and gluten free meal options this semester to cater to students who are vegan, vegetarian, or have other food sensitivities.

At the Gold Rush, Cal U’s main dining hall, a new station called Clarity has been added this semester for students with gluten and other food sensitivities.

It is a made-to-order station where students can fill out a form to receive gluten free pastas, pizzas, warm entrees, sandwiches, and can also request dairy free cheese.

“It’s super simple,” said Briana Hendriksen, dining service’s Marketing Specialist, “You grab an order form, fill it out how you want, and then the chefs that are trained will make it for you.”

Next to the new Clarity station is the Vegan and Vegetarian Station that features daily meat free options, and just past the entrance is the Allergy Safe-Zone, which features gluten free breads, cereals, and dairy free milk.

In the Natali Food Court, dining services have a brand new food station called Fusion, that features tofu, and Fyre has added a Beyond Burger option, which is a plant-based patty.

“One of the things to really emphasize is that at any station, they [students] can say to a chef, ‘What is in this, and can you make this without a certain item,’” said Dan Argento, resident director of dining services. He said that student input is one of the most important things for them to receive.

Many students feel as though there aren’t enough vegan, vegetarian, and meatless options for them to choose from.

“I think the vegetarian options are okay, but they don’t give a large variety of choices like they do for people who eat meat,” said Ciera Jones, a junior.

Other students wish they had the option to choose no meat substitutes at all.

“I like the new options at places like Fyre and Fusion like the tofu and black bean burger but I do with that for some foods there was the option to pick no meat or protein at all,” said Jordan McDowell, a senior.

Marissa McSheffery, a Cal U student, also said that a no meat button at the ordering stations would be nice.

Exe cutive Chef Jennifer Richmond works with Cal U student Miranda Anders on t o cust omize an allergenfriendly me al at the G old Rush dining hall’s new “Clarity” station, Natali Student Cent er. (Phot o Jeff Hels el)

“I want hibachi without meat, but I don’t want tofu either,” McSheffery said.

Midway through last semester, dining services began a new service for student input called TextA-Manager. This service is an all new, paperless way for students to anonymously get in touch with a dining services manager via their mobile device.

“You just text the number that is found on any TV display, poster or napkin holders. Everything is absolutely anonymous. We don’t know the student’s name, we don’t know the students phone number, we don’t know anything. The only thing we know is their customer number, and their feedback,” said Hendriksen. She said it makes responding to students

so much easier and quicker.

As for plans to address the comments made by some vegan and vegetarians about receiving a no meat, no protein button, Argento and Hendriksen said they’d like to make that change as soon as possible.

If any students have an idea or suggestion they want to see at dining services, Argento and Hendriksen encourage students to use their TextA-Manager service, or interact with them on social media.

“If there’s that [student] input, we’ll figure out how to make it work,” said Argento.

“If there’s that student input, we’ll figure out how to make it work.”

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news

Nov. 1, 2019

Keeping History on Track Mon. Railroad and River Transportation Museum educates locals on past

By Johny Sakaguchi, Staff Writer SAK8734@calu.edu

Steel, coal, iron, smoke, steam, and hard blue-collar workers: these where the ingratiates of river boat and railroad workers. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, this is well known for the area.

Thos e days have all but fade d into the past the mass amount of the high iron of the railroad and traveling the river has c ome and gone. C alifornia and Brownsv ille PA are right smacke d dab in the middle of it.

The Monongahela Railway Company ran their tracks out of Brownsv ille to Pittsburgh where they had an interlo cking with the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad and Pennsylvania Railroad, running c oal up and down the river from West Virgina and empties from Pittsburgh. The MRC clos e d in 1993 and was purchas e d by the Conrail Railroad.

Then you had the giant river barges that were shipp e d up and down the thre e rivers interlo cking with the railroads a practic e is still done to day but not as often as you us e to b e able to s e e. Many p e ople don’t even know ab out this history or if they do where they can find more information ab out it. Until re c ently, a mus eum op ene d in Brownsv ille.

The Monongahela Railroad and River Transp ortaion Mus eum holds photos relics of the days of old and even an MRC steam engine mo del and re c ently adde d the Wabash Style C ab o os e that us e to sit atop the hill as you entere d Brownsv ille. Op ene d in 2004 the mus eum is inside an old fire station on Church Stre et. The b oard had wante d to us e the old Union Station. Sadly, the station was in to o bad of shap e that it was unsafe to try to fix. The building still stands in downtown Brownsv ille. “ When Conrail to ok over the line, they told the sup erintendent to throw all the MRC stuff in the trash, said Ernie Brad mon president of the mus eum and former MRC worker. “He was told to throw it all in the dumpsters.

They wante d everything gone. They to ok a lot stuff and it sat in their hous es.”

The mus eum holds old relics including the whistle off the Kenna a steam paddle b oat that was built in Brownsv ille, tickets from the MRC, New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroads and s everal other tickets from various other railroads. An old garden

railroad switcher steam engine that s ome one had built and move d back to Uniontown and donate d to the mus eum. The Mus eum re c ently adde d the cab o os e that onc e sat on top of the hill by Nemac olin C astle.

“The castle ne e de d that spac e for parking and wante d to s ell the cab o os e,” said E dward Britt the CEO of the mus eum. “They ne e de d parking spac e at the castle. They c ouldn’t s ell it b e caus e the city of Brownsv ille owne d it and brought over by trucks and cranes to the mus eum.”

The mus eum has starte d to restore cab o os e #71 and painte d the outside and replac e the logo on side of the cab o os e.

They have starte d the restoration of the inside of the cab o os e. The cab o os e has the original flo oring and back up whistle. They have als o restore d the fireplac e and piping inside.

The mus eum als o hosts the Pittsburgh Graden Railway So ciety’s p ermanent layout on lower level. The layout has a near p erfe ct

replica of the Duquesne Incline and the p oint on railroads on the b oth sides of the river with PRR trains old trollies running the lines.

“If it wasn’t for thos e guys this plac e wouldn’t exists and thes e items would have gone up in dust,” said Brandom. “This plac e is a fountain of knowle dge.

“It’s ke eping the younger generations intereste d,” said Brandom. “There was a group from Beth Center Scho ol D istrict that came in and when they had to go, they said they were c oming back tomorrow. The teacher told them that they had to b e at the s cho ol, but the students wante d to c ome back the next day b e caus e they were s o intereste d in everything that we had here.”

The mus eum is run by Brandom, Britt, and G ary Pokrny, and is op en every We dnes day from 9 a.m. to 12p.m or by app ointment.

Ad mission is fre e and donations are always welc ome d.

The Monongahela Railroad and River Transportation Museum ”proudly display small model trains and various items from the boating industry, including tools and photos and also house a video viewing area to watch DVDs and VHS tapes about the railroad and sunken ships in the area.”

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Nov. 1, 2019

Election Day is Right Around the Corner What you’ll be seeing on the November 5th California ballot

By Angel Funk, Contributor FUN8385@calu.edu Local elections may seem unimportant, but they shape communities and impact important decision making that happens in the area. Regarding the general election taking place next Tuesday, November 5th, here’s a rundown of all the candidates on next week’s ballot.

Judge of the Superior Court is up for state election with Democrats Amanda Green-Hawkins, Daniel D McCaffery, and Megan McCarthy King and Republican Christylee Peck Republican.

Running for reelection for Magisterial District Judge is Joshua P Kanlis, he is running unopposed.

Other uncontested elections will be Traci McDonaldKemp for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas and S. Timothy Warco for County Coroner.

County commissioner seats are available with the

Democrat nominees Larry Maggi and Harlan Shober and Republican nominees Diana Irey-Vaughan and Nick Sherman. Maggi is currently serving his fourth term as a county commissioner and is chairman of the board for Washington County. Shober is currently serving his second term as a county commissioner and currently serves on Pennsylvania’s Local Government Advisory Committee. Irey-Vaughan is currently serving her sixth term and is currently the longest-sitting county commissioner. Sherman is a life long Washington county resident and currently runs the Domestic Outreach Center with his sister.

District Attorney of Washington county will between newcomer Democrat M Jacob Mihalov and incumbent Republican Eugene Vittone. Mihalov is a long-time public defender and is a strong advocative

for criminal justice reform. Vittone has served as District Attorney since 2012 and spent over a decade as Assistant District Attorney.

Other elections include Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphan’s Court between Democrat Suzanne Archer and Republican James Roman. Treasurer between Democrat Lisa Carpenter and Republican Tom Flickinger. Clerk of Courts between Democrat Frank Scandale and Republican Brenda Davis.

Prothonotary between Democrat Joy Schury Ranko and Republican Laura Hough.

The polling locations in California are broken up into three sections and one section for Coal Center.

Want to learn more about these candidates and see what they stand for? Go to www. vote411.org/ballot to view the races, the candidates, and an informational profile on what they’ll do for our communities. Just input your address and Vote411 will do the rest!

Nov. 1, 2019

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Two Cousins Trying to Make a Difference R&D Apparel provides customers with more than just clothing Interview by Lily Gongaware, Graphic Designer with Reggie Surpris, Business Owner GON7253@calu.edu SUR6415@calu.edu

Reggie Surpris and his cousin, Duke, know how beneficial motivation can be when accomplishing their goals. Their company, R&D Apparel, aims to promote that same motivation and confidence to its customers.

Up until now, creativity and originality in their field has made them successful designers with an apparel company with impressive expansion projections and goals.

What is the name of your business and what is your mission statement?

The name of my business is R&D apparel, the ‘R’ stands for Reggie and the ‘D’ stands for Duke. I’m Reggie, and Duke is my cousin, we started this business together. Our mission statement is, we want every person to feel the same motivation we did when we started this journey.

What service or products does your business provide to the students?

As of right now, we are only providing shirts (short and long sleeves), and hoodies. We will be dropping stickers, posters and socks soon.

What made you want to start your business?

My cousin and I wanted to create a product for people that shows people they are worthy and can do anything they put their minds too. We wanted to create something original for those who love and support us. It started out just for fun but then it gained traction, and became a passion.

How successful has your business been so far?

Have there been any roadblocks?

So far it has been very successful. I have people come up to me left and right on campus asking for the link to my website. Same goes for my cousin.

We have had many roadblocks when it came to shipping or the logo on the shirts/hoodies didn’t print exactly right but we usually are able to get it fixed by getting them a new version of the product for free.

How can customers purchase your products/ services currently?

Customers can purchase the products online, currently at: https://teespring.com/stores/rndapparel.

Who makes up most of your consumer base?

Most of our consumer base would be college students, around the age of 18 - 25 years old.

What is your favorite product or service you offer?

Right now, it would be the ‘LIFE” campaign that we started with. It means so much to me and my cousin with all the roadblocks that we have been through as black men trying to be successful in the current world. We want everyone to know that they can be successful in any venture they choice.

Is this business something you want to carry into your future?

For sure! This is something that I want to mold into something bigger and better as the years go on.

Where do you see your business/yourself in 5 years? 10?

I would hope to see the business at about 20 campaigns within the next 5 years. Within the next 10 years, I hope we can have at least one store opened and don’t have to rely on a third party to sell our products.

What advice would you give another student that wanted to start their own business?

Go for it. I know there might be doubters but there are also supporters, and the supporters mean so much more. You will succeed in anything you put your mind to as long as it is for the right reasons.

Don’t worry about the numbers, they come in due time.

If you are interested in having your own student-owned business featured in the Cal Times, please email Lily Gongaware at GON7253@calu. edu to set up an interview!

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news

Nov. 1, 2019

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Student Activities Board, Adviser Win Awards

By Cal U Public Relations Cal U’s Student Activities Board received impressive awards at the Northeast APCA (Association for the Promotion of Campus Activity) conference, which was held in Teaneck, N.J., Oct. 4-6.

SAB was named the 2019 Northeast APCA Organization of the year. Melissa Dunn, director of Student Activities and Leadership for the Office of Student Affairs, was named 2019 Northeast APCA Advisor of the Year.

The Cal U organization also received third-place awards in the graphics competition for printed material and novelty items.

“Being named organization of the year was one of the coolest things I have experienced here at Cal U,” said Miranda Anderson, a senior graphic design major and president of SAB’s executive board. APCA promotes campus engagement through educational experiences, affordable entertainment and

community service initiatives. It is divided into five regions, and last year more than 2,000 students and higher education professionals from more than 600 schools attended APCA conferences and institutes.

At the campus activities planning conferences students experience a diverse educational curriculum, stellar live showcase line-up, novelty vendors, well-known speakers, student government training, networking opportunities and community service components.

APCA provides schools within a region the opportunity to merge their buying power and save money by sharing the travel costs for events and programs they book. “This honor speaks volumes of our students, and frankly they carry themselves much different than other schools do at the conference,” Dunn said. “There’s a bit of a carnival atmosphere there with a lot of complimentary items and entertainers, but our students are more about doing business than chasing the shiny objects.

Though humbled to receive her award, which was selected by APCA staff, agencies and fellow advisers, Dunn was most honored that she was nominated by SAB. “Everything I do, I do for my students. They are what keeps me coming back every single day, because every single day is different with them,” she said. “Knowing that I’ve been able to impact them with their college careers and maybe their career paths means more to me than anything.” Anderson said she and her SAB peers were thrilled to nominate Dunn.

“Missy deserves this and so much more because she does so much for us and everyone on campus,” Anderson said. “She always puts her best foot forward and is always there for you if you need help with anything or even life advice. “She’s a great mentor.”

“Being named organization of the year was one of the coolest things I have experienced here at Cal U”

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entertainment

Nov. 1, 2019

The Witcher 3 and Overwatch Arrive on Switch Nintendo’s powerplay move for portable handheld devices

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

Nintendo Switch is breaking boundaries and forging new paths for portable devices by introducing The Witcher 3 and Overwatch to the console.

While The Witcher 3 is known for its massive open-world map, insane graphics, immersive storyline, and overall sensational gameplay on PC, the Switch does a rather excellent job mimicking the capability of other gaming consoles.

The introduction of these games seems widely impressive to people like me, but to others this is just a waste of time. Many gamers have rather negative condensations regarding the introduction of large scale games onto smaller, less capable devices like the Switch.

Despite this, Nintendo is on to something that many other developers are staying clear of. Maybe there doesn’t have to be one true way to play these types of games. Perhaps a portable version of the game is exactly what particular people may need in their lives.

In terms of performance, there may be a difference in graphical quality, but there is little difference in the overall game functions and playback. In fact, The Witcher 3 has a similar feel to the consoles widely popular feature of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Overwatch on the other hand does face more criticism when it comes to being a game changer for the Switch and others alike.

As a multiplayer shooting game, Overwatch requires an internet connection in order to be able to do anything. Making this game not the best for a long plane ride or the commute to work.

Additionally with these drawbacks, there are also a variety of technical issues that have presented themselves since it’s made its way to Switch. In particular, reports of characters disappearing in the middle of a match, frame rate issues, and issues with shooting controls are just a few examples of the difficulties of a game this size operating on the Switch.

However, these kinks have room to be sorted out.

This is just the initial launch and there is plenty of time to optimize this game for this device. Despite the internet connection requirements, this may be

“In terms of performance, there may be a difference in graphical quality, but there is little difference in the overall game functions and playback.” the motivation to get players back involved in the Overwatch leagues.

A handheld device is known for being more accessible and promotes casual gameplay more than other TV based consoles. This may be a more comfortable and convenient solution for normal everyday players.

In a perfect world, large scale games like this would present no differences across every platform

they’re compatible with. Obviously, the Switch is not capable of offering that to users just yet, but there is hope that it will eventually.

This is still a positive step in the right direction for portable devices. It is still justifiable that some people may never want an alternative to a controller in hand or a mouse and keyboard. Yet, for some gamers, portable play is exactly what is needed.

entertainment

Nov. 1, 2019

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“The Masked Singer” Recap

Famous celebrities that have been unmasked on the show

By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu

If anyone knows me, then they know how much of a huge fan I am of the reality singing competition on Fox, “The Masked Singer.” The tv program is currently in its second season and is roughly four episodes in.

So far, everyone who watches the show is still playing detective to put together the clues and figure out which celebrity is hiding behind the mask.

It is much more difficult than you think…trying to guess your favorite celebrity just by listening to the sound of their voice. The concept of the show is this big guessing game. Celebrities are dressed from head-to-toe in some of the most elaborate costumes ever seen, their voices are disguised when talking, and almost no one knows who could be strutting out onto “The Masked Singer” stage.

The series first premiered back on September 25 and originally started with sixteen masked singers.

So far, five celebrities have been unmasked and eliminated from the competition. During the twohour series premiere, it was a double elimination while two masked singers were eliminated right off the bat. The masked singers to go home that night were the Egg and Ice Cream. The audience was left in suspense until the end of the show to find out who was hiding behind the mask. During the singer’s performance, they sang their edition of Lady Gaga’s hit “Just Dance.” The Egg was the first celebrity to take off their mask, and to much of a shock, American figure skater, Johnny Weir, was revealed as the masked singer behind the egg mask! Weir is known as a fashion designer, television commentator, and two-time Olympian.

The second celebrity to be unmasked on opening night was Ice Cream. During the singer’s performance, they sang their rendition of Lil Nas X’s and Billy Ray Cyrus’s hit “Old Town Road.”

Unfortunately, that was not enough to keep them in the competition. After taking the mask off, Ice Cream was revealed as American streamer, YouTuber, professional gamer, and Internet personality, Ninja.

His birth name is Richard Tyler Blevins, but is known as Ninja to almost everyone. As of July 2019, Ninja is the most followed streamer on Twitch.tv with over 14 million followers and an average of over 50,000 viewers per week during his live streamings.

As the competition went on, the third masked singer to be eliminated was the Panda. Given the clues during the show, the Panda was thought to be a professional athlete. During the night of the Panda’s performance, they sang to Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger.” Upon taking their mask off that night, the Panda was revealed to be American tv personality and former professional boxer, Laila Ali. She was a former professional boxer from 1999 to 2007 and is the daughter of the late legendary heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali. The next singer to leave the competition was the Eagle. The Eagle sang to “I’d do Anything for Love”

by Meat Loaf. However, the Eagle did not receive enough votes to stay in the competition. It was revealed that David Drew Pinsky, popularly known as Dr. Drew, was hiding behind the eagle mask. Dr. Drew is an American celebrity doctor who is an internist, addiction medicine specialist, and media personality. Dr. Drew is most famous for hosting the nationally syndicated radio talk show, Loveline, from 1984 to 2016.

The most recent celebrity to be eliminated from “The Masked Singer” was the Skeleton. From the clues given during their appearances, the Skeleton revealed that they have always been seen as second in line for just about anything. However, the Skeleton had the fewest number of votes and was eliminated from competition. To a huge shock, it was revealed that Paul Shaffer was the Skeleton! Paul Shaffer is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman’s musical director and sidekick. Shaffer acted as Letterman’s band leader during his latenight talk show from 1982 until 2015.

Competition basically just started so there is still plenty of celebrities and plenty of time to figure who is hiding behind the masks. Remember to tune into The Masked Singer at 8:00PM every Wednesday on Fox. Hopefully, you are still wearing your thinking cap because many celebrities have yet to be unmasked.

The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on FOX. Tune in weekly to the celebrity singing competition to see who is under the mask! For Cal U residents, FOX is on channel 3.3.

The pictures: Left: Former professional boxer, Laila Ali, as the Panda Right: Multiinstrumentalist, Paul Shaffer, as the Skeleton

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entertainment

Nov. 1, 2019

K-Von Fills Vulcan Theater with Laughter Stand-up comedian kicks off new “Late Night Laughs” series

By Veonna King, Contributor KIN6003@calu.edu

On Monday, October 21st, Cal U students experienced their first “Late Night Laughs” event of the semester featuring stand-up comedian, K-Von. Students were invited to the Vulcan Theater for the free to watch the show hosted by the Student Activities Board (SAB).

The show kicked off with a segment from an episode of MTV’S Disaster Date starring K-Von. This popular show features paid actors who ruin the blind date of innocent contestants by doing crazy things to make them extremely uncomfortable.

For every minute spent on the date, the contestant unknowingly earns a dollar.

Following the segment, the remainder of K-Von’s stand-up performance featured numerous Persian jokes, impressions, and a variety of hilarious pick-up lines.

Morgan Madanick, the Evening Chair for SAB, was pleasantly surprised by the positive response stating, “This was the first comedian of the year, and I was a little nervous about the turn out. But this actually turned out better than I thought it would for the first one.”

In response to the show, Jahki John, a freshman at Cal U, stated, “He was pretty funny for the most part and I didn’t expect that at all.” Another student, Taylor Jeter, also said, “He was really refreshing and was not afraid to say raunchy jokes.”

K-Von’s future as a comedian truly began during his time at the University of Nevada. “A hilarious comedian came to our school and I had never seen one perform live. I had only ever seen one on TV. So I decided that I needed to get my degree first, that way I always could fall back on a real job. I knew after I did that, then I could actually go pursue my dream.”

When speaking with K-von about him ever coming back to Cal U, he was on-board with the idea, stating, “Oh I would definitely come back. What I would say is wait a year. Give another couple of comedians a chance, and then I’ll come back and have all new jokes.”

WCAL DJ Spotlight Cameron Conner is a Communication Studies Major who joined WCAL in the Fall of 2018 and was certified on September 26th of that same year.

Cameron does not currently have a show of his own but is actively looking to get one! He did the majority of his training with DJ Tiny Tim, aka Alicia Lackey. Cameron was interested in joining WCAL because his dad was actually a DJ for over 20 years! Tune in to 91.9fm WCAL and follow us on social media @919wcal to find out when you can listen to Cameron!

CAMERON CONNER

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Nov. 1, 2019

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

By Evan Peffer, Staff Writer PEF9535@calu.edu

Third Eye Blind - Screamer Third Eye Blind’s newest release, Screamer, is somewhat difficult to describe. It seems as though everything about it is just slightly off. From the fact that it feels like a summer road-trip album, but it wasn’t released until October, to the generic soft rock sound that has almost become their signature by this point, Screamer is just plain boring. This is not to say that boring is necessarily a bad thing. The band is just very on-brand for what most people would expect from them and, as they say, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Third Eye Blind clearly knows what works for them, and they’ve continued turn out music that gives some nostalgia back to the late 90’s/early 00’s.

RATE: 7/10

NOVEMBER 2 - 8

THE LION KING (2019)

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

The Lion King (2019) makes some slight alterations to the original animation, making the film slightly more suited for

VULCAN THEATER

adults. But if you loved the original movie, chances are you will fall in love once again with the story of The Lion King. For those who have never seen the original, the live-action film keeps suit with the journey to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa. But not everyone in the Kingdom celebrates the birth of the new

TUESDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY 4PM - 7PM - 10PM

cub, especially Scar, Mufasa’s brother and former heir to the throne. Follow-along with the powerful and emotional story of betrayal and conquest. It is up to Simba to take back what is rightfully his.

RATE: 9.5/10

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Nov. 1, 2019

Cal-O-

-Ween

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Nov. 1, 2019

Photos by Jeff Helsel and Leigh Swartzfager

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entertainment

Nov. 1, 2019

Where Are They Now?

Rachael McKriger, ‘18, follows her love for soccer

By Rachael McKriger, Cal U Alumna, 2018

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a tough hurdle to jump over and it’s a long, long sprint...But, the work is what really matters.”

I remember the first time I really watched a soccer game. No, not like watching and cheering for my favorite team. I mean really watching, analyzing and seeing what was happening with the players: how they were moving, what type of passes they were making and seeing the saves Tim Howard was blocking.

It was the 2010 FIFA World Cup, hosted in South Africa. The match was the U.S. Men’s National Team against Ghana, a fierce opponent from Africa.

I was watching Clint Dempsey like he was under a microscope. I was watching Tim Howard dive left and right. In the midfield, Michael Bradley was connecting passes like a genius. The runs that Landon Donovan were not easy to break down – which is exactly how he played: hard.

It was then, during that World Cup, that I knew soccer was going to be in my life no matter what. I loved to play the sport, but life interfered in high school. I wanted a job, to make some cash and take on responsibility. I didn’t have the time to fully be part of a team.

But I continued to watch and study soccer. I studied the U.S. Women’s National Team the next year, when they made it to the final of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. I watched Hope Solo deny teams like Germany, Sweden and, of course, stay sturdy in net against Japan, despite losing the final.

My favorite players to watch was Shannon Boxx, who was so tactically good in the midfield.

When I was just a teenager in 2010 and 2011, watching those World Cup solidified that sports was going to be in my life, soccer specifically. When I was in high school, I knew what I wanted to do with my life, which was rare. I wanted to be a sports journalist.

Now, in 2019, I get to live that dream, graciously.

But, here’s the catch. Being a sports journalist isn’t even my 9-5 job. I’m grateful to be a sports journalist — I’ll get to that in a moment — but a slim margin is paid in soccer reporting. The sport isn’t one of the “big four” in the United States. There’s some catching up to do, especially in the women’s game. So, I needed job security.

After college, I was struggling with a decision on staying in newspapers or moving on to digital or marketing. It was really hard to grasp not working in newspapers anymore; my first job was in Uniontown, at the Herald Standard, as a copy editor. It was truly my favorite job. I loved layout about the same as I loved writing and photography. Losing that job was

tremendously hard when the layoffs came around.

But, I found job security a few tedious, stressful months after I graduated from California Univ. of PA in May 2018. I earned a marketing job as a creative copywriter for DICK’S Sporting Goods, at the corporate office in Coraopolis, Pa. The job is fantastic, but what’s even better is the 10-minute commute from my house and the people I work with on our Pro Tips team. I’m celebrating my one-year with DICK’S on Nov. 5 and hope to have many more years with the company.

But, that’s not what I want to focus on right now — as much as I love DICK’S Sporting Goods. I want to talk about being a sports reporter.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s a tough hurdle to jump over and it’s a long, long sprint. Most of the jobs are either unpaid or severely underpaid. But, the work is what really matters. I love working with soccer, because it’s such an underdog sport.

The coverage is growing and eyes are turning on the leagues: Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League.

I’ve been with Last Word on Soccer as a writer for two years. A year ago, I was brought on to be an editor for the site. I began coverage for the NWSL on the site, and take the role as the lead USWNT writer.

Then, there’s the Equalizer, where I serve as a social media contributor and writer. To take a moment to brag, the Equalizer is one of the top go-to sites for women’s soccer. I’ve had a few pieces published on the site and, trust me, I put in LONG hours during this summer’s Women’s World Cup. But reward has been tremendous. As I wrote

this article, I was on a plane, flying back from Cary, North Carolina. I had just wrapped up an exciting weekend of being on the ground and live for the NWSL Championship between the visiting Chicago Red Stars and the North Carolina Courage. Being live, doing media day and interviewing players that I grew up watching (like Heather O’Reilly, one of the greatest of all-time), was a humbling experience.

It was an amazing experience and one I will truly never forget.

Being the editor-in-chief of the Cal Times really set me up for these opportunities. I was lucky to serve in the position for two-straight years. There’s not many students that can say they did that. My first mentor, José Negron, still continues to mentor me, and I have to give him a huge thank you. Same with Jeff Helsel, who I gave a lot of – err – loving hardships to when I was at Cal. I also have to send my gratitude to Gary Smith, for getting me some time on air to call soccer and basketball games. Because of that, I am closing out my first season as an color commentator for the ACC Network and the Univ. of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team. Gary, CUTV and Pam Delverne are good people and made all of this possible.

My advice to students is to never, ever give up on your dreams, as cliché as it sounds. I can’t tell you how many people told me that I would never be able to do the things I’m doing now. And trust me, if you want to get into sports journalism, you will be juggling a lot and wearing a ton of different hats.

But trust me, you will never want to say no to a great opportunity.

opinions

Nov. 1, 2019

15

The Tea on “What’s the T?”

Forum panel held by Diversity Committee lacked young voters

By Chris Lisle, Contributor LIS7502@calu.edu

Photos from League of Women Voters (top) and CNN (bottom).

Elections serve as an integral part of our American democracy.

In order to bring light to this important part of our government, the Diversity Committee on campus held a panel forum to discuss the importance of voting and the importance of the generation Z vote.

Panelists included Dr. Melanie Blumberg and Dr. Laura Tuennerman, from the Department of History, Politics, Society, and Law, Dr. Pamela Twiss from Social Work and student Felix Rivera, a social work major. I feel that this panel forum was crucial to hold as voter turnout in the United States is markedly lower than it is in other democracies around the world. The 2018 midterms showed us that the generation Z vote could sway the election in 2020, and shining light on that is incredibly important.

My biggest critique of the panel was the lack of representation from generation Z. The purpose of the panel was to discuss the importance of the vote from generation Z and yet there was only one member from the generation, and the rest of the panel consisted of faculty members. It also would have been beneficial to have generation Z members of different political ideologies (Democrat, Republican, and Independent) because people of different ideologies have different outlooks on voting and the political climate and processes and so those different perspectives would have been highly valuable.

Topics that were discussed included how to motivate dissatisfied voters or people that don’t believe their vote will matter to vote and the generation and different ideologies view these things differently and hearing those perspectives is important. I think it also would have been beneficial for the students to have been political science majors.

The student representative was good as he has been quite involved in elections and getting people out to vote, but I think the perspectives of political science majors would have been beneficial as this is the kind of things they study and intend on spending their life dealing with.

Finding students that identify as Democrats and Republicans would not have been hard to find

as there are two political clubs on campus (College Democrats and College Republicans), and there are plenty of Independent-leaning students on campus.

I do like that they discussed the issues, specifically, they discussed the issues that generation Z care about the most, which include student debt, climate change, and gun control. They also discussed the current political climate, mainly the fact that politics today is very polarizing and has a tendency to pit the different sides against one another rather than being a civil discussion.

Specifically, they talked about whether the younger people have the capacity and potential to bridge the divide and begin working together rather than continuing to fight and distance. Dr. Blumberg brought up that research has shown that older people don’t want their kids to marry someone of the opposing political party.

Overall, I feel that this was a very important topic to discuss and was done well, I just think that generation Z was under-represented and that would have increased the quality of the discussion.

The “What’s the T?” forum, hosted by the Diversity Committee happens once per month.

The November series takes place on Nov. 14 and focuses on food insecurity.

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Nov. 1, 2019

opinions

The Future is in (y)our Hands Young people’s votes are crucial for the progressive government we need

By Lily Gongaware, Graphic Designer GON7253@calu.edu

If you ask the people that are closest to me, they’ll tell you I’m about as liberal as they come. I have “I’m With Her” and “Nasty Woman” stickers all over my sketchbook and a “Proud Feminist” pin on my backpack.

“The United States’s current social injustices are real and conservatives refuse to believe it, much less admit that the blame falls in their hands.”

Back at the beginning of my college career, about every night, my Facebook friends would see a new political argument I was getting into with one of the MANY conservatives from my hometown. The day after Donald Trump was elected, I wore all black.

During the 2016 Presidential election, I got emotional at the polls, truly believing I was about to cast my vote for the first female president. Up until the November 7th date, I had volunteered countless hours with the Next Gen team on campus, registering students to vote and educating them on why they should be voting for candidates that care about our environment, like Hillary Clinton and Katie McGinty. Later that night, when it finally sunk in that Trump had won the presidential seat, I was devastated.

Up until that day, I had heard literally countless people say “I’m not voting because my vote doesn’t matter,” and “I’m not voting because I don’t know anything about politics.” I didn’t feel confident enough at the time to tell them, but there’s no excuse not to vote.

In a day and age where most of us have ondemand information literally at our fingertips, its

hard not to be educated. Pick up your phone, sit down at a computer, or ask someone who’s into politics and learn about the people asking for your vote. One of the candidates will win whether you vote or not, even if they’re against what you believe.

The corrupt politicians we see running in races are profiting on your inaction. As long as you stay uneducated or uninterested, they will keep winning.

Our rights are at stake. We need to start acting like it. The problems Millennials and Gen Zers face today are real. The average cost of tuition for a four-year public university has been hit with an approximate $220,000 increase since 1980. The average lifespan of Trans Women of color is around 35 years old because it is likely they will be murdered or commit suicide.

Climate change is destroying our planet. We are on the verge of the next mass extinction among our wildlife. There’s still a wage gap between genders, and it worsens when we involve race. Women’s rights over our own bodies are being decided by old, white men that know nothing about us. Innocent black men and boys are being killed by police at an overwhelming rate. The United States’s current social injustices are real and conservatives refuse

to believe it, much less admit that the blame falls in their hands. They’re the ones that elected Trump, but we are the ones that have to face the consequences.

The younger generation is becoming more liberal or liberal-leaning as time goes on. We are the generation that can change the routine of electing corrupt and prejudiced leaders that end up. But we have to get out to the polls in order to do it.

Between presidential elections, it can be so easy for some of us to forget the importance of our votes.

Local and State elections happen every year on the first Tuesday in November, but much less people care or even care to know about them. I am guilty myself.

On at least one or two occasions since I’ve turned voting age, I’ve shown up to polls with no knowledge of the candidates, and submitted a guilt-ridden, automatic All-Democrat ballot.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton received 65,853,514 votes and Donald Trump received 62,984,828. That year, there were an estimated over 250 million voting aged individuals only a 55.5% turnout, meaning over 111 million of them didn’t vote at all. Over 111 million people didn’t think their vote mattered, and we’ve had to deal with the era of Trump and the Republicans for going on 3 years because of it.

Please, for your own sake, get out to vote this year.

Our lives depend on it.

opinions

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Nov. 1, 2019

Removing the R-Word from our language

By Hannah Wyman, Staff Writer WYM7514@calu.edu Last month, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) became subject to criticism for appearing to agree with a voter who implied that President Trump’s actions were “mentally retarded.” The voter had asked Harris a lengthy question during her New Hampshire campaign stop in September, at one point asking, “What are you going to do in the next one year to diminish the mentally retarded action of this guy?”

“Well said, well said,” Harris replied.

Later, when asked by CBS News, Harris called the term “incredibly offensive” and hoped that in 2019 “people would have a of much better understanding of how hurtful a term like that can be but also the history behind it.”

The word “retard” stems from the Latin verb retardare, meaning to hinder or make slow. It first became a medical term in the late 19th century when medical professionals used mental retardation to describe people with significant intellectual impairment. Today, in modern America, it is considered offensive and pejorative slang to describe something as stupid or foolish. “[The word “retarded”] is short for mentally retarded, in some respects,” said John Massella, director of the Office for Students with Disabilities.

“Although, the word retarded itself has taken up a negative connotation because it has been continually paired with mentally retard.”

Freshman Roshini Sanakkayala said that she doesn’t use the r-word as she has no reason to.

Yet, she has seen her peers use it as an insult or a derogatory term. Often, Sanakkayala said she’ll tell them not to use the word.

“They’ll be like ‘oh, dude, you’re a retard,’” said Sanakkayala. “Then you’ll be like ‘that’s not funny’ even if they were trying to be funny.”

For others, depending on the environment they grew up in, saying the r-word isn’t as taboo. Only, when they move away from home and the people around them change do they realize the weight of the word.

Sociology professor Codie Stone said that he used the word growing up, calling it a common phrase.

It wasn’t until he began college did he realize the impact of the word.

“I started college when I was 18,” said Stone. “It was around that time when I started to hear pushback.

Once you start to hear that pushback, every time I heard it come out of my mouth, I was like ‘ew, gross.’”

Though senior James Campbell never uses the word in public or around people he didn’t know, he said he grew up with the word. According to Campbell, students didn’t think “that much about it”

in high school when using the word.

“I would say it as a joke,” said Campbell. “I would never say it to a person that has a disability. Growing up, my family says it all the time. So, I never thought it to be a bad thing.”

He started to rethink how he viewed the r-word after entering college.

“When I came to college, I feel like there were a lot more different kinds of people and people who were offended. It was eye-opening because in high school no one ever took it that seriously.”

Stone said that during his time as a professor, he has had a few students use the term in a classroom setting or assignment. He is quick to remind students of the word and what it stands for as he thinks it’s important to have the conversation in the classroom for other students to hear.

“Generally, when I’m in class, I try to correct people kindly, recognizing that most of the students that I have or had in the past... are beginning their journeys of understanding and social justice learning,” said Stone. “I’m not trying to make people feel bad because I use those words. You just gotta learn. And the only way you can learn is if somebody confronts you with it.”

Campaigns like “Spread the Word to End the Word” encourage people to strike words like “retard,” “retarded,” and “-tard” from their everyday vocabulary. “Spread the Word” cites the term

as hurtful because it’s exclusive, offensive, and derogatory.

According to their website, spreadtheword.global, “the campaign focused its first 10 years on addressing a particularly powerful form of exclusion: the word ‘retard(ed)’. Over 10 years, leaders and self-advocates collected millions of digital and physical pledges to end the R-word.”

Massella advocates for the usage of the term “intellectual diversity” or “neurodiversity” when discussing individuals that have any type of intellectual disability or “difference in processing information.”

“As a clinician or a counselor, words are extremely powerful,” said Massella. “When you add to that specific terminology and voice intonation, timing, those are all things that can have an impact upon what words mean and how they sound.”

The extinction of the r-word from modern language is realistic, according to Massella. However, in order to make a change on a macro-level, such as cultural bodies or legal systems, it must see change on a micro-level. This micro-level change relies on individualized change and people choosing to speak up.

“When you hear [the word being used] with another person, you say ‘dude, that doesn’t sound right’ or ‘we don’t use that terminology anymore’ or ‘try a term that’s different’ or ‘that offends me.’”

“You just gotta learn.

And the only way you can learn is if somebody confronts you with it.”

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Nov. 1, 2019

puzzles

sports

Nov. 1, 2019

19

Vulcans earn win over Mercyhurst, 27-15 Cal U scores 20 unanswered points in second half; Vulcans record three interceptions Photos By Jeff Helsel S enior r unning back Nels on Brown finishe d with ne arly 200 all-purpos e yards and s core d a pair of s e cond-half t ouchdowns on S aturday, O ct. 26, as the Vulcans claime d a 27-15 vict or y over Mercyhurst at Adams on Stadium in Pennsylvania Stat e Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action. With the win, the California University of Pennsylvania fo otball t e am improves t o 6-2 overall and remains tie d for s e cond in the PSAC West standings with a 4-1 mark in divisional play. Cal U returns t o action on S aturday, Nov. 2, when it travels t o face PSAC West-le ading and nationally ranke d Slipper y Ro ck at 1 p.m. (Cal U Sport s Information)

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sports

Nov. 1, 2019

Now’s the Time to Get your Cal U Hockey Gear Teams offer students past season merch at discounted prices

By Skyler Bogus, Contribtor BOG5087@calu.edu

On Thursday the hockey team had a clearance sale on their merchandise and sold tickets to win prizes.

“We are trying to get all of our merchandise gone,” said Morgan Gloeokl, who is a junior on the girl’s hockey team at California. “Between the merchandise and the tickets, we are hoping to make at least $200 for today’s event”.

The clearance items ranged from ball caps, beanies, hoodies, crew necks, long sleeve T’s, T shirts and sweatpants. The prices were between $7-$25 and were half off the original price.

“It’s good prices for people who couldn’t afford the merchandise when they sold it a while back,” said Noah Meyers, a freshman at California University. “I got my hoodie for only $15”.

The sizes for these items are small and large because most of the merchandise was all sold out Gloeokl said.

“It kind of sucks that they only have small and large sizes,” said Alex Henny, a sophomore at

California. “But I’ll take what I can get”.

The items that were being sold were thirty-one in total, including that hat wear.

For the girl and boy hockey team’s, they sale merchandise and give out ticket prizes every month for the season so that they can raise money.

The ticket donations to the club are $5 apiece and the prizes for the month of November is cash up to $350, new Calu hockey merchandise and chances to win Pittsburgh Penguin game tickets.

“The ticket donations are to help raise money for our club,” said Kaila Teets, who is a junior at California University and also part of the women’s Hockey team. “It works out both ways for the students and the hockey team”.

For the prizes, after you buy the ticket then you would write your name and phone number down and get an attached form of the days and week the prizes would be raffled off.

“We’ll call you if you win one of the prizes,” said Gloeokl. “Students can have up to multiple prizes

each week”.

Both Gloeokl and Teets said that even though they are both hockey players themselves they buy the tickets all the time and consentingly get prizes.

The girls and the boy’s hockey team both encourage students to come to their games and get involved with the sport. They did this by handing out the hockey home game schedules to students.

“We tell students to come to our hockey games because they are fun and help us become more recognized,” said Teets. “We like the support that any student can give us”.

The hockey games are scheduled between the 2019-20 year of October through February and are on the weekends with varying times anywhere from 1:30pm to 9:45pm.

“I enjoy going to the hockey games,” said Meyers.

“Hockey is an underrated sport that people should get more involved with”.

“The ticket donations to the club are $5 a piece and the prizes for the month of November is cash up to $350... andchances to win Penguin tickets.”

sports

Nov. 1, 2019

Cal U Women’s Ice Hockey Club Photos by David Hague

California University of Pennsylvania women’s ice ho ckey club host e d the University of Buffalo Bulls for their home opener at the Rostraver Ice G arden on O ct.

26. Jayda Me ars s core d all four go als for the Vulcans but Cal U fell t o Buffalo 5-4.

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Nov. 1, 2019

Cal U Swimmers earn victory

Team defeats Millersville 73-57 Cal U Sports Information Photos by Leigh Swartzfager, Sports Editor The California University of Pennsylvania swimming team posted three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying times on Friday, Oct. 25, in a 73-57 dual-meet victory versus Millersville at Hamer Hall.

With the win, the Vulcans improve to 2-1 this year in dual meets.

Sophomore transfer Rylee Jackson earned the victory in the 200 IM and qualified for the league championships with a time of 2 minutes, 17.68 seconds. She has now reached a league standard in three different events this season.

The Vulcans return to action on Nov. 8 when they travel to Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, to face Penn State-Altoona and host Juniata in a tri-meet at 6 p.m.

sports

sports

Nov. 1, 2019

23

Cal U basketball teams ready for new season

Photos by Jeff Helsel, Cal Times

The Cal U men’s basketball t e am will kick off the 2019-20 s e as on at the Shepherd Clarion Hot el Classic on Nov.8-9 when they play B owie Stat e and Charlest on (W.Va.).

Back Row from Left to Right: Head Men’s Basketball Coach Danny Sancomb, Volunteer Assistant Zack Duffy, Luke House, Jermaine Hall, Jr., Babatunde Ajike, Tim Smith, Jr., Philip Alston, Philip Alexander, Derek Smith, Zyon Grant, Front Row from Left to Right: Tyler Berry, Nicholas Manso, Brent Pegram, Jabar Ray, Isaiah Salmon, Dylin Borden, Liam Wholaver, and Zyan Collins

The Cal U women’s basketball team will open the regular season on Nov. 8-9 when they travel to West Liberty, W.Va. for the MEC/ PSAC Conference Challenge to play Charleston (W.Va.) and West Liberty.

Back Row from Left to Right: Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jess Strom, Assistant Coach Katie Tetzlaw, Bianca Jasper, Jaydis Gales, Shauna Harrison, Kendra McPeek, Khanifah Pannell, Olivia Hudson, Lauren Bennett, Brionna Allen, Assistant Athletic Trainer Mercedes Himmons, Assistant Coach Kelly Sabo, Front Frow from Left to Right: Halle Herrington, Ahmya Woodyard, DJ Hahn, Citiana Negatu, Jamiere Jefferies, Gina Vallecorsa, Bebe George, and Ariana Dunson

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Nov. 1, 2019

sports

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Athlete Spotlight courtesy of Sports Information

SARAH MOEHRING CLASS: Sophomore MAJOR: Biology, Pre-medicine HOMETOWN: Palm City, Fla. HIGH SCHOOL: Martin County Sarah Moehring led the team with 3.10 kills and averaged 3.40 digs per set over the weekend, as the Vulcans earned a pair of five-set victories on the road. She recorded a kill/dig doubledouble with 10 kills and 18 digs, plus added a pair of service aces and blocks, on Friday in a 3-2 win at Pitt-Johnstown.

The following day, Moehring set a career high with 21 kills on a .392 hitting percentage and collected 16 digs and two blocks in a 3-2 victory at IUP.

KYLE TUMPAK CLASS: Junior MAJOR: Business Administration (Marketing) HOMETOWN: Greenville, Pa. HIGH SCHOOL: Greenville Kyle Tumpak earned All-PSAC First-Team status on Friday while at the PSAC Championships hosted by Bloomsburg. He placed 10th overall in a field of nearly 140 runners with a time of 26 minutes, 3.5 seconds. Tumpak recorded the program’s best individual finish at the event since 2014 after vaulting over 15 places in the standings over the last three kilometers.