California University
Volume 17, Number 4 mArCH 2, 2015 Read the JouRnal online: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
FIRST Robotics Back at Convocation Center
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obots return to the Convocation Center this week. More than 1,200 students on 54 teams will put their custom-built robots to the test Thursday through Saturday when Cal U hosts the Greater Pittsburgh Regional FIRST® Robotics Competition. FIRST Robotics builds life skills and expertise in science, technology, engineering and math. Robot inspections and practice matches take place Thursday; the exciting, sports-style competition follows, with qualifying matches on Friday and eliminations and finals on Saturday. The event is open to the campus community and the general public. Participants in the Greater Pittsburgh Regional come from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Ontario, Canada. Since early January they have been preparing for this year’s national challenge, RECYCLE RUSH. Each team received an identical “kit of parts” to use in building its robot. Working with adult mentors — typically engineers or previous FIRST competitors — the students have six weeks to design, build, program and test their robots before the regional tournament. Students also develop marketing campaigns and create mascots and promotional materials to support the
FIRST Robotics builds life skills and expertise in science, technology, engineering and math. The March 5-7 event at the Convocation Center is open to the campus community and the general public.
team and create excitement at the competition site. “This event is really something
special,” said Michael Amrhein, director for the Office of Outreach and Integration for TEAMS (Technology,
At Special Olympics, Everyone Wins
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alifornia University students were on hand when more than 350 athletes, all with special needs, strapped on alpine and crosscountry skis to compete in the Special Olympics Winter Games at Seven Springs Mountain Resort, near Champion, Pa. Unseasonably warm temperatures kept snowshoe competitors off the trail. But the 38th annual event was still a thrill for the athletes — and a hands-on learning experience for about 25 Cal U students. For the ninth consecutive year, students in the athletic training program tended to the athletes’ medical needs under the guidance of Dr. Linda Meyer, of the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies. The medical coordinator for Special Olympics Pennsylvania since 1990, Meyer supplies a licensed athletic trainer — typically a Cal U graduate student or faculty member — and an undergraduate trainer for each of the sporting events. “This is an ideal way to expose our undergraduate and graduate athletic training students to a population that they typically don’t see,” Meyers said. “There are Special Olympic programs in all 50 states, as well as 180 countries across the world. I’m hoping
Engineering, Art, Math and Science) at Cal U. — Continued on page 3
Mission Trips Set Over Break
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Emily Hubbard, a communication disorders graduate student, performs a hearing screening on Special Olympian Justin Agnew.
that our students will continue to give back when they go out, literally anywhere in the world, as licensed athletic trainers.” Special Olympics describes itself as “the largest global public health organization dedicated to serving people with intellectual disabilities.” Screening for hearing loss is part of the organization’s Healthy Athletes mission, and Dr. Ralph Belsterling, of
the Department of Communication Disorders, is the Healthy Hearing program’s clinical director for Pennsylvania. Cal U students have screened competitors for hearing loss at summer and fall games since 2005, but this was their first Winter Games outing. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to interact … within the — Continued on page 3
pring break has a higher purpose for two groups of students involved with ministries on campus. Mission trips will take one group to the beach at Panama City, Fla., while the other heads to a gritty Philadelphia neighborhood. Ten members of New Life Christian Fellowship will serve their fellow college students through the Beach Reach mission in Panama City. Along with students from other universities, they will offer free pancakes and safe transportation, with a side order of Christian evangelism, to the thousands of young adults who flock to Panama City each spring. This will be the second Beach Reach experience for New Life, led by campus minister Kim Wilson. The trip is planned for March 6-14. The outreach effort is organized by LifeWay, a nonprofit organization that conducts mission work and other ministries around the world. Amanda Loeffler, New Life president, — Continued on page 2
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Panel Discusses Black Community’s Concerns
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wide-ranging discussion of “What’s Going On: The State of Black America” pointed to the need for better education and higher literacy levels within the black community. Psychology professor Ruben Brock, this year’s Frederick Douglass Institute Visiting Scholar, moderated the Black History Month event Feb. 17 in Keystone Hall. Community leaders, Cal U faculty and more than 50 students heard from panelists D. Watkins, an award-winning writer; Jordan Gilliam, a teacher at Propel Schools in Pittsburgh and a producer and audio engineer at Ya Momz House, Latitude 40 and the Hip-Hop on L.O.C.K. project; Marisa Bartley, executive director of the PNC YMCA in Pittsburgh and an executive board member for the National Urban League Young Professionals; and Malcolm Thomas, program director for the Reaching Back male mentoring program at the Neighborhood Learning Alliance in Pittsburgh. Watkins pointed to the need for literacy, noting that 32 million people in the United States cannot read. “We have to get everyone reading more if we want to see more change,” he said. “This must start with books in the home.” Brock described a recent study by the University of Pittsburgh, which found that 59 percent of African-American
Psychology professor Ruben Brock, this year’s Frederick Douglass Institute Visiting Scholar, moderates the Black History Month panel discussion on Feb. 17 in Keystone Hall.
students in Pittsburgh Public Schools are not proficient in math and 73 percent lack proficiency in reading. Thomas questioned the overall purpose of education. “If the purpose of education is just to get a good job, we are in trouble,” he said. “We must examine the intent of the educational system, and if it’s not designed for students to succeed, we must create alternatives.” Bartley emphasized that times have changed. “Think about the structure of the
black family,” she said. “There isn’t the nuclear family that Generation X knows. … We have to be a connector and expose K-12 kids to people and things that will show them they can succeed.” The panel began by exploring the concept of the black community. Watkins argued that there are, instead, “different subsets of communities” rather than a single, unified whole. “We spend so much time putting each other in boxes that we separate each other on purpose and don’t really have global black communities,” Bartley agreed.
“What are we doing to bridge those gaps? We must connect the dots.” When the discussion turned to current black leaders, Gilliam urged the students in the audience to step up. “Who is next from our generation to take the reins?” he asked. “We need younger leaders … right now.” “Don’t wait in line to pick someone to be that person,” Bartley added. “Make yourself visible and be a part of leadership.” Although young people sometimes look up to celebrities or star athletes as role models, Thomas said the greatest influences in his life were counselors, teachers and coaches. “A Charles Barkley or Michael Jordan does not understand at all where I’ve come from,” Watkins said. “These people are rich celebrities that are far removed” from the concerns of everyday people. Brock urged the audience to take action and address some of the concerns raised by the panel. “We can talk about problems all night, but we must also do some solution thinking and fix these problems,” he said. A Black History Month panel on “The Confederate Flag: Symbol of Hate or Freedom of Speech?” has been rescheduled. The powerful feelings evoked by this iconic image from the U.S. Civil War will be the topic of discussion at 7 p.m. March 19 in Morgan Hall Auditorium, Room 222.
Trustees Meet March 4 Members of New Life Christian Fellowship enjoy a moment following a ‘Pasta with a Purpose’ fundraiser at California United Methodist Church. Proceeds will help support their trip to Florida.
Mission Trips Set for Spring Break — Continued from page 1 said volunteers begin by distributing business cards to vacationing college students, so they know where to call for free, safe transportation in Panama City. The group also serves pancakes from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. daily at the Rock’It Lanes, a bowling and recreation center. “Panama City is known to be a big party destination for college students over spring break, ” Loeffler said. “We try to get to know them, see where they’re at with faith and try to provide hope. “Most people think mission trips mean you leave the country,” she added, “but there’s work to be done right here. Ministry work can literally be done right at your front door.” During the week that Cal U participated last year, Beach Reach provided 3,630 van rides and 3,460 plates of pancakes. The 40-member fellowship held a “Pasta with a Purpose” fundraiser at California United Methodist Church last month to help support their trip to Florida. The group also raised funds by selling candy and handmade scarves.
“Many people (in Panama City) are surprised that we do this for free,” Loeffler said. “We are just there to serve and show God’s love. It’s a great experience.” Students from STAND campus ministry will spend their spring break in an urban environment. From March 610, they will repair homes for economically challenged families in the multi-cultural Roxborough neighborhood of Philadelphia. Pete Ware, campus minister for STAND, said this is the third time Cal U students will be involved with The Philadelphia Project, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides service opportunities and free home repairs for elderly, single-parent and low-income city residents. The last time they participated, STAND members helped a low-income family install insulation and drywall to reduce their heating bills. “I think it’s always helpful to get away from your normal context,” Ware said. “For some students it’s a bit of a culture shock, because it’s their first inner-city contact, and they experience a lot of different cultures.” Ware first took part in The
Philadelphia Project as an undergraduate at West Chester University. The hands-on work is just one aspect of the experience, he said. Project staff members guide discussions after the students put down their tools. “At night the students are debriefing what they saw and are really thinking about everything they observed,” Ware said. “The classic line is that college students are so poor, but with this experience they see that they’re not. They are very privileged. “Things hit home.” Ware credited students Denzell Sipe, Lialdon Donovan-Green and their Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity brothers for their help with fundraising for the trip. “Scripture is always challenging us by asking how we are helping the poor, and this puts some practicality into it,” Ware said. New Life Christian Fellowship meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Carter Hall Multipurpose Room. For more information, e-mail newlifecalu@gmail.com. STAND Campus Ministry meets at 9 p.m. Wednesdays in Morgan Hall Learning Resource Auditorium. For more information, e-mail stand@calu.edu.
The Cal U Council of Trustees will hold its first quarterly meeting of 2015 at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Grand Hall of Old Main. The meeting is open to the public.
GRANTS AWARDED The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research reports that: • Dr. David Argent, of the Offiece of Biological and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded a contract of $52,125 from CONSOL. This funding supports the continuation of biomonitoring and assessment of the streambank fencing installed by the Partners for Fish and Wildlife at Cal U. • Robert Mehalik, of the Department of Student Affairs, has been awarded $2,500 from the Cardinal Health Foundation. This funding will be used to support his project, “Generation Rx: Preventing the Abuse and Misuse of Prescription Drugs.” The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research serves faculty and staff by providing comprehensive resources related to external funding for sponsored projects. The OSPR provides support in developing proposals for funding from federal, state and local grants, contracts, foundations and related associations. For more information, call 724-938-1662 or e-mail vogrig@calu.edu.
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‘Monologues’ Again at Cal U
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University Home Cal U carpenters Ed Gauden (left) and Brian Phillips stand in the library of the President’s Residence, one of many rooms they worked on during the renovations. The first official University event in the newly renovated residence in South Hall was a reception Jan. 29 for University craftspeople and other employees who participated in the project. An open house for faculty and staff followed on Jan. 30. The lower level of the apartment is ‘public’ space where the University President can hold official functions; the upper level is the family’s private area, with bedrooms, bathrooms, a small office and a TV room. Much of the building’s history has been preserved, including a century-old chandelier in the dining room and a door painted with a room number that recalls South Hall’s former role as a women’s dormitory.
FIRST Robotics Returns This Week — Continued from page 1 “The work that’s gone into these robots is just phenomenal. You won’t believe what they can do.” In this year’s challenge, two alliances of three robots each will compete on a 52-by-27-foot playing field. Robots score points by stacking totes on platforms, topping the stacks with recycling containers, and disposing of plastic “pool noodles” that represent litter. In keeping with the theme of this year’s challenge, local teams or the FIRST organization will reuse or recycle all game pieces at the end of the season. Winners of the Greater Pittsburgh Regional competition at the Cal U Convocation Center will join winning teams from 55 other regional contests at the FIRST Championship April 22-25 in St. Louis, Mo. “These contests bring some of the area’s best and brightest high school students to Cal U,” Amrhein added. “We want them to have a great experience. And while they’re here, we want to show them and their families what Cal U has to offer.” Students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public, may attend the FIRST Robotics competition. Admission to the Convocation Center is free. For more information, contact Michael Amrhein (amrhein@calu.edu). Faculty or staff who wish to set up a display at the Convocation Center may contact Becky McMillen, director of Conference Services, at mcmillen_b@calu.edu.
s part of its Women’s History Month celebration, Cal U again will present Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues. The 12th annual production of the awardwinning play will be presented at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday in the Blaney Theatre, inside Steele Hall Based on interviews with more than 200 women, the play is a series of heartfelt, poignant and sometimes hilarious vignettes celebrating women’s bodies and female sexuality. Since its debut in 1996, it has been performed at hundreds of college campuses across the United States and in cities around the world. Tickets can be purchased from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Women’s Center in Carter Hall, G45; and at the door. Cost is $5 for students and $10 for non-students. Proceeds from the performance of The Vagina Monologues will be donated to local women’s initiatives. So far, nearly $20,000 has been raised at Cal U through Vagina Monologues performances. “We’re fortunate that the campus has embraced it,” said Kay Kutz, coordinator of the Women’s Center. “We get a diverse group of students for the Monologues.” For more information, visit www.calu.edu.
Everyone Wins at Special Olympics — Continued from page 1 field of hearing and audiology, and to see its impact on communication with individuals with special needs,” Belsterling said. “They see the whole process: the identification, the referral and, in some instances, the follow-up. We were busy, but our students would do it again in a heartbeat.” Although this was Alpha Sigma Alpha’s first time at the Winter Games, the sorority for many years spent Friday nights with Special Olympics swimmers at the Mon Valley YMCA. At Seven Springs, sorority sisters helped athletes prepare for the Victory Dance held at the close of the Games. “For me, the most moving part was helping a girl who was blind make paper snowflakes to decorate the ballroom,” said sophomore Mikayla DiCesare. Alpha Sigma Alpha’s secretary and service/giving chair, she is studying early childhood and special education. “The work with Special Olympics validates for me the work I want to do with younger elementary-age students. “People need to see that sororities and fraternities aren’t just about publicizing themselves and partying,” DiCesare added, noting that ASA members had the highest gradepoint average among campus Greek organizations and contributed more than 500 service hours last semester. “We care, and we do a lot.” This was junior Kevin Devine’s third season at the Winter Games. A member of the Snow Club, he’s a sport management major with a minor in marketing and business. For the past two years Devine and other Snow Club volunteers worked as “athlete escorts,” helping Special Olympians prepare for their races. This year he was a gatekeeper and timekeeper for the skiing competition. “The athletes bring a lot to the table,” said Devine, who also has volunteered with the Athletes Helping Athletes Inc. and Miracle League baseball programs. “They obviously
Kevin Devine, a junior majoring in sport management, escorts athlete Steven Fecht during the 2015 Special Olympics at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.
have fun, but they are there to compete, and you see them loving it as they yell going down the hill.” Devine recently landed a summer internship with the Camden (N.J.) Riversharks, a minor league baseball team. “The Camden team is a Special Olympics partner, and the first question they asked me was about my volunteer work.” “Just like many other campus organizations, the Snow Club is looking for ways to do community service,” said Snow Club adviser Bill Meloy, the research and electronic collections librarian at Manderino Library. “Interacting with the Special Olympians is always a gratifying experience. Nothing beats seeing the athletes throw up their arms in satisfaction when they finish.”
Families Stop By for Academic Open House
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al U welcomes students and their families to an Academic Open House event from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on March 21. Registration begins at 8 a.m. The program is designed to introduce prospective students to Cal U and to give students who already have been accepted
a chance to explore the campus. Students and families who attend will learn more about Cal U’s programs of study, housing and student life. They also can talk with Cal U students, meet faculty members, tour the main campus and visit Vulcan Village.
The final Academic Open House program this spring will be held on Saturday, April 18. For more information or to register online, visit www.calu.edu. Prospective students may contact the Welcome Center at 724-938-1626 or e-mail Carrie Pavtis at pavtis@calu.edu.
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Vincent Led Vulcan Women to the Top Editor’s Note: Cal U held its 20th annual Athletic Hall of Fame Luncheon Feb. 21 in the south wing of the Convocation Center. The Journal is profiling each of the 2014-2015 Hall of Fame inductees. This concludes the series.
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efore Darcie Vincent arrived as the new head coach in June 2000, the Cal U women’s basketball program had appeared in just one conference final and one NCAA Division II Tournament. During Vincent’s coaching tenure at Cal U, the Vulcans appeared in eight consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship games, made seven consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, won six PSAC-West titles, won 26 or more games fives times, won four conference crowns, made three NCAA “Elite Eight” appearances and two NCAA Final Four showings, and won the 2004 NCAA Division II National Championship. Last month she became the second female head coach to enter the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame, joining 2001 softball inductee Linda Kalafatis ’88. “I was shocked. It never really processed in my mind that coaches get inducted into a Hall of Fame,” said Vincent. “It was just such a surprise. I’m overwhelmed. “It brings a very special, humbling, warm feeling inside me, because my years at Cal U still today have been the best of my life in coaching. I don’t think another place will mean as much.” Vincent fondly remembers her first season in California, when a lightly regarded Vulcan team finished with 19 wins and advanced to the conference title game. “We rocked the players’ world with our philosophy when were first got there. That first year was awesome, because were not supposed to do anything,” she recalled. During her eight-year run at Cal U, Vincent compiled a 212-47 (.819) cumulative record and an 82-14 (.854) mark in the PSAC-West. Her top assistant coach was Heather Kearney. Cal U women’s basketball went 33-2 overall in 20022003 after winning the first of three straight PSAC championships, in 2001-2002.
Civil War Roundtable Meets March 12
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ohn D. Woodward will be the featured speaker at this month’s meeting of the Civil War Roundtable at Cal U. He is an attorney in Virginia and an adjunct professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. The title of his talk is ”A Union Intelligence Failure: How Did ‘Old Jube’ Give the Yankees the Slip?” Old Jube is Jubal Early, a Confederate General during the American Civil War. Woodward will also discuss the Union’s Bureau of Military Information, its de facto intelligence service, led by Col. George H. Sharpe. This free event on March 12 at the Booker Great Room inside the Kara Alumni House is open to the Cal U community and general public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the meeting starting at 7 p.m. For further information, e-mail stonewall1863@ comcast.net or call 724-258-3406.
Darcie Vincent is the second female head coach to enter the Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame, joining 2001 softball inductee Linda Kalafatis ’88.
But the 2004 team upped the ante, compiling a school-best 35-1 overall record. It remains the only PSAC basketball team, men’s or women’s, to win the NCAA Division II National Championship. Vincent believes the team’s two-point loss in the 2003 national semifinals set the stage for winning it all the following season.
“With that loss to Northern Kentucky we knew we’d win the national championship the next year, because you just looked in those kids’ eyes and you knew they wanted something bigger,” Vincent explained. “In all the years I’ve coached, I think that national championship year might have been the easiest year of my life. Those kids wanted it, and they had something special. “In practices our players would voluntarily run ‘suicide’ (drills) if they thought they were performing badly. They set the tone and the standard. They knew.” Dr. Paul Burd, retired vice president for Student Affairs, recalled Vincent’s recruiting prowess. “She and Heather came in and made an absolute difference,” he said. “What she did was beyond our wildest dreams. What stands out was her ability to identify, recruit and bring in talent of national championship caliber. Not just one or two, but many great players.” In 2009 Vincent received the Michael Duda Athletic Achievement Award from the University’s Alumni Association. Kearney was the head coach of Cal U’s 2009 team, which won 29 games and reached the NCAA Elite Eight Tournament. From Cal U, Vincent moved to NCAA Division I Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. In six years there she won 117 games, including four straight 20-win seasons and consecutive Southern Conference regularseason championships, in 2011 and 2012. Vincent was an Academic All-American as a player, and in 2000 she became the first female inducted into Duquesne University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She resides in Trade, Tenn. As she reflects on her Cal U years, Vincent said, she is most proud of how her players have thrived after their playing careers. “Every one of those ladies is so successful now in their lives because of the mentality they developed from basketball and carried forward,” she said. “That’s the bigger picture. That’s what matters.”
Tennis, Softball Teams Earn Preseason National Rankings
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he Vulcan women’s tennis and softball teams have both attained preseason national rankings. The tennis team, under the direction of 13th-year head coach Pablo Montana, was No. 12 in the initial Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings. Coached by 22nd-year leader Rick Bertagnolli, the softball team was ranked 24th in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) preseason poll. Sophomore Kiefer Shaw and senior Jesse Burrell headline a strong cast of returning tennis players. Shaw and Burrell both won ITA Atlantic Regional championships in doubles competition last fall, and Shaw earned the singles title.
In 2014 Cal U tennis won its eighth consecutive PSAC and NCAA Division II Atlantic Region titles. The team finished 15-3 overall and advanced to the national quarterfinals for the seventh time in eight years. Softball will field a team that returns all but three players from a year ago, including junior pitcher Alex Sagl and senior Breanna Morris, who both were named to the NFCA Player of the Year Watch List for 2015. An NFCA Third-Team AllAmerican last year, Sagl posted a 254 record with a 1.49 ERA and 190 strikeouts after going 20-3 overall her freshman season. Morris, a shortstop, batted .430 last spring with 17 extra-base hits
and 12 stolen bases. She brings a .357 career batting average into her final collegiate season. Cal U softball compiled a 37-7 overall record last spring, winning a sixth straight PSAC-West championship and making the program’s 23rd NCAA Division II tournament appearance in the past 25 years. Weather permitting, the women’s tennis team will open the spring 2015 home season by hosting Goldey-Beacom College of Wilmington, Del., at noon March 21 at Roadman Park. The softball team’s first action at Lilley Field will be a home doubleheader against PSAC-West rival Slippery Rock at 2:30 p.m. March 20.
The California Journal is published by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. Geraldine M. Jones Interim University President
Christine Kindl Editor
Dr. Bruce Barnhart Acting Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Dr. Nancy Pinardi Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Robert Thorn Vice President for Administration and Finance
Craig Butzine Vice President for Marketing and University Relations
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