California University
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 24 OCT. 5, 2009
Herron Now Open for Fitness
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The inaugural Jennie Carter Leadership Award will be presented to KDKA-TV reporter Lynne Hayes-Freeland on Friday morning.
TV Reporter to Speak on Jennie Carter Day
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ynne Hayes-Freeland, a reporter for KDKA-TV News, will receive the inaugural Jennie Carter Leadership Award at 11 a.m. Friday in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre. The award honors individuals who embody the spirit and ideals of Elizabeth “Jennie” Adams Carter, Class of 1881, the university’s first African-American graduate. William Carter, a direct descendant of Jennie Carter, will be on hand for the award presentation, along with Provost Geraldine Jones, officers of the Black Student Union and other members of the Cal U community. Hayes-Freeland will deliver a talk at the ceremony, which marks Jennie Carter Day, celebrated annually on the Cal U campus. Hayes-Freeland is a general assignment reporter known for live, late-breaking reporting. She is also the producer and host of “The Lynne Hayes-Freeland Show,” a weekly program that concentrates on local issues in the African-American community. An active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., she has been involved in a variety of community service projects and serves on several local boards. Born in 1852, Jennie Carter was the first black graduate of Southwestern State Normal School, the forerunner of Cal U. A noted educator and orator, she taught in the Brownsville schools and served as vice principal for the Bridgeport Colored School. About seven years after she graduated, Jennie Carter married and moved to Waco, Texas, where she taught at Paul Quinn College. She died in 1891, at age 38. Cal U’s Carter Hall, which houses the Multicultural Center, is named for Jennie Carter. Her diploma is on display there, and an endowed scholarship has been established in her name.
tudents were enjoying the renovated Herron Recreation and Fitness Center just minutes after a ribbon-cutting ceremony re-opened the building during Family Day festivities Sept. 26. “Our students asked us to tackle this project, and today we celebrate this historic building’s transformation into a state-of-the-art recreation and fitness center,” Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. told dozens of Cal U staff, students, alumni, emeriti faculty and friends. “Along with our Natali Student Center, I believe this building is going to be one of the liveliest places on campus.” Through a referendum, students approved the $10 million renovation and addition, which expanded the building by 18,000 square feet. Student activity fees will pay the debt service on the 25-year bond. Because Cal U’s enrollment has been increasing annually for the past 12 years, the previous fitness center was no longer adequate, President Armenti said. The remodeled building has been outfitted with new equipment and a foodservice area, the Sycamore Bistro. Herron Hall, completed in the early 1930s, is named after Joseph A. Herron, who began a 30-year tenure on the college’s governing board in the early 20th century. The building originally housed a gymnasium, natatorium and classrooms. The remodeled facility now includes: • A 33-foot-tall obelisk, or freestanding climbing wall, for free climbing and belaying. • An elevated, 1/16 mile walking/jogging track overlooking the gymnasium, cardio room and climbing area, with a bird’s-eye view of the campus. • A four-lane lap pool, whirlpool and steam sauna. • A cardiovascular area with 40 cardio machines that include treadmills, upright and recumbent stationary bikes, elliptical machines, rowers, stair climbers and more. • Two weight areas with more than 3,000 pounds of free weights, plus Olympic racks, platforms and benches. • Two gymnasiums, one with a multipurpose floor and another with a wood floor, to accommodate basketball, volleyball, dek hockey, soccer and group fitness classes. • A group fitness studio, racquetball courts and fully outfitted locker rooms.
Tim Baugh, a senior majoring in parks and recreation and a work study student for the fitness center, makes his way up the climbing obelisk.
“The aspect of this project that really excites me is that Herron Hall was renovated and designed specifically with students in mind,” said Ashley Baird, the student member of the Council of Trustees. “The recreational services for our students and the university community needed to be — Continued on page 2
Alumni Offered Career Services for Life
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s part of the Cal U for Life initiative, the Department of Career Services is providing lifelong assistance at no cost to alumni who are seeking employment or a career change. “With the downturn in the economy and the increase in the unemployment rate across the country, California University is reaching out to help alumni who are facing job challenges by providing them with career services normally available only to graduating students,” explained Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. “With some sectors of the economy, such as the financial services industry, being especially hard hit, we now provide help to alumni both through career counseling and resume updating, and by arranging interviews with firms that are hiring.” To accomplish this, Cal U has added two members to the Career Services Department, said director Rhonda Gifford. Bridgett Nobili is the alumni career counselor, and Sheana Malyszka is the employer development coordinator.
Looking to enhance their offerings to alumni, Career Services has added Bridgett Nobili (center) and Sheana Malyszka (right) to its staff. Director Rhonda Gifford (left) lauded President Armenti for taking an aggressive approach to help alumni.
“Until now we had never aggressively advertised our services to alumni because we were unsure if we could handle the influx, but with Dr. Armenti’s support we were able to add these positions,” Gifford said. “Bridgett and Sheana are enhancing our efforts
to collaborate closely with all of the stakeholders involved, on and off campus.” Nobili works directly with alumni. She welcomes in-person or telephone appointments, and she traveled with — Continued on page 4