Cal Times Sept. 6, 2013

INSIDE

CAL TIMES california university of Pennsylvania

september, 6, 2013

Cal U fraternity receives U.S. flag flown in warzone, page 2.

CALTIMES.ORG

vol. 35, No. 2

IN THE

NEWS cowaBUNGA!!!!!!

Cal U student Sarah Barger rides the zip-line in an event sponsored by The Student Activities Board (SABUG)

Page 6

OPINION Real life disney princesses: Demi Lovato Vs. Miley Cyrus

photo: Casey Flores From left to right: Tyler Steve, sophomore, computer science; Annabel Lorence, freshman, theater; Dalton Francik, freshman, undecided, make their opinions on Noss’ new pay-for-print policy known.

Cal U makes changes to printing service ____________________________ by

Gene Axton

editor in chief

____________________________ Opinion writer Sara Householder compares two postDisney Pop stars and contrasts how they’ve handled and mishandled superstardom.

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THE ARTS Fall 2013 Movie preview

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SPORTS the last time the pirates had a winning season...

Page 12

Students commonly refer to California University of Pennsylvania’s Noss Hall as the print lab. It is home to a large portion of Cal U’s public computers, and up until this semester, Noss Hall offered free printing for students.

Cal U students could print an unlimited number of pages from any computer in Noss.

The documents from every computer in the lab would all be sent to one printer, which was staffed by work-study students.

The students who printed the documents then had to wait until their pages printed – a cover page that bared each student’s Cal U email separated documents. This routine is no more, though, and each document printed comes at a price.

The print lab is no longer staffed by work-study students

– it is now fully self-serve, says Eric Hartman, systems analyst at Cal U. Students can choose to print to the usual printer room or to a printer stationed in one of the computer labs. They will then go to the printer and either swipe their CalCard or type in their Cal U login ID. After choosing a method of payment, the documents they have sent to print will process. According to Hartman, more printers will be added to Noss in the future.

Each student is allotted a $25 credit at Cal U printers – that’s 500 single-sided pages. After their $25 is depleted, the print jobs will be funded by CalCard shop dollars. Although the onscreen wallet may show shop dollars combined with the $25 allotment, the printers will pull from the allotment until it is completely drained, then it will process via shop dollars. According to Hartman that’s more generous than some institutions within the Pennsylvania State

System of Higher Education, which only give their students enough for 100 pages.

Why did Noss change their printing policies? Hartman says it’s due to cost and waste.

“We lease those printers, and the way that it works is we get 250,000 pages per month per printer, so 500,000 pages,” he said. “In the first week of [the 2012 academic year] we printed 150,000 pages. This semester, 29,000 and there is no cover page.”

The decision to restrict mobile printing to two-sided pages was also inspired by conservation.

Mobile printing can be done by emailing the document to print@calu.edu, but according to Hartman, the service may not be compatible with all file types.

Word documents and PDF files are safe, but specialty files, such as Photoshop documents, should be printed in person.

Double-sided pages cost $.8 per page.

Hartman says that the work-

study positions lost due to the changes were not eliminated entirely. Cal U tech support was granted some and the rest were put back into the pool that determines how many positions each department is assigned each year.

Chelsea Bowlen, sophomore, psychology, was a former workstudy at Noss. She says that the only students laid off were those who didn’t want to transition to the help desk. “[Noss] did their best to accommodate everyone, though.

You had to learn different things [like] how to remove viruses from computers. They just didn’t feel like moving to the help desk.”

The move to pay-for-print was approved by the Cal U Board of Trustees and is on a trial basis, but Eric Hartman is already upbeat about what the changes have done for Noss Hall, Cal U and the university’s paper budget.

HOW MANY PAGES?!

Noss Hall printed over 3 million pages last year. That’s 402.5 miles of paper. That’s enough paper to reach: Washington (202 miles) Toronto (352 miles)

Cleveland (round trip 336 miles) Ocean City, m.d. (353 miles)

New York (363 miles) Columbus, Ohio (round trip 364 miles)

F ac e bo o k – Ca l T im es N ew s pa per

Twitter – @Cal T i mes

Cal times

page 2

September 6, 2013

Cal U fraternity receives U.S. flag flown in warzone The men of Fiji are posing with Sergeant First Class Scott Davis and the flag flown in Afghanistan.

_______________________

by Collin Rzotkiewicz For the Cal Times ___________________________

Scott Davis and his son Cody Davis (sophomore, electrical engineering) are standing with the flag being presented to Fiji.

The Fiji officers are being presented with the American flag by Sergeant First Class Scott Davis.

Times Staff CALTIMES.org Caltimes@cALU.edu 724-938-4321

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Sergeant First Class Scott Davis honored the California University of Pennsylvania chapter of the fraternity Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) with an American flag. His son Cody, sophomore, electrical engineering, is part of the fraternity.

Davis recently came home after serving time over in Mazeri-sharif, Afghanistan. While in service, he asked one of his fellow troops if they would fly the flag with them on a combat mission. The flag was flown on an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, a part of the Unit 1-104 ARB (attack reconnaissance baton). During the combat mission, the helicopter was shot at by an RPG (rocket propelled grenade), but managed to complete its mission and successfully returned to the base safely with the flag intact.

“We’ve had other members of my unit dedicate flags, and they have flown flags on other missions and I thought it would be

Gene Axton...........................................................Editor in chief Jose Negron..........................................................Sports Editor Jamie Rider...............................................entertainment editor Casey Flores........................................................Opinion Editor Laura zeno................................................Website coordinator jeff Helsel..........................................director of publications

Photos: Collin Rzotkiewicz

really neat to have them fly one for my son’s fraternity to dedicate to Cody and his brothers,” said Davis when asked what he thought of this dedication.

He explained that nearly everything about missions is completely classified and to find out that the flag he was dedicating had a back story he could share was very neat.

“It was cool,” Cody said regarding his dad’s flag dedication to the fraternity. “It shows that he likes that I’m getting involved with Greek Life and that he knows that I’m taking the right path.”

Cody was not the only one who thought the dedication was cool.

“This being my first year as a brother to this fraternity, I am extremely honored and appreciative of Mr. Davis,” Erik Miller, sophomore, communications said. “I would like to thank him for his service to our country. I am also honored to be a part of Phi Gamma Delta, and am extremely happy to see how much this fraternity is growing.”

Director of Greek life at Cal U Joy Helsel also shared her thoughts on the flag dedication.

“I think that this dedication reinforces the values of fraternities and sororities,” she said.

“Not only does it show honor for this chapter but for the entire Greek community. It also shows that Cody’s dad values his involvement in fraternity and that it’s an important part in his sons life.”

Gavin Volosky, senior, communications, was excited about the future of Fiji. “This is a great way to carry on our legacy,” he said. “It’s a piece of our nation’s history that will always be a part of this fraternity. It makes me mighty proud to be a Fiji.”

CAL TIMES CONTRIBUTORS: Michelle Cooper Meaghan Clister

Collin Rzotkiewicz Jose Negron

Casey flores

POLICY: The California TIMES is published in 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 submissions as it sees fit, without offering justification for content or advertising sections.

NEWS

september 6, 2013

page 3

Budget Surplus Good News for Cal U’s Future _______________________ programs. “I liked seeing the

by Casey Flores energy of everyone here and the contributing editor ___________________________ California University of Pennsylvania’s fiscal house is finally in order.

That was the big news coming out of the 2013 Fall Faculty-Staff Convocation held on Thursday, Aug. 29in Steele Hall. Interim President Geraldine Jones announced that, for the first time in five years, Cal U’s budget had no deficit – instead, there was a surplus. The official amount of the surplus will be revealed within the next week, according to Ms. Jones.

“In a little over a year, our University’s leadership team has erased a deficit that was nearing $12 million,” she said in “This Week’s Message From Interim President Jones” posted Aug. 27 on Cal U’s website.

The interim president has only been in the position for fifteen months, but she has already taken a hard stance regarding the Cal U’s budgeting.

“For too many years, wishful thinking has taken the place of sound fiscal management here at Cal U,” she said.

Faculty and staff responded positively to the convocation.

“I enjoyed it very much,” said Peggy McGarry, assistant director of the office of web-based

focus on academics.”

In reference to the news of the surplus, Ms. McGarry said, “I just feel the heart of leadership.

That was not an easy feat to accomplish.”

Dr. William Biddington a member of the department of exercise science, echoed Ms. McGarry’s excitement. “[It was] the first positive convocation we’ve had in a while,” Biddington said. “I think a lot of faculty came out with a good feeling from the convocation and as [President Jones] said, we are moving forward.”

The celebrated surplus did not come without dramatic cuts.

Among those were reductions in university travel, advertising, copying and printing, discretionary allocations, and many others, according to a slide Ms. Jones displayed.

Perhaps most noticeable to students have been the cuts to the Vulcan Flyer services.

In reference to the Flyer, Vice President for Administration and Finance Robert Thorn said, “We’re still servicing Vulcan Village at the same times. Our turn-around time might be a little bit slower, but by just cutting one or two busses out, we can save substantially in those costs and redirect those toward

Photo: Jeff Helsel Interim President Geraldine M. Jones announces that the University ended the 2012-2013 fiscal year without a financial deficit during her remarks at the 2013 Fall Faculty-Staff Convocation in Steele Hall on Aug. 29. It’s the first time in five years that Cal U has balanced its books, she said.

the academic programs.”

Another topic covered by Ms. Jones was the drop in student enrollment at Cal U for the second consecutive year. While the freshman enrollment increased to 26 percent more than last year’s number, Ms. Jones said, “we are projecting a decline in our overall headcount of be-

tween 3 and 4 percent compared to last fall.”

Lastly, the interim president announced that she had good news to report on Cal U housing.

“This year, our University Housing office made a vigorous effort to encourage both new and returning students to

reside [in] on-campus housing.

As a result, our residence halls on campus are at 99.3 percent capacity.” She also stated that the university continues to place residents at Vulcan Village.

I guess we won’t get our final ride – but we did get to enjoy it.”

Trump, surrounded by his fellow bikers, reminisced about past rides.

“We rode this about three years ago,” he said. “We came down and about twelve of us rode across on our motorcycles and we went on down into West Virginia and rode.”

The ferry, which connect-

ed Fredricktown, Washington County with Labelle, Fayette County, existed since the 1700s.

The current ferry in-service bears the date of 1948.

Sandy Hritz, who used to live in Dutch Hill but is now a resident of Brownsville, is part of that history.

“We couldn’t walk to Brownsville [and] Uniontown was the big city. I remember my dad bought a ’54 Chevy over there.

We used to get our haircut over there.”

Hritz has memories of the town across the river that wouldn’t be possible without the ferry.

“I used to walk from Dutch Hill and we’d either walk the railroad tracks or the road, cross [on the ferry] for a nickel and go shopping,” Hritz said. “There was a clothing store, a flower shop… this is where we banked, this was our town. Fredericktown was our town.”

The fare ballooned from a nickel to $.50 since then, but it still hasn’t been enough to fund the service. The ferry is operating in the red and has survived thanks to help for Pennsylvania’s fuel taxes. Losses became greater when a stretch of the Mon-Fayette Expressway opened and cut the time it took to travel between Labelle and Fredericktown.

There has been public support for the service. Friends of the Fredericktown Ferry, an online community built around the local landmark, is still active despite the ferry’s closure. It currently stands at 1,068 members.

Friends of the Fredericktown Ferry organized a “retirement party” for the vessel that took place on Wednesday, August 28.

Neither county has come forward to save the ferry despite the interest the issue has garnered from the public.

Cannonsburg resident Kathy Smith thought that the ferry represented a lost tourism opprotunity for the area.

“It’s a shame these governments didn’t have some vision for making this more than a commuter ferry,” Smith said.

“We have traveled out of our way in other parts of the country to ride on ferries and we are not the only people [there] whenever we do that. There are organized trips.”

She also pointed out the park that lies steps from the ferry’s landing in Labelle.

“There’s a picnic place... theres a park that the federal government already put money into.”

Plans for the decomissioned ferry have yet to be finalized.

Fredericktown Ferry curtain call cancelled by current

____________________________ by

Gene Axton

editor in chief

____________________________ Patrons arriving at the Fayette County landing of the Fredericktown ferry on August 30 found the vessel docked. That Friday was to be the ferry’s final day of service, but inclement

conditions caused by a swift current stranded crowds on both sides of the Monongahela.

Connellsville resident Bob Trump was hoping to take one more ride across the river.

“We saw [that] today was going to be the last ride so we all came down and figured we’d take our last ride on it,” Trump said. “Because of the high water on the Mon it’s closed down, so

photo: Jeff Helsel Visitors walk aboard the Ferry Boat Frederick in LaBelle on its final scheduled day of operation, Sept. 3. A ferry has been crossing the Monongahela River between Fredericktown and LaBelle since the late 1700s.

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Cal Times

Fall 2013 Movie Preview

September 6, 2013

SEPTEMBER September kicked off with the release of “Riddick,” the third installment of the science fiction series starring Vin Diesel, on Sept. 3. “The Family” will be released Sept. 13 for those interested in the story of a mafia clan under witness protection getting thrown back in to the business. On Sept. 20 “Prisoners,” a crime thriller where a father takes the case of his missing daughter in to his own hands, is released. Also on the same day “Blue Caprice,” originally shown at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, will be hitting commercial theaters. The film is inspired by the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks. Sept. 27 will showcase the film “Rush,” showing audiences the 1970s rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

OCTOBER “Romeo & Juliet” is being released Oct. 11 instead of the February release that one would expect. Unlike other film adaptations, this one will forego the traditional Shakespearean dialogue and simply follow the same plot, which has been cause for controvery. The same day “CBGB” comes out featuring Allan Rickman as the famous club owner who helped perpetuate the early underground rock and punch scene in New York. Fitting for the Halloween season, the reimagining of “Carrie” comes out on Oct. 18. It stars Chloe Mortez. Also being released on that day is “The Fifth Estate,” a film based on WikiLeaks and it’s editor-in-chief Julian Assange. On Oct. 25 “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” hits theaters in an attempt to get audiences laughing again.

NOVEMBER The month opens with the movie adaptation of “Ender’s Game” on Nov. 1, originally a book about gifted children being trained in anticipation for another alien invasion. The highly anticipated sequel “Thor: Dark World” comes out on Nov. 8. Another book to movie adaptation comes out Oct. 15 called “The Book Thief.” This is set in Germany during WWII where a young girl finds solace in books and sharing them with others. Another big release in November is “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” It’s the second part of a three part series about a future where districts must sacrifice young civilians to fight to the death. Disney is releasing “Frozen” on Nov. 27. This is a story of two sisters, Elsa and Anna, based loosely on the Hans Christian Anderson’s book “The Snow Queen.”

Entertainment

september 6, 2013

Useful apps for the fall semester _______________________

by Taylor Brown staff writer

____________________________ A lot happens during the first few weeks of school. Homework piles up at an alarming rate and the amount of time spent trying not to feel a rising panic outweighs the time spent being productive. So how do students manage heavy course loads and stress all year without losing their mind? They look for shortcuts of course. Organizing and scheduling time as well as thinking ten steps ahead are useful, until the loss of that beloved planner or the sticky note happens. Luckily there are free solutions, courtesy of the developers of smartphone apps, to help make life in and outside of the classroom a little bit easier.

Evernote is a free productivity app that is available on both Apple and Android operating systems that allows students and professionals in all stages of life to keep organized on all of their different devices. This app allows you to take notes, create to-do lists, associate photos with notes and record sound. It also makes these things searchable on any device that is being used.

Evernote can sync with other users and allow the sharing of notes, photos and recordings.

This app is designed to be an asset in the classroom or in the workplace and was included in the New York Times “Top 10 Must-Have Apps.”

Mint.com Personal Finance is a budgeting app that allows

users to see their bank account information. Users can track where they have been spending the most money, in turn helping decide where cut backs in spending need to occur. Users can add all of their different bank accounts, including checking, savings, credit, loan and even retirement accounts (if applicable). Graphing features allow users to visualize spending trends and show when spending peaked during a specific time. One of the key features of this app is that it enables the user to set goals and spending limits within certain categories.

All of this information syncs with Mint.com on the web and helps users keep their finances in order, because typically college students don’t have that much to work with.

MyFitnessPal is a calorie/ carb counting exercise app that allows users to create a personal profile and set weight loss or exercise goals. The app has over two million food items in its system as well as over 300 exercises that can be added to daily diet and exercise logs. The app assesses how much weight users loose per week based on daily calorie consumption. For some people exercising just isn’t their digs, some can’t find the determination or willpower to put down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s to go to the gym for an hour and this app isn’t really insisting users do that. It just gives an easy way to manage users lifestyles if they choose to do so. This app doesn’t even have to be used for

those who want to lose weight.

It can be utilized by people who want to gain weight, maintain a certain weight or for being a little healthier in day-to-day life. Understanding diet and exercise is fairly simple and this app gives a basic agenda that is easy to keep up with.

Pocket, formerly known as Read It Later, is an app that remembers all of the things that users forget. It allows users to store articles, videos or websites that they want to check out but don’t have the time to spare right that second. By automatically syncing all selected articles/videos/web pages and placing them on all of the users devices, the interesting article that was found last week can now be viewed when waiting for class to start or the bus to come. This app was included in Apple’s “App Store’s best of 2012”.

Last but not least, StudyBlue is an app that is relatively selfexplanatory and something that every college student could find helpful especially during midterms or finals week. StudyBlue is a sort of digital backpack that can make studying effective and easy. It allows users to study using flash cards. Users can stop mid studying and pick up where they left off after they are done working out, eating dinner or just taking a break. It allows users to re-study concepts that have previously been problematic. Users can make flash cards, search through other student made materials, set reminders

of what needs to be studies and contact other classmates using the app to collaborate together to get the grade.

There are also a few more apps that might be worth checking out. ShareYourBoard is an Android based application that allows users to take pictures of classroom white boards and share them with classmates.

NoRedInk.com is a website designed by an English teacher to help students improve on their writing skills. Choose from different topics and get out of the bad habits that have set in since high school. GymPact is also an interesting app that allows users to make money for going to the gym. It recognizes users are at the gym by using a GPS location. Although there seems to be some glitches and bugs that still need to be worked out, it seems like a good motivator for those who don’t particularly like working out.

Being in college is definitely tough and although upper classmen may have learned some tricks after so many semesters here, there are some things that will never become any easier to fit into student schedules.

There are just some things that students will forget and some habits that might not ever be broken. But, it is almost guaranteed that for every problem there is some kind of app out there to make college life a little bit easier and hopefully as stress free as possible. These are supposed to be the best years of student’s lives after all.

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NEW THIS WEEK IN YOUR CONSOLE “NHL 14” “Puppeteer”

IN THEATERS “Insidious: Chapter 2” “Blue Caprice” “The Family” “A Strange Brand of Happy” “Wadjda”

Netflix Movie of the Week L O C A L S

courtesy: imdb.com

“The Fox and the Hound ”

College students are old enough to make the decision that there is no bad time in life to watch a Disney movie. The Fox and the Hound is a tale of friendship and life. This movie also has musical numbers and talking animals, so that’s a plus. If “The Fox and the Hound” isn’t your favorite, check out other Disney titles that have recenty been released on Netflix.

Starring: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, and Pearl Bailey Genre: Animated Originally Released: July 10, 1981

O N L Y

IN YOUR STEREO Rise Against “Long Forgotten Songs”

Bowling for Soup “Lunch Drunk Love” The Artic Monkeys “AM”

by Josh

Hanna

courtesy: Arcane Haven

Arcane Haven is a five piece metal/hardcore band established in the Pittsburgh scene in 2009. They bring a very interesting sound to the table with influences from current metal bands (As I Lay Dying, All That Remains), and hardcore bands (Stick To Your Guns, No Bragging Rights). They have released one EP with another on the way and have already released a new single called “Outer Heaven.”

As mentioned before, Arcane Haven’s sound brings something a little different to the table and it is definitely shown through “Outer Heaven.” Instrumentally, the song fuses these metal and hardcore components to create an awesome blend. A good mix of screaming, chanting and clean vocals are tossed in to give the song more dynamic.

Arcane Haven will release their new EP, “Passages,” on Sept. 7. They will be playing a CD release show that night at Altar Bar, a venue in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

Keith Urban “Fuse”

cal times

page 6

September 6, 2013

PIE-A-CHI FOR CANCER FUNDRAISER

Delta Chi fraternity brother Bryan Kline (junior/secondary education) gets a pie in the face by Nick Rosinsky (junior/history).

photos: Jeff Helsel Delta Chi fraternity brother Eric Myers (junior/environmental science in biology) at the fraternity’s “Pie-a-Chi for cancer” fundraising event Aug. 29, 2013. Proceeds benefit the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Brad Ferland (junior/forensic anthropology) gets a pie in the face.

IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE...

NO! IT’S MOBILE ZIP LINE!

photo: casey flores Calvin Panghulan (senior/business) and Carlos Berardelli (senior/business) post zip line. photo: gene axton Casey Flores (senior/communication studies) zip lines for the first time and he didn’t have to change his pants!

Priscilla Santos (junior/psychology) gets her harness on.

photo: casey flores

photo: casey flores Sarah Barger (sophomore, gerontology)

photo: casey flores Priscilla Santos (junior/psychology)

cal times

september 6, 2013

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, 2013

FAMILY DAY

Schedule of Events Saturday, September 14 8am-4pm

Registration. Information Desk, Natali Student Center.

Free t-shirts to the first 500 Family Members in attendance.

10am-2pm

Kids Zone sponsored by the Black Student Union. Face painting, crafts, candy and more. (Natali Commuter Center)

10am-2pm

Greek Games sponsored by Greek Life. Kid’s games including ladder ball, corn hole, Plinko, jewelry making, Pie a Chi and hair painting. (Third Street in front of Natali)

10am-2pm

Photo Seat Cushions sponsored by SABUG. (Natali Student Center lobby)

10am-2pm

Cal U Build a Buddy sponsored by SABUG. (Natali Student Center lobby)

11am

Performance by the University Choir. (Convocation Center Fountain)

12pm-1:30pm Bingo sponsored by the Residence Life Office. (Performance Center) 12:30-4:30pm Wildlife Society Family Field Day. Various events including archery demonstration live animal show, blue bird box construction and more.

(In and around the Frich Building) 3:30pm

Vulcan Football vs. Kutztown. Free admission for Cal U students and kids 12 and under. Special Kids Zone with games, face painting and inflatable.

(Adamson Stadium) $$

12, 4, 8, 11pm Free Movie: Monsters University in the Vulcan Theatre.

7pm

PNC Broadway Across America Presents The Lion King. Tickets available at the Natali Information Desk begining Friday, September 13. $$ $$ - A cost is associated with these events.

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opinion

page 8

_______________________

by Sara Householder

for the CalTimes ____________________________ Millions of girls across the entire world go to sleep and dream of becoming a princess.

Young, female celebrities are as close to royalty as most can ever come, yet the price is often one’s innocence. The pressure of the spotlight places a heavy burden on the shoulders of an adolescent growing up in front of millions of fans, critics and cynics. Disney Channel has been known to create “family-friendly” shows that enthrall young audiences across the globe, but these shows also create young stars hoping to leave their innocent image behind them after their adolescence.

Disney vs. Reality Disney Channel is known for creating family-oriented and kid-friendly shows that parents are comfortable allowing their toddlers and young children to watch. To educate and instill morals in young kids, Disney Channel stars have a reputation and brand image which requires an exceptionally complex preservation. The actors have no room for “slip-ups” in the public eye and neither does the brand.

Celebrities make a choice to live their life publically, yet no stars have to live their lives with less room for error than those bred

by Disney.

September 6, 2013

Real-Life Disney Princesses: Demi vs. Miley Demi vs. Miley

Over six years ago, Demi Lovato and Miley Cyrus instantly bonded because of their similar overnight careers as Disney Channel leading ladies. From child stars to beautiful young ladies, they have gone in two very different directions with their lifestyles, performance personas and friend circles. Both women have gone through extremely personal and life-altering experiences in the burning hot spotlight we call stardom. With that said, these former child stars are polar opposites in the way they handle themselves in front of the camera.

Hannah Montana vs. the 2013 VMAs After watching Cyrus’ performance, I was shocked, mortified and distraught. I had to remind myself that “Nobody’s Perfect.” Hannah Montana taught us that wonderful phrase over five years ago and it is her only saving grace now that she has damaged her image at an almost Amanda Bynes-level. Starting out as the sweet, innocent daughter of a one-hit-wonder, Cyrus captured the hearts of millions of young girls and boys as the double-life living, Hannah Montana. The obnoxiously rambunctious Cyrus was cute and funny while portraying Hannah – unfortunately, Cyrus has now given obnoxious and rambunctious a whole new meaning. Currently, Cyrus is still living two lives – the very

risqué and provocative life she leads in the public eye, and the struggle she is going through behind closed doors.

Breakdown vs.

Meltdown Demi Lovato underwent an extremely personal struggle under the microscope of millions.

A couple years ago, Lovato entered rehab for mental, emotional and physical reasons. Not only was she self-medicating and cutting, but she was also suffering from bulimia and bipolar disorder. She has since used her experience to inspire individuals to look toward the future, not the past. Miley Cyrus’ downward spiral began last winter. Cyrus was photographed on several occasions using drugs and other paraphernalia to cope with personal issues and to fit in with a new crowd of celebrity friends. After her recent break-up with Liam Hemsworth and the almost split between her parents, Cyrus has made her meltdown voluntarily well-known. Tabloids, articles and periodicals all over the globe are comparing Cyrus’ actions to Spears’ and Bynes’ towards to beginning of their individual collapses.

Philanthropy vs.

Profanity Demi Lovato spent her 21 birthday in Africa volunteering and building a new school through one of her many charity involvements, Free the Chil-

dren. Choosing a sober life, she immerses herself in charity work, friendships, family and work. While Lovato spent her time creating new opportunities for other people, Miley Cyrus spent her time preparing for her offensive and promiscuous VMA performance. Aside from “twerking” and sticking her tongue out an unsuitable amount, Cyrus ruined childhoods for many former Hannah Montana fans. Cyrus’ Twitter persona has taken a turn for the worst as well. Her use of swear words and profanity is almost as bad as her sentence structure. “i know what color my skin is. you can stop with the friendly reminders b*itch” – Miley Cyrus Lovato may have skeletons in her closet, but she embraces her flaws to show how comfortable she is in her own skin. Cyrus, on the other hand, has succumbed to creating public outrage as a cry for attention. She left her insecurities on stage for everyone to see on August 25, 2013, at the MTV Video Music Awards. A VMA performance isn’t something that takes one night to prepare for – Cyrus knew exactly what she was doing when she “twerked” and thrusted for four painful minutes. She got the attention she wanted from America, and most of it was negative. Lovato worked to rehabilitate herself and clean up her image. Cyrus on the other hand, thrives on public scrutiny, whether it’s positive or negative.

courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Role Model vs.

Innocence-Stealer Lovato has turned over a new leaf and has used her spare time to better the lives of others.

Thanks to Cyrus, my views on real-life princesses are skewed and twisted. If going off the deep end makes it alright to turn into a train wreck, then I don’t want to know what it is like to be a celebrity. Cyrus’ new “I Don’t Give a Da*n” attitude has turned a classy, sweet girl into a classic Hollywood meltdown.

In a survey I took of 100 California University of Pennsylvania students (50 males and 50 females), Demi Lovato came out on top with 71% of the vote as the preferred former Disney Channel star.

In ways, the two celebrities aren’t that different at all. But in the end, it is their moral compass that sets them apart.

Sara is a community assistant here at Cal U. She is also the Inter-Residence Hall Council president and a peer mentor on campus. She hopes to one day be a motivational speaker for girls of all ages with self-esteem and body image issues. She is passionate about helping others, running, and spending time with family and friends.

Agree? Disagree? Or do you have a completely separate opinion on a completely separate topic? Email your letters to the editor at caltimes@calu. edu and your opinion could get published!

september 6, 2013

CORNER

BSU

By Michelle Cooper

Hi everyone! Welcome back. We hope you had a great summer. We are very excited to get the semester started with fun activities.

Our general body meetings are held every Thursday in Carter Hall Multipurpose Room at 5:15 p.m. We look forward to seeing all the new and returning students. Our meetings are a great way to get to know minority students on campus and guiding our achievement. We are here to build each other up, offer opportunity, and make a statement as a minority on campus. BSU is NOT only for black students.

Bring all your friends! We are open to ideas and suggestions, and we cannot be an organization without participation from you! So come check us out and we’ll keep you posted on upcoming events such as homecoming.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” -Norman Vincent Peale “Believe that you can, and you’re halfway there.” -Theodore Roosevelt

GOT NEWS? Caltimes@calu.edu Caltimes.org @CalTimes

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ORGANIZATIONS

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CAL TIMES

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september 6, 2013

Cal U terminates contract with VenuWorks

Courtesy: Cal U of Pennsylvania Titan, a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, signs autographs after their basketball game at the Convocation Center on March 7, 2013. ______________________________ tion about $300,000 during the veloping rules and regulations by

Taylor Brown

staff writer

_______________________ California University of Pennsylvania announced the termination of their contract with VenuWorks, a company that was responsible for the management of the $59 million Cal U Convocation Center, on August 26.

According to Office of Finance and Administration, the termination of the contract will cost Cal U about $44,000 initially but will save the state institu-

current fiscal year.

Certain events at the Cal U Convocation Center will still remain on schedule. The 2013 Pittsburgh Diversity And Leadership Conference on Sept. 19, featuring former Secretary of State Collin Powell as the keynote speaker, is still scheduled to occur, as well as John Fogerty’s upcoming “Wrote A Song For Everyone” show on Nov. 5. The only other event scheduled, a performance by country singer Justin Moore in February, has yet to be determined.

Cal U is in the process of de-

in order to use the Convocation Center for on-campus activities and faculty-sponsored events.

Cal U will continue to use University Conference Services to lease wings of the building for both academic and business purposes.

Over 100 events have taken place in the facility since it opened 17 months ago, including commencement ceremonies, honors convocations and NCAA basketball games.

The Convocation Center was also used for larger creative events in the past, such as the

BotsIQrobotics convention that brought hundreds of people to the facility. The building has served as the filming site of the movie “Foxcatcher,” starring Channing Tatum and Steve Carell, which gave students the opportunity to be extras in the film.

Although Cal U is taking advantage of the multifunctional purpose of the new facility, some students feel that it is not being used to its full potential for other purposes, such as entertainment.

Performers such as Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers and The Newsboys have performed at the Convocation Center, but students say they would like to see bigger bands as well as other types of performers, such as comedians.

Sarah Osko, junior, creative writing, spends most of her time on campus, but has never attended an event at Cal U. Instead, she travels to other universities for their entertainment because the acts interest her more.

“Instead of going to events here at Cal I go to other schools like WVU and IUP where I am guaranteed to have fun,” Osko said. “Well-known performers would be better and someone without gray hair would be nice for a change.”

It’s not only about the lack of

big name performers, though – the pricing for events at the Convocation Center could also be a contributing factor.

Nina Forlini, sophomore, forensic anthropology, attended the Cal U vs. Pittsburgh Steelers basketball game and enjoyed her experience – she even said she would have paid more than she did for her seats.

“I really enjoyed the basketball game,” Forlini said. “But for the seating (mid court, floor) I could have paid way more than ten dollars.”

Forlini also said that it isn’t about the events being uninteresting, it’s about the lack of advertising to promote the events.

This could make it harder for word to reach students who are not on campus to see flyers or those who are not directly connected to campus email for updates.

The Convocation center is a multipurpose facility that is beneficial to the university, but the decisions made on events do affect the students here. As fee paying students, they want to have a voice in the kind of events that are held here at Cal U. “We pay enough to go here,” Forlini said. “I would at least like a say in upcoming events.”

Currently the University is not looking to sign another contract with a booking agency.

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Meet representatives from some of the best graduate and professional schools in the region.

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cal times

Rent fearlessly

You can highlight and write in your books.

Normal wear and tear is OK!

CAL U STUDENT BOOKSTORE Natali Student Center www.calupa.bkstr.com /CalUStudentBookstore *Valid on rental titles. Based on average savings versus new book price.

Checked-in books must be in resellable condition. See store for details.

september 6, 2013

SPORTS

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September 6, 2013

LAST TIME THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES HAD A .500 SEASON...

Monday was a day that Pirates baseball fans have anticipated for a very long time. The Pirates defeated the Brewers 4-3, earning their 81st victory of the 2013 season. This win clinched the team’s first winning season since 1992 when they finished with a 9666 record en route to winning the National League East Division. Here is how things have changed since the Buccos last winning season: - The number one song of 1992 was “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston. It was the title track for the second-highest grossing film of the year, “The Bodyguard.”

- The Lombardi Trophy was awarded to the Washington Redskins as they won Super Bowl XXVI by defeating the Buffalo Bills, 37-24.

- Aladdin was the top grossing film of 1992, bringing in over $504 million worldwide.

- The President of the United States in 1992 was George H.W. Bush, the 41st President.

- The average gas price of 1992 was $1.47 a gallon. In 2013, the current prices are as high as $3.70 a gallon. Within 21 years, gas prices have gone up $2.23 a gallon.

- The minimum wage in 1992 was $4.75. In 2013, the minimum wage is $7.25.

photos courtsey: Wikimedia Commons

- The Stanley Cup was hoisted for a second straight season by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in 4 games, 4-0.

- The Chicago Bulls successfully defended their NBA Championship by beating the Portland Trail Blazers in 6 games, 4-2.

They would also go on to win their 3rd straight title in 1992-1993. by

Dan Mader

for the Cal Times

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