Cal Times Oct. 18, 2019

vol. 50 no. 3 Oct. 18, 2019

news

Oct. 18, 2019

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ABOUT THE COVER

It’s almost time for Halloween! In this 2018 photo, volunteers Angela D’Amato, junior, and Kayla Germini , sophomore, entertain children in the pumpkin patch at the Community “Cal-O-Ween” party hosted by California University of Pennsylvania Commuter Services at the SAI Farm, Oct. 30. (Photo: Jeff Helsel)

Our local college radio station is looking for clubs and organizations for campus drops and advertising.

If you’re interested, please contact Evan Peffer at PEF9535calu.edu

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

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

Get involved with S.A.B.!

Our meetings are at 5PM on Thursdays in the Vulcan Theater!

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: Jerron Corely, Jess Crosson, Sarah Ertsfeld, Devon Gerena, David Hague, Austin Heckman, Chris Lisle, Evan Peffer, Johnny Sakaguchi, Hannah Wyman, 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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Oct. 18, 2019

70th Annual Homecoming Parade

Cal U students celebrate in annual homecoming festivities

By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu It has always been a homecoming tradition for the last 70 years, the annual homecoming parade.

Hundreds of current Cal U students, alumni, families, and friends gathered at the campus of California University of Pennsylvania on Saturday October, 12 to celebrate in the annual homecoming festivities.

The annual celebration of homecoming always begins with the annual homecoming parade that strolls through 3rd Street, the main street that runs through the campus of Cal U. This year, the parade celebrated its 70th anniversary. The homecoming parade has always been an annual traditions since its inception back in 1949.

I personally got to announce the homecoming parade alongside my trusted companion and very good friend, Pam DelVerne. We announced the parade live on CUTVSPORT1’s YouTube page. It was very exciting and fun to see attendees with smiles on their faces seeing the marching bands, floats, and various cars drive on This year’s grand marshalls included Tom Hartley

Jr., Jon Bittner and Wesley “Chuck” Sheets. Each of them have ties to the university and have 50 years of service with the California Volunteer Fire Department.

The parade featured twelve marching bands from the surrounding area, five unique floats dedicated to the 1960s, since that was this year’s homecoming theme, various fire departments, and other clubs/ organizations from Cal U. Some of the floats this year were constructed by the fraternities and sororities of Cal U’s Greek life. The floats included tributes to The Flinstones, Rolling Thunder & a tribute to the Vietnam War, Surfin’ through the ‘60s, Man on the Moon, and Peanuts.

The parade also included a surprise wedding engagement. Nick Bishop, a member of Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity, proposed to McKenna Ferris, a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. On behalf of us at Cal Times, we want to wish Nick and McKenna the absolute best!

This year’s parade was definitely one for the record books! Happy homecoming!

Left: A highschooler smiles while marching in the parade Bottom Right: Nick Bishop proposing to his girlfriend, McKenna Ferris.

Bottom Left: Members of Delta Zeta standing by their float.

Photos by Jeff Helsel

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Oct. 18, 2019

news

Homecoming Court Called to Order

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

Being crowned king or queen for homecoming seems to be a dream come true. Some Cal U students got to live that dream over homecoming weekend.

There are many traditions that take place every year at Cal U during homecoming. Some of these annual events include the homecoming parade, homecoming football game, and Cal U students running for homecoming court. This year, a total of ten students ran in hopes of being elected to the homecoming court.

Out of those ten students, three were male, running for king, while the remaining seven were female, running for queen. The king candidates included Michael Bordonaro, Thomas Schiedler, and Eric Townsend. The queen candidates included Miranda Anderson, Kayla Baldinger, Maggie Cave, Olivia Ebersole, Cynthia Obiekezie, Maddie Rush, and Jocelyn Simmers.

On Tuesday, October 8, the announcement was made to see who was voted onto this year’s homecoming court. Those who were running for court and other Cal U students gathered in the food court during common hour anxiously waiting to hear who made court. Friends of those who ran for court shrieked and applauded as loud as they possibly could upon hearing the announcement of who was voted onto homecoming court.

Cal U’s 2019 homecoming court included all three candidates for king; Michael Bordonaro, Thomas Schiedler, and Eric Townsend. Out of the seven queen candidates, the ladies that were voted onto court included Maggie Cave, Olivia Ebersole, Cynthia Obiekezie, Maddie Rush, and Jocelyn Simmers. The announcement for court was made that Tuesday, however, students and the court had to wait until halftime during the football game on Saturday to see who will be crowned king and queen.

The big day of homecoming had officially arrived.

While fans in attendance at Adamson Stadium for the homecoming football game paused for halftime, the wait was finally over. Families and friends had waited long enough to see who will be crowned homecoming king and queen for 2019.

Right before the marching band performed the halftime show, the big announcement was made over the speakers. Winning the crown for king was Eric Townsend who posed with his young daughter, Aubrey. For the first time, probably in homecoming history, there was a tie for homecoming queen!

Sharing the tiara for queen was Cynthia Obiekezie and Maddie Rush. Congratulations to Eric, Cynthia, and Maddie on winning the crowns!

Cal U’s 2019 Homecoming Court; Front row: Michael Bordonaro, Thomas Schiedler, and Eric Townsend.

Back row: Maggie Cave, Cynthia Obiekezie, Jocelyn Simmers, Olivia Ebersole, and Maddie Rush.

Photo courtesy of Leigh Swartzfager

Cal U’s 2019 Homecoming Royalty from Left to Right: King Eric Townsend and his daughter/unoffical Homecoming Princess, Aubree, President Geraldine Jones, and CoQueensMaddie Rush, and Cynthia Obiekezie.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Helsel

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Oct. 18, 2019

Baked Goods Designed with Comfort in Mind Jerron Corely runs a sweet business while balancing student life

Interview by Lily Gongaware, Graphic Designer with Jerron Corely, business owner GON7253@calu.edu COR8061@calu.edu

Jerron Corely, a senior Journalism major, graduates this winter, however, he has already began his professional life. What began as a hobby soon became a passion, and now, a business. Jay’s Comfort Cookies offers its customers delicious baked goods and comfort foods. Jerron believes that comfort starts with the little things.

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

My business is called Jay’s Comfort Cookies and our slogan is “Baked goods designed with comfort in mind.” Our Mission Statement is “When all things in the world seem to be complex and confusing, know that it’s okay to take a breath, take a bite, and find comfort in the little things in life. Jay’s Comfort Cookies seeks to provide that to our customers with our freshly baked goods.”

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

Traditional and specialty cookies. Traditional flavors like chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and sugar, but specialty flavors like mint chocolate chip and oatmeal cranberry.

What made you want to start your business?

I never was interested in started business, but I was inspired by an entrepreneurship class in high school that taught me how to create a business plan and profit off of a passion. The nonprofit organization that sponsored the class also provided start-up funding for my business.

How successful has your business been so far?

Have there been any roadblocks?

My business has been a success back home. I accepted an opportunity to vend at Philadelphia International Airport during the holiday season one year. I also received local media coverage via The Philadelphia Tribune and 6abc (WPVI-TV).

Being in school the past few years has slowed down production. Academics come first, but I would love to get back into the kitchen and have some fun once I earn this degree.

How can customers purchase your products/ services currently?

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

I am a traveling salesman for now. Whenever I make time to bake, I sell my cookies in person. I also help clubs and organizations fundraise as long as they provide compensation for ingredients and my time/effort.

Of course. My family has always been an inspiration in my business because they’ve been an inspiration in my passion for baking; my parents taught me at a young age.

Who makes up most of your consumer base?

As of right now, college students. My business is my own, but I like to think of having a competitive advantage over Insomnia Cookies because of location and other factors.

What is your favorite product or service you offer?

The classic chocolate chip cookie. I receive a lot of positive feedback from students for it’s texture; crisp around the edges, soft and chewy center. It’s my biggest seller.

If you are interested in having your own student-owned business featured in the Cal Times,

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

please email Lily

I see it no longer being a sole proprietorship. It would be nice to be able to have more people handling the little things like marketing, production and day-to-day operations. My dad will be retiring from his job of more than 40 years soon and he wants to help me out with my business as well.

GON7253@calu.

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

Businesses, like life, are full of failures and successes. It’s okay to come to a fault. The important thing is learning from it and using your newfound knowledge to grow and become better than before.

Gongaware at edu to set up an interview!

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news

Oct. 18, 2019

Greenstein Addresses Campus Community Chancellor discusses innovation, inclusion, and engagement with Cal U

By Cal U Public Relations

“We do what we do because we believe passionately in the purpose of higher education.”

Emphasizing the importance of preserving access to quality higher education, the chancellor of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education addressed the Cal U community on Oct. 10.

That goal, said Dr. Daniel Greenstein at an open forum, will require all 14 schools in the System to pay attention to their culture and to each other.

Greenstein made the visit to Cal U — his third since being named chancellor in 2018 — as part of his fall tour of all 14 State System universities.

The chancellor addressed questions from the audience related to the ongoing State System Redesign, the effort to transform universities and expand educational opportunities for students.

Social mobility, economic development, equity and social justice are the driving forces behind the redesign, which is in the second of three phases.

“Higher education is probably the most reliable

pathway into the middle class,” Greenstein said.

“In Pennsylvania by 2025-2026 the estimate is at least 54% of the adult population will require some form of post-secondary education. And virtually all new jobs that are being created since the recession require some form of post-secondary education.”

A piece of the plan to keep a State System education accessible and affordable was the tuition freeze for the 2019-2020 academic year.

“I’m proud of that, it was the right thing to do for our students,” Greenstein said.

Another element in the System Redesign is the culture at each campus. Recently, employees systemwide were asked to complete a survey on issues like

innovation, inclusion and engagement.

“The point of gathering all this data is not to do a U.S. News and World Report ranking on culture. It’s to spend time reflecting and to learn about who we are and what we want to become,” Greenstein said.

While challenges remain, he praised the efforts at Cal U. “We do what we do because we believe passionately in the purpose of higher education,” Greenstein said. “It’s hard because different demands are being put on us while we are still doing our business. I want acknowledge, thank you and honor you doing what you do every day.

“Everything you do has lasting significance.”

entertainment

Oct. 18, 2019

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Where are they now?

Jess Crosson, ‘18, currently working with the Pittsburgh Pirates

By Jess Crosson, Cal U Alumna, 2018

“Don’t be afraid to take a chance on something you aren’t completely sure about.”

Mia Hamm, Derek Jeter, and Geno Auriemma are all icons in the world of sports that made me want to be an athlete when I was younger and have continued to be role models to me to this day.

Throughout my childhood I tried out all of the typical youth sports – soccer, basketball, softball, and track. Once I moved into high-school I realized I truly loved soccer and stuck with just playing just that but my appreciation for all sports continued to grow as I would attend my high school’s Friday night football games and various basketball and baseball games throughout their respective seasons.

Fast-forward to my years at Cal U, I continued to attend and enjoy our various sporting events but shifted my main focus on developing skills I could use in my future career. My freshman year, I was all over the board with what clubs I wanted to join and what careers I would be interested in pursuing; but I knew I had enjoyed certain organizations in high school and was looking to get involved with similar organizations at Cal U. I had reached out to the then current Cal Times Editor-in-Chief, Jose Negron, via Twitter after seeing the Cal Times was looking for new writers. During my first week at Cal U, I navigated my way through the still under construction Natali to find my way to the Media Suite to meet the people who would end up having a pretty big impact on my time at Cal U. My first semester writing for the paper started off slow. I was still trying to find my way and became really involved with our campus’ Student Activities Board so I wasn’t able to pick up as many stories as I had hoped. The following semester I had become super involved with the Cal Times and by the end of the year I was offered the Entertainment Editor position and working for the Times also became my work-study position for my remaining time at Cal U. The Cal Times provided me with numerous opportunities to develop not only as a writer but as a photographer, broadcaster, and leader.

Following my sophomore year, I was able to complete my first internship with the Harrisburg City Islanders – a professional soccer team within the United Soccer League (USL). It was this internship that set my mind on a clear path and I knew I wanted to work in the sport industry once I graduated from Cal U. I was able to manage all of the Islanders social media platforms, write press releases for the team, and then thanks to my acting minor – they asked me to be their official Sideline Reports as well.

The Islanders gave me my first taste of broadcasting which led me to start to work with our CUTV crew. I had only joined Steve Ruffing up in the booth to call

one soccer game that fall but I ended up accepting a position to join the Islanders again next season with their newly re-branded team, Penn FC, as their Sideline Reporter and Special Events Manager.

Going into my senior semester I felt a lot of emotions as I was trying to figure out what exactly I wanted to do in the sport industry and what I could do to set myself apart from all of the other December graduates. Thankfully I was awarded a handful of opportunities to top off my time at Cal U! First, Jeff Helsel and Gary Smith gave me the opportunity to join Danny Beeck, Steve Ruffing, and Colin Kirkwood as a News Anchor on CUTV’s bi-weekly broadcast. After that, I accepted a Community Relations position with the Pittsburgh Steelers. My time with the Steelers was a dream come true. It was an incredible experience that opened my eyes to a new area within the sport industry I could be passionate about.

As the semester drew to an end, I felt confident in everything I had done within my 3.5 years at Cal U. I couldn’t tell you how many jobs I applied for and how many teams passed up on me. Just a few

weeks after graduation, I found myself looking at two opportunities to choose between. I had to decide whether to take a post-grad full-time internship with the Washington Nationals’ Community Relations department or a Sales Associate position with the Pittsburgh Pirates. I had absolutely no experience in sales and I was very skeptical about the position as a whole but ultimately it seemed like the best choice for me in the moment.

I’ve been with the Pittsburgh Pirates for nine months now and I love what I am doing. It is a grind every single day to find new ways to bring fans to PNC Park and create the best experiences we can to make them want to come back again.

My best advice is to gain as much experience in a wide variety of areas that interest you because it is just going to make you a more well-rounded and educated candidate. Your first position doesn’t have to be your only position once you graduate so don’t be afraid to take a chance on something you aren’t completely sure about! If you put in the work, it is going to pay off. You just have to be patient and wiling to wait for it.

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entertainment

Oct. 18, 2019

Fortnite Chapter Two is finally here The popular multiplayer game introduces players to a brand new world

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

It’s not what we were expecting, but it is exactly what we needed.

The popular Battle Royale game is known for making big splashes in the gaming community, but what occurred throughout the last several days has truly never been done before.

After a jaw-dropping in-game event, the Fortnite island we’ve all come to love was quite literally absorbed into a black hole, going offline and becoming completely unplayable for nearly 40 hours. Many fans were lead to believe that this was the end, forever.

Of course, this was not the end, but rather a new beginning. At 5:40am EST on October 15th, the black hole finally disappeared, introducing not just a new season of the game, but a brand new chapter that brings with it both new and old elements that fans are going crazy over.

With a new map, 13 new locations, new game mechanics and so much more, Fortnite Chapter 2 is a huge overhaul to the beloved multiplayer game that no one was expecting.

The blackout is finally over and here is everything there is to know about Fortnite Chapter Two: Season One. The biggest element to this update is obviously the development of a brand new map. That’s right, there are a whopping 13 new locations, featuring a lot of water, mountains, and beaches.

This environment fits nicely with the new ability for players to swim, drive boats, and go fishing for loot. These new features give players the mobility they’ve been asking for, while also offering so many opportunities to have fun in this new atmosphere.

Fortnite Chapter Two seems to be attempting to go back to the old-school days of Fortnite where there were limited weapons available. While many popular weapons like the combat SMG have made their return, things seem simpler, giving both new and old players a back to the basics approach to the game.

Weapons may be limited, but the ability to use workbenches to upgrade weapons is a powerful tool that reminds us a little bit of popular survival game, The Last of Us. Fortnite players can now collect resources such as wood, brick, and metal to upgrade their weaponry instead of having to loot the island for more powerful guns.

This feature also goes hand-in-hand with the games improved methods of leveling up. It is now

easier than ever to gain XP (experience points) to level up characters and unlock new skins, emotes, and more. Simply opening an ammo box or hitting a tree with a pickaxe gives players increased XP and more opportunity to level up. There is no longer a level cap within the game, meaning players who reach Level 100 still can continue to transcend into a master Fortnite player.

One amazing addition to the game is a new health bazooka- a bandage shooting gun that will revive your knocked-down teammates. You can also lift and carry teammates on your back to safety- or move enemies away from it.

The Battle Pass has also made its return to the new chapter of the game, but this time is only available at higher price.

For 1500 V-bucks, the in game currency used by the game, players can unlock the Battle Pass and obtain new skins, weapon wraps, emotes, and the ability to complete in-game challenges. Previous Battle Passes were available for 900 V-Bucks which equates to around $10. With everything game has to offer, $6 more seems worth it to us.

There are a ton of new elements to this new chapter of Fortnite which is extremely exciting to say the least. After 10 seasons of the game, Epic Games has given back to the community in an astonishing way that really makes this game feel brand new.

As always, Fortnite Battle Royale is available to download for free on PC, PS4, Xbox, IOS, and Android. Grab some friends and jump back into the action of Fortnite Chapter Two: Season One.

“Epic Games has given back to the community in a way that really makes this game feel brand new.”

entertainment

Oct. 18, 2019

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Top Ten Haunted Attractions in the area Map by Lily Gongaware, Graphic Designer GON7253@calu.edu List by Johnathan Sakaguchi, Staff Writer SAK8734@calu.edu

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01. Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park Uniontown, PA $30 for 3 attractions

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02. Escape Crawford Connsellsville, PA $25 one-hour escape room

03. Haunted Hillside

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Mount Pleasant, PA $20 for 5 attractions

04. Hundred Acres Manor Bethel Park, PA $23 for 6 attractions

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05. Castle Blood Monessen, PA $20 General Admission

06. Allen’s Haunted Hayrides Smock, PA $25 for 2 attractions

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07. Fright Farm Smithfield, PA $25-30 for 5 attractions

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08. Phantom Fright Nights

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West Mifflin, PA $18.50 with Student ID on select dates $36.99 general admission

09. Demon House Monongahela, PA $20 general admission

10. Lonesome Valley Farms Greensburg, PA $25 for 2 attractions

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entertainment

Oct. 18, 2019

What’s Drag without Queens?

Semi-annual drag show put on at Cal U

Lola Le Croix & her crew of drag queens come to Cal U twice a year; one show in the fall semester & the other show in the spring semester!

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

Every semester, Cal U hosts a semi-annual drag show with professional drag queens performing for everyone’s entertainment.

As part of homecoming week, Cal U had returning drag queen, Lola Le Croix, and her squad of imperial drag queens put on an amazing show in the Natali Performance Center.

For those who might not know what a drag show/drag queen is, generally, drag queens are performance artists, almost always male. The queens dress in women’s clothing and often act with exaggerated femininity and in female gender roles with a primarily entertaining purpose. Drag queens often exaggerate for comedic or satirical effect.

Lola Le Croix was not the only drag queen in attendance to perform and entertain students. She invited three other fellow drag queens to entertain the audience with her. You could definitely tell everyone was having such a great time.

Aside from the drag show starting a little later than expected, that did not stop students from screaming and shouting for joy upon seeing the drag

queens. The queens danced through the audience and lip synced popular songs. Some students even brought money to tip the queens!

Some of the queens performed to very popular songs including Truth Hurts by Lizzo and You Need to Calm Down by Taylor Swift. Lola Le Croix was the main hostess in charge but the audience seemed to love the one drag queen, Alexa B. Morgan, very much. Aside from her excellent dance moves, she also wowed the crowd with cart wheels, back flips, and splits!

Cal U students always look forward to the semiannual drag show. Students are most likely already looking forward to the next drag show hosted by Ms. Lola Le Croix and fellow queens in the spring semester!

Most other colleges that host her drag show only hold it once a year.

WCAL DJ Spotlight Kole Miller, also known as DJ Orange Juice, is WCAL’s newest DJ! Kole is a Communications Major, who joined the station in order to get more experience within his major. He felt like the radio station would be the best and most fun way to get that experience. He did most of his DJ training with the stations’ Operations Director, TK, and says that his favorite memory so far was the first time that he stopped down to be a part of the Wake Up with Cal morning show with hosts TK and Doug. Kole was certified as a DJ with WCAL on September 20th, and has his very own

KOLE MILLER

show, The Fresh Squeeze, on Fridays from 2pm4pm. Listen in to 91.9fm to check it out!

entertainment

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Oct. 18, 2019

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

By Evan Peffer, Staff Writer PEF9535@calu.edu

Fandom-Waterparks Waterparks released their third full length album this past weekend, and it is one to remember. Capitalizing off of the success of their last release, Entertainment, which sent the band’s popularity soaring in February 2018, the band is really solidifying their place in the public consciousness. Fandom plays jump rope with the line between tones, blurring the realms of pop, pop punk, rock, electronic, and more. Waterparks has always be en a band that explores other genres, leaving them room to do whatever they want with no expectations. Fandom also takes a turn with some hard-hitting lyrics, criticizing not only the music industry as a whole, but also the demanding ‘fans’ who have contributed to some mental health issues within the band. It seems that Waterparks has really found their own rhythm, and it’s exciting to see where they might go next.

RATE: 9/10

October 19 - October 25

VULCAN THEATER MOVIE REVIEW

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

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

Annabelle Comes Home October continues to be horrifyingly spooky in the Vulcan Theater as Annabelle Comes Home hits the big screen this week. As the seventh installment in the Conjuring franchise, Annabelle, a creepy doll, awakens the evil spirit’s in the home of Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film follows along with the couple’s 10-year-old daughter and her babysitter for an unholy and terrifying night of a doll’s mission to kill. While the Conjuring series has been well-known throughout the horror genre, Annabelle Comes Home is not overly unique, feeling like a cheap-thrill type film. While there are classic moments of fear and tension, the film continues to rehash stuff that has already been done multiple times before. If this is your first rodeo to the franchise or you are a seasoned Annabelle fan, this film may offer you the basic ghost-story and frights you love.

RATE: 6/10

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Oct. 18, 2019

Homecom

ming 2019

Oct. 18, 2019

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opinions

Oct. 18, 2019

Ending U.S. Involvement in Syria President Trump’s withdrawal of U.S. troops - progress or oversight?

By Cameron King, Opinions Editor KIN3098@calu.edu

American involvement in Middle Eastern affairs has been a bolstering point of controversy for the United States government for the better part of the last 50 years. This not only sprung immediate conflict, but a full-on civil war amongst the Syrian people, forcing many into many chaotic, and even deadly, events from both the Assad regime and other regimes in the region.

This caught the attention of the Russian government, which in 2015, b egan backing Syria as a proxy through military aid and p olitical p ower to suit their strategic interests in the region. The Unite d States, by extension, b egan aiding, training, and prov iding hegemonic p ower to pro-demo cracy reb els. This de cision was made by then President Barack Obama, where the Unite d States Central Intelligenc e Agency was dire cte d to lead the op erations through a $1 billion annual allo cation in hop es to curb Syrian p olitical expansion in the region and to thwart Russia’s Middle Eastern legitimacy. It was later found through the publication of the Wikileaks do cuments regarding Syria that the Obama ad ministration was s e eking regime change in the region, res embling our actions taken against former President of Iraq Saddam Huss ein.

Involvement in Syria by the Unite d States has b e en a c ontroversial one. While many s e e our involvement as a humanitarian effort, others claim that it is just another cas e of America longing to b e the “world’s p olic eman” in attempting to ins ert its elf into affairs that do not, in the top-down s ens e, regard them at all.

While either take on the subje ct may hold truth to s ome degre e, there is undeniable ev idenc e that the reas on b ehind our initial involvement was not exactly transparent.

This s o on fe d into fiery p olitical rhetoric by leaders on b oth sides of the aisle, most notably President Donald Trump’s, whos e re c ent action has b e en yet another installment in the saga of the c ontroversy of Syrian o c cupation, where on O ctob er 13, 2019, it was announc e d that all tro ops in Northern Syria would b e withdrawn. This not only fulfille d a key campaign promis e from the president, but als o le d to a stir from thos e on the ne o c ons ervative right and ne olib eral left that felt the de cision was a p o or one, particularly due to a “b etrayal”

of our relationship with our p olitical proxy in the region, Syrian Kurdish forc es, who we had b e en fighting alongside for the last thre e years. This is b e caus e along with the President’s de cision, he made explicit that Turkish forc es would help s olidify the void left by the lack of U.S. forc es in an effort to c onclude American involvement.

This drew panic by many in the proKurd lobby, due to a c ontinuing c onflict b etwe en the Kurds and the Turks, sparking in the late 1970s, that has le d to the deaths of over 30,000 p e ople. This has le d to the designation by the Turkish government that lab els the pro-demo cracy forc es within the ethnic minority, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, a “terrorist group”, fueling the fear that Turkish-le d involvement would lead to the ultimate demis e of our Kurdish “allies” in the region that were resp onsible for fighting the authoritarian Assad regime.

So, was the President’s de cision a progressive move towards ending global c onflict? Or was it rather an oversight in judg ment reache d by the dire ne e d to fulfill a key campaign promis e? I tend to lo ok at it in the realm of p opularity amongst the American ele ctorate. Ac c ording to Pew Res earch Center, the c ountry is ess entially split on whether or not the de cision would b e a go o d one, with 43% saying it would b e the right move, and 45% saying it would not b e the right move. With this in mind, it is imp ortant to ask the question: is it b eneficial to U.S. national s e curity, legitimacy, or hegemony to have involvement in Syria?

While many claim we should “finish what we starte d”, it is imp ortant to re c ognize b oth the financial and moral toll such a c onflict can have on a nation, esp e cially in a c onflict that do es not have a clear cut b enefit to us as a c ountry. While many of our allies in the region b enefit from the Syrian c onflict, such as Saudi Arabia and Israel, the Unite d States p oss ess es no

surfac e-level strategic gain – esp e cially when our allies’ involvement is minimal if not nonexistent in such c onflicts. As for our involvement in other Middle Eastern territories, such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Israel, Libya, and Turkey, the same question can b e aske d. As we dump billions of dollars in aid, res ourc es, and practic es into thes e areas in order to fuel c onflicts and c ommitments that prov ide very little b enefit to us, I fe el that U.S. national s e curity is rather damage d, not help e d. In an era where we involve ours elves in the world’s affairs more s o than our own affairs here at home, it is imp ortant that we re c ognize what detrimental impact such intervention can have on our own legitimacy, res ourc es, citizens, and s e curity, as a result. As for the Kurds, as many are angere d by our “b etrayal”, I fe el that it should b e als o kept in mind that many of our clos est allies, including Japan, Australia, S pain, and G ermany, de em the Kurdistan Wokers’ Party a terrorist organization and have fallen v ictim physically and strategically to their actions in the past, despite our supp ort of them. Although pro-demo cracy, their c ours e of action s o oner res embles that of an adversary towards Western idealism, and that our supp ort of them was simply a result of the old “enemy of my enemy is my friend” adage.

All in all, I supp ort the President’s de cision, and b elieve that our involvement in Middle Eastern affairs has b e en disastrous.

While I am a prop onent of p eac e in most cas es, I fe el that any c onflict that we do involve ours elves with should strategically, p olitically, or s e curely b enefit the Unite d States in s ome way, shap e, or form. And traditionally sp eaking, our current Middle Eastern situation do es not me et the criteria ne e de d for a just war.

“Although pro-democracy, the Kurds’ course of action sooner resembles that of an adversary towards Western idealism.”

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Oct. 18, 2019

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Supreme Court Divided over Civil Rights Why the Civil Rights Act’s protection of LGBT shouldn’t be up for debate

By Chris Lisle, Contributor LIS7502@calu.edu

At the beginning of October, the Supreme Court heard a case that should be nothing less than a unanimous decision. The case dealt with the Civil Rights Act and its ability to prevent the termination of LGBTQ+ employees.

There is no reas on for the Supreme Court to rule that such dis crimination is legal.

Title VII of the Civ il Rights Act of 1964 bans dis crimination bas e d on s ex, which includes gender identity and s exual orientation.

Beyond the legalities of it, I b elieve it is imp ortant just to lo ok at this from a different p ersp e ctive. If s ome one was b eing fire d for b eing straight, everyone would b e up in arms ab out how s ome one was b eing dis criminate d bas e d on their s exual orientation. If a straight p ers on b eing fire d on that basis would caus e p e ople to b e up in arms, why can’t memb ers of the LGBTQ+ c ommunity b e treate d that same way?

Our founding do cuments state that all men are create d e qual. For that to b e the cas e and to b e fully live d up to in this c ountry, the Supreme Court has to rule that workplac e dis crimination on the basis of s exual orientation is illegal and unc onstitutional. In this c ountry we strive to b e a nation where everyone has the same opp ortunities in life and the same ac c ess to work and s erv ic es as the next p ers on, yet we are at a plac e in this c ountry’s history where we are relying on the Unite d States Supreme Court to ensure that happ ens. Cons ervatives s cream ab out small government and how the fe deral government ne e ds to stay out of p e ople’s lives, and yet, they are the ones challenging p e oples’ rights in c ourt and trying to get the government to legalize dis crimination.

The s olution to all of this: The Supreme Court ne e ds to rule that workplac e dis crimination against memb ers of the LGBTQ+ c ommunity is illegal and unc onstitutional, and the Unite d States Senate must pass the E quality Act. The E quality Act was pass e d by the D emo craticle d Hous e and would explicitly state that s exual orientation and gender identity are prote cte d characteristics and up date public spac es and s erv ic es that are prov ide d and

prote cte d for LGBTQ+ memb ers. Passage of this bill in the D emo cratic Hous e and refusal to even c onsider it by the Republicanle d Senate says a lot ab out the differenc es in priorities b etwe en left and right. The right thing to do is for the Court to do is to prote ct LGBTQ+ indiv iduals from workplac e dis crimination (that is illegal already under Title VII of the Civ il Rights Act) and for the Senate to sign the E quality Act and the president to sign it into law.

This is the Unite d States of America. We pride ours elves here at home and around the world for our fre e doms and we stress the imp ortanc e of human rights. We express our c ondemnations for dis crimination against minorities around the world. We cannot have it b oth ways. We cannot c ondemn dis crimination around the world and then dis criminate against our own p e ople here at home.

It is 2019. It is b eyond time for this c ountry to finally c ome to terms and honor our own values and our own morals and prote ct LGBTQ+ indiv iduals from workplac e dis crimination, and all kinds of dis crimination in every faction of life.

Republicans cannot brag ab out b eing in favor of the working p ers on and the average, everyday American if they aren’t willing to prote ct everyone and ensure p e ople can’t b e fire d for who they love. If the U.S. Supreme Court won’t hand down the right de cision, then p e ople all over the c ountry must mobilize to ele ct p oliticians that will do the right things and prote ct mys elf and my fellow LGBTQ+ indiv iduals from workplac e dis crimination and all kinds of dis crimination.

“ We cannot condemn discrimination around the world and then discriminate against our own people here at home.”

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opinions

Oct. 18, 2019

Art and Writing Encounter

Cal U hosts 10th annual art and writing event for high school students

By Sarah Erstfeld, Contributor ERS2474@calu.edu

The Art and Writing Encounter (AWE), an event on September 27 at California University of Pennsylvania where high school and middle school students from surrounding school districts came to campus for a day, was a beneficial experience for all involved.

Every year, Cal U hosts the AWE. Professors from Cal U and middle and high school teachers volunteer their time to teach two sessions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. High school and middle school students pick which pair of sessions they would like to go to. They are put into groups based on the sessions they chose and a volunteer college student escorts them for the day.

The college student takes the high school or middle school students to the morning session, to lunch in Gallagher Hall, to the afternoon session, then back to their teachers to return to school. The students experience one art session and one writing session.

Judith Totty, the coordinator for the event since 2013, says “The Art and Writing Encounter is giving middle school and high school students an art and writing class with a college professor to experience college for a day.” She says that a lot of schools have cut out art and writing classes, so this event can show students that there are careers in Cal U has been hosting this event for about 10 years. Previously, Waynesburg University held the event, though, according to Totty, there were never as many attendees there. AWE is unique to Cal U. Totty says that the university benefits from the event because students come to campus for a day and may decide to attend Cal U in the future for their undergraduate degrees. Totty says that AWE is growing, “Teachers in the classroom realize that students aren’t getting opportunities in school, so they bring them here.”

Totty says that the middle school and high school students benefit from AWE. “All the tests in kindergarten through high school are awful,” she says, “Higher ed isn’t like that.” She says

that students will realize that college is a more interpretive place and has less to do with right or wrong answers.

Totty goes on to say that students will see that “artists make the world a better place. Artists get us back to what we need to be thinking about.

We’re all human.” She believes that the AWE shows students this, and that this new knowledge on their part can influence their future career choices.

Totty says that the college students, who are mostly education majors because certain clearances are needed in order to volunteer, also benefit from AWE. She says that the event “gives them an idea of the responsibility they have to have in teaching.”

Kennedy Johnston, a junior whose major is English Secondary Education, agrees with Totty. She says that it was good to “be around the age group I’m going to be teaching.” Johnston had a group of high schoolers that she took care of. In all of her previous field experiences, she had been placed in middle schools. She appreciated the chance to gain experience with high schoolers.

Johnston enjoyed escorting the kids, referring to them as “my little crew.”

She says that she was “scared the kids would get bored, but the professors did a nice job of making it age appropriate so the kids paid attention.”

She says “I will definitely volunteer next year.”

Jenna Laudermilt, a senior student majoring in English Secondary Education, says that AWE was a “positive experience because I got to experience new things.”

She says that she decided to volunteer because she’s “graduating next semester, so why not?”

Laughing, she also mentions that the experience will improve her resume. She says that she wishes she could have done more. “I expected I would have had to actually do something at some point instead of just sitting in the back of the conference room and walking them everywhere,” she says.

She says that one of the most beneficial experiences was “learning to keep track of 21 children when you don’t know their faces or names.” It is a skill that will come in handy her first few weeks of student teaching.

When asked if she would volunteer next year if she was not graduating this year, she said “Yes. Why not?”

“Artists make the world a better place.

Artists get us back to what we need to be thinking about. We’re all human.”

opinions

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Oct. 18, 2019

Textbook Trouble

College textbooks costing students over $1,000 every year

By Hannah Wyman, Contributor WYM7514@calu.edu College tuition is not the only thing students and parents are shuddering at anymore. The price of college textbooks has been on the rise in recent years.

From access codes to textbooks to lab equipment, students are expected to spend hundreds of dollars each school year on class materials.

According to a 2016 report from the non-profit Student Public Interest Research Groups, Covering the Cost, the cost of a college textbook increased by 73-percent since 2006. In fact, the report finds that today, individual textbooks often cost over $200, sometimes as high as $400.

Sophomore Joseph Donatucci, 20, calculated that he has spent around $850 on class materials the past three semesters. “[It’s] a lot more than I thought I’d spend on textbooks,” Donatucci said. “I didn’t expect that much.”

To combat this financial loss, students like Donatucci often turn to websites such as Amazon and Chegg when purchasing textbooks. Typically, such companies offer lower price than the campus bookstore.

“Online is always cheaper than the bookstore, I’ve found,” said Donatucci. “Sometimes even renting them from the bookstore is more expensive than buying a used copy online.

Though financial aid is often applied to tuition and room and board costs, the same Student PIRGs study found one-third of students reported that they have used financial aid to pay for their textbooks. The average amount of financial aid spent was more than $300 per semester.

“All of them were pretty much in the range of $60-$70,” freshman Betty Savage, 19, said of her first semester buying course materials. “I use my financial aid.”

Savage believes that textbooks are so expensive due to the useful material they hold. Donatucci cites how textbooks are expensive due to how they are sometimes required for multiple classes. He believes that publishers know this and capitalize on it.

High prices, according to Covering the Cost, are due to the lack of competition as five publishers control 80-percent of the market and the lack of consumer choice in purchases. Students must buy the books they are assigned. English professor Brent House believes their ability to learn from their

coursework will be diminished otherwise.

“I do consider the price when I order books, but there’s other significant details for me to consider, too,” House said. “I consider the academic reputation of the publisher and the author, for example.”

In a 2018-2019 budget breakdown, the College Board suggested students budget about $1,200 a year for textbooks and supplies. To diminish such financial deficit, many students turn to re-selling or borrowing textbooks. There are also some assigned textbooks for classes available in the library for students.

“I would suggest that students share textbooks if at all possible, Donatucci said. “Figure out if the book

is actually needed for the class because some classes you can get by without it. There are some classes that I wish I didn’t by the textbook for.”

In terms of saving money, House has similar thoughts as students in terms of finding alternatives to purchasing a textbook at full price.

“Students often share books, find off-campus (often online) sources for purchasing textbooks at the lowest possible price, and find alternative solutions for meeting their need for text resources,” said House. “I admire the determination of our students to find the resources they need for their education.

Did You Know?

During the 20182019 academic year, college students spent, on average, almost $1,300 on textbooks and other school supplies.

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Oct. 18, 2019

puzzles

sports

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Oct. 18, 2019

Cal U Athlete Spotlight: Jordan Dandridge Senior wide receiver overcomes injuries to become a force for the Vulcans

By Austin Heckman, Contributor HEC7947@calu.edu

As a senior wide receiver for Cal U, Jordan Dandridge is having success on the field, but it was not always like that for him.

Dandridge is from Duluth, Georgia, a city about twenty miles from downtown Atlanta and has a smaller population of around 30,000. After high school, Dandridge went to a prep school called the Atlanta Sports Academy.

“I was thinking about going the JUCO (Junior College) route, but my coach spoke to me and a couple of teammates about this prep school where we wouldn’t lose eligibility like if we went to JUCO,” he said.

Dandridge learned about Cal U from his stepdad who is a Cal U alumnus. His stepdad contacted the university and made arrangements for Dandridge to take a tour of the campus and meet the coaches.

Jordan ended up coming to Cal U after spending time at the Atlanta Sports Academy.

At Duluth, Dandridge was a multi-sport athlete.

While playing football in the fall, he also played lacrosse in the spring. “I played football most of my life and our high school coach who was also the track coach wanted the football players to do track in the spring if they already didn’t do a spring sport.

But I didn’t want to do track, so my math teacher asked a couple teammates and I if we have ever thought about lacrosse and I haven’t. Also, one of my friends, who was on the lacrosse team, told me they were having tryouts and I ended up trying out and playing for three years,” Jordan said on how he started playing lacrosse. “One of the reasons that I stopped playing lacrosse was because they didn’t record the games like they did for football. Football had huddle and other things, while lacrosse didn’t have anything to record games to rewtch them again. Also, I wanted my main focus to be on to football.”

During his time at Cal U, Dandridge has had several injuries that kept taking him off the field.

In 2017, Jordan started three games, but his season ended early as he tore his ACL and medical redshirt the rest of the season. In 2018, he started seven games before dislocating his leg and having a severe high ankle sprain.

That season, he had earned All-PSAC West Second Team honors.

“These injuries made me appreciate everything

more because sitting out on terms you can’t control is tough,” he said.

Dandridge is one of twelve seniors on the team and the only senior wide receiver.

“Since I dealt with my own injuries and I know how tough mentally it can be, I try to be the person that if someone isn’t having a good day on or off the field that the person know I got their back with things,” he said.

“Even though I don’t talk a lot in the moment, I try and show my actions towards my teammates to show them how I feel.”

For this season Jordan and his team’s goal this season is to win the PSAC and make the playoffs.

But for Jordan’s individual goal this season he said, “I want to finish this season having no regrets.

I could care less about the stats as long as I give

everything I can, I would be happy with that.”

Jordan is a Liberal Studies Major who wants to go on and become either a child psychologist or a sports psychologist.

Jordan has 23 receptions, 349-yards, and five touchdowns so far this season in five games. With an already career high in touchdowns, he is also on pace to have career highs in receptions and yards.

“I’m leaving everything out onto the field because this is my last season to play. I looked up to older teammates in the past and tried to imitate their work ethic. Those practices and workouts during the week help me get the results on the field. Also, by having a good work ethic I can also set an example for my teammates,” he said.

Cal U senior wide receiver Jordan Dandridge led all players with 88 receiving yards on five catches during the football game versus Kutztown University at Adamson Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019.

Photo by Jeff Helsel

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Oct. 18, 2019

sports

Vulcans defeat Clarion on Homecoming, 35-20 Caraway makes three touchdown receptions Photos by Jeff Helsel and Leigh Swartzfager Behind four touchdown passes by quarterback Noah Mitchell, the Vulcans earned a 3520 victory over Clarion on Homecoming at Adamson Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12. With the win, the Cal U football team improves to 4-2 overall and sits tied for second in the PSAC West standings with a 2-1 mark in league play.

Senior wide receiver Jordan Dandridge set a career high with 10 receptions and totaled 125 yards with one touchdown. Receiver Derrick Caraway established career highs with 47 receiving yards, six receptions and three touchdowns.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 19, when it travels to face Gannon in Erie, Pa. at 12 p.m.

Far Left Top: Sophomore QB, Noah Mitchell Far Left Bottom: Senior RB, Nelson Brown Above: Sophomore WR Derrick Caraway Left: Senior WR Jordan Dandridge

sports

Oct. 18, 2019

Cal U and RMU skate to a 3-3 tie Photos by David Hague The California University of Pennsylvania men’s hockey club kicked off the season with a 3-3 tie against Robert Morris University at the Island Sports Center in Pittsburgh on Oct. 4, 2019. Dane Heckman, Emery Anden, and Chris Siak each recorded goals for the Vulcans. Cal U won their fifth straight (12th overall) CHE Championship last season and have their eyes set on yet another CHE title this season with the goal of returning to the ACHA National Tournament in Dallas, Texas in late March.

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Oct. 18, 2019

Women’s Cross Country (Cal U Sports Information) The California University of Pennsylvania women’s cross country team finished third in the team standings behind three top-25 runners on Oct. 12 at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational at Schenley Park.

Sophomore Saralynn Vance completed the five-kilometer race with a time of 19 minutes, 41.97 seconds to finish ninth overall, which marks her thirdstraight top-10 finish.

Phot os by Sue Urbine

Men’s Cross Country The California University of Pennsylvania men’s cross country team placed third in the team standings at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Schenley Park. Senior Joe Uliano led the team and finished in 11th place while competing in a feild of 110 entries.

sports

Oct. 18, 2019

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Cal U Volleyball defeats Bloomsburg Team pie-in-the-face event raises funds for breast cancer research The California University of Pennsylvania volleyball team posted a 3-1 victory over Bloomsburg on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 in the Convocation Center.

Cal U players wore pink jerseys for “Dig Pink” night to raise awareness for breast cancer research. The team also held a “Pie-in-the-face” fundraising challenge outside the Natali Student Center on Thursday, Oct. 10. Students, faculty and staff donated money to “pie a Cal U volleyball player” with funds going to the Dig Pink for Side-Out Foundation’s stage IV breast cancer research.

Far Left: Sophomore Shelby Alloway during Dig Pink night against Bloomsburg on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 Left Top: Junior Madeleine McKenna reacts after she takes a pie in the face from PASSHE Chancellor Dan Greenstein Left Middle: Barbara Letourneau, assistant volleyball coach Left Bottom: Freshman Kelly Lynch with University President Geraldine M. Jones Photos by Jeff Helsel and Devon Gerena

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Oct. 18, 2019

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT RYAN SMITH Photo by : Name

CLASS: Senior MAJOR: Pro Golf Management w/ Minor in Business HOMETOWN: Hamburg, Pa. HIGH SCHOOL: Hamburg Smith set a school record for a three-round tournament with 20 birdies at The Griffin Invitational while in Virginia. He placed fourth overall at the event with a three-under 213 (73-69-71) while playing 54 holes at The Country Club of Petersburg. Smith matched his career-best score of 69 in the second round last Monday before tallying eight birdies in the final round on Tuesday.

RACHEL WILSON CLASS: Sophomore MAJOR: Sports Management (Pro Golf Management) HOMETOWN: Warren, Pa. HIGH SCHOOL: Warren Wilson finished in the third place on Monday at the Lady Eagles Invitational held in Connecticut. She carded a 16-over 158 (78-80) and set a career high with six birdies, plus recorded an eagle on the parfive first in the final round. Wilson was the team’s low scorer for the first time in her career and registered her second top-five finish of the fall.

Cal U Sports Information