California University
Volume 16, Number 15 NoV. 3, 2014 Read the JouRnal online: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
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Political Experts Discuss Election Outcomes
ust one week after American voters make their choice, a popular team of political experts will return to Cal U to examine the reasons behind the results and look ahead. Political commentator Jon Delano, of KDKA-TV, will serve as moderator for the 2014 Election Analysis Forum, a free event at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in Eberly Hall, Room 110. Presented by the American Democracy Project at Cal U, the program is open to the public. Panelists are: • Alan Abramowitz, professor of political science at Emory University, Va. • William C. Binning, chair emeritus of the Department of Political Science at Youngstown State University, Ohio. • Louis Jacobson, deputy editor/senior writer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com website, a contributing writer/elections handicapper for PoliticsPA, a state politics columnist for Governing, and a former contributing editor at National Journal magazine. • Costas Panagopoulos, director of the Center for Electoral Politics and Democracy and the graduate program in Elections and Campaign Management at Fordham University, N.Y. Delano and several of the panelists visited Cal U shortly after the 2012 presidential election. “The 2014 midterm election promises to be an ‘all-nighter,’ as many key races are virtual dead heats and party control of the Senate hangs in the balance,” said Dr. Melanie Blumberg, campus director of the American Democracy Project. “The election gurus return to dissect the results and tell us what they mean for 2015 and beyond.” The American Democracy Project is
Wrestling Event Benefits Veterans
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Jon Delano, of KDKA-TV, will serve as moderator for the 2014 Election Analysis Forum, at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in Eberly Hall, Room 110.
“Jon Delano’s insightful questions, combined with the panelists’ quick wit and broad-based expertise, always leave the audience feeling they’ve been both informed and entertained.” Dr. Melanie Blumberg, campus director, American Democracy Project a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. Co-sponsors of the Nov. 11 event are Cal U’s Office of the President, the Office of the Provost/Academic Affairs, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Department of History and Political Science, where Blumberg is a professor. “This is an excellent opportunity to hear national experts discuss the
election outcomes,” she said. “Jon Delano’s insightful questions, combined with the panelists’ quick wit and broadbased expertise, always leave the audience feeling they’ve been both informed and entertained.” Registration is not required for this popular event. Visitor parking is available in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance. To read more about the election forum panelists, visit www.calu.edu.
ervice members and military veterans will be admitted free when professional wrestling returns to the Cal U Convocation Center arena. Renegade Wrestling Alliance, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and the Cal U Office of Veterans Affairs, will present “Salute to the Troops II” at 5 p.m. Sunday. Doors to the Cal U Convocation Center will open at 3:45 p.m. Tickets will be available at the Convocation Center Box Office from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday. The box office opens at 11 a.m. on Sunday, and tickets will be sold until bell time. Ticket price is $20 for assigned floor seating, $15 for general admission, and $6 for children (ages 12 and younger) or students with school ID. Veterans and service members who show military identification will be admitted free. A portion of the net proceeds from the event will support the Post9/11 Scholarship Fund at the Foundation for California University. Members of the U.S. armed services will be recognized between matches. Based in West Newton, Pa., Renegade Wrestling Alliance is an independent, regional professional wrestling company that has been operating in southwestern Pennsylvania for more than five years. For details about the event visit www.calu.edu. For group sales, contact the Cal U Office of Veterans Affairs at 724-938-4076, or call the Convocation Center Box Office at 724-938-4600.
Tribal Elder Visits Campus Thursday
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r. Barbara Alice Mann, an associate professor in the honors college at the University of Toledo, will share her understanding of the vibrant Iroquois society at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Eberly Hall, Room 110. The free presentation, “Modern Iroquois Culture,” celebrates Native American Heritage Month. The public may attend. Mann is recognized as an elder of the Ohio Bear Clan, Seneca (Iroquois), a Native American group with ancestral ties to the southern shores of Lake Erie. She lives in her homeland and works to promote the rights and history of those “indigenous to and resident in the Land of the Three Miamis (Ohio).”
Mann has written a number of scholarly books in the field of Native American studies. Her newest work, Spirits of Place: Native North American Spirituality, is scheduled for publication next year. She has published nine other books, including The Tainted Gift, on settlers’ deliberate spread of disease to indigenous Americans. In addition, Mann is working with an international team of scholars to examine historical massacres around the world between 1780 and 1820. The free presentation is sponsored by the Office of the Provost and the LaDonna Harris Native American Studies Institute at Cal U. For more information, contact Dr. Clarissa Confer at confer_c@calu.edu.
Tribal Elder Dr. Barbara Alice Mann will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday in Eberly Hall, Room 110.
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NoV. 3, 2014
Vulcans Reclaim Coal Bowl Trophy
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he Coal Miner’s Lunch Pail has come back to California. With a 21-13 win over IUP on Oct. 18, the Vulcan football team reclaimed the Coal Bowl trophy, which includes a miner’s traditional metal lunch bucket. The Coal Bowl originated with Cal U alumnus Bob Lippencott ’66 and his brother Barry, a 1967 graduate of IUP. The pair established endowed football scholarships at their respective alma maters and created the traveling trophy awarded annually to the winner of the Cal U vs. IUP game. The sixth annual Coal Bowl festivities included a pregame performance by the Weedrags, a local bluegrass, country, old-time and swing band. The PensGear truck and Froggy Radio, 94.9 FM, also were on hand at Roadman Park. Interim University President Geraldine M. Jones welcomed IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll to a pregame brunch, along with Abby Foster of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance, the Coal Bowl’s major sponsor. “We thank the Lippencott brothers for their dedication and love for their respective alma maters,” she told the brunch group. “Students are the benefactors of the Lippencott family’s involvement and generosity, so on behalf of those students we serve, thank you, Bob and Buck, for all you do.” IUP will host the 2015 Coal Bowl on Oct. 17.
Above, third-year head football coach Mike Kellar and the Vulcans proudly hoist the Coal Bowl Trophy following Cal U’s 21-13 home victory over rival IUP. At right, enjoying the Coal Bowl pregame brunch in the Kara Alumni House are (from left) IUP President Dr. Michael Driscoll, Barry ‘Buck’ Lippencott, Bob Lippencott ’66, and Cal U Interim President Geraldine M. Jones.
Campus BRIEFS Leadership Talk Tonight The Leadership in the 21st Century event will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at Steele Hall’s Mainstage Theatre. The free presentation is geared for sports clubs, sororities and faternities, but it is open to the University community and general public. This semester’s leadership event is titled “Get Hired, Not Fired: How to Use Social Media in your Job Search.” For more information, e-mail Joy Helsel at helsel@calu.edu.
One More Fall Discovery Day To introduce prospective students to the University, Cal U will hold its final fall Discovery Days event from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. in Steele Hall, followed by an overview of the daily schedule at 9 a.m. On Discovery Days, high school students who are beginning their college search can visit campus and learn about Cal U’s academic offerings, housing, student activities and athletic programs. Guided tours are on the agenda. For more information or to register online, visit www.calu.edu, keyword “Discovery Days.” Faculty or staff members who are interested in leading tours should contact the Welcome Center at Ext. 1626 or e-mail Carrie Pavtis at pavtis@calu.edu. Prospective students also may e-mail Pavtis to arrange a campus tour.
FBI Agent Speaks To Students Nov. 13 Special Agent Michael Nealon provides an inside look at careers in the FBI when he speaks Nov. 13 at a free event sponsored by the Forensic Science Club and co-hosted by the Criminal Justice Club. His presentation will take place at 6 p.m. in Duda Hall, Room 103. Nealon works at the Mon Valley Regional FBI office in Charleroi, Pa. This office covers all of Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties. He will explain the process of being hired by the FBI, plus requirements and career options. A question-and-answer session will follow his talk. Nealon’s talk is free and open to the public. Visitor parking is available in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance. For more information, contact Angela Novak at NOV0091@calu.edu.
Alpha Lambda Delta Flame Still Burning Cal U’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta has again received the Maintaining the Flame Award, among the ALD’s highest honors, for its activities during the 2013-2014 academic year. ALD is a national honor society that recognizes academic excellence among first-year students. Each year, the National Councial of Alpha Lambda Delta
selects as many as five winners of the Society’s Order of the Torch Award, which honors ALD chapters that have excelled in programming, communications and campus visibility. Cal U received the Order of the Torch for its 2010-2011 activities. After receiving the Order of the Torch, an ALD chapter is ineligible to compete for the award for the next four years. Maintaining the Flame is awarded to chapters that continue their excellent work during the ineligibility period. Cal U’s chapter will be eligible to compete for the award again this year. The 2013-2014 president was Morgan Moltz, who is serving as junior adviser this academic year. This year’s president is Kaitlyn Strosnider. Since 2010, Cal U’s ALD student members have won more than $20,000 in scholarships from the national organization. Members also have engaged in various service activities and participated in career development activities.
Meteorology Club Colloquia Series Continues Thursday As part of the Meteorology Club’s fall speaker series, Jon Jennings '08, a meteorologist for the West Texas Weather Modification Association, San Angelo, Texas, will discuss the drought situation in Texas and how it has impacted water resources across the state. His presentation will be at 11 a.m. Nov. 6 in Eberly Hall, Room 120. He served as the President of Cal U’s Meteorology Club during the 2006-2007 academic year when the club received the National Weather Association’s Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award. Admission is free, and the public is welcome.
NoV. 3, 2014
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Attorney Offers Look at Law Career
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Sophomore Hayden Hosfelt works on his painting for ‘Psychedelia: The Art of Intense Ornamentation,’ which runs from Nov. 10-14 in the Vulcan Gallery. A free opening reception takes place from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10.
‘Psychedelia’ Opens with Nov. 10 Reception
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he Department of Art and Design presents “Psychedelia: The Art of Intense Ornamentation,” featuring artworks created by students in Advanced Drawing and Advanced Painting classes. The swirling colors and surreal visuals of “Psychedelia” will be on display from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 10-14 in the Vulcan Gallery, on the first floor of Vulcan Hall. Gallery admission is free. The public is invited to visit
the exhibition. An opening reception will be held from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Vulcan Gallery. The reception is free to the University community and the general public. For more information, contact faculty members Todd Pinkham at pinkham@calu.edu, Maggy Aston at Aston@calu.edu; or Art Club President Shannon Drudy at dru5424@calu.edu.
ttorney A. Tereasa Rerko ’79 provides an inside look at the law as a career when she speaks at 11 a.m. Thursday in Eberly Hall, Room 110. The free event is sponsored by the American Democracy Project at Cal U. Rerko, a Cal U graduate, is a partner at the firm of Quatrini Rafferty, Attorneys at Law, in Greensburg, Pa. Her practice concentrates on the areas of workers’ compensation and Social Security disability, exclusively representing injured workers and disabled claimants. Rerko has practiced law since 1984. She is a former member of the American Bar Association and a current member of NOSSCR, the National Organization of Social Attorney A. Tereasa Security Claimant’s Rerko ’79 Representatives. She has been listed in “Who’s Who in American Lawyers” annually since 1997. The talk is free and open to the public. Visitor parking is available in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance.
GRANTS AWARDED The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research reports that: • Dr. Gregg Gould, of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, has been awarded $3,000 from the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh. This funding will be used Dr. Gregg Gould to purchase laboratory equipment and supplies to support the laboratory activities in the chemistry program. •Dr. Bruce Barnhart, acting provost and vice president for Academic
Affairs, will be serving as Cal U’s project director for a Pennsylvania State GEAR UP 3 grant, which has been awarded to State System of Higher Education. These grants are competitive, six-year matching grants that must include both a scholarship component and an early intervention component designed to increase college attendance and success and raise the expectations of lowDr. Bruce Barnhart income students.
Explore graduate-level degree and certificate programs by attending open house events at Cal U’s main campus and the Cal U Center for Innovation at Southpointe.
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.
Civil War Roundtable Meets
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his month’s meeting of the Civil War Roundtable in the Kara Alumni House at Cal U will feature Dr. Mathew W. Lively. A native of Oak Hill, W.Va. and a practicing physician he currently serves as a professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. In addition to his medical degree, he holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology and another in healthcare administration. Lively has been an active teacher of medical students and resident physicians for the past 15 years and is the author of numerous scientific articles in the medical literature, several of which focus on medical history topics. Dr. Lively’s presentation will be on his first book, Calamity at Chancellorsville: The Wounding and Death of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. He will recount the details of the final days in the life of Stonewall Jackson, from his wounding on the night of May 2, 1863, during the battle of Chancellorsville until his death eight days later. This free event is open to the Cal U community and general public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.
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Grad School Holds Monthly Open House
al U has scheduled a monthly series of free open house events so college graduates can explore the University’s graduate-level degree and certificate programs, meet faculty and staff, and learn how to make graduate studies affordable through paid assistantships, scholarships and federal aid. Open houses are held at Cal U’s main campus and at the Cal U Center for Innovation at Southpointe, 135 Technology Drive, Canonsburg, Pa. Daytime and evening sessions are planned at both locations. Open houses includes refreshments, brief presentations and question-andanswer sessions to help students discover how Cal U can help them to meet their
educational and career goals. On the main campus, sessions are scheduled from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 15, Feb. 10 and April 16; and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 13. Main-campus sessions meet in Eberly Hall, Room 115. At Southpointe, open house events are slate from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 10, 7 a.m.-noon Jan. 14, 5-8 p.m. March 11, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 2 and July 18. All open house sessions are free, but online registration is requested. Visit www.calu.edu to register or learn more. Cal U’s Graduate Admissions Office is open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays in Eberly Hall, Room 202B. For more information about the School of Graduate Studies or its open house events, call 724-938-4187 or e-mail gradschool@calu.edu.
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NoV. 3, 2014
Friday Is Deadline for Bus Trip Tickets
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For the fifth time in seven years Cal U’s women’s golf team will begin the spring portion of its season as PSAC champions.
Golf Team PSAC Champs Again
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ed by second-, fourth- and sixthplace individual finishes, the women’s golf team ended its fall season by winning its fifth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship in seven years. The two-day league championship tournament was contested Oct. 18-19 at the Hershey (Pa.) Country Club. Cal U won the event by nine strokes over second-place Kutztown University. The Vulcans finished with a 65-over 633 (317-316), while the Golden Bears were 74-over at 642. Defending champion Gannon placed third at 651. Sophomore Carla Maestre tied for second place overall with a 15-over 157 (78-79). Last spring Maestre qualified
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for the NCAA Division II National Championships as an individual, earned PSAC Golfer and Freshman of the Year titles, and received the PSAC Sportsmanship Award. Junior Cara Vanderman and freshman Cai Yan Ho finished tied for fourth and sixth place, respectively. Both golfers carded 77s during the second round. Vanderman finished 16over at 158, and Ho was one stroke back at 159. Other Cal U golfers were sophomore Rachel Lim (+19), who placed eighth, and freshman Stephanie Perkins (+21), who tied for ninth. Before the season started, Lim and Vanderman were named All-American
Scholars by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association. To qualify for the honor, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher. Head coach MerriLyn Gibbs praised her team, which overcame a threestroke deficit after the first round of the tournament. “That was a very challenging course,” she said. “Whether it’s on the golf course or with their studies, my players want to work hard, and the results reflect it.” The PSAC Championships marked the final event of the fall season for the Vulcans, who also won PSAC women’s golf titles in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
pots are still available for the Department of Art and Design’s trip to Washington, D.C., a regular item on the University’s calendar for the past nine years. Professor Jim Bové organizes the one-day bus trip each semester. The excursion is open to all students, alumni, staff and faculty at Cal U. This year’s destination is the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. The bus will depart from the Pollack Building at 6 a.m. Nov. 13 and arrive at the museum between 10:30 and 11 a.m. The bus will depart from the museum at 5:30 p.m. sharp, for an expected return to campus by 11 p.m. Cost is $25 for students and alumni, $50 for non-students. There will be one rest stop each way. Travelers pay for their own meals. Museum admission is free. “This trip brings our students and University community to the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the entire world,” Bové explained. “We do this each semester to expose students to the things they learn about in class. Nothing can ever take the place of experiencing art or history in person.” Reservations are limited to the first 80 seats; to register, e-mail Bové at bove@calu.edu.
Last Call for Seats at Annual Veterans Dinner
oday is the last day to register for the 41st annual Veterans Dinner, set for 6-8 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Convocation Center’s south
wing. Retired Col. Franziska Chopp will be the guest speaker at the event, “Celebrating Student Veterans.” Chopp recently retired from the U.S. Air Force after serving most recently as staff judge advocate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The Veterans Club will recognize all military veterans and service members in attendance at the dinner, including Cal U student veterans. Family members of those who participated in the 2013 and 2014 Military and Veterans Banners Project also will be recognized. More than 40 banners honoring veterans and
service members are on display throughout the month of November at locations across campus. A map of the 42 banner locations is available online at www.calu.edu/veterans, and the public may tour the campus daily from dawn to dusk. On Nov. 11 Cal U’s Office of Veterans Affairs hosts an off-campus VetTogether from 5-7 p.m. at Lagerheads in Coal Center, Pa. The monthly gathering gives veterans and service members an opportunity to socialize and build camaraderie. For details, visit vettogethers.org/find or e-mail Capt. Robert Prah, director of Veterans Affairs, at prah@calu.edu. Cost for the Veterans Dinner is $15; registration is required. For tickets, e-mail veterans@calu.edu or call 724-938-4076. Checks should be made payable to “SAIVets Club.” The dinner is free for all Cal U students and veterans.
At Cal U’s 41st annual annual Veterans Dinner, the Veterans Club will recognize all military veterans and service members in attendance.
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
Dr. Nancy Pinardi Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Christine Kindl Editor
Dr. Bruce Barnhart Acting Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Craig Butzine Vice President for Marketing and University Relations/ Interim Vice President for University Development and Alumni Relations
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender Writers
Robert Thorn Vice President for Administration and Finance
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