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THE
Clarion Call CLARION UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1913
MARCH 1, 2012
VOL. 98 ED. 17
Boys choir gives concert at university Alizah Thornton NEWS EDITOR CLARION, Pa. - The AfroAmerican Music Institute Boys Choir visited Clarion University Saturday, Feb. 25. The choir, consisting of all males ages 5 to 23, sang a collection of songs to students, faculty and community members in the audience. The show titled “Soulful Journey Through Afro-American Music” included music selections from a variety of music genres such as black art music, blues, gospel, pop, spiritual and jazz. Dr. James Johnson is the executive director for the Afro-American Music Institute of Pittsburgh, located in the Homewood area of the city. Dr. Brian Roberts, assistant professor of English at the university, opened the event. Founded in 1982, the AAMI was started as music school based for the community “with a mission to preserve the cultural tradition and quality of a music that is widely recognized today as an original American art form,” according to
Lunga Bechtel / The Clarion Call
Members from the Afro-American Boys Choir sing in Hart Chapel. the program brochure. The AAMI’s Boys Choir was founded in 1990 by Pamela Johnson, wife of James Johnson. Roberts currently studies music under Dr. Johnson at the institute. “You’re never too old to learn,” he said.
The AAMI Boys Choir opened the show with the song “Life Every Voice,” also known as the black national anthem. “I’d like to take you back to Africa,” Johnson said before he introduced the next song titled “We are
the Drums,” which included original raps composed by two members of the group. Johnson entertained the audience between songs with history about the meaning of the song before it was performed. The group’s Associate
Director Howard Alexander accompanied the choir and Johnson on the keyboard throughout the show. Jocelind Gant, assistant to the President for Social Equity and associate vice president for Inter-
national Programs, presented Johnson and his wife Pamela with a special award. Gant gave the award recognizing the couple for their “distinguished community service and dedication.” The event closed with a song titled “One Big Family.” Johnson, member of Phi Mu Alpha, invited the members of Clarion University’s Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia chapter to join the group in this final song. The song was a representation that everyone should learn to live together as one, Johnson said. “If we don’t learn to respect one another, and one another’s races, we are going downhill fast.” Special thanks for the production of the event go to: Dr. Hank Alviani, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Chartwell’s Catering, Clarion University Admissions Office, Clarion Student Association, Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Student and University Affairs, Department of Athletics, College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Music.
History professor publishes sixth book C l u b c o l l e c t s p r o m Rachel Farkas dresses for high school students STAFF WRITER
CLARION, Pa. Robert Frakes, professor of history at Clarion University, recently published his sixth book, titled “Compiling the Collatio Legum Mosaicarum et Romanarum in Late Antiquity.” Frakes most recent work analyzes the “Collatio Legum Mosaicarum et Romanarum,” or “Collation of the Laws of Moses and the Romans,” which is a legal compilation put together by an anonymous editor at the end of the fourth century. The original work “compares laws from the Hebrew Bible with corresponding passages from Roman jurists and Roman laws to form discussions on 16 topics, including homicide, adultery, homosexuality, incest and cruelty toward slaves,” according to an article on the university’s website. Frakes said he became interested in the “Collation of the Laws of Moses and the Romans” while doing research for an earlier project. In order to do research for this book, he visited various archives in Germany, Holland and England to examine both medieval and early modern manuscripts of the work. “The staff members of
Brittany Bender STAFF WRITER
Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call
Professor Robert Frakes’ book analyzes fourth-century legal compilation. the libraries in Europe were quite helpful to me as a visiting American professor, although I had to wear special gloves to turn the pages of the manuscripts,” said Frakes. “The Leopold Wenger Institute for Ancient Legal History at the University of Munich was especially welcoming and allowed me to work in their collection for many months.” There has been some debate about the religious identity of the collator. Some earlier scholars believed it was a Jewish author. Frakes concluded it was more likely a Chris-
tian author after tracing the collator’s quotes to a Christian Latin translation of the Bible. Frakes said the Christian collator was likely a lawyer writing in the late fourth century in an attempt to “draw pagan lawyers to seeing the connections between the law of a monotheistic God and traditional Roman law.” This book is written for a scholarly audience, in the fields of Roman history, Roman law and the history of Christianity, and is intended for use in research libraries.
Four of Frakes’ previously published works similarly focused on ancient history and were intended for scholarly use. He has also written a textbook, “Writing for College History,” that he said has done “fairly well with student and general audiences.” After publishing his sixth book, Frakes said he still enjoys remaining in research and writing. “I feel that conducting research keeps my teaching up-to-date both in the content of my field as well as in teaching historical research and writing.,” Frakes said.
CLARION, Pa. - With prom season just around the corner, some high school students are starting to think about their attire for the event. However, prom dresses, tuxedos and accessories can be expensive for students in high school. Some of them may not have the monetary resources for prom, and may not attend.. The Clarion University dance team is participating in the Allegheny County Human Services Department’s Project Prom. This program offers free prom attire including gowns, accessories such as shoes and jewelry and tuxedos to eligible students free of charge. Items come from donations from businesses and individuals. Donations were accepted up until Feb. 29, and the dance team members donated many of their
THIS WEEK’S EDITION
Inside
INDEX
Former “Mafia” member speaks to students. FEATURES PAGE 5
Profile of Melissa Kuntz “Caravans” exhibit. ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 8
EWL wresting preview. SPORTS PAGE 10
News Opinion Features Classifieds Puzzles & Comics Arts & Entertainment Sports Standings
own prom gowns from when they were in high school. The students wishing to receive the items collected from Project Prom will go t h r o u g h a n application process, and those selected will receive items on March 6, in plenty of time for prom. “Doing the Project Prom allows the Dance Team to get involved in other communities outside of Clarion. We enjoyed donating our prom dresses, even though some were hard to part with. We hope that next year, we will be able to have more involvement with this project,” said Kristen Hatch, co-captain of Clarion University’s dance team. The dance team plans on participating in the fundraiser again next year, and encourages others to get involved as well. More information about Project Prom can be found at the web site www.alleghenycounty.us/ dhs/projectprom.aspx
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March 1, 2012
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POLICIES Carrie Williams / The Clarion Call
Members from the Political Economy Club during previous trip to New Orleans.
PEC club to help victims Jen Schwartz STAFF WRITER CLARION, Pa. - Clarion University’s Political Economy Club will depart on a volunteer service trip to New Orleans, La., in hopes to help continue rebuilding the community this Spring break, March 10- 18. This year, PEC will be volunteering through Beacon of Hope New Orleans, an organization that aims to help individuals and the community as a whole. “It’s a great alternative to the traditional spring break for college students, and it’s almost refreshing to be able to get away from academia and textbooks and be able to do handson work for other people,” President of PEC, senior Lindsay Camerer said. PEC will participate in clean-up and
grounds keeping of the hurricane Katrina aftermath, because even years later, abandoned houses and debris are still left behind. The volunteer crew will also take part in helping rebuild and paint homes of citizens who no longer have the funds to do so themselves. “It’s true that students go down to do what they can to help –in the spirit of volunteering—but I think that service involves just as much self-reflection and connection with new people that [it] makes a lasting impact,” Camerer said. “If the group members don’t know each other that well before the trip, they certainly will afterwards.” In a way, that’s kind of what makes it different each time PEC does this trip; new volunteers bring back new stories.
Ithinkit’sprettybeautiful.” Over the course of five years PEC has successfully made this trip, volunteering through organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the St. Bernard Project. Among other topics, the club strives to bring awareness to include the issue of African stereotypes and the effect it has on the political and economic US relationships with African countries, which they addressed at a panel just last semester. “The New Orleans volunteer trip is probably my favorite part about PEC, it kind of encapsulates the spirit of service we try to do at Clarion,” Camerer said. “Whether it’s educating Clarion students about global issues, sponsoring/ co-sponsoring events or doing service on campus, PEC’s main goal is to raise awareness, and reflect that through action.”
Democrats angry over Corbett’s welfare cuts Marc Levy AP EXCHANGE
HARRISBURG, Pa. — State Democratic senators angrily challenged Gov. Tom Corbett’s top public welfare official Tuesday over the administration’s moves to stop the growth of spending on a wide range of social safety-net programs despite rising demand and health care costs. Among the Corbett administration’s proposals are eliminating cash payments to poor adults, cutting 20 percent from aid for county-run social service programs, raising fees or copayments for people to use certain services and cutting reimbursements by 4 percent to hospitals and nursing homes that care for the poor. The proposal for $629 million in savings and cutbacks comes after Corbett, a Republican, signed a budget in which the Republicancontrolled Legislature cut $600 million in public welfare spending he had originally sought in favor of easing Corbett’s proposed cuts in education spending. It also comes amid what senators say is the disappearance of 89,000 children from the state’s Medicaid rolls since August, prompting concerns that the Corbett administration’s professed effort to ensure that only the eligible re-
ceive benefits is cloaking a campaign to save money by knocking people out of programs. Sen. Vincent Hughes, D-Philadelphia, questioned Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary Alexander how he justifies a proposed $275 million tax cut for businesses while slashing benefits for the poor and disabled at a time people are still recovering from the recession. “You’ve got to respond to everyone in this commonwealth of Pennsylvania when the costs are going to skyrocket in other places because of these cuts. How do you make this whole thing work?” Hughes asked Alexander. “These are women, these are seniors. The support network is being taken from them. It’s a crisis they didn’t create. The big cats are getting taken care of with the tax cuts. ... How do these people intend to get by? What do you anticipate will happen to them in this situation?” Alexander, who was appearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, didn’t address the proposed tax cut or assertions by Democrats that peeling back services will cost more later in prison or emergency room costs. But he maintained that the rising cost of Pennsylvania’s current safety-net programs is unsustainable, particularly when Pennsylvania is getting less aid from
the federal government. He also said Pennsylvania’s menu of stateonly programs is more generous than what many other states offer, and that he is working hard to get the temporarily disabled into programs that help them find work. “(If) we’re going to have a program in place or a safety net in place in the commonwealth, it has to be financially sustainable,” Alexander responded. “ Right now, with 5.8 million people working full-time and over 2.7 million people accessing public assistance, we are headed for some collision course. We have to do something.” Asked by Sen. Pat Vance, R-Cumberland, to explain the disappearance of 89,000 children from Medicaid rolls, Alexander said he didn’t know where the figure came from — children’s advocates cite the department’s own figures — but insisted that thousands of cases had piled up that had not been reviewed for eligibility every six months. “ Corbett is proposing a $27.1 billion hold-the-line spending plan that would cut businesses taxes and spending for education and human services while grappling with lackluster tax collections and rising health care and pension costs.
T
HE CLARION CALL is the student-run newspaper of Clarion University of Pennsylvania and the surrounding communities. The Call is published most Thursdays during the academic year. The Call accepts submissions, but reserves the right to edit for libel, grammar, length, punctuation and obscenity; the determination of which is the responsibility of the Editor-in-Chief. Submissions must be signed and include contact information. They must be received no later than 5 p.m. Mondays. If the author of a letter wishes to remain anonymous, they must attach a separate letter of explanation.
Information boxes (including PSAs) are published only based on available space and at the discretion of the Executive Board. Publication is not guaranteed. The Clarion Call is funded by advertising revenue and the Clarion Students’ Association. The Call is available on campus and throughout Clarion. One copy is free; additional copies are $1. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writer or speaker, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the newspaper staff, student body, Clarion University or the community.
EDITORIAL BOARD Elora Walsh
Samuel Dixon
Jeremiah Bull
Editor-in-chief
Entertainment Editor
Advertising Sales Manager
Mark Emch
Michael Waterloo
Mike Ramsey
Managing Editor
Sports Editor
Online Editor
Brandy Hadden
Jeana Schwerer
Alizah Thornton
Copy Editor
Business Manager
News Editor
Russell Pekelnicky
Lisa Yoder
Chris Brown
Features Editor
Graphics Editor
Circulation Manager
Caitlin McGill
Dr. Laurie Miller
Photography Editor
Adviser
STAFF News: Brittany Bender, Blayne Shaeffer, Rachel Farkas, Sports: Eddie McDonald, Jacob Oberdorf, Mark Emch, Maichel Collins, John Owens, Jazzmonde James
Photography: Justin Gmoser, Kelsey Waros, Jessica Bedaux, Joe Bucci, Lunga Bechtel, Brittany Harger Circulation: Jason Lauts
Features: Josh Byers, Mike Friend, Marissa Katz
Columnists: Allison Doherty, Sarah Meier, Alizah Thornton.
Entertainment: Brittany Bender, Mike Friend, Blayne Sheaffer, Shirley Sproule, Andi Fulmer, Alex Krach
Copy: Shirley Sproule, Amerigo Allegretto
Interested in working with us? The Call is always looking for talented staff and contributors. Get experience working in media and build your resumé. Reporters — Photographers — Columnists — Designers — Illustrators Distribution & Logistics — Advertising Sales — Business & Management For more information, contact the Editor-In-Chief at chief@clarioncallnews.com
Matthew Knoedler CONTRIBUTING WRITER
CLARION, Pa. - Clarion University’s Student Senate announced that three new decorative structures will be added around campus starting next fall during their weekly meeting Monday night. A model of an eagle, symbolizing Clarion University’s Golden Eagle mascot, will be hung in Eagle Commons a structure of an apple will be placed outside the Science and Technology Center and a bronze bell will be available to students and faculty for ceremonious occasi ons. The eagle is a donation from several individuals and groups, including Clarion
University President Dr. Karen Whitney, former Clarion University President Dr. Joseph Gruenwald and the Clarion Student Association, among others. Funding for the apple and bronze bell was made possible through stock market investments made by CSA. “One investment in particular did very well and there was interest (partly sparked from the initiative of Dr. Whitney) to put that money toward items that will facilitate cohesion and Clarion pride,” Student Senate President Joanna Catalano said. “Previous Student Senates have polled the student body and had focus groups about what exactly those items can be. The result of those
efforts was two items: a large apple structure and a bronze bell.” The apple’s purpose is to be manipulated by different organizations on campus to promote whatever cause, event, or message they want to convey to the student body. During the meeting, appropriations were allocated to several student organizations on campus including nearly $1,300 to the Black Student Union for their trip to the Black Wax Museum in Baltimore and $570 for the Psychology Club for their trip to the Eastern Psychological Association conference in Pittsburgh. Catalano announced that she will be in Harrisburg next Monday as a member of the PASSHE budget panel as they speak with state lawmakers regarding the proposed cuts in higher education funding. She is only student on this panel and will join West Chester University President Greg R. Weisenstein and Chancellor of the PASSHE System John Cavanaugh during the hearings. Student Senate’s meetings are every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Gemmell Room 246.
THE CLARION CALL
March 1, 2012
News across Pennsylvania Son sentenced to life in prison AP Exchange HARRISBURG, Pa.— A central Pennsylvania man has been convicted of firstdegree murder in a shooting death that earlier sent his father to state prison. The (Harrisburg) Pa-
triot-News says a Dauphin County jury took less than 15 minutes Wednesday to convict 24-year-old Lemuel Marrero-Monge. Judge John Cherry immediately sentenced him to life in prison without possibility of parole in the June 2009 shoot-
Mother and boyfriend held in baby’s death in motel AP Exchange ERIE, Pa. — A 22-year-old mother and her boyfriend are jailed on criminal homicide and other charges stemming from the death of the woman’s 5-monthold baby who was found in cardiac arrest at an Erie motel where the couple was living. Online court records don’t list an attorney for 22-year-old Leslie Anne Holmes and 21-yearold Matthew J. Clark. The couple was living at the Riviera Motel in
Millcreek Township when paramedics found the baby unresponsive Feb. 9. Little Jasper Holmes died Feb. 20 in a Pittsburgh hospital, and the medical examiner there determined the baby suffered brain hemorrhages and other trauma consistent with being shaken. The Erie Times-News reports the suspects have not explained how the baby was injured, but both are charged because authorities contend they were alone with the baby when he was hurt.
ing death of 19-yearold Jonathan Martinez in Harrisburg. Authorities say the defendant and his father were seeking revenge for an earlier beating of another brother. Forty-nine-yearold Lemuel MarreroJuarbe was earlier con-
victed of third-degree murder and sentenced to six to 27 years. The victim’s sister, Jessica Martinez, sobbed as she told Marrero-Monge “I hope you rot in hell.” He said nothing when the judge offered him a chance to speak.
P it t sbur gh guar d, shot in ar mor ed ca r AP Exchange PITTSBURGH — Authorities in western Pennsylvania say an armored car guard was found shot to death under a railroad trestle in Pittsburgh in an apparent robbery, and police are searching for another guard. Lt. Kevin Kraus says officers found the Garda armored car in the city’s Strip District at about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and found one of the guards dead in the cargo area with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. He said a second guard, a 22-year-old man, is being sought and is believed to be armed with two semiautomatic pistols. Kraus said it ap-
peared that the armored car had been robbed, but declined to comment on what was taken. He said the car was found a considerable distance from its last stop and appeared to have been there for one time. It was reported missing by another Garda employee who saw it there and later noticed that it had not moved. State and local police and the FBI are investigating. Garda spokesman Joe Gavaghan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from the company’s Boston office that officials were “shocked” by the news and were cooperating fully with authorities.
Two-month delay requested in sex-abuse trial Mark Scrolforo AP EXCHANGE
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer on Monday asked the judge in his child sex-abuse case to delay the start of his criminal trial until mid-July, saying he needed more time to prepare. Defense lawyer Joe Amendola said the additional two months would help him contact and interview witnesses, subpoena records and hire experts. Earlier this month, Judge John Cleland tentatively scheduled jury selection in the former Penn State assistant football coach’s trial to begin May 14, with jurors chosen from State College and
the surrounding area. Sandusky, 68, faces 52 criminal charges he sexually abused 10 boys over a 15-year period, allegations he denies. Amendola said prosecutors have been providing him with investigative materials that have produced a number of potential witnesses who have to be located, and that defense experts will need time to review documents, prepare opinions and get ready to testify. He said prosecutors do not object to the request, but messages left after hours Monday for a spokesman for the state attorney general’s office were not immediately returned. Amendola also sought three more weeks to file a catch-all pretrial
motion that is due on Thursday, saying he expects additional material to be handed over by prosecutors, and that they also did not object to that delay. Cleland ruled two weeks ago that Sandusky could have contact with his grandchildren and adult visitors in his home, where he is confined as he awaits trial. The judge also denied prosecution requests that Sandusky remain confined indoors, and that jurors be brought in from elsewhere in Pennsylvania to hear the case. Sandusky was arrested in November and accused of a range of sexual misconduct involving boys he purportedly met through The Second Mile, a charity for at-risk children
Guards face assault charges Mark Scrolforo AP EXCHANGE PITTSBURGH — A northwestern Pennsylvania prosecutor has charged two guards and five inmates with conspiring to beat another inmate at the county lockup last month because he is awaiting trial on charges that he assaulted the niece of one guard. The guards, Jason Worcester, 36, and Clifford Palmer, 42, both of Erie, had been suspended without pay even before Erie County District Attorney Jack Daneri announced the charges Monday in the county along Lake
Erie’s southern shore. Online court records don’t list attorneys for the guards, who will not be arrested but instead be mailed court summonses for the misdemeanor charges they face, official oppression and conspiracy to commit simple assault, Daneri said. Palmer’s home phone was disconnected, and Worcester’s was repeatedly busy on Monday. Daneri charges Worcester recruited the inmates to punch and slap another inmate, Thor Perry, 20, who is awaiting trial on charges he assaulted his girlfriend, who is Worcester’s niece. Daneri said Palmer was charged for “not
doing anything to stop it when he knew this was going to occur.” An inmate who witnessed the incident told county detectives that “Palmer reacted inappropriately, being purposely slow to stop the assault,” according to a seven-page affidavit filed with the charges. The inmate said “Palmer appeared to purposely avoid seeing the assault, hiding behind his desk computer screen, then when the noise and disturbance became too much to ignore, CO (Corrections Officer) Palmer slowly and casually walked to the area of the fight to break it up,” the affidavit said.
he founded decades ago. Also arrested were Penn State athletic director Tim Curley and vice president Gary Schultz, both charged with lying to a grand jury investigating Sandusky and failing to properly report suspected child abuse. Curley, now on leave, and Schultz, who has since retired, both deny the allegations and are asking a judge to dismiss their charges. The scandal has left a black mark on one of the nation’s premier major college football programs, and led to the ouster of university president Graham Spanier and longtime football coach Joe Paterno. Neither was charged with any crime, and Paterno died last month of lung cancer.
News 3
4 Opinion
THE CLARION CALL
OPINION
MARCH 1, 2012
“Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
clarioncallnews.com/opinion
COLUMN
Dear Bacon: Snow removal
Allison Doherty STAFF WRITER
D
ear Bacon: I heard you got a ticket for snow removal. -Sincerely Fifi
Well Fifi, what you’ve heard is true. Last Saturday night I got a ticket from Clarion Borough for not moving my car for snow removal. Granted I did park my car less than 20 feet from the sign telling me to move my car; it is the situation surrounding the ticket that makes it a problem. It was almost 1 a.m. on Sunday this past
weekend, when I was leaving a friends house to go home. A police officer pulls up on the street where my car is parked. Normally I’d think nothing of it until officer turned his car around in the middle of the street and parked his car right on the corner. When the police vehicle parks it turns its spotlight on and watches a friend and me round the corner. While I’m walking I’m listening to my surroundings, and there is a lot of yelling and screaming in the distance. Not knowing that the officer is actually there to ticket my car for snow removal, I assume that the yelling is from a student party that got broken-up. I felt intimidated. So instead of getting in my car and driving away, I unlocked my doors, grabbed a blanket and we walked
back to my friends house. Knowing now that the officer was there to ticket and not for the obvious reason of drinking, my question is why didn’t the officer, when I was walking back from my car, tell me that I needed to move my car for snow removal? I understand it’s my responsibility to know where I’m parking, but I also feel it’s the responsibility of law enforcement to not intimidate. So Fifi, next time when I park my car I’ll be sure to feed the meter or check the signs when snow removal matters. If you have a question for Bacon, email bacon. clarioncallnews.com.
The writer is a communication major and member of The Clarion Call
Editorial Cartoon by Mike Ramsey
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The Call welcomes letters from our readers, but reserves the right to edit for libel, grammar, length, punctuation and obscenity; the determination of which is the responsibility of the Editor-in-chief. Submissions must be signed and received no later than 5 p.m. the Monday before publication.
It’s Your Call Oscars: Best picture
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY: JESSICA BEDEAUX
KEN VINTON
Sophomore, Computer Science “‘The Muppet Movie.’ It’s cute and funny and has a good story. Jim Henson would be proud of it.”
MARIA SANTARSIERO
Sophomore, Psychology “‘Captain America’ because it had great special effects and fight scenes.”
SHANE DAWSON
Sophomore, Computer Science “‘The Help.’ I loved ‘The Help.’ It was such a great movie filled with strife and joy.”
LIZ PELLEGRINI
Freshman, Early Childhood “‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II’ because Harry Potter is awesome and has a great story with great actors.”
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“Godfather of Forgiveness” speaks to students Alex Krach STAFF WRITER On Feb. 27 in the Gemmell MultiPurpose Room, ex-mafia caporegime (captain) of the Columbo family turned motivational speaker, Michael Franzese, spoke to audience members about the dangers of gambling and various stories of his life. Franzese spent 20 years working for the Columbo family after deciding to drop out of college to help his imprisoned father, underboss John “Sonny” Franzese, who originally did not want Franzese to join the mafia. “I wanted to do two things,” said Franzese. “First, I wanted to get my dad out of prison…second, I wanted to make some money.” Franzese saw his rise in the 1980s with the wholesale gas business (also known as the gasoline bootlegging rackets), in which Franzese sold millions of gallons of gas while Joe Bucci / The Clarion Call collecting and keeping state and Michael Franzese speaks to students about his life exploits as a money earner for the Mafia federal gas taxes. The mafia would In 1984, Franzese’s life changed while It was at the cast meeting that Garthen sell the gas at lower prices than actual gas stations. This busi- producing “Knights of the City,” a mov- cia started talking to Franzese about ness made the mafia anywhere from ie that involved break dancing and rap her faith in God and what would ultimusic from the 1980s. mately lead him away from the mafia. $5 -8 million a week. “I wanted a movie with good rap- Franzese and Garcia have been marBy 1986, Franzese had been indicted pers in it,” said Franzese. “The Fat ried for 25 years. and had been to trial five times. Franzese later was indicted and “Rudy Giuliani indicted me on a big Boys, Sugar Hill Gang…I like those case back in ‘85 and I was acquitted, artists. It wasn’t like the crap you pleaded guilty in 1985, where he was sentenced to 10 years in otherwise, I wouldn’t be here before guys listen to today.” While sitting around the hotel pool prison. While in prison, the Fedyou today,” said Franzese. “He told me in the courtroom ‘if I convict you, talking to some of the members of the eral Bureau of Investigation asked you’re going to get 100 years on this movie, Franzese saw dancer Camille Garcia Franzese if he would do a commercase.’ And I told him to bring it, which and fell in love with her. Franzese asked cial for the National Basketball Aswasn’t a very smart thing to say to an her on numerous dates, which she accept- sociation on the dangers of gamed and then stood him up fives times. bling. Franzese agreed under the already aggravated prosecutor.”
stipulation that he would be permitted to see his wife. After being released, Franzese continued to work with various sports organizations on gambling addictions, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association. To date, Franzese has worked with more than 400 universities. His speech on gambling opened with a story about a man who got addicted to penny poker and advanced to gambling on sports teams online while in college, on a tip from a friend. After two months and a debt of $70,000, the man went to the dorm room his friend was staying in, shot and killed him and the two people staying in his room. While waiting trial, he hanged himself and a relative of one of the victims also shot himself. “That’s five dead, all because of penny poker,” said Franzese. Franzese then went on to warn the crowd of the dangers of online gambling, the illegality of it, and the risks involved. He also warned that women were just as susceptible to gambling addictions as men with the statistic of 29,000 men addicted to gambling and 33,000 women addicted in Oregon. Franzese also stressed that if the audience could leave with one thing, it would be to surround oneself with good people. “You must surround yourself with good people,” said Franzese, “You are who you hang out with…Don’t let anyone make a sucker out of you. I mean it, find good people.” For more information, visit www. michaelfranzese.com.
SPSEA celebrates Seuss Students brace for real-world success Margaret DePree STAFF WRITER All over the United States, trees will dance and birds will sing, celebrating the joy of Dr. Seuss and his unrivaled imagination on what to many is just another day. Dr. Seuss would have been 108 years young this March 2, but his creativity remains timeless from generation to generation through his colorful 46 children’s books. So each year how do we thank him for all he’s done? People “Read Across America,” an annual occasion on Dr. Seuss’ birthday to promote literacy all across America. This year is no different, and bigger than ever. Student Pennsylvania State Education Association hosts the event here at Clarion University and is just flabbergasted about this year’s success. SPSEA President Ashley Bates, Senior Early Childhood Education major, has spent countless hours organizing this year’s “Read Across America,” and cannot wait for it all to come together. “This year’s event will include com-
puter games to promote technology, puzzles to promote problem solving, matching games to promote memory and a bean-bag toss to promote gross motor development.” Dr. Goodman, from the Department of Education will also be reading the classic “Green Eggs and Ham” to share with the children. With more than 100 children from all over Clarion County school districts preregistered, the Free Public Library is sure to be filled with eager minds and colorful fun. Members of the SPSEA Executive Board Sarah Heckman, Rachael Lamantia and Kylie Moucheron will be bringing to life ‘Thing 1 and Thing 2’ as well as ‘The Cat in the Hat’ March 2. All students are welcome to join SPSEA, but education majors are greatly encouraged as they will be involved in some way or another with PSEA in the future. Please fe el free to contact Ashley Bates for more information at spsea@clar ion.edu Also in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, “The Lorax” movie comes out in theaters this March 2.
Dance marathon to raise money Marissa Katz STAFF WRITER The Bee Gees sang it best when they belted out their hit “You Should Be Dancing.” The members of the Clarion University Dance Marathon have really taken this idea to heart as they prepare for the 9th annual Clarion University Dance Marathon. The marathon which takes place from 8 a.m., March 3 to 8 a.m. on March 4 is the organization’s primary fundraiser. Every year the dance marathon has a theme and this year’s theme is “Dancing through the Seasons.” The events will start with a New Year’s themed celebration and finish with Christmas celebrations. All funds raised from the marathon will benefit the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Katie Laney, president of the marathon, said that in addition to holding the marathon and several other small fundraisers throughout the year the organization also does volunteer work at Children’s Hospital. She also said that the funds raised at the marathon are donated to Pennies from Heaven fund at the hospital.
Laney said that the fund is set up to “help parents and families stay with their child during their stay at the hospital. The families receive a care package when a child is admitted to the hospital. The package includes toiletries or snacks. The Pennies from Heaven Fund also provides families with a monetary supplement to help with the financial stress put on the family while going through a difficult time. The main purpose of the fund is to keep families together.” The committee members say they have been working hard to plan the 24 hour marathon this year. Some other events that are planned for the marathon range from D.J.s providing music to live acts coming in from Pittsburgh to add a different twist to the music. Laney said that the committee is always for new members and dancers for the marathon and those who came aren’t required to stay the entire 24 hours. “I am very excited for this year” say Laney of this year’s outlook. This organization has its sights set high for this coming weekend as they raises money as it dancing for those who can’t.
Brittany Bender Josh Byers STAFF WRITER The career services department at Clarion University is hosting two events to get students ready to apply for jobs, and hopefully become employed in the near future. To promote the March 1 Experience Expo and the March 2 Professional Development Day, Erin Kriebel-Lewis, Diana Brush, and Paul Yi began a bi-weekly radio show on 91.7 WCUC-FM “The Clutch” titled “Eagle CAM: Career Action Movement.” Yi, Brush, and Kriebel-Lewis discussed the importance of attending these events along with specifics such as how to dress, and what students should have prepared for the events. This will be the eighth year that Career
Services offer this event for students. It started out as a collaboration of a summer job fair, and community services fair, then three years ago, they added the internship possibilities to the event. Career Services also collaborated with The Center for Leadership and Involvement this year. The Experience Expo will run from 11 a..m. until 3 p.m. in the Gemmell Multi-Purpose Room. “The Clarion University Experience Expo is an opportunity for students who are seeking internships, summer jobs, part-time positions, or volunteer opportunities to connect with organizations and nonprofit agencies which have these experiences,” as stated on the Experience Expo web page. There is no pre-registering necessary and the event is open to all students free of charge. The Experience Expo is cosponsored by Career Services and The Center for Leadership and Involvement.
Continued EXPO page 6
6 Features
THE CLARION CALL
TOP 10 Interesting picnic spots Russell Pekelnicky
5. Offices
FEATURES EDITOR Spring creeps ever closer and with that comes the encroaching of picnic season. In case you need some invaluable suggestions on where to go for picnics, here are some helpful and interesting ones to keep in mind.
10. National parks Most national parks in Pennsylvania can be accessed for free and provide an interesting ambience for a dining experience. For added effect, wild animals may try to steal your food, in which case you have a nice premeal battle to help work up an appetite.
9. Backyards Like national parks, backyards are mostly free as well. Eating in a backyard can add to the complexity of meals at a picnic, but also has the downside of not being able to fight wild animals. Any pre-meal animal battles will have to come from outside suppliers.
8. Amusement parks Amusement parks might cost money to enter, but the payoff might be worth it. Imagine dining with your friends and family in a place surrounded by complete strangers and colossal monstrosities of science and steel.
7. Parking lots For those with a crippling fear of plants but a love of eating without a roof, a parking lot can provide the perfect place for outside culinary enjoyment. Move the whole gang to a parking lot and set up shop.
6. Parking garages This one is essentially a parking lot for the agoraphobic. It has the nice wind-flow of being outside but without the fear of as many birds attacking during the meal.
Change up the atmosphere of a soul-crushing work place by bringing in a picnic. Bond over your favorite picnic goodies, all while completely avoiding the novelty of going outside at all. For added fun, use office supplies as silverwear and enjoy the delightful mess you and your coworkers make.
4. Beaches Nothing helps make a meal quite like the smell of rotting fish, sand and seagull attacks. A beach also has the upside of having a nice breeze and easy restock possibilities for those fish-based picnics. It also makes for a pretty handy means of disposal for non-toxic supplies. Just wrap your picnic supplies in the blanket and throw it out to sea. You can also start picnic wars using a loaf of bread and some carefully applied slices of bread.
3. Docks Docks are essentially beaches with less sand and more boats. Enjoy that chicken salad sandwich while watching boats come into port and cargo being taken off and on boats. Dress up like a dock worker for further ambience, then pretend you actually work there.
2. Cemeteries Cemeteries add a little something special. The marble masonry make it easier to conceal a picnic from prying eyes, and an appropriately leveled headstone can serve as an excellent substitute to chairs and tables. If you are interrupted during your picnic, chances are they aren’t alive in a conventional sense, so run.
1. Holes in the ground Holes in the ground are rarely appreciated for their ambience and atmosphere. A good hole in the ground can make pleasant accommodations for a large group of picnickers. It also has the benefit of easy trash disposal following the meal; just bury everything.
Career expo opens students to job prospects Continued from EXPO page 5 Around 200 students are registered for Career Services’ Professional Development Day. The event will take place on Friday, March 2 in the Gemmell MPR from 8:15 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event is supported by CBCInnovis, Clarion Federal Credit Union, Pepsi and PSECU. According to the Clarion University website, “Professional Development Day is a series of workshops and speakers that will provide intermediate and advanced programming to enhance to career development and job search skills of those who attend. The sessions will be presented by volunteer employers, alumni and career services professionals.” Professional Development Day is geared toward juniors, seniors and graduate students that will soon be looking for internships and jobs. Students attending the event are encouraged to bring a resume for review by the professionals that will be there. The tentative schedule is posted on the website and includes job search documents, graduate school plan-
ning, social media professionalism, financial planning, the job search process, salary negotiations, using virtual technology as a professional, business etiquette, preparing for a job fair, entrepreneurship and smallgroup mock interviews. Also, the keynote speaker will be alumni Nicole Lako-Gibson who now works for CBCInnovis. The full schedule can be downloaded as a .pdf file with the specific times of certain workshops. “Students should take advantage of Professional Development Day because there are a wide variety of workshops provided by human resources departments, recruiters and employers. Students will get to hear tips and advice from perspective employers. Twenty eight professionals will also be providing mock interviews,” said Kriebel-Lewis, assistant director of the career services center. The Experience Expo and Professional Development Day are just the first in a series of events sponsored by career services. The PERC job fair will be held March 21, the WestPACS Job and Internship Fair will be March 28 and the CU Spring Career Fair is set for April 4.
Marcellus Shale Symposium coming to Clarion University There are diverse perspectives on the benefits and drawbacks of Marcellus Shale hydrologic fracturing gas extraction. What are the true social, environmental and health concerns and what is the hype? Is fracking an inherently unsafe practice, or can it be made safe enough with good regulations and enforcement? Are the regulations stringent enough? If so, is the industry taking environmental and public health concerns seriously by conforming to the regulations both in spirit and practice? How can those who are impacted by this development get more directly involved and have some influence on the outcomes? On Tuesday, March 6, at 7 p.m. at Hart Chapel at Clarion University, a free public meeting, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Clarion County will provide personal perspectives of people who have lived with the day to day impact of Marcellus Shale drilling. Among other issues, they will discuss the noise, air, land, and water pollution potential and proactive steps that can be taken throughout the gas drilling process. The speakers represent a wide range of perspectives. Christine Hendryx, an herbalist and organic gardener, and her husband, Jan, an osteopathic physician specializing in integrative medicine, will discuss their experience of being landowners next to a Marcellus Shale drilling site. They will explore potential hazards and the overall health effects of unconventional gas well drilling. Eric Belcastro, lives in Washington County, one of the centers of drill-
ing activity. He is a community organizer with the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund who has been working with communities all over Pennsylvania. He will discuss his experiences responding to drilling issues, exploring options, and meeting people who have been affected by the gas industry. Lee Stewart, president of Stewart Laboratory, Inc., has a dual degree in chemistry and biology from Clarion University. He has been involved with pre-drilling water analysis since 1988. He will discuss the usefulness of Marcellus Shale pre-drilling water analysis and how the information can be used. Joe Occhipinti, a geographer and author who teaches part time at Clarion University and owns a small business, has done recent research on Marcellus Shale gas extraction. He will act as moderator and discussion leader for the presentation. The “Living with Marcellus Shale” presentation will occur on Tuesday, March 6, at 7 p.m., at the Clarion University Chapel on Wood Street, Clarion. This is a public meeting and open to all. League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting democracy in America and raising awareness of the need for greater citizen participation in the democratic process. For more information about the League of Women Voters, contact the League of Women Voters of Clarion County answering service at 814-226-8150, email the League at lwvcco@gmail. com, visit the website at www.palwv. org/clarion or write to the League at P.O. Box 108, Clarion, 16214.
March 1, 2012
THE CLARION CALL
MARCH 1, 2012
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FOR RENT
RON CORCETTI RENTALS Student Apartments 814226-8262 814 221-8416 “We have apartments for singles!” Visit us at www. roncorcettirentals.com.
Nice, large 2 bdrm apt 15 min walk to campus. Bus every 30min. Best deal in town. $500 a month for a 12 month lease, $600 for a 9 month lease. Fall-only leases, Aug 1 thru Dec 31 $850/month 814-226-7092.
3 Bedroom apartment on Wilson Ave. Cattycorner from Gemmell. Remodeled/Furnished. 2 to 4 students. No Pets. 814389-3000.
SEARCHING FOR: 2 Bedroom Apt for rent, Fall 2012/Spring 2013. Pet friendly, as close to campus as possible. Please call 724-602-7021 or 814673-5170.
2 female students looking for 3 female students to share 5 bedroom house near CUP for Spring 2012 Semester. Each student has own bedroom. $1200 per semester. Util. included. Please call 814-227-8340.
Housing available for between 1-8 students for Spring 2012. Call Brian at
814-227-8028. Eagle Park Apartments Fully furnished, includes utilities, 3 blocks from campus. Leasing for Spring, Summer and Fall. Safe, clean and beautiful. 814226-4300. www.eagle-park. net, 301 Grand Avenue, Clarion, PA 16214. LAKEN APARTMENTS: Houses and apartments available for Fall 2012/ Spring 2013 and Summer 2012. Fully furnished, utilities included. Apartment 1 and 2 bedroom, 1-3 person occupancy, houses 2-8. www. lakenapartments.com; www.lakenapartments. webs.com.814-745-3121 or 814-229-1682. ROLL OUT OF BED TO GO TO CLASS! Houses and apartments next to campus. See them at www. grayandcompany.net or call FREE Gray and Co. 887562-1020. A house for 2 and a house for 4. (2012-2013) Nice, private, campus close. Females. 814-226-6867. 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, washer & dryer, located S. 4th Ave. Accommodates 2 or 3 tenants. $950 per person with 3 tenants, garbage pick-up included.
Afternoon & evening calls only 226-5651. 2 and 4 bedroom apts. Available, close to campus, some utilities included, pets welcome. Call Scott at 434-5665795. Student housing within one block of campus for groups of 2-4. Landlord pays all utilities. Call Jim 814-229-4582. Four bedroom apartment for 2011/ 2012 school year Call 814-226-6106 or 814229-9812. HOUSES & APARTMENTS AVAILABLE for the Fall 2012/Spring 2013. 4 or 5 bedrooms. silverspringsrentalsonline. com 814-379-9721. FALL 2012/SPRING 2013 Home located S. 4th Ave. accommodates 3 students or 4 (couple + 2) Newly remodeled, new fridge, new paint & windows. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, free washer/dryer, Large sun deck, small yard. $1250 per person with 3, $975 @ 4 Some utilities included ! 226-5651 EVENING CALLS ONLY.
4th Ave. Accommodates 2 or 3 tenants. $950 per person with 3 tenants, garbage pick-up included. Afternoon & evening calls only 226-5651. Houses for rent within two blocks of campus to accommodate up to 8 people. Private bedrooms, starting at $1500 / semester, some include utilities. Call 814-229-1182 or email 4chris@venustel. com. FALL 2012/Spring 2013 located S. 5th Ave. accommodates 2-3 students 3 bedroom, 1 bath, free washer/dryer, small yard. $1350 per person; with 2, $1,000; @3 226-5651 EVENING CALLS ONLY. ATTENTION GRAD STUDENTS re-starting the 2012/13 waiting list for cute small home located
Classifieds, Puzzles & Comics 7 in quiet neighborhood on S. 5th Ave. Clarion. 1 bedroom, lg. closets, office, 1 bath, washer/dryer, sun deck, small yard, off street parking. Very nice for couples. Includes use of campsite & dock on Clarion River. $350 per month Summer, $2125 @ 1 tenant; $1200 per person per semester @2. 2265651. EVENING CALLS. Nice apartment for 1-2 grad students. 2012/2013. 814-319-3811. We are looking for an energetic and loving Nanny/Au Pair for our two boys. The older one is 3 and goes to preschool and the younger one is 8 months. Willing to pay $745 per week. Contact us a.s.a.p. at anais.mye@gmail.com. Student housing. Fall 2012/ Spring 2013. 1/2/3/4
WORD SEARCH by Mark Emch
bedroom apartments/ houses. 1-2 blocks from campus. Furnished. Some include utilities. Off-street parking. 814-227-2568.
2-bedroom furnished apt for 2 people $1500.00 ea. plus utilities.327 1/2 west main. NO PETS. Year lease. $225.00 security deposit @ signing of lease. FOR RENT, 2, 3 & 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS CLOSE TO CAMPUS ALL UITILITES INCLUDED PETS WELCOME ORGANIZATIONS WELCOME CALL OR TEXT TO 914-804-6681.
1221 Leatherwood Dr. w/ 2 bedrooms, full kitchen & bath. Some Utilities included. 108 Greenville Ave. efficiency for 1. $2k/ semester w/ all utilities fall 2012. 814-229-8735.
Eurotrip
2 bdrm apt 1/2 block from campus. Summer-FallSpring. Call 814-226-9279 Available Summer, Fall/Spring 2011/12 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 baths, washer & dryer, located S.
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8 Arts & Entertainment
The Music Box is back again this week discussing fun.’s new album, “Some Nights.” The Music Box Podcast can be heard Friday mornings on 91.7 WCUC-FM at 11 a.m. If you have any music related questions, email us at entertainment@clarion callnews.com, @tweet us at twitter.com/call_ae.
“SOME NIGHTS”
THE CLARION CALL
ANDI FULMER Fun. is a fun band. They’re boisterous and cheerful, even when they’re sad, and isn’t that the best way to be? Their sophomore album, Some Nights, opens boldly with a dramatic song that sounds like it would fit right into a Broadway musical and indeed feels like it’s ushering your attention to their show. This bleeds into “Some Nights,” a driving, rock number with a resonating chorus of “some nights I wish that this all would end/cause I could use some friends for a change/ and some nights I’m scared you’ll forget me again/some nights I always win.” This is followed by the previously released single “We Are Young,” which subtly features Janelle Monae, who I would have enjoyed seeing play a stronger role in the vocals of this song. “Carry On” follows this and, to me, starts strongly in the style of fun. and reminds me a
RUSS PEKELNICKY
“AIM AND IGNITE“
Fun. is yet another band I’ve been exposed to due to a friendship with Entertainment editor Sam Dixon. I liked it, but never went full-in on any album until now. The first track is technically a two-parter. The first half, titled “Some Nights Intro,” has this nice, enjoyable Queen quality to it. It’s operatic without being too much. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and starts the album out nicely. The second part, simply “Some Nights,” takes a more Broadway-style that was built nicely by the prior song. It treads a bit into Florence + the Machine territory. It’s an enjoyable song, and has a nice overall quality. “We Are Young” was a prominent tune for me, partially from hearing it for the first time on the radio over the summer. The song has a sweet and symphonic style to it. It’s the kind of song you can belt out in the car as loud as you
good deal of “Light A Roman Candle With Me” from their first album, Aim & Ignite. Though this changes as the song employs a strong use of gang vocals and features a well-placed guitar solo, it remains a particularly great song. “It Gets Better” was about the point the album became less appealing to me. With its strong use of electronically produced sounds and auto tune, I found it to be a far cry from the last few tracks. Though “Why Am I the One” is an improvement and “All Alone” is a solid song that feels like an anthem but sounds like it’s being sung in a vaudevillian theatre somewhere, I was cautious proceeding through the rest of the album. “One Foot” tries hard to be both stompy and rage worthy but also sincere and doesn’t quite manage either. The album wraps up with “Stars,” where we are graced again with lead singer Nate Ruess making use of auto tune when he simply doesn’t need to, considering the great voice he has. Overall, the album felt stronger at the start, but I consider this album to be a very solid progression from Aim & Ignite and am excited to see where they move from here. can while driving. The overall feel of the tune is quite optimistic. It’s the kind of jam where you can sit and bask in its glory, or you can get things done to. “Carry On” strikes me as something of a homage to John Lennon’s solo work without being too much of a direct carbon copy. Its instrumentation is simple to start but builds into a nice complex little work. The vocals on the track are solid and enjoyable. “It Gets Better” is a strange little midalbum changeup, being much more techno-pop than previous tracks on the album. There is heavy use of a drum machine, giving it something of a quasi-video game feel. Don’t mistake that for complaints, though. The album is sublimely poppy in nature, but that quality comes to work for the song as a whole. It’s a song you can truly rock out to. Another change-up is “All Alone,” which infuses hip-hop inspired instrumentation. It’s weird to jump from the first track to this one, but the contrast isn’t awful or jarring so much as noteworthy. All in all, the album is pretty enjoyable. It has a good rock quality that warrants occasional re-listenings.
March 1, 2012
SHIRLEY SPROULE Fun.’s sophomore album and Fueled By Ramen debut “Some Nights” is definitely different than their debut “Aim and Ignite.” It shares similarities, of course, but the band has ramped up the production for “Some Nights,” and I can’t tell if I like it or not. The reason “Aim and Ignite” was so wildly popular, for me, at least, was because frontman Nate Ruess carried over aspects from his old band, The Format. With “Some Nights,” I feel as if Ruess finally completely separates himself from The Format and embraces that fun. is a completely different animal with different contributors with their own unique sounds fun. has never been a fan of being pidgeonholed into a genre, and this album isn’t something that can quite be put into one. As Ruess says in the title track, “This is it boys, this is war. What are we waiting for? Why don’t we break the rules already?” Fun. definitely breaks some rules with this album, or less dramatically, defied some expectations. I’ll admit that my expectations were for something far different than what “Some Nights” delivered. For one, I wasn’t expecting the use of a vocoder; I don’t believe Ruess’ voice needs any sort of amplification at all. After listening to the album more, though, I realize that the vocoder/ autotune use is just an ar-
SAMUEL DIXON If there ever was a band that fit their name perfectly it would have to be fun., Energetic, corky and just a little verbose, fun. Is fun period. Their first album, “Aim and Ignite,” still stands as one of my favorite albums, so “Some Nights” has some living up to do. “Some Nights Intro” kicks off the album in traditional fun. style. Sounding like it’s starting at the beginning of a orchestra performance, the song builds slowly adding instruments and a interjecting chorus of singers. Nate Russ again uses the intro of an album to prove his almost unnatu-
tistic addition, the same way fun. likes to break out the horns and piano riffs. It may rub me the wrong way, but it fits the vibe of the songs that it does appear on. Predictably, my favorite song is the extremely theatrical first track, “Some Nights (Intro).” Featuring a full orchestra, the brass and string instruments complement Ruess’ voice in the kind of way that make me want to put this track on repeat for a couple hours. I can’t say that I dislike any of the songs on the album. “It Gets Better” sounds like an anthem for the anti-LGBT bullying It Gets Better Project, which it might be. Fun., especially multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff, are extremely vocal supporters of LGBT rights. Aside from making the editor in me squeamish, the double shot of “All Alone” and “All Alright” flow well together. “All Alright,” with its hip-hop instrumentation and backing child choir, sounds like something off Kanye West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” and it doesn’t make me angry. “Why Am I the One” has a beautiful piano and violin outro that hearkens back to “Aim and Ignite.” The only song I can’t get behind is seven-minute-long “Stars,” the album’s ending track. Once the song hits the two-minute mark, fun.’s use of vocoders and autotuning gets a little excessive for my tastes, and the song itself continues on for another five minutes. Those first two minutes were golden, though. Despite initially being turned off by the vocoder action, fun.’s sophomore album didn’t disappoint at all; in fact, I haven’t been able to get it off repeat since I acquired it. ral vocal range, challenging every other upper range male vocalist. The album as a whole fits nicely into fun.’s sound. What’s here is one part focused, dynamic and elaborate songs and one part poppy, catchy and marketable songs. Although I was looking for an album consisting of only the interesting musicianship and soaring vocals featured on a song like “Carry On,” its the balance of these meaningful songs with the ear worms like “We Are Young” and “All Alone” that really defines fun. “Some Nights” doesn’t really live up to “Aim and Ignite,” but that is asking to much from it. What’s here is a collection of “fun” songs that almost everyone should be able to enjoy. The only real concern here is a few uses of autotune throughout. Its used artistically, but with Russ’s vocal ability, I’m not sure why it was used at all.
THE CLARION CALL
March 1, 2012
Arts & Entertainment 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT clarioncallnews.com/ae
Professor’s ‘Caravans’ on exhibit in Pittsburgh May Ayad STAFF WRITER
May Ayad / The Clarion Call
Clarion University professor Melissia Kuntz
Edgar Degas, a French Impressionist painter, once said, “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” Art is meant to speak, not to simply serve as an extravagant living room ornament, or a trifle to be used and tossed away like a worn sock. It is the one subject that is made to last, representing the swirl of subjects clouding a creator’s mind. Melissa Kuntz, chair of Clarion University’s Department of Art and assistant professor of painting, is one of the many individuals who value the significance of a painted canvas, and handles her work while bearing this philosophy in mind. “Caravan,” centers around one of the most ordinary objects found in the United States:
trailers, more commonly known as caravans. As she travels from her residence in Pittsburgh to Clarion, Kuntz treasures collecting images of homes that are unneeded, almost discarded along her path, clicking away with her camera. With nearly 10,000 pictures of various items saved in her photography collection, she noticed the number of caravans that acted as centerpieces for a large chunk of her compilation. Adoring how each and every crate is decorated with its own sense of individuality, she decided to make them the subjects of her paintings. The enjoyment of observing the designs that have little to do with the actual aerodynamics of the trailers is what first intrigued her, before, her realization of how they are symbolic of vanishing ambitions. “I spend a lot of time
driving through the country, and seeing a lot of houses and people that are not doing too well… But so many of them have these massive, portable trailers in their yards that clearly haven’t been used, because they don’t have wheels on them, and it’s this idea that they had these aspirations to leave their mundane lives and travel across the country…But it never really happened, and it’s kind of, well, sad.” Kuntz’s exhibition will be on display March 2 - April 13 at 709 Penn Gallery, 709 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh. An artist reception will be held from 6-8 p.m., on March 2, and gallery hours will be from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Sundays, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Her work is also available for viewing on her website, melissakuntz.com.
Mac Miller headlines CampusFest McCartney gets ‘cheeky’ with new album Blayne Sheaffer STAFF WRITER After the student body voted and the University Activities Board coordinated, rap artist Mac Miller will be performing at CampusFest this spring in Clarion University’s Tippin Gym. The hype that the Pittsburgh native has accumulated in the past year creates promise that last year’s Ke$ha show will be outdone. After his debut album “Blue Slide Park” debuted in 2011, Miller’s music has been creeping into mainstream radio and creating a quick and easy obsession amongst rap and hip-hop lovers. With hits such as “Party On 5 Ave,” Miller’s party lyrics and carefree philosophy make his music relatable to the college crowd. “He’s definitely an energetic performer,” said UAB’s Vice President Herman Locke. “It looks like we’re going to sell out.” In predicting this year’s CampusFest turnout, Locke is confident that Clarion University
will have two sold-out shows, two years in a row. “Usually we only have a show this big every seven years,” said Locke. “So to have two big shows in a row is something.” Opening for Miller are two equally energetic rap groups who have opened for Miller in previous shows and are guaranteed to keep the crowd happy. The Cool Kids, coming from Chicago and Detroit, consist of Antoine “Sir Michael Rocks” Reed and Evan “Chuck Inglish” Ingersoll. Together they create a beat and sound comparable to Kid Cudi and Jay-Z. Most popular for their track “Black Mags,” with a heavy bass and catchy lyrics, The Cool Kids are the definition of party music and will have students downloading their growing discography immediately. Also opening for Miller is the lesser known, but ready to break out hiphop group, The Come Up. The audience can expect chemistry and
similarities between the two performances because they have toured together. Coming from Pittsburgh as well, the group consists of high school friends Franchise and Vinny, and the two keep the glorified party theme going. With their latest album, “In Good Hands.” having only debuted last June, The Come Up has yet to make their big break, but is receiving high praise and support from their friend Miller for their energy and hard work. They have also performed with Drake and J. Cole and are expecting to make a new release this spring. With a sound reminiscent of ‘90s rap, The Come Up have a smooth sound with lyrics that flow and create a mellow vibe that will be ideal for the lead-up to Miller’s chaotic, happy nonsense. Be sure to get tickets early for this hot show on April 27. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and will close at 10 p.m. just as Mac Miller goes on stage.
Album Review: Mike Friend STAFF WRITER Early in February, the music world heard from one of the elder statesmen in the industry once more. This time, Paul McCartney released his first album in almost five years. “Kisses on the Bottom” is the former Beatle’s 16 studio album in his solo career. The album is released 48 years to the month after “Meet the Beatles,” which is often considered to be the Beatle’s first album released in the U.S.
“Kisses on the Bottom,” is a completely different sound than that of the Beatles or that of Paul McCartney and Wings. This album is more of an easy-listening album than anything. The lead song on the album, “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” is not a McCartney original, but rather his rendition of a song from the Harlem Renaissance written by Fats Waller back in 1935. The title of the album comes from a line in the song itself. The song tells of a person whose lover has left. To cope, the person chooses to write
a letter addressed to none other but the author. It isn’t until much later in the album that anything that has any tempo to it comes along. One song that does is “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive.” While the only real idea the song seems to convey is to not get hung up on negative thoughts, it does have a good rhythm to it. The song right after “AcCent-Tchu-Ate the Positive” has some potential to be repeated for one lone reason. Not only is it one of two songs that McCartney actually wrote himself, but McCartney is accompanied by fellow Englishman and music legend, Eric Clapton. In this song it’s Clapton’s subtle guitar that helps the song string along, not the lyrics or structure. This album is by no means McCartney’s best album, although it debuted at No. 3 on charts in the UK and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S. In reality, he only wrote only two of the songs, it seems to some fans that Sir Paul has used up the last of his writing abilities and should stick to the classics like “Band on the Run” and “Silly Love Songs.”
‘The Walkling Dead’ slower in tv form Brittany Bender STAFF WRITER For zombie fans everywhere, it was a time of sheer excitement seeing the trailer for the television series “The Walking Dead.” Finally, here’s a show with everything they loved; a post-apocalyptic world, few human survivors and of course, the terrifying “walkers,” as they’re called in the series. Plus, it airs on the AMC network, which zombie fans already know and love, especially after their “Horror Fest” around Halloween time. After the Oct. 31, 2010 premiere of the show, fans were stricken with the amazing movie-like cinematography and storyline, based on the graphic novel of the same name. Fans loved watch-
ing the main characters, featuring Rick Grimes, his wife Lori, son Carl, his deputy and best friend Shane and a band of other random, now main characters they met along the way, run away from thousands of zombies in Atlanta for basic survival. The entire first season focused on the cast’s will to live and the everyday struggles of living in a world where mostly “walkers” rule the streets. Their ultimate goal was to get to the Center for Disease Control, and when they did, they found that there was no more hope there than anywhere else. The second season began with the daughter of Carol, Sophia, going missing after being chased by “walkers” during an attack on the highway. During a search for Sophia, Rick’s son, Carl, is
accidentally shot. They wouldn’t kill off a kid. Or would they? The premiere of the second season proved just as exciting as the first season. Carl’s injury leads the group to the Greene family farm, where Carl is able to recuperate and recover completely. Meanwhile the search for Sophia continues… and continues… and continues. The middle of season 2, part 1 was nothing but trying to locate this young girl, which left a lot of fans with bad tastes in their mouths. Where was the excitement? Where were the zombies? They were hardly anywhere. Besides finding Sophia in the Greene’s “zombie barn” full of infected loved ones in the last episode, the most exciting part of this chunk of the series is when Shane killed off one
of the Greenes, which was the viewers’ first clue that Shane is losing it. Season 2, part 2 premiered Feb. 12 to a relatively smaller audience than normal. However, “The Walking Dead” has totally picked back up. Finally, after seven pretty bad episodes, the three episodes that have been on so far this past month have been action-packed. There have been plenty of “walkers,” shots fired and tons of conflict. “Walking Dead” fans, please don’t give up on the series yet. Fans of the graphic novel know that yes, the series is moving slower than the book. But they also know that the best is yet to come. Plus, season 3 is already in production. “The Walking Dead” airs Sunday nights on AMC at 9 p.m.
THE CLARION CALL
March 1, 2012
Sports 10
Clarion ends season with loss to Slippery Rock Matt Catrillo STAFF WRITER
Another disappointing season for the Golden Eagles men’s basketball team came to an end, in an 87-66 loss at Slippery Rock University. The biggest story of the day was the absence of senior Quintus “Bud” Teer, who was unavailable to play due to a knee injury suffered in Wednesday night’s loss at California University. Teer’s absence hit Clarion hard, as they were out-rebounded 48-30. “When you lose your top rebounder, it’s hard to make that up against one of the best rebounding teams in the nation,” said Head Coach Ron Righter. Clarion also came out cold once again, shooting only 33 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to Slippery Rock who shot 45 percent. This led to a 26-12 run for “The Rock,” on its way to a 44-32 halftime lead. Slippery Rock continued to pour it on in the second half shooting 51 percent from the floor, while Clarion continued to struggle,
shooting 39 percent. This was how the whole game went for the Golden Eagles, as Slippery Rock went on to win. “We couldn’t buy a hoop, and we were basically one and done,” Coach Righter said. Senior Paul McQueen was the only bright spot for the Golden Eagles, finishing the final game of his career with 17 points and six rebounds. With this performance, McQueen became the first player under Righter since David Shearer to finish his career with 1,100 points and at least 650 rebounds, finishing with exactly 1,100 points and 652 rebounds. Clarion ends the year 15-13 overall, and 11-11 in PSAC play and will miss the PSAC playoffs for the second straight season. “It’s frustrating for all of us,” Righter said. “We really overachieved in the first half of the season, which gave us a lot of confidence.” And that it did, as the Golden Eagles started off the season at 10-3, when they were projected to finished second to last in the PSAC west preseason rankings. “I think after the loss
at IUP, things started going downhill,” Righter later explained, as he tries to evaluate what happened in another late-season collapse. “We had opportunities, but we just lost our swagger,” Righter said. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Righter still looked at some of the bright spots. “There was still a lot of good,” he said. “We did very well against the (PSAC) East teams.” He also pointed out just how good the PSAC West is. “The (PSAC) West is as good as I’ve ever seen it, it’s a tough division,” Righter said. Righter also had a personal bright spot, picking up his career win No. 400 in a 65-63 thriller at East Stroudsburg University on Nov. 20. However, it is still another disappointing ending to a season that looked so good in the beginning. The Golden Eagles will have to regroup once again this offseason and figure out new adjustments and possibly a new direction for the team, they will lose seniors McQueen, Teer and Mike Nealis as they will say goodbye to Clarion.
Archive Photo / The Clarion Call
Clarion senior Paul McQueen goes up for the shot in Clarion’s 87-66 loss at Slippery Rock.
Clarion struggles at PSAC Championship meet Mark Emch
MANAGING EDITOR The hard-fought efforts of Alexis Carter, Allyson Cress, Sarah Loughner and Ciara Shorts were not enough to catapult Clarion women’s indoor track and field to victory in the 2012 PSAC Championship meet. The meet took place on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Edinboro University’s Zafiroski Sports and Recreation Center. Clarion faced off against such PSAC rivals as Shippensburg University, California University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University. As a team, Clarion recorded nine points thanks to sixth place finishes by Carter, Cress and Loughner. Nine points landed Clarion at the bottom of the pack, in 14th place. Cress, who competed in shot put for the Golden Eagles, tossed an impressive throw of 41-feet, 1½ inches. Cress’s No. 6 finish was her first ever placement in the in-
door championships. Carter improved her performance from last year’s championships by placing two spots higher than she did in 2011. She ran the 60 hurdles competition in a time of 9.19 seconds. Loughner also placed higher in this meet than she had in 2011. Her high jump of 5-feet, 2¼” landed her No. 6 among her competitors, one spot higher than she placed last year. Shorts competed in the highly competitive mile run. Her time of 5:11:21 landed her No. 12, mere seconds away from placing as high as No. 8. Shorts also ended up No. 17 in the 3,000 meter run, logging a time of 10:30:89. For Shorts and the rest of the women’s indoor track and field squad, it’s been a frustratingly difficult year. “I need to not care so much about myself and worry more about the team,” Shorts said. She added that the team should look to
improve in multiple areas, particularly its work ethic. “There are definitely a few that push themselves every day, but there’s a lot of us that could work harder and complain less,” Shorts said. Now that the indoor season has come to a close, it’s time for the Golden Eagles to set their sights on improving for the 2012 outdoor track and field season. Shorts, Cress, Carter and Loughner will lead the 2012 squad, just as they did the previous year. Cress placed third in last year’s outdoor shot put championship. Carter performed similarly well with a third place run in the 400-meter championship competition. While there’s still plenty of room for improvement, the sky is the limit for the talented and promising women’s track and field team, whilst Shorts and Carter are at the helm.
FACE OFF Will Ryan Braun’s image be tarnished? Eddie McDonald STAFF WRITER
Ryan Braun, of the Milwaukee Brewers, won the National League Most Valuable Player award for the 2011 season. This wasn’t even the biggest news concerning Braun. Braun tested positive in October for elevated testosterone. ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” reported the positive test in December. However, he appealed the case, and became the first player under the new drug testing system, to win an appeal. This drew many questions about Braun and his MVP Award. One of the questions that came up was whether or not Major League Baseball should take away the prestigious award. And if they were in fact, going to strip him of the award, what should they do with it? People wondered if they should keep it vacant or give it to the runner up in the voting, Matt Kemp, of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kemp did not like the latter of the two ideas. He felt that if Braun did not win his appeal, then they should keep the award vacant and have nobody win it. When Braun won his appeal, it was on a technicality. The collector of Braun’s urine sample kept the sample in his basement refrigerator due to the fact that he thought the shipping company was closed on a Saturday. This has a lot of people raising eyebrows around the league. I don’t think it should. I believe that this will not tarnish Braun’s image, and in fact, save it. There have been multiple players, some of baseball’s best of all time, to be linked to steroids or performance enhancing drugs, and that will almost guarantee they be left out of the MLB Hall of Fame, regardless of their stats. For Braun to come out right from the start and deny the test being positive and to have fought it to the extent he did to prove he was innocent, shows a lot about him. Players of the past, who failed drug tests, didn’t fight it like Braun did. That makes me wonder, why didn’t they try and fight it and clear their name. The MLB was livid after hearing the decision by baseball arbitrator, Shyam Das. The MLB was considering suing and getting the ruling overturned in federal court, but they will wait until the written report to come out before they take action. Why would they do something like this? To me, it’s like they have a vendetta out to get players who allegedly cheated the game. I feel Braun did nothing wrong, and if he won his appeal, that should be the end of it. Let him get back to doing what he does best, and that’s play baseball. In a statement made last Thursday, Feb. 24, Braun said, “I am very pleased and relieved by today’s decision. It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation.” I think he is spot-on with this statement, and believe this will not hurt his image, unless of course, he fails another test, but I do not think that will happen.
Michael Waterloo SPORTS EDITOR
Ever since the home run race of 1998, baseball players have been linked to steroids and performance enhancers. Many of my childhood idols, Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and many more have been linked to performance enhancers over this time. Since former United States senator George Mitchell compiled the Mitchell Report, which named 89 players who used steroids or other performance enhancers, baseball has had a black cloud over the game. Fans have questioned any player that has a spike in stats and wonder if they are doing it naturally. At first, I was shocked when the aforementioned players were named (except Bonds), but after awhile, nothing came as a surprise to me. That’s why this past December, when it was announced that newly crowned National League MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for elevated testosterone on Oct. 19, I wasn’t surprised in the least bit. Braun immediately denied the claims and said it wasn’t true. Clemens and Palmeiro testified in front of a grand jury that they didn’t take any performance enhancers either. Do you believe them? I’m not saying that I don’t believe Braun. I’m also not saying that I do. Braun took his case to appeal and this past Friday, Feb. 24, Braun became the first player under the new drug testing policy to win an appeal. Braun gave a heartfelt press conference saying he was confident all along that he would win his appeal, because he knew that he never took anything that would give him the rise in testosterone. He argued that his numbers and his speed have stayed the same throughout his career, which they have. The question is, does the overturned decision let Braun off the hook and not tarnish his image? Braun’s appeal was granted due to technicality and technicality only. The sample collector left his sample in the refrigerator because he thought the shipping company was closed on Saturdays and the information about his failed test was released to the public before his appeal process. While I understand the reversal of the decision, neither one of these mean that Braun didn’t take a performance enhancer. The sample collector said that he has taken hundreds of these samples before and followed the same protocol for Braun’s as he did with the others. As stated earlier, I’m not saying that I don’t believe Braun, and his press conference sounded convincing. Mine would have sounded almost identical had I been accused of this. Whether it is justified or not, Braun will live with the reputation of a cheater throughout the rest of his career. Rodriguez came out and admitted his wrongdoing, and while there was backlash the first few years, it calmed down since. The next couple of years will be tough for Braun, but he needs to let his play do the talking for him. In my opinion, he can kiss any chance at the Hall of Fame goodbye. Alhough a technicality can overturn a suspension, it can’t fix a tarnished image.
THE CLARION CALL
March 1, 2012
Ask sports!
LEAGUE STANDINGS NHL (AS OF 10:00 MARCH 1) EASTERN CONFERENCE
WESTERN CONFERENCE
TEAM NY RANGERS BOSTON FLORIDA PITTSBURGH OTTAWA PHILADELPHIA NEW JERSEY WASHINGTON
RECORD/POINTS 40-15-6 81 37-21-3 77 30-20-12 72 36-21-5 77 34-23-8 76 34-21-7 75 35-23-4 74 32-26-5 69
TEAM VANCOUVER DETROIT PHOENIX ST. LOUIS NASHVILLE SAN JOSE CHICAGO DALLAS
RECORD/POINTS 40-16-8 88 42-19-3 87 33-21-9 75 39-17-7 85 37-20-7 81 33-22-7 73 33-24-7 73 33-26-4 70
WINNIPEG TORONTO TAMPA BAY BUFFALO CAROLINA NY ISLANDERS MONTREAL
30-27-8 29-27-7 29-28-6 27-27-8 24-26-13 26-28-9 24-30-10
COLORADO LOS ANGELES CALGARY MINNESOTA ANAHEIM EDMONTON COLUMBUS
33-27-4 29-23-12 28-24-11 28-26-9 27-26-10 25-31-6 18-38-7
68 65 64 62 61 61 58
70 70 67 65 64 56 43
Have you ever watched a basketball game and wondered why a charge was called instead of a blocking foul? When watching a Penguins game, are you confused with the difference between a forecheck and a backcheck?
NBA BASKETBALL (AS OF 10:00 MARCH 1) WESTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAM Miami Chicago Indiana Philadelphia Orlando Atlanta New York Boston
RECORD 27-7 28-8 22-12 21-14 22-13 20-14 17-18 16-17
TEAM Oklahoma City San Antonio LA Clippers Houston Dallas LA Lakers Memphis Portland
RECORD 27-7 24-10 20-12 21-14 21-14 20-14 19-15 18-16
Milwaukee Cleveland Detroit New Jersey Toronto Washington Charlotte
14-20 13-19 11-25 11-25 10-24 7-27 4-28
Denver Minnesota Utah Golden State Phoenix Sacramento New Orleans
18-17 18-17 15-18 13-18 14-20 12-22 8-26
*Teams above dashed line on track for playoffs
RECORD 28-1 29-1 24-5 25-4 24-5 25-4 25-4 24-5 24-5 23-6 21-6 28-1 21-8
TEAM Wisconsin Wichita State Florida UNLV Indiana Louisville Notre Dame San Diego State Florida State Temple Virginia Creigton
RECORD 21-8 26-4 22-7 24-6 22-7 22-7 20-9 22-6 19-9 22-6 21-7 25-5
Send your question and name to michael.waterloo3@ gmail.com and we may just use your question next week.
1. Who holds the record for the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL Combine? A. Mike Wallace B. Bo Jackson C. Ted Ginn Jr. D. Chris Johnson 2. Who was the first player suspended for performance enhancers in Major League Baseball? A. Alex Sanchez B. Barry Bonds C. Kevin Young D. Pete Rose 3. Hannah Heeter is Clarion’s first Freshman of the Year since what year? A. 1992 B. 1995 C. 2000 D. 2005 1. D, 2. A, 3. A
Our Call on Sports Sports Panelists
NCAA - AP TOP 25 (MARCH 1)
This is your chance to ask any question you may have in the world of sports and have our staff answer it in next week’s paper.
Sports Trivia
*Teams above dashed line on track for playoffs
TEAM Kentucky Syracuse Kansas Duke Michigan State North Carolina Missouri Marquette Baylor Ohio State Georgetown Murray State Michigan
Sports 11
What will the Pirates record be this season?
Who is the rookie of the year of the NBA at this point in the season?
What is your favorite Jeremy Lin nickname?
Michael Waterloo 79-83
Kyrie Irving
Lin-deralla
Eddie McDonald
77-85
Kyrie Irving
Super Lin-tendo
Matt Catrillo
86-76
Ricky Rubio
Everyday I’m Shuff-Lin
John Owens
82-80
Jimmer Fredette
Lin-speration
Jacob Oberdorf
82-80
Kyrie Irving
Super Lin-tendo
Mark Emch
89-79
Kyrie Irving
Super Lin-tendo
Kyrie Irving
Lin-sanity
Jazzmonde James 60-102
THE CLARION CALL
March 1, 2012
Sports 12
SPORTS clarioncallnews.com/sports
Clarion to host its final EWL Wrestling Championship Jacob Oberdorf STAFF WRITER
This Sunday, March 4, Clarion University’s Waldo S. Tippin gymnasium will be acting as the host of the 2012 Eastern Wrestling League Championships. The first session will begin at 10 a.m. and the second session will begin at 5 p.m. This will be the fifth time overall that Clarion will host the event, but the first time since 2005. The teams participating in the championships include two Division I Top 25 programs, The University of Pittsburgh and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Other participators include Clarion, Bloomsburg University, Cleveland State University, Lock Haven University and West Virginia University. Pitt has come away with the Championships the past three years, but Associate Head Coach Troy Letters said he feels like having the championships in Clarions home gym gives the Eagles an advantage over the other competitors. Letters said that not having to travel and being able to have the team par-
Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call
Clarion University will hold the EWL Wrestling Championships for the last time Sunday, March 4 at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium ticipate in normal practices in their own gym proves to be the biggest advantage for the Eagles. Both Head Coach Matt Dernlan and Letters are using the home setting
and the excitement of wrestling in front of the home fans along with staying healthy as their keys to taking the championship. “Our guys are trained, our guys aren’t going to get
into any better shape right now,” Letters said. “We want our guys fresh and excited to be wrestling for the EWLs, excited to be going to nationals, excited to be AllAmericans and just excited
about the possibilities that are ahead of them.” As far as the field goes, Letters sees the championships as anyone’s to win. “Conference time, NCAA time, that’s when upsets
happen, that’s when teams peak and that’s when teams underperform,” Letters said. However, Letters said that Edinboro is probably the favorite considering it has what he explained as “hammers” and some wrestlers that are ranked high in Division I. Clarion seems to be favored in a couple of the weight classes, such as the 157-pound weight class where junior James Fleming is going for his second EWL title. Also joining Fleming as a favorite to win is senior Bekzod Abdurakhmanov in the 165-pound weight class who is looking to add to his PSAC title that he had won earlier this year. Abdurakhmanov placed third in this event last year. Also, sophomore Tyler Bedelyon is a legitimate contender in the 141-pound weight class and is trying to add to the impressive wins he has already gathered this season. Both Letters and Dernlan are looking forward to the opportunity of competing and sending some more guys to nationals. “We’re excited about the possibilities in front of us,” said Letters.
Heeter named PSAC West Freshman of the Year Chris Rossetti
SPORTS INFORMATION Clarion University’s Hannah Heeter is the PSAC West Freshman of the Year after putting together a remarkable rookie campaign. Heeter, who is also a second-team PSAC West selection, is the only freshman in either the NCAA Division I or NCAA Division II to average a double-double (13.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg) and she is the PSAC leader in both rebounding and shooting percentage (59.3 percent; 144 of 243) while ranking third in Division II in shooting and eighth in rebounding. Her shooting percentage was also the thirdbest in Clarion history, and she is the first Golden Eagle to earn PSAC West Freshman/Rookie of the Year honors since Carlita Jones in 1992 and the first Clarion player to earn a PSAC West Player/ Freshman award since Jones was Player of the Year in 1995.
She is also the first Golden Eagle freshman to earn All-Conference since Heather Cigich in 2002. “It was an incredible season,” Clarion’s Head Coach Gie Parsons said. “What else can I say? The numbers say it all, and on top of that she is a great teammate and a wonderful person to coach.” Setting the Clarion record for freshman rebounds with 284 (9th most in a season in school history), Heeter was even stronger down the stretch averaging 16.8 points and 14.3 rebounds in her final 14 games. She had 12 of her 13 double-doubles during that stretch including a pair of 20-20 games tying the school record for single-season and career 20-20s. She had 22 points and 25 rebounds, the second most in a game in school history, in an overtime win over PSAC Playoff qualifier California and followed that up with a 22-point, 20-rebound effort against the No. 2
team in the country at the time, Edinboro. She barely missed a third 20-20 scoring a season-high 28 points while bringing down 19 rebounds in a win over Lock Haven. Heeter, who also ranks 14th in the PSAC in scoring and is sixth in the conference in blocks per game (1.3), is the first Golden Eagle to average a season double-double in eight years and the first freshman to do so in 26 seasons. She was named PSAC West Freshman of the Week in seven of the final eight weeks of the season while earning PSAC West Player of the Week honors in the one week she wasn’t Freshman of the Week. On the season, Heeter also recorded a schoolrecord eight games of at least 15 rebounds while having 15 double-digit rebound games and five 20-point contests. Clarion finished the season 7-19 overall and 6-16 in the PSAC West.
T.J. Anderson Men’s M en’s baseball baseball senior senior pitcher pitcher INTERVIEW BY Matt Catrillo
Q A
What are your expectations for this season?
Being a senior, I obviously have high expectations for the upcoming season. This year, we were able to bring in some big additions to get our offense going. It’s really exciting to be pitching with a lineup like this behind me. As a team, I think we are all quietly confident that we will make the PSAC playoffs.
Q A
Who are your baseball influences?
My father played a huge role in my younger days of baseball. Without him, I don’t think I would have got into the sport. Days in the back yard playing catch
with him made me truly fall in love with the game. I have to give a big thanks to both of my parents, though. Driving me to all my games, practices, tournaments and meetings had to have been hard. I owe them everything by putting me in the position to succeed and make it to this level.
Q
Even in another hard year, you had a great ending to the season. How are you going to carry that momentum?
A
Last season, everything started to click for me during our final games. It was nice figuring out what was working and what wasn’t. So this off-season, I have been working hard to correct those problems and sharpen my strengths. I plan on carrying that success to this season to help us win and bring home a PSAC title.
Q
I see you’re a Pirates fan. Do you think the Pirates will make the playoffs?
A
I’m a die-hard Bucco’s fan and always will be. It seems that every year I catch myself saying, “This is our year.” Not to be a broken record, but I feel that the Pirates have a shot at making a push for the division. The addition of A.J. Burnett is huge this season. He will strengthen the rotation and give the team a chance to win every time he steps on the bump. We just need Pedro Alvarez to step up and play like he did at Vanderbilt University. Walker, McCutchen and Jones are beasts and with Hanrahan slamming the door shut in the ninth sounds like a winning recipe. Lets go Bucs!
Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call