Cal Times Feb. 14, 2020

vol. 51 no. 1 Feb. 14, 2020

news

Feb. 14, 2020

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Happy Valentine’s Day, C al U! Conversation Hearts are one of the most p opular Valentine’s Day candies, ac c ounting for roughly 40 p erc ent of the Valentine candy market. It’s estimate d that 13 million p ounds of the hearts are s old in the six we eks just prior to the holiday. Pro duction for next year’s batch has already b egun!

Cover Design by Li ly Gongaware, Graphic Designer.

ABOUT THE COVER

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

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

We’re looking for staff writers, photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and more to join our team!

If you’re interested in multi-media journalism, we probably have something for you. Please email Tom Caton, Editor in Chief, at CAT7359@calu.edu if you are interested. (No experience necessary)

dates, please e-mail calt imes@calu.edu

TOM CATON EDITOR IN CHIEF c a l t i mes .o rg caltimes@calu.edu 724.938.4321

LEIGH SWARTZFAGER SPORTS EDITOR

LILY GONGAWARE GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

SAM KUHNE

HANNAH WYMAN NEWS EDITOR

DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

JEFF HELSEL

CONTRIBUTORS: Pam DelVerne, Joy Helsel, Jimmy Hunyady, Josh Mavilla, Evan Peffer, Jonny Sakaguchi, Bruce Wald

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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Feb. 14, 2020

Students Serve the Community on MLK Day of Service Projects benefit Special Olympics, YMCA, and more

By Hannah Wyman, News Editor WYM7514@calu.edu

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Performance Center buzzed with activity as students volunteered their time to participate in Cal U’s Day of Service.

From crafts to cards, many gathered to celebrate and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through acts of service. Organized by the Center for Volunteer Programs and Service Learning, Amanda Andrews, VPSL graduate assistant, said that although a lot of work went into the planning of the event yet, it was worth effort.

“It’s a lot of fun and really encouraging hearing some of the nonprofits reaching out and seeing the impact,” said Andrews. “I know talking to Liberty Towers, they were so appreciative that we were going out and doing different things for them and giving them bags.”

According to Andrews, about 20 different activities were available to do from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. From this, around 50 nonprofit organizations would receive the resulted goods and crafts. Some crafts included stress balls made from balloons for the Special Olympics, sponge-water toys for the Mon Valley YMCA, trail mix bags for City Mission, treat bags for Beverly’s Birthdays, prayer boxes for the American Cancer Society, thank you cards for Southwestern Veterans Center in Pittsburgh, flower pots for Center in the Woods, and more. Supplies, crafts, and food were donated by organizations such

as AVI, Gamma Sigma Sigma, Delta Zeta, Cal Rocks, and Alpha Sigma Tau to help put on the event.

Andrews said she has seen lots of Greek life, clubs and organizations stopping in to get service hours. Sophomore Gianna Crowley, 19, and her friends worked to create “bunny” gift bags filled with Valentine’s Day treats for the residents of Liberty Towers, a retirement home in California. Crowley said she had seen many people come in to help out and move around to different tables and activities, “it’s all hands on deck today.”

As Sigma Kappa’s vice president for philanthropic services, Crowley helps coordinate her sorority’s service. She believes that events like this one are great opportunities for people to spend time with one another while helping others.

“Service is important not only for the people that are getting the services but to create bonds with all your friends or sisters whoever it may be and meeting new people and being able to create bonds with them as well. You’re doing something great for yourself and for other people as well,” said Crowley.

At a table full of cut out paper flowers, senior Leslie Peters, 23, worked on making colorful wreaths.

Peters also believes it’s important to lend a hand

during time outside of schoolwork.

“It just takes time,” Peters said. “It doesn’t take skill or anything like that. It’s just a nice gesture, there’s nothing scary about it. You just come out and help out.”

“There are a lot of [volunteer] opportunities out there, if you’re looking,” Peters added.

“It’s just a day to honor [MLK] and doing service,” said Andrews. “We always try and do the service here on campus and try and bring projects from nonprofits here that way, especially in these winter months, when it’s normally snowy and terrible weather, we’re giving students somewhere to be so they don’t have to go off campus.”

A Day of Service is the beginning of a series of events to celebrate Black History Month at Cal U. Black History Month trivia, a panel discussion, and various musical and dance performances are all parts of this year’s theme “The Next 400 Years: Recognition, Restoration, and Resilience.”

To find out more about other service events at Cal U and the surrounding community, log into Timecounts to sign up for various volunteer opportunities.

“Service is important not only for the people that are getting the services but to create bonds with all your friends.”

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Feb. 14, 2020

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Love is in the Air Two Cal U couples tell engagement stories and share V-Day plans

By Hannah Wyman, News Editor WYM7514@calu.edu

One day, Nick Bishop walked McKenna Ferris to her class in Morgan Hall from Duda Hall.

The same thing happened the following day. And the day after.

And the day after that until it became an essential part of both of their weeks.

Three years later, amid Cal U’s annual Homecoming parade, Bishop got down on one knee in the same path he and Ferris used to walk as sophomores and proposed.

Today, senior history major Nick Bishop, 24, and senior general education major Mckenna Ferris, 22, remember the day of their engagement fondly. Both active members in Greek life, Bishop knew that asking Ferris to marry him surrounded by Sigma Kappa and Alpha Kappa Lambda in the middle of the parade was the perfect setting.

“She doesn’t really like big, over the top things,” said Bishop. “So, I’m like ‘perfect.’ This is gonna be the most excessive, over the top thing I can do.”

McKenna agreed that Homecoming was undoubtedly the perfect timing for the proposal.

“It fits us well,” Ferris said. “I think that having it bring together our two groups and everyone else around us really was just something special for us.

They always joke ‘you’re the golden couple, you’re the Greek power couple’ and I think to have it happen in the middle of one of the bigger Greek events we do in the fall just really hit home for that.”

Despite a picture-perfect proposal, Bishop remembers a lot of intricate collaboration and planning leading up to the big day. Not only did he coordinate with different on-campus groups, he also had to pick out the order of the floats the morning of the parade.

As no stranger to Homecoming parades, Ferris found it odd when her friend suggested they walk near the back of the float until passing Johnson Hall where Ferris was urged to the front. Ferris remembers asking Bishop what he was doing as he knelt on one knee in front of her. It was then when Bishop popped the question.

“I know confetti fell but at that point I just kind of blacked out,” said Ferris. “I can’t really remember what went down. It was like ‘oh, okay’ and the next thing you know I was like ‘what just happened?’

And that was that.”

Now, the two find it fun being engaged. With a wedding date set in September of 2022, Ferris is living out her childhood dreams as she plans for the big day.

Nick Bishop proposing to his girlfriend, McKenna Ferris, during the annual Cal U Homecoming Parade on October 12, 2019.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Helsel.

“I love weddings and now I don’t have to hypothesize ‘oh, when I get married, if I get married,’” explained Ferris. “It’s like, “no, I want this at my wedding” and I can pick out what I want... all my dreams of a little girl are coming to life and it’s fun to see that and it’s fun to share it with everyone else.”

Bishop also finds it exciting being engaged and planning for the future.

“Both of our families are eventually going to be there that day,” said Bishop. “Everyone’s going to meet each other and we’re all going to have a really good time. I think I’m really excited for that actually to happen.”

However, Bishop and Ferris are not the only couple on Cal U’s campus to put a ring on it this past semester. On November 26, during an employee potluck, Joe Hepple, 61, of Belle Vernon surprised his best friend and girlfriend Beth Ann Bentz, 60, of Star Junction by proposing.

Although the two AVI food service staff members have only been dating for the past year, Bentz called Hepple her best friend of several years.

“We were best friends, we were friends for so many years,” said Bentz. “It’s good to be friends and

best friends first before you start dating.”

Hepple and Bentz met through work at Cal U 10 years ago. Bentz began working in catering and recalled one of the first times she went to Gold Rush to pick up food.

“I remember walking into the kitchen and he was cooking and he was the first one who stood right out, his smile and his personality,” said Bentz. “I said boy, he’s really a nice guy.’ Everyone else was not awake in the morning, but he was all chipper and smiling and nice personality. I actually think it was love at first sight.”

A few years later, six years ago, Bentz spotted a glass plaque while at the drugstore that made her think of Hepple immediately. The plaque read ‘If I had a flower for every time you made me smile, I’d have enough flowers for eternity.’ She later gifted her finding to Hepple for Christmas because he “always, always made me smile.”

According to Hepple, and unbeknownst to Bentz, he had been thinking about proposing for three years. He even saved up for three years with his overtime money to buy a ring. Hepple figured that Thanksgiving, surrounded by their friends would

“All my dreams of a little girl are coming to life and it’s fun to share it with everyone else.”

news make for the perfect moment. He came up with a plan for a potluck lunch for all the employees. All the workers and the AVI management became involved and helped keep the proposal a secret from Bentz.

On the last day before Thanksgiving break, room 206 of Natali was decorated for lunch. Hepple explained how he hid with flowers and ring in the room, waiting for Bentz. Once he heard the beginning notes of Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey,” Hepple walked from around the corner to a surprised Bentz and proposed. There were tears, there was shock, but most of all, there was happiness.

“A lot of people said, ‘why didn’t he propose and take you out to dinner?’” said Bentz. “I said, ‘This is the best place to do it because it’s where we met.”” “[Cal U] is where we met and we felt so comfortable,” added Hepple. “Everybody here has been so good to both of us. The staff from Cal U has been very, very nice to both of us. We wanted to do it here and be somewhere special.”

Hepple expressed his gratitude for all the help he received from management and Cal U staff.

He said that he and Bentz are also grateful for the congratulations and well wishes they both have gotten from students. Though there is no set wedding date, there are plans for a honeymoon in Jamaica.

In terms of the near future, Hepple and Bentz plan to embrace Valentine’s Day wholeheartedly.

Hepple said he is taking his fiancé out for dinner and gambling. Essentially, the couple agree that Valentine’s Day is just a special day to spend with the person you love.

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Feb. 14, 2020 “I think it’s a day you can express your love to someone that you love,” said Bentz. “You should treat every day like it’s your last day... We’re blessed to have each other. I feel like God brought us together...

He’s always there for me, no matter what, he’s always there.”

Even Ferris who sees Valentine’s Day as a “Hallmark holiday” enjoys having time to spend with Bishop. She questions why there is a certain day to show someone you love them.

“I love you all year round and you know that so why do I need a special day to go out and buy you this big, extravagant gift?” said Ferris. “I think that’s always been my view on that but with him, it’s fun to just go out and do something. It’s the perfect excuse... it’s a good way to go do something and to purposely set aside the day for us.”

For those currently in relationships, Ferris encourages couples to take it day by day and never go to bed angry as everyone is human and every relationship has a little bit of arguing.

“Honestly, I think that’s for everybody, your mom, your dad, your siblings,” she said. “Never go to bed angry because the you wake up and you’re grumbly because you woke up and you’re still angry.

But then also tomorrow’s no guarantee. I just don’t understand going to bed angry and then waking up, I wouldn’t want my last memory to be angry with someone. Always fix it.”

For those looking for love, both Ferris and Bishop agree that one should patiently wait and let love happen naturally.

“Especially in college... there are so many people here,” said Bishop. “If you’re out here just trying to look for your Cinderella or your knight in shining armor equivalent, that’s hard. I think it just naturally comes to you and that’s when you know when it’s the right person. ” Hepple and Bentz recommend being open minded.

The pair said one should work every day to make the other person happy. Like any couple, Hepple and Bentz have faced obstacles and issues, yet they talked and worked through it all.

“When you have two people working on stuff, it’s a lot easier than just one person,” said Hepple. “It takes two. You both got to give it all for it to work. That’s all we ask for, we don’t ask for money or anything like that, we just want happiness. And to spend the rest of our lives together.”

Like the college seniors, Hepple and Betz also believe in the power of patience.

“Take your time, and you’ll know when it’s the right time, said Hepple. “Have trust in each other. If it’s made to be, that person will wait for you.”

In fact, Bentz said that Hepple had waited for her.

“I told her I’d wait forever, however long it would take, I’d wait,” said Hepple. “And it worked, it turned out beautifully... We just started seeing each other but we’d always loved each other. But it just came on so fast, I said ‘you know, now’s the time.’

“In your heart you know when you have the right person,” Hepple concluded.

“He’s always had a place in my heart,” Bentz proclaimed.

“When you have two people working on stuff, it’s a lot easier than just one person.

It takes two.

You both got to give it all for it to work.”

AVI employee Joe Hepple proposed to Beth Ann Bentz at the pre-Thanksgiving reception for all AVI employees on November 26, 2019. Photo courtesy of Jeff Helsel.

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news

Feb. 14, 2020

The Living Legend who was Kobe Bryant A deadly helicopter crash claims nine lives in southern Ca.

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

Not everyone is fluent or knowledgeable about professional basketball.

But, almost everyone knew or heard of one legendary basketball player, Kobe Bryant. It is amazing how one man could become so influential for so many, whether they were interested in basketball or not.

It was a dark and extremely sad day on Sunday January 26, 2020, when news of a tragic helicopter crash made headlines across America. What was even sadder is the passengers who were on board that doomed helicopter when it took to the sky.

It was just another typical Sunday for everyone.

The world seemed to stop in its tracks when headlines of a deadly helicopter crash was reported in southern California. On board that chopper were nine victims, with one of them being retired NBA legend and former Los Angeles Laker star, Kobe Bryant. Also on board was Bryant’s 13-year old daughter, Gianna “Gigi,” and seven other victims: Payton Chester, 13; Sarah Chester, 45; Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Keri Altobelli, 46; John Altobelli, 56; Christina Mauser, 38; and the pilot, Ara Zobayan, 50. The pilot of the chopper had more than 20 years of experience.

Many family members, friends, and fans were devastated to hear this horrible news. Many wanted to know why did this happen and how could this have happened? There were some speculations and circumstances that could have prevented this terrible accident.

On the morning on January 26, the fog was very thick when the helicopter took off from a local airport in Orange County, California. Investigators are still trying to determine whether the pilot, Zobayan, should have been granted access to fly in such foggy conditions. Investigators are also looking into whether a safety system that federal authorities recommended years ago—one that alerts pilots when they might hit terrain—could have prevented the tragedy. The helicopter that went down in the crash was not equipped with such an alert system.

Investigators are even commenting that if the chopper had an alert system, it probably would not have stopped the crash.

People from all over the world took to social media to post and comment about the tragedy, sending their condolences to the Bryant family and other families impacted by the loss of life. The Los Angeles Lakers, the team which Bryant played his entire 20-year NBA career, met at their practice facility for the first time on Wednesday January, 29.

Although Bryant had been retired from professional basketball for four years, the entire Lakers team idolized the five-time NBA champion. Lakers head coach, Frank Vogel, said the team did some shooting drills but it was not considered a “real practice.” He said he just wanted his guys to break a sweat and be around each other.

A vigil was held outside the Staples Center, home of the Lakers, in Los Angeles before the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on the same day. Within days, the vigil grew with flowers, posters in remembrance of Kobe and Gianna, Kobe’s #24 jersey, and other ways to remember all victims who perished. Hundreds upon hundreds of fans paid their final respects at the vigil.

Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, spoke out about the loss of her husband and daughter. She took to Instagram a few days after the crash making the following post “We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe—the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna—a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.” Vanessa Bryant said she is unsure on how her family would move forward with the tragic and sudden loss, but she is sure that Kobe and Gianna will “light the way.” She then continued by sending

her condolences to the families of the other seven crash victims.

Fans were saddened to hear about the loss of Kobe Bryant. This inspired a few members of CUTV, Cal U’s television station, to head out on the campus of Cal U and ask students their thoughts on the topic.

With a microphone in hand, Trevin Keteles zipped up his Lakers jacket and interviewed fellow Cal U students how the late NBA star impacted their lives.

Students had mixed emotions, mostly sadness, about the passing of the great Kobe Bryant. To watch the whole video, head over to CUTV’s YouTube page, cutvsports1.

On behalf of the CalTimes staff, we send our thoughts, prayers, and condolences to the Bryant family and other families of the other victims in these tough times. Life is short and we take it for granted. Rest in peace to Kobe and Gianna Bryant and the other victims.

“We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe and my beautiful, sweet Gianna.”

news Remember to attend Dr. Sovak’s book signing event on Saturday March 21, 2020.

The event will be hosted at the Barnes & Noble book store in South Hills Village from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m.

Dr. Sovak will be happy to sign a copy of her book for you!

Feb. 14, 2020

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Full-time Professor & Part-time Author Dr. Melissa Sovak discusses new books

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

For those who attend a college, they are completely aware of how busy a student’s or even a professor’s schedule can get. However, one local professor right here on the campus of Cal U understands what it is like to have a busy schedule, because not only does she devote her time to teaching students, she also devotes her time as an author.

Doctor Melissa Sovak, a professor of statistics and data science in the mathematics department, is a full-time professor and a part-time author. I myself had the pleasure to sit down with Dr. Sovak on my talk show, Caton’s Corner, which airs every other Thursday on cutvsports1, and have her explain what it is like to maintain a double life of being a college professor and an author at the same time.

I personally first heard of Dr. Sovak’s work from California University’s Facebook page. I knew right then and there I would love to sit down and interview her about what it is like to be an author

and have books actually published. During the interview, I wanted to know what is it actually like to be an author. In response, Dr. Sovak stated “It’s a lot of fun and very exciting to create something that can be shared with the rest of the world.” Dr. Sovak continued, “Writing my own books allowed me to be creative and share my creativity with others.” She went on to explain how fun the overall process can be.

Even though I myself am not an author, finding a publication office that will publish a book can take a very long time and costs a lot of money. In order to learn more, I asked Dr. Sovak if the process of getting a book published can be strenuous or frustrating. At first, Dr. Sovak mentioned it only took her a span of about 11 months to write and publish her book. I found that to be very interesting and exciting because other authors can take years before finishing a book and finding someone to publish it.

She began writing her first book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle, which is available for purchase on Amazon and other major retailers and websites, last year in January 2019 and had her book published by the end of November 2019. Sovak also mentioned how tedious the editing can be and how much time it can take to get the story to be perfect.

Dr. Sovak gave me an insight on her current book, “The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.” Dr. Sovak stated “This book is a cozy mystery about a history professor who unexpectedly finds out she has inherited a castle in Scotland. She moves to the castle with her trusty dog, Riley, only to find out that it’s got some unique quirks and there is a little more to her inheritance than she expected! This book is the first in a series of many Cate Kensie Mystery books.

During our interview, Dr. Sovak mentioned “A few fun facts about this book: the character, Catherine (Cate for short) is named after my late maternal grandmother and the dog featured in the book, Riley, was written after my dog, Kylo.” Dr. Sovak went on to write not just a second book, but also a third book which is set to be released sometime in February and later this year, respectively.

Her second book is titled “Shadows of the Past: A Shadow Slayers Story.” This book is set to be released on February 18, 2020. “This book is a suspense novel about a young woman named Josie who is plagued by nightmares. As she attempts to discover the source of them, she meets a mysterious man who

promises to help her. She’ll need his help along with a few other friends and family members as she begins to delve into the shadows of her past. This book is also the first in a series of books involving these characters.” quoted Sovak. Finally, her third book, “Murder at Dunhaven Castle: A Cate Kensie Mystery,” is set to be released later this year. Sovak has not announced an initial date for when the book will be released just yet, but once she does, she will definitely pass on the word to her fans.

During the interview, Sovak explained “This is the second in the Cate Kensie series. In this book, Cate’s back with her pal, Riley and her newfound Scottish friends to solve another mystery, this time involving a murder at the castle.” Again, all of Dr. Sovak’s books are available for purchase on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, Google Play, and other major sellers online as well.

Another interesting aspect from our interview was Dr. Sovak’s pen name, Nellie H. Steele. I asked why she chose this pen name and just why she chose to have a pen name at all. She explained that it is a family name. Her cozy mystery book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle, is about a woman named Catherine, who was named after her grandmother, and her maiden name was Steele. “My grandmother’s sister had a nickname, which was Nel. So the name, Nellie H. Steele, comes from those two women who were very influential in my life.” stated Sovak.

As we wrapped up the interview, Dr. Sovak has invited all of her guests out to a book signing event at the Barnes & Noble store in South Hills Village on Saturday March 21, 2020. The event will be hosted from 11:00a.m. to 2:00p.m. Other authors will be joining Sovak and she and other authors will be happy to sign a copy of their book just for you.

At the end of the day, Dr. Melissa Sovak says she is very content being a professor here on campus, but also very much loves being an author and getting the chance to write her own books. I want to personally thank Dr. Sovak again for the interview and I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of one of her books and get ready to have your eyeballs glued to every single sentence on every single page.

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news

Feb. 14, 2020

Buy Nothing, Gain Everything

By Pam DelVerne, Contributor Delverne@calu.edu

My mom used to tell me that for every new item of clothing I brought in the house, an old one had to go out. Usually that meant giving it to Goodwill, but first I’d see if one of my friends wanted it.

Over the years though, I let consumerism get the best of me, and I found myself dropping off larger and larger loads at Goodwill or St. Vincent DePaul.

Sometimes it’s hard to resist when things are just so… cheap! It was easy to get caught up.

That all changed after my mother died. I was left sorting through all her things, assigning value to memories. When the discard pile was smaller than the keep pile, I knew this was going to be a problem.

Right about the same time, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I came across a review for a book called Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale, in which the author, Adam Minter, traced the travels of his Goodwill donations from drop off to third-world countries, and, very often, a landfill. His research was prompted by….you guessed it….going through his late mother’s things.

The gold is always in the comments of a Facebook post, and what I learned from them started with a post that said simply, “Should have just posted them to a Buy Nothing group.”

What was a Buy Nothing group? Having never heard of one, I searched Facebook, which led me to the official Buy Nothing Page, which led me to their website (https://buynothingproject.org/), where I discovered the closest group was in Venetia, Pa. The Project is a network of hyper-local gift economies with the founding principle of “Give Where You Live”. Buy Nothing Bainbridge (Washington) was co-founded by Liesl Clark and

Rebecca Rockefeller in July 2013 as the inaugural Buy Nothing Project group. By the end of 2013, there were 80 Buy Nothing groups in the United States and Canada. Throughout 2014, over 350 more groups had been added to the project. By the end of 2015, that number had nearly doubled, with groups in 18 countries worldwide.

Having studied, then worked, at Cal U for the past 20 years, it was important to me to have this group be open and accessible to the students at the university, with the thought it might even strengthen the ties with the local community. I decided to join the movement and bring a group to the California/Brownsville/Centerville Borough area. After some brief training, the group went live on the first day of the Spring 2020 semester.

We currently have 147 members from communities including Centerville, Richeyville, Beallsville, Lowhill, Fredericktown, Millsboro, Deemston, Clarksville, Marianna, Denbo/Vesta 6, Vesta 7, Denbeau Heights, California, Coal Center, Daisytown, West Brownsville, and Brownsville. If you live OR work in any of these communities, you are eligible to join the group.

We recently changed the open-source rules to become a derivative group so that we could drop the age requirement to 18 from 21 to accommodate independent adults of that age, and to allow membership to those who live AND work within our boundaries. The only other requirement to join is a

personal Facebook account, since the group operates primarily on the social media platform.

So, how is the Buy Nothing movement different than any other Buy/Sell/Trade groups already in existence? It’s different in that it seeks first to build community, then to share resources, reduce excess consumerism, and promote reuse and recycling.

Some types of posts in a Buy Nothing group are: • Offers of any goods or service you’d like to share, loan, or give away.

• Requests for any goods or service you’d like to borrow or keep.

• Gratitude posts! Gratitude is key; it’s what fuels the magic.

If you joined today, you’d see Giving posts for knitting needles, a Google Home Mini, and Ask posts for brown eggs, and little girls toys, among others.

Aside from goods and services, there are a few other types of gifts that fit into the Buy Nothing mission. They are gifts of self (babysitting, dog walking), gifts of talent (teach someone to knit, cooking classes), and gifts of time (workout buddies, coffee meetups).

In addition to gifts, requests, and expressions of gratitude, we allow discussions sparked by those gives, asks and gratitude as well as discussions about a gift economy mindset and the group in general.

Mission We offer people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors.

news

Feb. 14, 2020

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Turning Tragedy into Progress: #EndHazingNow Greek Life sponsors prominent speakers to address hazing prevention

By Cal U Fraternity and Sorority Life

Hazing, “an abusive, often humiliating form of initiation into or affiliation with a group,” (www. definitions.uslegal.com) is a real problem on college campuses nationwide. Across the country, taking a stand against hazing is becoming a big priority, and here at California University of Pennsylvania, Greek life is doing our part to support these efforts.

Panhellenic Council President, McKenna Ferris, had one goal in mind for her term, to bring Evelyn Piazza, mother of Penn State hazing victim Timothy Piazza, to Cal U to talk to the student body about hazing and the detrimental effects it had on her family. “As a leader in the Greek Community, I felt that it was so important for our members to hear Evelyn’s story. Honestly, I think that the more people who hear her anguish firsthand, the less likely it is to happen to any other family. I have watched her talks online and I think that it is something everyone needs to hear,” she said.

McKenna has been working with Joy Helsel, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life here at Cal U, to bring in Evelyn Piazza and Rae Ann Gruver, who both lost sons in separate hazing incidents.

Piazza died in February 2017 at Pennsylvania State University and Gruver died in September of that year at Louisiana State University. Bringing these women to speak to our community is a group effort, Fraternity and Panhellenic Councils, Gamma Sigma Sigma Service Sorority and Club Sports have worked together to cosponsor the talk, which will take place on February 23rd in the Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

McKenna continued, “I wanted to bring Rae Ann and Evelyn here because I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen on our campus. It is so important for people to be aware of what happened and why, and how we can prevent it. No parent should ever have to go through this tragedy and my heart goes out to these families.”

We invite the Cal U community and friends to join us as we hear the hard truth from the people whose lives changed forever due to these senseless tragedies, and to discuss ways we can change the future to put an end to hazing in college organizations and beyond.

Timothy Piazza, a 19-year-old sophomore died February 4, 2017, after suffering from injuries

sustained during a hazing incident where he was forced to drink large quantities of alcohol in a short amount of time. Since his death, the Piazzas have traveled to raise awareness about the consequences of hazing and excessive drinking on college campuses. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in October 2018, which enforces stricter criminal penalties and permits courts to order confiscation of the property (e.g. fraternity or sorority houses) where hazing has occurred.

Maxwell Gruver died September 14, 2017, also in a hazing ritual while pledging. The coroner ruled that his death resulted from acute alcohol intoxication with aspiration. Max’s parents started the Max Gruver Foundation to help combat excessive alcohol consumption, bullying and hazing in college. The foundation creates change and spreads awareness through seminars and meetings with students and fraternity and sorority leadership across the country.

“I felt that it was so important for our members to hear Evelyn’s story. I have watched her talks online and I think that it is something everyone needs to hear.”

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entertainment

Feb. 14, 2020

Spring Theatre Season opens with ‘Creativity’

By Cal U Public Relations California University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Music and Theatre will open its spring season with an Evening of Creative Works.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. Feb. 20-21 and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 22 in Steele Hall Blaney Theatre.

The evening will consist of five pieces: • Controlling Interest is a play by Wayne Rawley that will be directed by Cal U graduate student Christina Bordini. Cast members include: Elijah Gilbert, Shane Callahan, Matt Stroop, Garrett Smyth, and Rachel Phillips.

• SoCo, is an original play written by Michael Mastandrea and directed by Sara Sproul. Cast members are Holly Grainger and Rolando Gonzalez.

• A Thousand Words is a musical painting experience with student Mollie Ehrlichman playing the ukulele to her own music while fellow student Braylee Pierce paints.

There will also be an improvisational group -- a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue are made up in the moment. Cast members include Shane Callahan, Noah Dohanich, Macey Freed, Gilbert, and Quest Sawyer.

Production manager E.J. Christopher, a junior musical theatre major, said Evening of Creative Works allows students to express themselves as directors, performers, designers and managers.

“Student-driven productions are always a treat because they give students an immense amount of freedom to make their own creative vision come to life,” he said. “My role is to make sure the production runs smoothly and efficiently.

“Our students are working very hard, and I’m looking forward to how our audiences react to the production’s variety.”

Gilbert, a sophomore early education pre-K major who is minoring in musical theatre, portrays a character in Controlling Interest who has the dialogue of an 8-year-old. He also will be part of the improv group.

“Though we won’t be practicing what we perform, we need to practice keeping a steady flow of scenes and bits going to keep the audience interacted with our art,” he said.

Tickets are $12 for adults; $6 for those 55 and older and 12 and younger. Cal U students with

valid CalCards pay 50 cents, plus a $5 deposit that is refunded at the show.

For ticket information, or to charge tickets by phone, call the Steele Hall Box Office at 724-938-5943.

Tickets are also available online at bit.ly/CALUEOC.

WCAL DJ Spotlight Nick Clouse, AKA Uncle Qrow, is a Senior Mechatronics Engineering Technology Major. He was certified in the fall of 2015 and did the majority of his DJ training with WCAL alumnus Jared Sofranko, AKA DJ Sofro.

He joined the station because he wanted to share the music that he loves, as well as play DND on the station’s DND specialty show.

Nick says his favorite memory of the station is during the 2019 Locked In for a Cause event, when he and his fellow locked in DJs played DND at 3am. Nick’s show is ‘Spirit of the Radio,’ from 8-10pm on Fridays, where he plays progressive

Nick Clouse

rock, rock, metal, and power metal, as well as other similar genres. Tune in to hear one of WCAL’s most experienced DJs!

entertainment

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Feb. 14, 2020

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

By Evan Peffer, Staff Writer PEF9535@calu.edu

Manic - Halsey Halsey’s newest release shows a new maturity in her music, with a clearly crafted sound and deeply personal lyrics. The album, her third, is her best by far, flowing seamlessly from simple acoustic tracks, featuring primarily piano, to more electric rock tunes featuring distorted guitars. Manic is a great example of an album that has happy sounding songs, topped by depressing lyrics, which is probably one of the most compelling trends in modern pop music. Standout songs include Graveyard, You should be sad, and 3am.

Overall, this newest release of Halsey’s drives toward a very impressive career, should she continue to top herself like this.

RATE: 9 /10

10 Things I Hate About You 2/8-2/14

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

This week at the Vulcan Theater is a throwback to a popular RomCom entitled, “10 Things I Hate About You.” While I can’t

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

list 10 things I hate about the film, I can give plenty of reasons why you should go see this movie if you have not already!

This movie follows the story of Kat Stratford, a beautiful but abrasive teen that does not have very good luck with boys.

That is until she meets Patrick Verona. Will Kat let her guard down to fall in love or push a great guy away? This movie stars Heath Ledger and while it may sound cheesy to some, it is a perfect Valentine’s Day movie to go see with your significant other.

RATE: 8/10

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Feb. 14, 2020

feature

feature

Feb. 14, 2020

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By Cal U Public Relations New options to develop networking skills and care for students’ mental well-being were part of the Spring 2020 Club and Organization Fair, which was held Feb. 4 in the Performance Center.

They blended with more than 100 other ways for Cal U students to get involved on campus, including academic clubs, faith and religious clubs, volunteeroriented clubs, sports clubs, Greek Life organizations, art clubs and more.

Nearly 450 students stopped by to the fair.

The Student Alumni Ambassador Club, new this semester, pairs students with alumni who can assist with career development.

“Everyone is going to be alumni a lot longer than they will be students,” said club president Justin Shoemaker said. “We want to pull all the clubs and organization together to have a powerful, unified voice on campus and use events to collaborate on ideas and get involved with alumni.”

The new Active Minds club is part of a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising mental health awareness among college students via peerto-peer dialogue and interaction.

Tanzer Balimtas, a graduating senior finance major, spoke with potential new members.

“It’s definitely rewarding because you get to aid in ending the stigma with mental health and help out students who may be having issues in their school or personal life,” he said. “We are coming together to empower students and letting them know we are behind them.”

Graduating senior Zachariah Ingram joined the Psychology Club as a sophomore and is now the vice president. He said the club attracted more than 60 inquiries over the past two fairs.

“This club is really welcoming and comforting and opened me up to wanting to talk to more and express my interests more,” said the business administration major.

Sherry Crowner, a senior graphic design major who is a member of the Graphic Design Club, enjoyed visiting the booths. “There’s always a lot to see and I like meeting people from new clubs and seeing about working together,” she said.

Tania Blanc, president of Cal U Women United, enjoyed the event.

“We are looking to get students involved and show them the diverse multicultural activities available, and this brings people together,” she said.

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entertainment

Feb. 14, 2020

Keeping the Dream on Track

By Johnathan Sakaguchi, Staff Writer SAK8734@calu.edu As many kids as there are in their early ages, there are the pictures of them playing with a toy train set on the floor in the living room. As we get older one of two things will happen, we quit playing with trains, or we find cooler and more fun ones to play with.

Well, for my dad and I, that was our intent.

When I was a kid, my dad and I had an idea of making a new model railroad layout in the living room. Well, that got put on hold after my dad passed away in 2006.

In 2015, I decided it was time to restart that plan. I took a big spot of my pap’s basement and started planning. Clearing away the clutter and the modified clothesline of my workout equipment my grandmother turned it into after I left for Cal U. But I had to do some planning. The questions on my mind were, ‘how do I want to go about making this layout? Do I go off the wall with it? What scale do I want to run? What all is in your collection and your dad’s stuff?’

I went through it and I found a bunch of west coast railroads in my dad’s stuff and the same thing in mine. Until I got to a box of New York Central, Conrail, Chesapeake and Ohio, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie, Western Maryland, and Pennsylvania Railroad HO Gage stuff. I knew what kind of layout I was going to make.

I decided to go with a historical layout replica of Connellsville Yard in Connellsville, Pa.. So, I solved my first problem, now I got to start planning the layout. The planning for the layout was the hardest part.

It was off to the library in Uniontown and Connellsville to look up old images of the yard. I made numerous phone calls to people I knew in the area from when the trains use to thunder through town every five minutes. A trip to the Coal and Coke Museum at Penn State Fayette and the Fayette County Railroad and River Museum in Brownsville.

I went through the several railroad books from the Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, Conrail, and C&O to find pictures of the locations of the bridges, switches, turntables, roundhouses, service areas, and coaling bays were located. I am still finding new things that I thought I had correct but with a new angle from the pictures I have to remake the layouts blueprints.

The next step was to find the rolling stock for the layouts. Now I love collecting these things but buying them brand new they are in what I

call the rich man’s hobby. Yard sales flea markets, eBay, Amazon, auctions, and hobby shops that buy used trains are my go-to places. Some places I have traveled to I can find things that I need the ChooChoo Barn and Strasburg Railroad in Strasburg, Pa., Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, W.Va., Western Maryland Railroad in Cumberland, Md. and the Pennsylvania Railroaders Museum in Altoona, Pa., and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. have helped me find a lot of my collection. I still have a lot to find yet and some pieces that I liked to have to make it as accurate as possible, and I some that I just want to have that would be fun to have and to add just to have those who actually know the backstory of the lay out say I don’t think that’s supposed to be there.

Now I cleared the area in the basement in an 8x5 foot area. The table I have to get put together still but three big pieces of plywood and half a dozen of 2x4s for legs and 2x6s for braces, but good things come to those who wait.

My plan is to have the layout up and running by next Christmas to have the Polar Express pull into the station of my layout in Connellsville, Ohiopyle, Confluence and Dawson. I will hope to have pictures for the Cal Times once the layout is complete.

more ways to connect @caltimesnews

@caltimes

Cal Times News

“I solved my first problem, now I got to start planning the layout. The planning for the layout was the hardest part.”

Cal Times CUTV Videojournalism

www.caltimes.org

entertainment

Feb. 14, 2020

15

A Different Type of Date Night Haunted House caters to more than just Halloween

By Johnathan Sakaguchi, Staff Writer SAK8734@calu.edu

It is February already. That means Groundhog Day is on TV, the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day is around the corner. But this year, Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park is shaking things up!

Lovebirds looking for something more intense than dinner and a movie will have a much scarier option this February. Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park in Uniontown will be opening “Valentine’s Fear Fest,” an immersive and unique Haunted Valentine’s Event, for two nights this February.

The Park previously presented a Haunted Christmas event, which was named by The Travel Channel as one of the Top 10 Scariest Christmas Haunted Houses in the Country. Following the yuletide terrors, the Park has outfitted two of its Haunted Houses with outrageous Valentine’s decor and new, fearful creatures. This promises to be a new type of experience for the area, complete with a Killer Cupid, a Dark Angel, Vampires, and many more dark characters.

“Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park has quickly gained a reputation for offering unique Haunted House experiences,” says Aidan Finnegan, the event’s Marketing Director. “Many of our fans have expressed interest in Horror Events outside of the Halloween season, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to meet that demand with eccentric and memorable events.”

The event features two individual Valentinesthemed haunted houses; one being a two - floor “Mansion” of scenes and scenarios, where visitors must survive encounters with a family of Vampires.

Across the park’s midway area, visitors 18 and over can also explore “Cupid’s Love Den”, a haven of debauchery run by a demented version of the mythological troublemaker.

Detailed sets, strategic lighting, chilling sound effects and terrifying costumes further set the stage before live actors strike for the kill. “Everyone knows the stereotype of taking your date to a horror movie, we’re taking it a step further and actually immersing people in the story,” says Finnegan. “Saving your partner from a chainsaw killer or vampire is an awesome first date.” Valentine’s Fear Fest will be open Friday Feb., 14 and Saturday Feb., 15. Admission to the event starts at $15 per person, and tickets can be purchased either at the event or via their website, HauntedHillsEstate.com. Come visit the Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park! It is located at 236 Rolling Hills Estate Road, Uniontown, Pa. We know you will have a lovely, scary time!

“CUTV’s Best Talkshow, because it’s the only one!”

with your host...

Catch new episodes every other Thursday, starting Jan. 30, live on Youtube CUTVSports1 at 11:30 am or on CUTV, channel 30.1 at select times.

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entertainment

Feb. 14, 2020

Modern Warfare S2 Releases on all Platforms Bad news for those looking to cuddle on Valentine’s Day

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

Season Two of Modern Warfare released on all platforms on Tuesday, February 11 and brought with it some exciting new additions. Although, new content right before Valentine’s Day may not be the exciting news all of you would like to hear.

Prepare for a long download time, as the file is between 51-68 GB depending on the platform you’re using. It is currently live on Xbox 1, PlayStation 4, and PC. The new Battle Pass will cost you 1,000 COD points, which is the equivalent of $10. If you earn the 1300 COD points throughout Season 2, you’ll earn the Season 3 pass without spending a penny.

Regardless, Call of Duty fans everywhere are ecstatic for the return of one popular multiplayer map location entitled, “Rust.” Many veteran players will remember this map as a desert oil yard that requires a fast paced playstyle.

A new Operator, Ghost, is back, confirming rumors that have developed since the game’s release.

As another familiar addition to the new season, he appeared in all the Infinity Ward campagins up until this year.

The game is also spicing things up with the introduction of an entirely new location called Atlas Superstore. Thankfully we’ve had some time to give this map a try and can provide you with the best tips of increasing your K/D ratio in this new terrain.

Top tips for mastering Atlas Superstore: 1.

This map is designed to resemble an actual superstore. With that being said, expect long shopping aisles and small cramped rooms. This type of map location means that pretty much any weapon load out could work in this area. As with choosing any weapon though, it would be best to learn the gun’s recoil patterns first and determine its strength and weaknesses in this new setting.

2.

Just because there are shelving units to hide behind, that does not mean you are safe from your enemies. There are cracks in the shelving units meaning both you and your enemies can be seen. Be cautious when traveling down these areas, and peak over from time to time. You might just have a free kill staring at you.

3.

Additionally, certain operators can travel through the nooks and crannies of the warehouse.

Take the time to find those secret hidden locations as camping in certain spots is actually a decent move on a large scale area like this.

4.

There are a lot of high point advantages on this map. In particular, both spawn sites have great overviews of the center of the map. For players who frequently shoot longshot, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

5.

The wide open terrain and natural light shining through the store can also come in handy when it comes to killstreaks. There are ways to navigate missiles through these spaces and tight gaps.

Learning to do so is a crucial element to conquering the Atlas Superstore.

Not only does the Season introduce new locations, but it also introduces several new

weapons, game modes, and operators. In Ground War mode, players will have the opportunity to jump into Zhokov Boneyard — an airplane junkyard with tremendous amounts of space to capture objectives, operate vehicles, and conquer the land.

Other additions include new ways to earn XP, ribbons, medals, and new challenges. Personally, I’m excited for the new weapon blueprint that can only be earned through an exclusive mission, known as the luck strike mission.

This season already feels awesome and I’m excited to get back into the action. While Valentine’s Day may interfere with some of your game play this week, just know that Season 2 of Modern Warfare will be around for a while, constantly bringing you new content to get amped for!

“The game is also spicing things up with the introduction of an entirely new location called Atlas Superstore.”

entertainment

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Feb. 14, 2020

Music’s Biggest Night

Review of the long awaited 62nd Annual Grammy Awards

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

The Grammy award show is recognized as music’s biggest night. They recognize the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019.

The night was filled with wonderful performances, heart-felt acceptance speeches, and so much more. Here is a brief recap of what happened at the 2020 Grammys.

The award ceremony was televised live on January 26, 2020 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Alicia Keys was selected again as the host for the second year in a row, as she previously hosted the Grammys last year in 2019. First televised back in 1958, the Grammys celebrated its 62nd birthday with a huge night of surprises and other various exciting moments.

Many people are not aware of the controversy that happened with this year’s Grammy Awards.

This was set to be the first edition of the Grammy Awards that the new Recording Academy president Deborah Dugan would have presided over; however, she was relieved of her duties as president and CEO and placed on administrative leave from the organization ten days before the ceremony. The Academy launched an investigation into allegations that Dugan bullied an assistant. After her dismissal, Dugan sparked controversy by claiming that the Recording Academy engaged in favoritism and corruption during the Grammy nomination process.

Taylor Swift reportedly cancelled a planned surprise performance of her song “The Man” at the ceremony in solidarity with Dugan, although both Swift and Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich denied this.

Recording Academy Chairman Harvey Mason Jr. took over as interim president and chief executive officer and presided over the ceremony instead of Dugan.

Aside from the controversy, it was still a fantastic night. Artist Lizzo received the most nominations of any artist, with eight, followed by Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X with six nominations each. Eilish cleaned up that night, receiving five awards, with four wins in the major categories of “Record of the Year,” “Album of the Year,” “Song of the Year,” and “Best New Artist.”

The last time someone won this big in the biggest categories was Christopher Cross back in 1981 at the 23rd annual Grammy Awards. Billie Eilish is now the youngest artist, only 18-years old, to have won big in the major categories. For a list of the 2020 Grammy Award winners, please log onto www.grammy.com.

There were many outstanding performances that night as well. Host, Alicia Keys, and band, Boyz II Men, sang tribute songs to Kobe Bryant, who suddenly and unexpectedly lost his life in a helicopter crash just hours before the ceremony

began. The award show was threatened to be overshadowed by the news of Bryant’s death, since the Staples Center is home to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The most emotional performance, without a doubt, that happened that night was Demi Lovato singing her new hit “Anyone.” Lovato was so overcome with emotions during her performance that tears ran down her face as she was singing. She even received a standing ovation from the audience afterwards.

Almost every big name in music performed at the 62nd annual Grammys. Everyone from Ariana Grande, to Aerosmith, to Cyndi Lauper, and Usher, just to name a few, had the audience and people watching at home, up on their feet.

However, viewership for the Grammy Awards hit a 12-year low on its night of broadcast. Only about 18.7 million tuned into the live ceremony on television because most people streamed the award ceremony on another electronic or mobile device.

With under 20 million viewers, that was the lowest

number of viewers for the Grammys since 2008, when Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” won song of the year. Shockingly, the Grammys was not the only award show with a low number of viewers watching at home. Other award shows have had sharp ratings decreases in recent years. Just last year, the Emmy Awards ratings fell a jaw-dropping 32-percent down to a record low of 6.9 million viewers. The Oscars, which aired on February 9, 2020, had an audience of almost 30 million viewers, which was considered a strong rebound from its record low of 26.5 million viewers in 2018.

At the end of the night, almost everyone was overcome with emotions. Upon hearing the tragic news of Kobe Bryant and the artists winning big in the categories. It was another memorable and commemorative Grammy Awards ceremony. In the midst of a brand new year, we all now wait patiently to see what is to come at next year’s Grammy Awards.

Dynamic Duo Billie Eilish, left, and Finneas O’Connell pose in the press room with the awards for best album, best engineered album and best pop vocal album for “We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” best song and record for “Bad Guy,” best new artist and best producer, nonclassical.

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Feb. 14, 2020

puzzles

opinions

19

Feb. 14, 2020

Does the “Keto Diet” Really Work?

More than just the ordinary fad-diet

By Josh Mavilla, Contributor MAV9107@calu.edu For delicious Keto recipes, visit delish.com and search “55 Keto Dinner Recipes That Are Simple and Guilt Free.”

Please talk to your doctor before making any extreme changes to your diet.

It is a new year, which means New Year’s resolutions. Do you want to lose weight and get that Summer body? The Keto diet is the perfect method to do so. This is a rather quick and efficient way to shed those pounds as well.

For my 2020 resolution, I decided to try it and a little over a month in, I have lost 10 pounds. All it takes is discipline and dedication. Cheat days are a must when doing this type of diet because if you don’t, the more likely it is that you relapse and lose all progress.

Keto is a diet that consists of very small amounts of carbohydrates and a large amount of protein and fats. It is also designed to pretty much stay away from sugar all together. That does not mean you cannot eat sugar here and there, but it needs to be primarily cut out of consumption. Unfortunately, this means you won’t be able to eat as much bread, dairy products, rice, corn, bananas, potatoes, etc.

Surprisingly enough, a lot of fruits and vegetables are off limits due to their high sugar and carb content.

They include, apples, oranges, peas, yams, and

pears. Like I said, this diet’s purpose is to lower net carb intake, which can be extremely difficult. Just to give perspective on the extremity of the amount, it is recommended that you eat only 20-30 grams of carbs per day. For example, there is about 15 grams in one piece of white bread. So, clearly this will be a challenge for most people, which is why this diet is so effective. Sugar and carbs are two huge contributors to what supplies our bodies with the energy it needs to function every day. Instead, Keto forces our bodies to use a different fuel source to give us energy in the form of what is called “ketone bodies.” This is stored fat in the liver and without the basic energy sources, this is what is used to give us that kick.

I believe that Keto is a great starter diet to lose the weight that you desire, but it isn’t a long-term solution. Once you get in the cycle called “Ketosis”

it will be a breeze to lose the weight. After reaching your goal, I advise that you simply start calorie counting and do your best to maintain your current weight. Each person’s caloric intake for the day will be determined by their weight and the amount of exercise they get.

But, the Keto diet is a great method to try if your goal is to lose weight fast and most efficiently.

It has been proven to work for millions around the world and can be implemented in your life with a determined and positive mind. Eat about 85-110 grams of protein, 139-208 grams of fat, and 20-40 grams of carbs a day depending on your body size.

Remember, bread and candy bars are your worst enemy, but steaks and brussel sprouts are your best friend.

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opinions

Feb. 14, 2020

Super Bowl LIV...a game to remember The Kansas City Chiefs defeat San Francisco 49ers with a final score of 31-20

By Jimmy Hunyady, Contributor HUN6632@calu.edu

The first Sunday in February is dedicated as “Super Bowl Sunday.” This is a day when two final teams in the NFL, the AFC and NFC Champions, face off each other in one last game to win the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy and be deemed Super Bowl Champions.

Super Bowl LIV (54) headlined the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers as the Chiefs outlasted the Niners 31-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. Pop-star Demi Lovato started things off on Sunday night singing the National Anthem. Of course, the Chiefs rallied from behind with another comeback performance as they did all playoffs.

The run was impressive as the Chiefs scored three touchdowns in less than six minutes to give coach Andy Reid his first Super Bowl victory. For much of the game, the 49ers used the style of play that got them to the Super Bowl with their pass rush attack and running game.

Patrick Mahomes struggled early throughout the game, but started heating up in the fourth quarter.

He threw for two touchdowns with 141-yards in the fourth quarter. The rally, led by quarterback Mahomes, secured his team’s chances on winning the game as well as him winning Super Bowl MVP. Usually, defense wins championships, but that was not the case late in the game this year. As the 49ers were struggling late, the Chiefs stormed back and took advantage of the stalled Niners offense. The ability and leadership of Mahomes to rally his team at an incredibly high level was a thing of excellence that they managed to do all post season.

The halftime show, starred Shakira and Jennifer Lopez with Shakira leading the show off for J-Lo to follow up. The performance showcased plenty of high energy music and dancing that would surely get you out of your seat. The show sparked a huge celebration with women in the Latina culture. The halftime performance, which only lasted fifteen minutes, sparked 103.2 million viewers. Guest appearances were made by J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Lopez’s daughter, Emme Muniz. The selection of two Hispanic pop icons seemed to be a perfect fit for the crowd in Miami. This was the first Super Bowl halftime appearance for both Shakira and Jennifer Lopez. Shakira performed many of her top hits including “Hip’s Don’t Lie,” “I Like It,” and “She Wolf.” J-Lo performed many of her top hits as well

including “Jenny from the Block,” “On the Floor,” and “Waiting for Tonight.” An iconic moment of the show was when J-Lo first appeared in the performance electrifying the crowd from high up on the stage.

Overall, I really enjoyed what both women brought to the stage in front of an entertained Miami crowd!

For many people, the game is not the event people tune into watch, it is the commercials. The commercials during the Super Bowl are always a must see, ranging from many companies using different ideas. A known commercial form this year’s event was New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady announcing during a Hulu commercial that he “wasn’t going anywhere”. Many people are now suggesting Brady may stay with the Patriots during

this off-season’s free agency. Another big time commercial was the NFL Next 100 commercial that had every big name in football history in it. A young football player stars in the commercial running through many obstacles to get to Hard Rock Field in Miami. The commercial adds some setting from the past, present, and presumably future.

Overall, I really enjoyed the game, halftime performance, and commercials. Both of the team’s players, staff, and management personal truly gave it their all in the game. The Super Bowl is a must watch event every year starting from the football game to the entertainment. We now await for Super Bowl LV (55) next year!

Did You Know?

The last time the Kansas City Chiefs won a Super Bowl was 50 years ago back in 1970!

The Chiefs have not appeared in a Super Bowl game since Super Bowl IV (4) when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings with a score of 23-7.

sports

Feb. 14, 2020

Cal U Men’s Hockey honors seniors

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Vulcans defeat Robert Morris 6-5 in overtime at Rostraver Ice Garden Photos by David Hague

The Cal U Men’s Ice Hockey Club recognized two members of the senior class on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 at the Rostraver Ice Garden. (From left) Senior Zach Dusch, Assistant Coach Pat Kenny, Head Coach Jason Greenway, and senior David DalCortivo.

For more information, scores, and highlights of the men’s and women’s hockey teams, visit the California University of Pennsylvania Ice Hockey Club website at caluhockey.com

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Feb. 14, 2020

sports

Track & Field

Men’s team posts top-five marks in Virginia Cal U Sports Information The California University of Pennsylvania men’s track & field team recorded four top-five finishes and nine Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying marks over the weekend at the VMI Winter Relays.

Junior Jalen Cloud placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 13.77 meters (45-2.25 feet). He reached the mark on his second attempt in Virginia while competing in the event for the first time in nearly two months.

Junior Kyle Tumpak finished third overall in the 800-meter run after crossing the finish line in 1 minute, 55.25 seconds. He entered the weekend with the fastest time in the PSAC this season in the event by over three-tenths of a second.

The 4x400-meter relay of freshman Kristopher Lytle, junior Avery Boea-Gisler, freshman Tymir Jackson and Tumpak placed fourth at VMI with a time of 3:24.83.

Individually, Boea-Gisler qualified for the league championships in the 400-meter dash for the first time this season after rounding the track in 50.46 seconds. Lytle also reached the PSAC standard in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.02 seconds, which was 11th-best in the semifinals.

Jackson improved his conference-qualifying time in the 60 meters by eight-hundredths of a second after registering a time of 7.11 seconds in the semifinals. He also posted a PSAC time of 22.59 seconds in the 200 meters at VMI. Freshman Michael Berdar finished second in the high jump and matched his league-qualifying height of 1.85 meters (6-0.75 feet) for the third time this winter. Classmate Hunter Ribarchak qualified for the conference championships in the pole vault over the weekend by clearing 4.05 meters (13-3.5 feet).

The Vulcans return to action on Friday, Feb. 14, when they compete at the Mid-February Open hosted

by Baldwin Wallace in Berea, Ohio.

Photos by Susan Urbine

Junior Avery Boea-Gisler qualified for the league meet in the 800-meter run at the Youngstown State National Mid-Major Invitational on Feb. 1, 2020.

Women’s team wins two events, reaches 16 marks at VMI The California University of Pennsylvania women’s track & field team won a pair of events and recorded 16 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) qualifying marks over the weekend at the VMI Winter Relays.

The 4x400-meter relay of sophomore Divonne Franklin, freshman Beyonce Kelly, freshman Tatyana Young and junior Ashley McIntosh won the event by nearly 2.5 seconds after posting a time of 3 minutes, 58.02 seconds, which is the secondbest time in the league this winter.

Individually, Kelly claimed the victory in the high jump with a height of 1.60 meters (5-3.00 feet). She has reached the conference standard in the event in each of her four appearances this season.

Franklin recorded PSAC marks in the 60-meter dash and 200-meter dash while in Virginia. She placed third in the finals of the 60 meters with a time of 7.71 seconds after placing fourth in the semifinals with a time of 7.75 seconds. Franklin also finished fourth in the 200 meters over the weekend with a time of 25.25 seconds.

McIntosh set a personal record in the semifinals of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 9.16 seconds, which was fifth-best in the field. She later placed eighth in the finals of the event. McIntosh also reached the league standard in the 400-meter dash by finishing fourth overall with a time of 59.45 seconds.

Junior Aaliyah Lewis also established a personal record while in Virginia. She placed second in the triple jump with a distance of 11.33 meters (37-2.25 feet), which ranks among the top five on the league’s performance list. Freshman Quintasia Streeter also reached the conference standard in the event with a mark of 10.55 meters (34-7.5 feet).

Freshman Darcie Frazier set a season best and finished third overall in the long jump with a distance of 5.28 meters (17-4.00 feet). Classmates Anna Ebersole and Michaela Levesque, plus senior Erin Meckler, reached the league mark in the high jump in Virginia. Ebersole and Meckler both cleared 1.55 meters (5-1.0 feet), while Levesque posted a height of 1.50 meters (4-11.0 feet).

In addition to McIntosh, junior Jaleesa Mackey and freshman Kailee Bunyard both reached the league-qualifying standard in the 60-meter hurdles over the weekend. Mackey placed fourth in the finals with a time of 9.32 seconds after crossing the finish line in 9.27 seconds in the semifinals. Bunyard posted a time of 9.43 seconds in the preliminaries of the event.

Senior Alicia Collier posted a PSAC-qualifying time of 7.82 seconds to place seventh in the semifinals of the 60 meters.

Freshman Kayla Walker qualified for the league meet for the first time this season in the 60 meters by recording a season-best time of 8.01 seconds in the preliminaries of the event.

Young finished with a conference-qualifying time of 1:00.86 in the 400 meters at VMI. Cal U returns to action when it competes at Mid-February Open hosted by Baldwin Wallace on Friday, Feb. 14, in Berea, Ohio.

Freshman Beyonce Kelly competing in the 4X400-meter relay

sports

Basketball

Feb. 14, 2020

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Women’s team claims victory at Pitt-Johnstown, 76-51 Cal U Sports Information

Sophomore Shauna Harrison

Photo by Jeff Helsel

Behind a dominating fourth quarter in which it allowed only two points, the California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team earned a 76-51 win at Pitt-Johnstown on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West action.

With the victory, the Vulcans improve to 16-6 overall and remain fourth in the divisional standings with a 10-6 mark in league play. Cal U has won 13-straight games in the series with Pitt-Johnstown, including six-consecutive road wins. Meanwhile, the Mountain Cats fall to 12-10 this season with a 7-9 record in conference action.

Sophomore Shauna Harrison scored a career-high 28 points on 10-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. She also led the team with 11 rebounds (five offensive) for her second-straight double-double and added five assists and five steals in the win. Harrison, who set a career best with six three-pointers in the win, is averaging 11.7 rebounds over the last three games after collecting at least 11 rebounds in each contest.

Junior Bianca Jasper tallied eight points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals on Wednesday. Sophomore Lauren Bennett finished with nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while senior DJ Hahn posted 10 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench.

Early in the first quarter, Harrison and freshman Halle Herrington each made a pair of three-pointers for the Vulcans during a 12-4 run. Cal U was held without a field goal over the last five minutes of the quarter, as UPJ mounted a 9-2 rally to take a 15-14 lead. The Vulcans opened the second quarter on a 7-2 run to claim a 21-17 lead on a three-pointer by Harrison at the 6:13-mark.

Midway through the quarter, Cal U scored seven of nine points to stretch the lead to 28-22 with 1:42 left before the break. The Vulcans later took a 32-29 lead at halftime, as the teams combined to make their last five shots of the quarter.

UPJ scored the opening basket of the third quarter before Cal U tallied 11-unanswered points, including six points by Jasper, to take a 43-31 lead at the 5:41-mark. The Mountain Cats later scored nine-straight points and closed the quarter on a 14-2 run to trim the deficit to 50-49. Cal U rallied off 12-consecutive points to start the fourth quarter to build a 62-49 lead with 6:26 left to play. The Mountain Cats made their lone field goal of the quarter at the 6:09-mark before the Vulcans scored the last 14 points of the game to claim a 76-51 victory. Harrison scored 12 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday.

The Vulcans shot nearly 50 percent in the second half and finished the game with a .391 field-goal percentage (25-of-64). Cal U made double-digit three-pointers for the fourth time this season, converting 11-of-32 (34.4 percent) from long range, plus went 15-of-17 (88.2 percent) from the free-throw line.

Freshman Olivia Fasick led Pitt-Johnstown with 10 points and added five assists and three steals. Classmate Ashley Norling posted nine points, four rebounds and two assists, while senior Alli McGrath finished with eight points, five rebounds and three assists in the loss.

Men’s basketball clinches PSAC Tournament berth for first time since 2014 Sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. and junior Brent Pegram combined for 44 points on Saturday, Feb. 1, as the California University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball team clinched a berth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament with a 98-70 victory over Slippery Rock in divisional play at Hamer Hall.

With the win, the Vulcans claimed their fourth-straight win to improve to 15-6 overall behind an 11-4 record in conference action. Cal U will be making its first appearance in the PSAC Tournament since the 2013-14 season and also swept the season series with Slippery Rock for the first time since the 2009-10 campaign.

Meanwhile, The Rock falls to 10-11 this season with a 6-9 mark in league play.

Hall scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 attempts and converted five-of-seven from beyond the arc. He also tallied six rebounds and one steal in 26 minutes of action on Saturday. Hall is averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last five games, including a pair of games with at least 15 points.

Pegram finished with 21 points on 10-of-21 shooting, plus four rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes. The Maryland native now has totaled eight games with at least 20 points, while continuing to pace the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game.

Freshman Luke House registered 15 points on four-of-eight shooting, including three-of-six from three-point range. He also added five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes against The Rock. Classmate Tim Smith, Jr. totaled 10 points, six rebounds and one block in 26 minutes, while fellow freshman Philip Alston recorded nine points and five rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench.

Redshirt sophomore Philip Alexander notched eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench.

Photo by Leigh Swartzfager

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sports

Feb. 14, 2020

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Athlete Spotlight courtesy of Sports Information - Photos by Jeff Helsel

JERMAINE HALL, JR. Photo by : Name

CLASS: SOPHOMORE MAJOR: MANAGEMENT HOMETOWN: BALTIMORE, MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOL: SEVERN SCHOOL

Jermaine Hall, Jr. posted 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last week to help Cal U claim a pair of home wins in PSAC West play. He totaled six points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in a 76-67 victory against Clarion on Wednesday. Hall then scored a career-high 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including five-of-seven from long range, while playing 26 minutes on Saturday in a 98-70 win over Slippery Rock. The Maryland native also collected six rebounds in the victory against The Rock.

SHUANA HARRISON CLASS: SOPHOMORE MAJOR: MARKETING HOMETOWN: SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND HIGH SCHOOL: MYERSCOUGH Shauna Harrison averaged a double-double with 12.5 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, as the Vulcans earned a paid of PSAC West victories last week. She finished with seven points, 11 rebounds (five offensive) and four assists on Wednesday in a 66-46 win over Clarion. Harrison then registered her third career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 13 rebounds (five offensive) in a 76-59 victory against Slippery Rock on Saturday. The sophomore from England converted five-of-six from beyond the arc and added two assists, two blocks and three steals in the win over The Rock.