The Clarion Call, 3/8/2012

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Clarion Call CLARION UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1913

MARCH 8, 2012

VOL. 98 ED. 18

California dean speaks on curriculum Alizah Thornton NEWS EDITOR CLARION, Pa. - Students and faculty gathered Monday, March 5 to hear Ken O’Donnell give a presentation called “Connecting Curriculum to Student Success—Orchestrating Progress.”

O’Donnell, associate dean at California State University, discussed the importance of implementing “high impact practices” into a school curriculum and offered tips for orchestrating progress.

He spoke abou t Pell grant recipients , minorities and firs t gene ration students as historically und errepres ent ed in colleges an d universities.

O’Donnell talked about plans to help incorporate quality curriculum in a university in order to close the gap between the under-represented and majority students in areas such as graduation and retention rates, as well as improving overall student success.

He said there are three

Joe Bucci / The Clarion Call

Ken O’Donnell speaks to students and faculty on “Connecting Curriculum to Student Success.” questions that need to be answered before progress can be orchestrated—Why bother? Toward what? and How? “Bottom line, you do it by thinking big,” O’Donnell said.

He said the hardest question to answer is “why bother?” The answer to this question is on an unbalanced scale.

On the lower end there is social justice, and on

the other, it’s because as the standard of living increases in society, people are more educated.

Concerning this question, O’Donnell gave three values of society’s ecological niche: biodiversity, social justice and agent of change.

As an example of a reason for “why bother” O’Donnell cited a study for six-year college graduation rates for the fall

1999 cohort of students.

He compared the rates for under-represented minorities—a student of American Indian, AfricanAmerican or Latino descent—versus non-URMs. California State University had a 38 percent graduation rate for URMs and a 53 percent rate for non-URMs. For comparison purposes, he gave the audience the statistics for Clarion University for the

Student speaks in Harrisburg on budget cuts Jen Schwartz STAFF WRITER CLARION, Pa - Students are feeling the bite of last year’s budget cuts both financially and academically, and are now bracing for the possibility of another, an issue Clarion University Student Senate President Joanna Catalano further communicated at the Pennsylvania state budget hearing, which took place in Harrisburg, Pa. on March 5.

Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget cuts in the funding of Pennsylvanian State System of Higher Education proposes a drop from $503 million down to $233 million.

In doing so, this will place all academic programs in consideration to be potentially cut.

Other universities within PASSHE have already been forced to eliminate programs, such as Kutztown doing away with its theater, French and nursing programs.

Catalano stressed the issue of the university’s possible elimination of undergraduate research, one of the specific attributes that solidified her decision in attending the state school, and what she said has helped

“What worries me the most about the future of academics at Clarion University is whether or not undergraduate research can continue with any additional substantial budget cuts.”

-Joanna Catalano propel her into medical school after graduation.

She will attend the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“What worries me the most about the future of academics at Clarion University is whether or not undergraduate research can continue with any additional substantial budget cuts,” Catalano said.

“The one thing that made Clarion shine amongst the other schools is in danger of disappearing.”

Last year the budget had not been finalized until late summer, leaving

students forced to take out loans while most had a limited amount of time to accumulate enough for the increase in costs.

The government will no longer offer subsidized loans after July, and another cut going through will make whatever loan the student takes out to be expensive in the long run.

“For the most part, the representatives were very positive and seemed to be in favor of reducing the percent cut proposed by the governor,” Catalano said.

“It was very encouraging to see PASSHE

school alumni who are now representatives speak so highly of the PASSHE system,” she said.

Nonetheless, the thought of another possible cut has students and parents alike speaking of not only program eliminations, but possible school closures.

PASSHE Board of Governors Chairman Guido Pichini spoke out against these rumors.

“As we face what is without doubt the most challenging time in our history, there have been those who have raised questions about whether all of our campuses can survive,” Pichini said.

“Clarion University – through both its main campus and its branch campus in Oil City – is continuing to offer essential progr a m s i n f i e l d s such as allied health, and also is working closely with industries throughout its r e g i o n t o m e e t v ital workforce needs. Although PASSHE looks closely at all of our universities’ performance, I can assure you that there have been no conversations concerning the possible closure.”

same cohort of students.

The results were similar. Clarion had a 38 percent graduation rate for URMs and a 52 percent rate for non-URMs. “When universities incorporate high impact practices, the overall student success increases, and the gaps between the URMs and non-URMs close,” O’Donnell said.

Examples of high-

New group gains interest Amelia Eiger STAFF WRITER CLARION, Pa. - March 6 marked the first meeting of Clarion’s new group Emotions Inc. Established and run by senior psychology major Ryan Snyder, the group offers emotional support for students experiencing stress, depression or anxiety in any facet of their lives.

During meetings, Snyder facilitates group discussion by encouraging participants to explore the causes of their emotional stress, while co-facilitator and therapist Heather Simons offers insights and strategies to relieve negative feelings.

The group consists of an intimate gathering of students seeking a safe and confidential place to both speak their minds and support their fellow students.

Snyder constructs a welcoming and comfortable environment that allows students to openly discuss deeper emotional matters that

THIS WEEK’S EDITION

Inside

INDEX

Adam Ritz speaks about sex and alcohol safety.

FEATURES PAGE 5

“Rhinoceros” production put on in Marwick Boyd.

ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 8

Two students place first at EWL championship.

SPORTS PAGE 10

impact practices outside the classr o o m are the developing learning communities and holding town hall meetings with students.

Some examples of high impact learning in the classroom are peer mentoring, group work and student study groups.

The basic idea is to “engage students with material,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell said orchestrating progress at a college or university can be done by following these tips: Set clear and simple goals, exploit existing neutral networks of change, change relationships between academic affairs and institutional research, seek opportunities to publish a request for proposal and include a requirement for frequent reporting and update key policy documents annually.

“This list is the only way to make beneficial and lasting change,” O’Donnell said.

To read more from O’Donnell, visit his webpage at diffusionoflight.wordpress.com.

News Opinion Features Classifieds Puzzles & Comics Arts & Entertainment Sports Standings

they may not have occasion to discuss during everyday conversation.

Snyder motivates participants to discuss their emotional state through prompts and questions.

The comfortable atmosphere contributes to the members’ willingness to disclose their personal feelings, striking a good balance between mediation and student-led discussion.

“We’re just trying to provide a safe haven for any student who is going through a difficult time,” Snyder said.

“Students need a place where they can go to receive help coping with their feelings, or if they just need to vent a little bit. Snyder founded Emotions Inc. as part of his internship with Dr. Lepore, along with another social group, Circle of Friends, and is also attempting to initiate an eating disorder support group on campus.

Emotions Inc.’s next meeting will be Tuesday, March 20 in 128 Egbert at 6 p.m., and will meet every other Tuesday for the remainder of the semester.

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MARCH 8, 2012

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Bios club explains reptiles Blayne Sheaffer STAFF WRITER CLARION, Pa. - Clarion’s BIOS club gathered in the Science and Technology Center at 7 p.m. Monday night to listen to Regis Patton’s presentation titled “Herps!!! PA’s Got Them.”

No need to panic, Herps is merely slang for Herpetology, which is the study of reptiles, some amphibians and birds.

This presentation, however, focused on reptiles.

Patton, biology in ecology and evolution major, said he jumped at the chance to make such a presentation because, “I have a huge fascination and passion for these guys.”

This was his mome nt to flaunt his r eptile-l ovi ng smarts .

The p resentation c ons is ted of an overv ie w of the reptiles inhabiting Pennsy lv ania, few of which c an be fou nd in Clarion, and those which ar e labele d as “endangered” or “spec ies of concern.”

Also covered were the ways these creatures can be differ en tiated from each othe r, and how to approach the m should one get the chance.

When asked how someone shoud pick up a snake, Patton responded, “Personally, I would say don’t.” He then added, “Would you want to be picked up by a stranger?”

Patton filled the club in on how to measure turtles and snakes as well.

Different turtles are measured different ways.

If their shells aren’t measured across, then

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Regis Patton teaches students about Pennsylvania reptiles. they are measured and made discernible by the shell length downwards.

As for snakes, they are measured by their scale rows at mid-body.

“Scale counts,” Patton said. “You’re going to need to know them if you’re going to go out playing with snakes.”

He also warned against handling certain snakes due to either the danger they pose, or their “endangered species” label.

Some of these snakes include the northern copperhead snake.

“Stay away fr o m this one. Don’t play with it,” Patton said.

Another snake to be avoided because of their fragile, endangered state is the smooth earth snake.

“They are very cute,” Patton said. “If you see one, just let it lay there.”

Some snakes that can be found here in Clarion are the east garter snakes, “found nearly everywhere,” Patton said.

Also popular are the smooth green snakes.

The one snake that Clarion lays claim to is the shorthead garter snake.

“Historically here in Clarion,” Patton said.

Perhaps the most frightening looking snake in the presentation was the eastern hognose snake.

Patton shared that from his personal experience, the hognose is not to be feared at all.

Upon approaching one, he said, “The snake literally rolled over and played dead.”

Therefore, if anyone comes across a snake with a pig-like nose, they should know that they are virtually harmless.

Despite all the precautions taken in dealing with different snakes and their eccentricities, Patton is adamant that “snakes are your friends.”

To learn more about Herpetology and all the wonder it holds, visit http:// www.paherps.com.

Submissions sought for economics competition The 2012 Omicron Delta Epsilon Student Paper in Economics Competition is seeking submissions.

The competition is open to all Clarion University students in

270 Gemmell Student Complex Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion, PA 16214

any academic major.

First place prize is $500; second place, $250; and third place, $100.

The top eight papers will be recognized and receive awards.

Eligible papers must

be submitted by April 11 to Dr. Rod D. Raehsler, Department of Economics, 333 Still Hall.

For more information, contact Raehsler at rraehsler@clarion. edu or 814-393-2627.

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, Amelia Eiger-McPartlin 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

Counseling center recognizes national eating disorder day Allison Doherty STAFF WRITER CLARION, Pa. - On Tuesday, March 6. Clarion University’s Counseling Services held a table in Eagle Commons for National Eating Disorder Day. National Eating Disorder Day is a day to bring awareness to what an eating disorder is, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of a disorder and how to get help if someone suffers from an eating disorder.

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness calls eating disorders, “[an] extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or sever overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concerns about body shape or weight.”

Mark Lepore, coordinator of Clarion University’s counseling center, said a lot of people who suffer from an eating disorder. Whether it is

anorexia or binge eating, would struggle by themselves and keep their disorder a secret from friends and family.

“By drawing attention to the fact that people struggle with unhealthy relationships with food, it brings attention to the fact that they’re not alone.

The attention will reduce the stigma and get them the help they need,” he said.

Open lines of communication are the best way to help bring attention to eating disorders.

“A lot of what you hear is people being told what not to do, and not what they could do,” Lepore said.

Counseling Services hopes that by having the table it will open the lines of communication to students not only about disorders but also about healthy nutritional habits.

The table provided informational packets and

pamphlets on how to recognize and get help for eating disorders.

Counseling Services also administered a survey to students.

Counseling Services hopes with this survey they can gain a better understanding about students’ knowledge about eating disorders and get attention to the fact there is help out there for students if they need it.

“We’re almost halfway through and we’ve already had about 3040 students take the survey,” Lepore said.

With the hope that a student-run support group would reduce the stigma surrounding eating disorders and getting help, two new groups, Circle of Friends and Emotions Inc have been started, Lepore said.

Counseling Services is located in 148 Egbert Hall, and can be reached by phone at 814-393-2255.

Marco Caruso CONTRIBUTING WRITER CLARION, Pa. - Clarion University’s Student Senate gr anted funding to two Recognized St udent Organizations during their weekly meeting on Monday.

Treasurer Mark Liberto led a mot ion to allocate $1,477 t o the VizArtZ Club for a trip to Seattle, and $2,142 to the Financia l Management Associa tion for a trip to a business convent ion at the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.

VizArtZ is an RSO that specializes in the techniques and appreciation of fine art.

President Stephanie Lloyd and club members have made one previous trip to an art show in Seattle.

VizArtZ Club members plan to display

several clay figures at the convention.

The Financial Management Association was also granted money to attend the 12th annual R.I.S.E. Investment Conference hosted by the University of Dayton.

The forum has hosted the likes of Federal Reserve Chairmen Ben Bernanke in the past, and will be held from March 29-31.

Clarion will be sending five students.

After the two allocations were passed, Liberto announced that the supplemental account is now empty, and Student Senate will no longer take supplement requests for the remainder of the semester.

Sen. Dallas Hall announced that the university’s enrollment is down about 400 students from last year and could result in a 7.1 percent tuition in-

crease to cover cuts from state funding.

“Gov. Corbett would like to see Pennsylvania campuses become more independent financially,” Hall said of the matter.

The sale of tickets for guest speaker Maya Angelou was announced at the meeting.

The poet and civil rights activist will be speaking in the Marwick Boyd Auditorium on April 23.

Tickets are free for students and staff.

Additional tickets are on sale now at Gemmell’s information desk for $10 each.

Vice President Jesse Snyder presided over Senate in place of President Joanna Catalano while she was in Harrisburg speaking on behalf of the Pennsylvania System of Higher Education to state lawmakers.

“President Catalano is doing a great job of representing Clarion and other state universities,” said Snyder.

Student Senate meetings are held every Monday at 7:30p.m. in room 246 of Gemmell.

Senate will not be meeting March 12 due to Winter Break.

THE CLARION CALL

MARCH 8, 2012

News 3

Storm floods Gemmell lounge area Alizah Thornton NEWS EDITOR CLARION, Pa. - On Wednesday, Feb. 29 a strong thunderstorm hit Clarion, and surrounding counties.

The storm caused flooding in several Clarion University buildings.

The Gemmell Student Complex was one of the buildings hit.

The downstairs lounge area across from Gem-

mell Grinds filled with couches flooded as a result of the storm.

Subsequently, the area was closed off the following day in order to allow the area to dry.

Pictures of the flooding are shown in the next columns.

The Clarion Call’s Editor-in-chief, Elora Walsh, and Advertising Manager Jeremiah Bull submitted photos of the flooded room.

Elora Walsh / The Clarion Call

Elora Walsh / The Clarion Call

Jeremiah Bull / The Clarion Call

Photos show the flooded downstairs lounge located in the Gemmell Student Complex.

Baby born on interstate Rabid fox attacks two AP Exchange FRANKLIN PARK, Pa.— A pair of state troopers helped a western Pennsylvania woman give birth to a baby girl who arrived two weeks early.

Kayla McDade gave birth to her daughter, Reva, just before noon Tuesday on the shoulder of Interstate 79 in Franklin Park, just outside Pittsburgh.

Anita McDade says

Pa. texting while driving ban takes effect Marc Scolfolo AP EXCHANGE HARRISBURG, Pa. — A new state law requiring Pennsylvania drivers to pull over and stop if they want to use text-based communications takes effect Thursday, although it remains legal to use a hand-held cellphone behind the wheel.

The statewide texting-while-driving ban carries a $50 fine and gives police authority to pull over suspected violators on sight.

The new law pertains to phones, computers or other devices that can send texts, emails or similar messages.

Police are not allowed to seize the devices when they write tickets.

The prime sponsor, Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, said texting is about the most distracting activity that drivers engage in.

“I think a lot of the kids, particularly, they don’t realize how dangerous texting while driving is, even at 35 or 40 miles per hour,” said Tomlinson, R-Bucks.

Lansdowne Police Chief

Daniel Kortan Jr., chairman of the executive board of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said he expects more warnings than tickets to be issued as people adapt to the new law.

Kortan said enforcement should not be difficult for police, as texting drivers tend to look down, not at the road, and drift into the shoulder or over the center line. ”You really have to follow one, or be cognizantly looking for it, but it’s obvious when you see it,” Kortan said.

State police said they will watch drivers to see if stops are warranted, as when someone keeps manipulating a hand-held device without appearing to speak into it.

Troopers were given updated guidance on the law, said state police spokeswoman Maria Finn.”The bottom line is, if you’re distracted while you’re driving, and they notice that, they’re going to pull you over and ask what u n tary compliance. ”It’s not going to be

overnight, let’s be honest about it,” said state Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, who worked for years to enact the new law.

“But certainly, over time, it’s going to be part of getting people to get their priorities straight.

When they’re driving a car, they need to be focused on the road.”

He said the new law makes Pennsylvania the 38th state, along with Washington, D.C., to prohibit drivers from texting.

The law does not pertain to GPS devices, or systems that are physically or electronically integrated into vehicles, or communications devices attached to mass transit vehicles or buses.

Authorities say there were 14,000 crashes in the state in 2010 in which distracted driving contributed, including 68 fatalities.

A ban on cellphone use by drivers was part of the bill that passed the state Senate in June, but it was removed before final passage in the House.

Tomlinson said he hopes the phone restriction will be enacted.

she was out shopping with her daughter when Kayla went into labor.

It was soon clear they wouldn’t make it to a hospital.McDade called 911 and Troopers Edward Joyner and Thomas Plunkard arrived to help.

Reva arrived less than five minutes later.Mother and baby were transported to a hospital by ambulance. State police report they’re doing fine.

AP Exchange SALTSBURG, Pa. — A state Department of Agriculture veterinarian says a rabid fox has attacked two people in one western Pennsylvania county, but says it doesn’t appear that any pets or other animals have been infected by the fox which was shot by the second person it attacked.

Police say a woman in Loyalhanna Township, Westmoreland

County was scratched by the fox on Feb. 29 when she opened her garage door and startled the animal, which was beneath her vehicle.

Later that day, the fox charged at a man on the same street who was bitten before he killed the fox.

Veterinarian Erin Moore said that no other animals are known to have been exposed to the fox, but officials are monitoring the situation to make sure no pets have been infected.

4 Opinion

THE CLARION CALL

OPINION

MARCH 8, 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: Cooking spaghetti

Allison Doherty STAFF WRITER

D

ear Bacon: Do you like spaghetti?

-Sincerely Miss CU

Well Miss CU much to everyone’s disbelief I do in fact enjoy foods other than bacon. While bacon is my preferred meat of choice, spaghetti is on the list of my favorite meals to make and consume.

Preparation for spaghetti is simple. The

simplicity of spaghetti also allows creativity where other meal recipes make you follow strict guidelines for creation. The best part about spaghetti is choosing which type of pasta you want to fill your belly.

You could choose traditional spaghetti noodles or you could go for a penne or ziti noodle.

Cooking the noodles is as simple as chemistry; get some locally found water, put it in a pot and turn up the heater on your stove and boil it.

It’s possible to over cook your noodles and, if you’re anything like me, Miss CU, it might take you a few times to figure out how long you should actually cook your noodles.

Ignore the directions on the back of the box; they’re never correct.

The next thing in the creative process of cooking spaghetti is choosing what sauce you want on your noodles.

If you favor the more traditional, throw some tomato sauce on your noodles.

Or, if you want to be adventurous you can use garlic tomato sauce or a threecheese sauce.

However, Miss CU, the best sauce to put on your spaghetti noodles would be a homemade meat sauce, one that includes bacon.

The writer is a communication major and member of The Clarion Call

Editorial Cartoon by Mike Ramsey

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR chief@clarioncallnews.com 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 Winter break plans

PHOTOS AND TEXT BY: JOE BUCCI

MARK HAVERS Freshman

“‘Working on my parent’s farm.”

SARA GOLEMBIEWSKI Junior

“Working.”

DOM BUCCI Junior

“Going to Ocean City, Md.”

ANDY GROVE Senior

“Shooting guns with friends.”

Is “war on terror” worth the price?

Ryan Troupe STAFF WRITER Sep. 11, 2001 is a day that will forever live in our memory. We all know how the day’s events unfolded. The Twin Towers, the Pentagon and short of its Washington D.C destination; the final plane crashed in Shanksville, Pa. Shortly after these attacks, the Bush administration declared the “War on Terror” in Afghanistan. Immediately after this declaration of war, there was an overwhelming amount of support for President Bush and his team. Fast forward; it’s 2012, we are still fighting in Afghanistan.

Every day, we as citizens are growing increasingly frustrated. “The War on Terrorism” is the longest war our nation has

ever been involved in.

Over the last few years, our nation has made little progress in Afghanistan.

Essentially, as our citizens see it, we are doing nothing but losing soldiers and wasting money.

Our current role in Afghanistan is to help them rebuild and become an independent country.

However, we have been helping them rebuild for a handful of years, losing hundreds of billions of dollars each year just in construction alone. We need to pass the torch, and let them decide to help themselves.

Today, our national debt is higher than ever before. It has been over a decade, but with us still fighting this war, the terrorists are winning. $555 billion and counting have been spent total through 2012, exhausting money we do not have.

Not to mention that the face of this war has been Osama Bin Laden since 2001. Our war was being fought in Afghanistan looking for the leader of Al Qaeda. Bin Laden was caught in neighboring Pakistan, after a decade of searching in the wrong country.

The United States needs to let the Afghanis rebuild their country and control their government.

If you turn the tables, other countries would not waste their soldiers or money to help us rebuild our country.

Other countries do not want us involving ourselves in their business, yet we seem to find our way into it. Over the years there has been some good to come out of this war, however, we need to know when to call it quits. Let Afghanistan prove for itself that it can run their own country.

THE CLARION CALL

March 8, 2012

Features 5

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Radio personality speaks on sex, alcohol Margaret DePree STAFF WRITER

Invincib ility comes t o many as a given. They think that nothing w ill ever happen.

Unfortunately when under the influence, de cision making completely changes and som e times it t akes a tragedy to make the point that such choices can have consequences.

Adam Ritz from ‘T he Adam Ritz’ r adio show sp oke to more than 150 of Clarion Uni versity’s student/ athletes about good decision making in combination with alco hol awareness. Often through the presentation , Ritz a dvised the aud ience to stop and t hi nk “What’s t he worst that can happen?”

Kelsey Waros / The Clarion Call

Adam Ritz speaks to students about sex and alcohol use.

Current events from Greek-Life, Twitter “twits” of the month, Facebook, and s ports news; including all ages, sexes and st ature,

were discussed to show examples of poor decision making. Through this casual discussion with the audience, students were coconfronted with the truth. Ritz shared countless tales of life-changing events from around the country, mostly of young adults in the col lege environment. Ritz even shared his own tale of invincibility and the aftermath it still holds on his life today.

The important thing to remember when go ing through life and experiencing different opportunities is it to “always be proactive, if you see something; do something.”

It’s time to think realistically, and make decisions that don’t affect the potential of “what could be.” He said, “You are not invin cible, so don’t let something that could hap pen, interfere with what you hope happens.”

Clarion Idol tryouts held Amelia Eiger STAFF WRITER

Brittany Harger / The Clarion Call

Timothy Holman is one of the students tr ying out to be Clarion University’s next Clarion Idol.

Students donate meals to homeless Josh Byers STAFF WRITER The Eagle Ambassadors are taking a stand against these statistics with Donate-a-Meal. They asked students with a meal plan to donate their Friday meal or students without a meal plan to make a monetary donation to help local hunger and poverty. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 5, through Thursday, March 8, the Eagle Ambassadors have a table set up in Eagle Commons for students to make their donations.

According to worldhunger.org, in 2010, approximately one in seven were food insecure, the highest number ever recorded in the United States. That same year, it was recorded that 46.9 million people were below the poverty line. In Clarion, 15.8 percent of the population between 2006 and 2010 were below the poverty line.

The Ambassadors are a group on campus focused on, networking, community service and friendship.

“This student-alumni relations group not only strives for better relations with Clarion’s alumni and friends, but the Eagle Ambassadors take part in a variety of community service activities such as Donate-A-Meal and offer events for the whole campus. Whether it be rallying school spirit or en-

tertaining guests at the president’s residence, the Eagle Ambassadors have something for everyone,” according to the university website.

“We just started, but we already have two pages worth of donations,” said Jeff Ashcraft, an Eagle Ambassador who was volunteering his time at the table Monday afternoon. The Ambassadors do a food drive once a semester and last semester donated 67 turkeys and 40 canned goods.

The donations were started by the Ambassadors eight years ago to help the local food pantry before Thanksgiving and Easter. “Overall, we have donated hundreds of turkeys and thousands of canned goods to Community Action through the help of Chartwells.This year we hope to raise enough money to buy 1,000 canned goods for charity,” said Annette Johnston, President of The Eagle Ambassadors.

“We know that people really appreciate what we’re doing, and it’s nice to see reoccurring donors without having to ask,” said Tabatha McCormick, Treasurer of The Eagle Ambassadors.

“We strive to improve on what we did last semester, and believe we could get more because of Spring Break coming starting Friday. We take pride in helping families in the community,” said Ashcraft.

Comics tackle serious issues Matt Moore AP EXCHANGE PHILADELPHIA — There are wedding bells in Riverdale, but it’s not Archie and Betty or Veronica. It’s Army Lt. Kevin Keller and the physical therapist who helped him overcome his war wound — Clay Walker.

Meanwhile, in the comics pages, Gil is an 8-year-old boy being raised by his divorced factory-working mom, and Dustin is 23 and living at home, unable to find a job after graduating from college.

Comics have always been a portal for escapism and fantasy but have also labored to reflect a contemporary climate, a process that shows no signs of slowing

whether it involves super villains, breast cancer or other complicated realities of modern life.

Writers and artists fold realworld events into their fictional worlds, blending boundaries to make readers not just laugh and escape, but also reflect and think.

“Comics have always been a reflection of our world,” said Brendan Burford, comics editor at King Features Syndicate in New York. “People want to see a reflection and, chances are, if the reflection is something that rings through with their world, their life, their family and their friends, they can relate and laugh.”

“It’s humor therapy for people,” said Steve Kelly, who, along with fellow cartoonist Jeff Parker, created “Dustin” in

2010 and has seen it expand to some 300 newspapers since then. “If you were to sit at home and you were unemployed and you thought you were the only one, that would be a lot more difficult to deal with.”

But seeing it in the comic strips, or in the comic books, may soften the blow, he said.

“In these tough economic times, there are a lot of people sitting in their parents’ houses and they think you’re making fun of them and, honest to God, we’re not,” Kelly said. “I’ve been unemployed — worked at the newspaper in San Diego, got fired and was unemployed for a year. I know how you can feel isolated and depressed and you wonder what the future hold.”

Thirty-three students nervously assembled in Gemmell on March 6, armed with guitars and ukuleles, eager to audition for the opportunity to show off their talent at the 9th annual Clarion Idol competition. Of the initial 33, only 13 contestants were selected to move forward to the final rounds, which will take place at 7 p.m. April 3-5 in Hart Chapel.

“I’m extremely excited to be in this competition again,” says sophomore education major and second-time competitor Amanda Backus, “This year, I’m going to be focusing more on choosing the right songs for my vocal abilities, and I’m definitely going to spend more time practicing.”

The event, sponsored by Interhall Council, is changing its tune this year with a new set of rules requiring all participants to perform songs from the ‘90s era on the second night of judging. The Council will also be implementing a new voting mechanism, allowing for the on-stage judges to keep certain competitors safe from elimination in order to reduce biased audience-voting.

The system of elimination has also been altered from the traditional two-night method. Instead of having only two nights of performances and two rounds of voting, an additional night of performances and voting has been added to allow the final two opponents to compete head-to-head.

Says Interhall Council member Sarissa Grove, “There were so many auditioners this year it was so hard to choose. It will be a great competition with a wide range of voices to hear from.”

It’s on; GOP, Democrats fight over women voters Laurie Kellman AP EXCHANGE WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats are battling for the votes of women.

President Barack Obama is wooing this pivotal group by saying Democrats have a better story to tell women voters. His Democratic allies say the GOP has launched a “war against women” on contraception and other issues. But now, Republican women are fighting back. Ann Romney, wife of GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska say women care about the economy and jobs.

Women make up the majority of voters in presidential election years, and Obama won this group by 13 points over John McCain in 2008. Republicans are betting women will evaluate Obama’s stewardship of the economy and find him lacking. But the GOP has helped revive social issues in the nation’s political discourse, too.

6 Features

THE CLARION CALL

TOP 10 Best weird nap locations Russell Pekelnicky FEATURES EDITOR Spring creeps closer every week and so does my excitement for the season. This means many things, but one of the best things it means is being able to take a nap pretty much wherever you please. To those imagination impaired, here are some suggestions to make you less of a wet blanket.

10. Benches Benches may not seem strange at first glance, but keep in mind that most people don’t have their own private benches in college. This involves willingly going into a public place where people will walk by you and taking a nap. The more you go out of your way to make yourself more comfortable, the stranger this location becomes. It’s a game of wills.

9. On top of cars Cars are one of those great modern conveniences. They’re essentially a self-contained home. So, why not sleep on the roof of your easily transportable home? Just get a blanket and curl up on top of it. The higher your ceiling on the car, the more amusing sleeping becomes for the would-be napper.

8. Gardens

5. Playgrounds Playgrounds work on a number of levels for sleeping. Slides contour comfortably in a way that makes for maximized sleeping opportunities. Swings can be rigged into a make-shift hammock. Teeter-totters make interesting cots. As an added bonus, you can play when you wake up.

4. Inside giant tires Tractor tires hold a strange but prominent place in my heart as a much beloved sleeping place. As a small child, I would sleep in gigantic tractor tires for hours at a time. Now as an adult, I fondly remember these behemoth tires warmly.

3. Holes in the ground For another consecutive week, holes in the ground makes it into my Top 10 lists and holes in the ground make an excellent place for naps. Holes in the ground are generally softer than most surface dirt and are easily defendable from stranger interruption. You can also make a temporary shelter in a hole in the ground; just put up a tent and fall asleep.

2. In the mall

7. Under bushes

Malls are another strange place I found myself sleeping in from my youth. The floor of a mall is a surprisingly accommodating surface to a would-be sleeper.

Provisions are easy to find. Benches are abundant. For those who like to be lulled to sleep leisurely by music, most malls have a soft-rock sound track that makes sleep easier. Plus, unlike many previously mentioned locations, this is relatively unaffected by the elements.

Bushes give excellent cover for napping. You generally can make it so it is easy to hide from strangers and attackers. It also readily transforms into an ambush spot.

1. Rifle range

Gardens are nice. The dirt provides a soft place to sleep, plants give good shading and most have vegetables that are perfect for post-nap time snacking.

6. Cemeteries Cemeteries also have an advantage that they’re generally empty. Cemetery ground is usually softer than regular dirt which makes for better napping conditions than your standard grounds. Plus, if anyone disturbs you, just pretend to be a zombie and scare them off.

Yet another place I found myself passed out on a warm day at any gun range. The key to this is to wear ear plugs and be the perfect amount of exhausted, combined with a good comfortable bench. Also, it is highly important to not fall asleep on the wrong side of the fire line. Here’s a good way to keep clear of any rifle range nap time mishaps; find which way the guns are pointing, then sleep the other way. It’s sound advice.

This Week in History March 8-14 Mike Friend STAFF WRITER Time flies and things never stay the same. Those are just a couple of lessons everybody learns as they get older. However it doesn’t matter how old someone is to hop in the time machine and take a look back at the events that shaped the life we know today. So sit back, fasten your seat belt and please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times, as we look back at: This Week in History March 8 through March 14 March 8 - The motor vehicle that would soon become synonymous with the hippie movement and the times of “peace and love” goes into production on March 8, 1950.

On this day, German car manufacturer Volkswagen started production of the Volkswagen Type 2 automobile. More commonly called the “Transporter” and most famously known as the “Microbus,” this vehicle is only the second type of automobile that the company manufactured in post-WWII Germany. The younger sibling to the already popular Beetle was said to be the invention of a Dutch businessman who noticed a growing need for larger cars that could carry many people.

The grandfather of today’s modern minivans arrived in America the same year that it started production. However many Americans were timid to buy a car from a company that was made famous by Adolf Hitler. By the end of the decade, thanks to clever advertising and a growing counterculture movement, sales of the Microbus took off.

March 9 - The music industry was rocked on March 9, 1997 when reports broke that rapper Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls aka the Notorious B.I.G. is dead after being gunned down in Los Angeles. The shocking murder was thought to be the result of an ongoing rift between East coast and West coast rappers in the industry. Wallace’s death was the second blow to a rap community already mourning the loss of Tupac Shakur only six months earlier.

March 10 - On March 10, 1988, the international music industry mourned the loss of disco star Andy Gibb. Andy, whose older brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice formed the Bee Gees, was rushed to the hospital just three days earlier as the native of Australia complained of chest pain. 30-year-old singer was declared dead after suffering from an inflammation of the tissue in his heart from a recent viral infection in Gibb’s system. Thought to be the result of his abuse of drugs and alcohol after his decline in the early 1980s, Gibb’s death was met with grief and sorrow form his throngs of fans.

March 11 - Bad boys everywhere take notice as “COPS” debuts on Fox on March 11, 1989. The television show followed police departments around the country as they apprehended criminals. The series was formed, in part, due to a writers strike in 1989 and has aired more than 1,000 episodes shot in more than 140 cities in the U.S. and abroad since it was given the green light. “COPS” is one of the longest running series in television history.

March 14 - Jack Ruby, a club owner in Dallas, Texas is sentenced to death on March 14, 1964. Ruby was charged with “murder with malice” after killing Lee Harvey Oswald the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy. The sentencing also sets precedent as the first courtroom verdict to be broadcast on national television.

Throughout the trial, Ruby maintained that he suffered from “psychomotor epilepsy” and shot Oswald unconsciously. The jury disagreed with the defense and sentenced Ruby to death.

However in 1966 the Texas Court of Appeals overturned the verdict citing that there was little evidence that Ruby got a fair trial in Dallas. Ruby died of lung cancer in 1967 while awaiting a retrial set in Wichita Falls.

March 8, 2012

THE CLARION CALL

MARCH 8, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS classifieds.clarioncallnews.com

Classified advertising is free for Clarion students and $0.20 per word for non-students. E-mail addresses, URLs and phone numbers are considered to be one word.

Send your classifieds to classifieds@clarioncallnews.com or call 814.393.2380.

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

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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.

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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.

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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

bedroom apartments/ houses. 1-2 blocks from campus. Furnished. Some include utilities. Off-street parking. 814-227-2568.

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1221 Leatherwood Dr. w/ 2 bedrooms, full kitchen & bath. Some Utilities included.

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WORD SEARCH Name That Editor

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8 Arts & Entertainment

The Music Box is back again this week discussing Good Old War’s new album, “Come Back As Rain.” 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.

“COME BACK AS RAIN”

THE CLARION CALL

ANDI FULMER When a band is talked highly of and also shows up on your handy dandy “Band of the Day” app it probably means you should give them an honest listen.

When they are also the band for the Music Box of the week, you ought to sit up and listen and that’s what I’m doing with Good Old War this week.

Good Old War’s upbeat feel is interwoven seamlessly with folk and gentle rock sensibilities, but all the while maintains an earnest sincerity in the newly released album “Come Back As Rain.”

The album starts off strongly with “Over and Over.” Albeit sad, the clever lyrics paired with an optimistic guitar make a well-crafted song that winds up being happier than the lyrics might suggest.

“Calling Me Names” follows and is much punchier and happier,

SAMUEL DIXON

“GOOD OLD WAR”

Although the name Good Old War has come up in my music discovering over the years, I haven’t ever paid attention to them. I would always hear their name attached to other artists like Anthony Green, but never as its own separate band. “Come Back As Rain” marks the band’s third full-length album, and, if this one is any indication, the other two are fantastic.

Good Old War is all the folk Bob Dylan without any of the sad, and can be described as the younger generation’s version of easy listening. The band’s pop influence keeps things nice and light, sounding more like a campfire song than something that would be blasting out of a car window.

“Over and Over,” the first track, will instantly allow listeners to decided if they will like this album or not. It’s clap-able rhythm, acoustic lead and vocal harmonies are at the forefront on the majority of tracks, and if it’s not working for you here, then chances are the en-

despite the fact that the person in the song is, as the title states, being called names.

Sporting several poppy sets of “la la la’s” throughout the song and a with brief electric guitar spot, this is an instant winner in my book.

“Amazing Eyes” is a prime example of the true grace with which Good Old War executes its folk sound. It opens like a Bob Dylan song and is distinctly reminiscent of bands like Blind Pilot and Bombay Bicycle Club.

“Better Weather” will have your feet tapping, and “Can’t Go Home” will have you nodding your head and even “Not Quite Happiness” is still happy. The album, though it seems to deal primarily with less-thanpleasant topics, such as the end of the world, it remains unabashedly happy and upbeat.

Perhaps the moral of “Come Back As Rain” is that, given the right attitude, it’s within reach to find a smidge of happiness in any given situation. If you’re looking for a boost or a solid folk record I would highly recommend turning to Good Old War and “Come Back As Rain” to fulfill that need. tire album will fall flat.

“Calling Me Names” starts with an interesting acoustic lead that’s not keen on deciding exactly how this songs is supposed to feel. Although the instrumentation gives the idea that this is a happy song, lyrically it is actually rather sad, talking about a bad friendship. The tone and harmonies of the song sets off this feeling and actually makes it fell quite bouncy.

“After the Party” steps on the gas and brings a faster tempo to the album. Here the band trades in the pop influence for an almost square dance feel, making the listener want to stomp their feet and clap their hands. The song constantly sounds like a band on the run and again is able to make a sad song feel happy.

Good Old War is easy to recommend. All the songs on “Come Back As Rain” sound similar, but each has its own distinct feature that really makes the album worth a listen.

The around-the-campfire feeling that emanates from the band is a nice change of pace from what has been plaguing mainstream music as of late, but it’s that fact that might easily turn people away. The vocals are as folky as it gets nowadays, and if that’s not something you like listening to then Good Old War is not going to have much for you.

March 8, 2012

SHIRLEY SPROULE Fans of The Music Box might recognize this band from a previous Music Box review of Anthony Green’s “Beautiful Things,” as I may have mentioned that Green utilized them as his backing band. I said it then, and I will say it again: when the backing band supersedes the “talent,” you know you’ve got something good on your hands.

Good Old War is the type of band I like to put firmly into the category of My Type of Music. Their folky pop music just hits all my right buttons. What can I say? Their third studio album, “Come Back As Rain,” is no exception.

With strategic placements of “oooo”s in “Better Weather,” banjos, handclaps and acoustic guitars running rampant, this record just screams springtime. For early March in Clarion, that’s something that I needed.

This record was a bit of a surprise to me. It’s not that Good Old War radically redefined their sound,

RUSS PEKELNICKY Good Old War’s album “Come Back As Rain” hits off from the first track with a folksy number, “Over and Over.” While generally I like something that hits a bit harder, I find the more easy going folksy style to be enjoyable. It’s a chill opener for the album, with good vocal work and instrumentation. If I have a complaint, it’s that it is a bit too generic folk in its style.

“Calling Me Names” is the second track, which is a soft little number but manages to squeeze its way into a poppy, indie sound.

It’s good ambient music, with some slick soft guitar work and a nice drum part. Vocals are solid, but lyrically, it’s a bit one-key.

It lacks an abundance of complexity that I would hope for in song writing, but it’s not the kind of thing I would shut off in a fury.

“Amazing Eyes” smacks of something from the song selection and style of Coldplay. It’s not horrible,

like so many artists do three records in, but rather they went back to what made their first record “Only Way to Be Alone” so good, which is something their self-titled second album lacked. Not that Good Old War’s self-titled record was bad, it just didn’t have the magic that made “Only Way to Be Alone” fantastic. Thankfully, these boys are out of their sophomore slump and “Come Back As Rain” has definitely regained that folky magic.

Now, if someone asked me to pick a favorite song, I would just hand them the entire record. I enjoyed this album immensely. Songs like the first single “Calling Me Names,” “Can’t Go Home” and “Touch the Clouds (Taste the Ground)” are particularly good. “Better Weather” gets me with how catchy and relevant the lyrics are to this time of year, with Keith Goodwin crooning “Maybe tomorrow the storm will blow over, the river won’t overflow, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.” “After the Party” stands out as one of the faster-paced songs on the record, but still fits thematically.

Honestly, there’s not a thing I can critique about this record. If you have no idea who Good Old War is, now is the time to educate yourself. I have complete faith that they’re just going to get better at what they do. but at the same time the whole track is mostly a kind of bland little ditty that could be thrown into a movie and easily forgotten.

“Touch the Clouds (Taste the Ground)” manages to serve as a nice little stylistic change of pace from the more common indie-pop stylings of the rest of the album, with a good driving guitar part, interesting and layered percussion and some stretching of the vocal range. It sounds like a song where if you heard it, you might look into the rest of their body of work.

“It Hurts Every Time” also makes for a good track, drawing some White Stripes-esque stylistic cues for the first few notes. Then, it kind of slides back into the semi-mediocre folksy-indie-poppy mush that is the bulk of the album.

The album isn’t a horrible one as a whole, but it’s not what I would consider by any means a standout.

The whole of the composition is pretty onenote. For those looking for a good rock-out or something that has a good, textured sound, this might be something of a disappointment for listeners. For bands that do similar stuff better, The Bens or Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeroes are the way to go.

THE CLARION CALL

March 8, 2012

Arts & Entertainment 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT clarioncallnews.com/ae

‘Rhinoceros’ stampedes Little Theater Blayne Sheaffer STAFF WRITER The Clarion University theatre department had the community stampeding in the Little Theater Feb. 29 through March 4 for its production of Eugene Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros.”

Senior Nic Barilar took on the role of the alcoholic and socially impaired Berenger, the main character who cannot seem to succumb to the norms of society.

“I just can’t get used to life,” Berenger said.

His friend Jean (played by Jared LoAlbo), becomes frustrated with his lack of responsibility and hygiene, and the two get into an argument over the matter.

The entire small French town gathers around as a rhinoceros storms through the town.

This raises many questions and arguments, none of which end up being how a rhinoceros got loose in a French village, but how many horns it had, and which kind of rhinoceros it was. This and the looney reasonings of the town logician (Rob

Alex Krach / The Clarion Call

Clarion University students prepare for their performances of Eugene Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros.”

Milanich), allow for the audience to understand that the characters of this play are not in their right minds.

When Miss Boeuf (Brittany Tague) comes in the stead of her husband to Berenger’s place of work, she finds that the rhinoceros that chased her there used to

be her husband, placing the fear in them all that they may also become rhinoceroses. Berenger then goes to Jean’s house to apologize for the fight they had about his appearance, and witnesses Jean’s transformation into a rhinoceros as he exclaims, “We must build our lives

on new foundations!”

This foreshadows what would be the transformation of almost everyone in the town.

Berenger refuses to to succumb to the ways of those turning into rhinoceroses, drinking more so that his mind is not altered by their reasoning. He’s visited

by his friend Dudard (Christian Ryan) and his love interest, Daisy (Katie Forsgren).

Dudard tries to calm him down but is only driven to transform into a rhinoceros by Berenger’s banter. Afterward, Berenger and Daisy decide that they should be together and

create their own world of reason, but through this discussion, Daisy decides she is not interested in creating a new civilization with him and becomes a rhinoceros as well, leaving Berenger to be the only human in the town.

After a short identity crisis and a brief lapse of judgment in which Berenger almost sees reason in the rhinoceros way of living, he decides he has no intentions of changing himself to suit the new society, and goes out to take on the rhinoceroses.

The play is a satire on the constantly changing ways of human society and ideas on right and wrong, Director Dr. Robert Bullington stated at the beginning of the play that it was rare to find it being acted out anymore since its conception in 1959.

“After this performance, you probably won’t see it being played within a 50 mile radius of this place,” Bullington announced to the audience.

For a listing of Clarion’s plays for the spring semester, go to www. clarion.edu/266567/.

Poet works in‘religious meditative dimension’ Alex Krach STAFF WRITER Poet Richard St. John read poems from his selected works and journals in the Carlson Library Art Gallery on March 6. The crowd, made up of Clarion faculty and students, grew quickly and was reduced to standing room only.

Philip Terman, English professor at Clarion University, opened St. John’s readings with an introduction of the writer that briefly discussed his books, which include “The Pure Inconstancy of Grace,” a collection of St. John’s poetry that was the first runner up for the T.S. Eliot Award in 2004 and was refined for 25 years by adding and removing poetry until the writer felt it was perfect, and “Shrine,” a chapbook made up of a single long poem. Of St. John’s work, Terman told the audience that it was “humanistic,” and that St. John was a “humanitarian,” that “brings a beautiful use of language” to his work.

St. John greeted the crowd and told them that his work was in the “religious meditative dimension.”

“For me, faith is not

about doctrines,” said St. John, “It’s about fidelity.”

St. John also stated that he writes “largely to explore things that I want to understand better myself. So, often, when I start working on a poem, I begin with something I call a ‘felt difficulty’ something that’s bothering me, perplexing that I want to explore.”

St. John’s first poem of the evening, “Metaphysics of Thrushes,” first appeared in “Chautauqua” and was one of two poems he read that was not included in “The Pure Inconstancy of Grace” or “Shrine.” The poem’s focus contrasts “The Problem of the Soul,” a scientific book St. John had been reading at a bookstore that sets out to prove the absence of a soul, with the fervor and life that emitted from his wife as she chases thrushes down the streets.

“She’s running, almost dancing now, as if to catch them high above – half-a-palm long,” said St. John, “mere fluff with mottled breasts. Flitting through shadows, streetlight, in this quirky quest --clapping with joy, and calling ‘sweethearts!’”

St. John then informed the crowd that his next

poem, “Two Stories,” included the stories of the speaker and then that of a small boy and delves into “feeling stuck and then unstuck.”

“He goes to work: the same sprawled papers on his desk,” stated St. John, “Just the things he’d once hoped death would free him from.”

Among other poems, St. John also read “From the Plate,” which imagines John the Baptist speaking after he is decapitated and his head is placed on a plate.

“Perhaps you were waiting for the messiah,” St. John read, “Let me say it again, no one is coming.

It has all been given to us, already, on a plate.”

St. John also read “L’Anuma Semplicetta,” which “honors a young girl, Ebony Patterson, killed by a schoolmate in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh.” The poem alludes to “Dante’s Purgatorio XVI;” the writer is asked to sit on the fourth step of the school

by Ebony, a relation to the fourth terrace of sloth in “Purgatorio.”

“Climb up the seven stone steps. And on the fourth step, sit and weigh the flattened bullet in your hand,” read St. John.

Concluding his reading, St. John read the second poem that was not featured in “The Pure Inconstancy of Grace,” bookending the poems in between. This poem, originally printed in the Sustainable Pittsburg online news letter, “Reading Shaw’s Play, St. Joan at the Solstice, on a Greyhound, Heading Home,” describes fully its namesake.

“The bus outruns its headlights in the dark, sucking diesel fuel. I turn back to Joan of Arc,where the French cause seems lost, too,” stated St. John.

“No one believes in her.

But Joan insists: ‘God speaks to me. I hear his voice.’ ‘That’s your imagination,’ they reply. ‘Of course,’ she says, ‘isn’t that how God speaks?’”

St. John had advice for hopeful writers. First be parient and to think about your day job because if you are writing poetry, or even fiction, you won’t make that much money…

You need to think about a day job that will nourish and provide time for your writing. The second would be to read widely and deeply.”

For more information about St. John or his books, visit tsup.truman.edu.

Fritz Graf / Courtesy Photos

(Above) Richard St. John speaks in the Carlson Library.

THE CLARION CALL

March 8, 2012

Sports 10

Clarion has disappointing end of season Eddie McDonald STAFF WRITER

The Clarion University men’s basketball team had its share of ups and downs this season, with more of the downs coming later on.

“We played very well the first two-thirds of the season and won a lot of close games,” Head Coach Ron Righter said.

“We won a lot of close games early.”

The Golden Eagles started off the season a dismal 1-4, and then started to play in those close early games that resulted in wins.

Clarion won nine straight games dating from Nov. 12, 2011 when they beat East Stroudsburg 65-63 all the way up until Jan. 16, when they beat Mansfield 74-73.

This season, the games against the PSAC East counted toward the overall PSAC record.

During the streak, Clarion went undefeated in the month of December (6-0) for the first time since 1982.

On Jan. 14, the Golden Eagles traveled to Indiana University of Pennsylvania for a key matchup with the No. 14 team in the country, where both teams were playing for first place in the PSAC West.

That was the turning point of the Clarion season.

In that game, the Golden Eagles led for the majority of the game, until the final run that IUP put together to end the game

and steal the victory.

Clarion scored just four baskets in the final 11:30.

After their winning streak was snapped, the Golden Eagles finished just 5-10 for the remainder of the season, thus causing them to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

They finished 15-13 overall and 11-11 in the PSAC. Despite missing the playoffs, Clarion had a lot of bright spots throughout the season, aside from their nine game winning streak.

Coach Righter picked up career win No. 400 on Nov. 20, 2011 when his team defeated East Stroudsburg University, on three late free throws from junior guard, Calvin Edwards.

“It was a team type deal; it wasn’t just about me, it’s about Clarion University and even Wilkes (University),” Righter said after his milestone victory.

A big contributor to the Golden Eagles, not only for this season, but for the past four seasons, was senior forward Paul McQueen.

McQueen, who as a third-year starter, had a tremendous season to end his collegiate career.

He finished with exactly 1,100 career points and 652 career rebounds.

He was just the second Clarion player under Coach Righter to achieve such an accomplishment.

He was also named to the PSAC West Second Team.

“It was a season of ups and downs, high moments and low moments.

The low points were at the end of the season,” McQueen said of his final season at Clarion.

Coach Righter was pleased with McQueen’s four years at Clarion.

“Paul was a consistent player for us for four years. He had to battle for four years, and he stayed the course,” Righter said of McQueen.

Freshman guard, Winfield Willis made a huge impact on the Golden Eagles future as the young guard from Baltimore, Maryland shined throughout the season.

In his first two career collegiate games, Willis scored 28 and 19 points respectively.

He finished his freshman campaign with 446 points, the second most in Clarion history, behind all-time PSAC leading scorer, Kwame Morton.

Willis joined McQueen on the PSAC West Second Team, the first Clarion freshman to do so since Mike Sherry back in 2008.

“Winn, for his first year, had a terrific year. He was very consistent,” Righter said of his freshman guard.

His teammates were also impressed with his season.

“Winn is a real talented player. I like his drive and will to win games, the time he puts into the game. He just has the love and passion for the game,” McQueen said. “As long as he stays positive and humble, he will have a great career.”

(To continue reading, please visit www.clarioncallnews.com/sports)

Archive Photo / The Clarion Call

Clarion senior Quintus “Bud” Teer defends against an Edinboro player earlier in the season.

All that jazz: Steelers cut veteran players Jazzmonde James STAFF WRITER

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been making some big decisions in the last couple weeks that have made major changes to the roster.

It seems like they have a new vision for their team or need more money to keep other players, one of them being Mike Wallace.

The Steelers started with the cuts of Bryant McFadden and Arnaz Battles a couple weeks ago.

Then they cut Aaron Smith and Chris Kemoeatu, along with the most recent cut James Farrior, who played a key role in the 3-4 defense.

These cuts have effected the fans, and not in a good way.

These players have played a key role in the team’s win, and are loved

by the fans that don’t want to see them go.

The one that hit closest to the fans was the release of 13-year starter at wide receiver, Hines Ward on Feb. 28.

Ward spent 14 years with the team, and has numerous accomplishments there.

Ward was a fan favorite among the Steelers fans and will be missed.

But this doesn’t come as a surprise to most, after his position was taken over by Wallace, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Jerricho Cotchery.

Ward had two years left on his contract, and according to postgazette. com, “He (Ward) was cut based on how they view him as a player because he wasn’t offered a pay cut.”

With all the things that he has accomplished these past 14 years, it

will be interesting to see what team picks him up, and if he will help them get to a Super Bowl.

The Steelers have cut a lot of their captains, and it will be interesting to see who will be leading the defense, offense and special teams since some of the new guys look up to them.

As much as people may not like the decisions that the Steelers have made, it is a part of football.

Not everyone can stay on one team their whole career.

Some teams just think that they want to keep their younger players who will have a longer time with them, and can keep up with people they are playing against.

So for all the Pittsburgh Steelers fans, this is a part of the league that has a lot of changes and hopefully the cuts are worth it at the end.

FACE OFF Are outspoken managers good for baseball?

Matt Catrillo STAFF WRITER

We all know what the role of a manager in baseball is; the guy who knows the ins and outs of every situation in baseball, and the guy that has been through many experiences in the game.

He is the guy who always makes the tough judgment calls on whether to pull his starting pitcher out, or whether to run a bunt, steal or sacrifice.

We also know that the most important role of a manager is leadership.

When it comes to being a leader, many managers take different approaches.

Some like to be quiet and just make the key decisions for the team, and some like to lead by example.

Some managers in baseball, however, tend to become outspoken, which can be confrontational at times on the field and in the clubhouse.

What exactly is an outspoken manager?

According to dictionary.com, someone who’s outspoken is “Frank in stating one’s opinions, especially if they are critical or controversial.”

Usually, these critical or controversial opinions are often brought up and discussed through the media, which can lead to many distractions for a team, especially if a team is in a playoff or pennant race.

Those headlines also take away from the game, which is what everyone in baseball cares about the most.

Often these controversial or critical opinions are usually managers lashing out at the umpires for a bad call, or possible calling out his team or particular player for a poor performance.

Something can also slip out from the mouth of a frustrated manager after a crucial loss during a frustrating part of the season.

All of those frustrations are perfectly understandable.

Being a manager in the MLB is one of the toughest jobs to encounter, however, emotions need to be kept in reach and only know inside your own clubhouse.

Take a manager like Ozzie Guillen for example.

Here’s a manager who always lashes out at the umpires, that always puts him and his team with a bad position, but also causes media distractions constantly.

Guillen is also a guy that’s always been considered a “hot head” and sometimes lashes out his frustrations of his team through the media.

That’s where situations like these put a terrible image on baseball.

When people think of baseball, one of the first images that pop into people’s minds is a manager arguing at the umpires, putting an outspoken, controversial image on managers and baseball as a whole.

It also takes away from what being a manager is all about, and that’s being a leader.

If any controversies ever occur in his clubhouse, a manager should keep it in house, and not comment on it ever through the media.

Every team in baseball has one goal, and that’s a World Series title.

Distractions that can be held in check can make or break a World Series run for a team.

A good manager is a good leader that can make smart, quick decisions on the fly, offer insight to his team and keep his cool even in the most frustrating parts of a season.

Every manager should remember that, and remember that his actions affect the image of baseball.

John Owens STAFF WRITER

Bobby Valentine hasn’t managed a major league game in years.

But judging by the responses members of the media have received early on in his tenure as Red Sox manager, you would think Bobby V is one of the greatest managers to ever live.

Valentine is outspoken, not afraid to call out a member of his team and is certainly livening up things in Boston.

He barely ever bites his tongue.

What he’s doing is great for baseball.

Major League Baseball is a brand, a brand that over decades has changed little, if at all.

If there was ever a book on classical baseball etiquette written, I’m sure recently retired manager Tony La Russa would be listed as a coauthor, and Bobby V would be nowhere to be found.

Make no mistake, La Russa was known to make comments to the media on occasion, but not to the extent that Valentine does.

Valentine, however, is helping change a sport that could use a little more flavor on occasion. With 162 regular season games, people like Valentine will be sure to keep it interesting for the long haul.

Valentine isn’t the only example of an outspoken manager who is influential in changing the tides of Major League Baseball moving forward, Ozzie Guillen is another fine example of this new style.

What makes Guillen unique is that he isn’t afraid to call it like it is.

Many other managers shy away from controversy, keep the media out of the loop as much as possible and offer up lip service on key questions.

Guillen does none of this.

Guillen will call out his team when they’re not doing their job, will own up when he’s wrong and will do whatever it takes to win.

This is in an era when Major League Baseball players are making millions regardless of whether they win a game or not.

Managers like this help keep everyone in check.

So, is this a trend that we’re going to see moving forward?

Not necessarily.

There are still way too many oldschool managers that have plenty of success with their style of work, but don’t expect this new trend to disappear.

The 2011 Boston Red Sox are the prime example of what happens when you have a manager who fails to take charge and call out people who are under performing.

Guillen will hope to take the success he had with his managing style in Chicago to the newly improved Miami Marlins and their stars Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez.

Although players may not be fond of it, it will potentially bring out the best in them.

Guillen and Valentine are trendsetters by the way they run their clubhouse and encounter the media.

Hopefully, the trend will spread across Major League Baseball.

It’s time baseball moved into the 21st century, an era when love or hate it, talk sells.

THE CLARION CALL

March 8, 2012

March Madness

LEAGUE STANDINGS

Ah yes, it’s that time of the year again.

NHL (AS OF 10:00 MARCH 7) EASTERN CONFERENCE

WESTERN CONFERENCE

TEAM NY RANGERS BOSTON FLORIDA PITTSBURGH PHILADELPHIA NEW JERSEY OTTAWA WINNIPEG

RECORD/POINTS 42-16-7 91 39-23-3 81 31-22-12 74 39-21-5 83 37-21-7 81 37-24-5 79 35-25-8 78 32-27-8 72

TEAM ST. LOUIS VANCOUVER DALLAS DETROIT NASHVILLE CHICAGO PHOENIX SAN JOSE

RECORD/POINTS 42-18-7 91 41-18-8 90 36-26-5 77 43-21-3 89 38-21-7 83 36-25-7 79 33-25-9 75 33-24-8 74

WASHINGTON TAMPA BAY BUFFALO TORONTO NY ISLANDERS CAROLINA MONTREAL

32-28-6 31-29-6 30-28-8 30-29-7 28-29-9 25-27-14 25-32-10

LOS ANGELES COLORADO CALGARY ANAHEIM MINNESOTA EDMONTON COLUMBUS

31-23-12 35-29-4 30-25-12 29-28-10 28-29-10 26-34-6 21-38-7

70 68 68 67 65 64 60

74 74 62 68 66 58 49

Time for the best teams in college basketball to show what they have as they attempt to be the last team standing in the field of 65.

This year, we will be holding our own competition with the members of The Clarion Call sports department.

TEAM Chicago Miami Orlando Philadelphia Indiana Atlanta Boston New York

RECORD 32-8 29-9 25-15 22-17 23-14 23-15 20-17 18-20

TEAM Oklahoma City San Antonio LA Clippers LA Lakers Memphis Dallas Denver Houston

RECORD 30-8 25-12 22-14 23-15 22-15 23-17 22-17 21-18

Milwaukee Cleveland Detroit Toronto New Jersey Washington Charlotte

15-23 13-23 13-26 12-26 12-27 8-29 5-31

Minnesota Portland Utah Phoenix Golden State Sacramento New Orleans

20-19 19-19 18-19 17-20 15-20 12-26 9-29

*Teams above dashed line on track for playoffs

TEAM Kentucky Syracuse Kansas North Carolina Missouri Duke Ohio State Michigan State Marquette Michigan Murray State Baylor Georgetown

RECORD 30-1 30-1 26-5 27-4 27-4 26-5 25-6 24-7 25-6 23-8 30-1 25-6 22-7

TEAM Wisconsin Indiana Wichita State Florida State San Diego State Creighton UNLV Temple Florida Notre Dame Gonzaga Iowa State

RECORD 23-8 24-7 27-5 21-9 24-6 28-5 25-7 24-6 22-9 21-10 25-5 22-9

So sit back, relax and grab a bracket.

It’s the best holiday of the year.

March Madness.

1. Besides Mario Lemieux, who is the only other Penguin to have his jersey retired and hung in the rafters?

A. Joe Mullen B. Jean Pronovost C. Michel Briere D. Ron Francis 2. Since entering the Big East in 1982, this is only the second year the Pitt Panthers haven’t had an All Big East member. What was the other year?

A. 1983-1984 B. 1992-1993 C. 1999-2000 D. 2002-2003 3. Andrew McCutchen just signed a six-year $51.5 million contract which is the second largest in team history. Who had the largest?

A. Barry Bonds B. Raul Mondesi C. Jason Kendall D. Brian Giles 1. C, 2. B, 3. C

Our Call on Sports Sports Panelists

NCAA - AP TOP 25 (MARCH 7)

Each week of the tournament, we will post our results so that you can follow along, and see which member of the department knows his/her stuff.

Sports Trivia

*Teams above dashed line on track for playoffs

NBA BASKETBALL (AS OF 10:00 MARCH 7) WESTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE

Sports 11

Who is your most likely MVP pick in baseball?

Who will win the Where do you think NCAA TournaDwight Howard should ment? go?

Michael Waterloo Evan Longoria

Kansas

New Jersey Nets

Eddie McDonald

Matt Kemp

North Carolina

New Jersey Nets

Matt Catrillo

Robinson Cano

Kansas

New Jersey Nets

John Owens

Curtis Granderson

Syracuse

Los Angeles Lakers

Jacob Oberdorf

Andrew McCutchen North Carolina

Orlando Magic

Mark Emch

Josh Hamilton

Syracuse

New York Knicks

North Carolina

New Jersey Nets

Jazzmonde James Jered Weaver

THE CLARION CALL

March 8, 2012

Sports 12

SPORTS clarioncallnews.com/sports

Abdurakhmonov, Fleming take first at EWL Championship Jacob Oberdorf STAFF WRITER

The Golden Eagle wrestlers placed fourth out of eight schools in the Eastern Wrestling League Championships held in Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium this past Sunday, March 4.

The Eagles finished the match with an overall team score of 91.0 points putting them behind The University of Pittsburgh, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and West Virginia University.

Pitt won the team championship for the fourth year in a row scoring 135.5 points collectively as a team.

The Eagles were led by senior Bekzod Abdurakhmonov who took the individual title in the 165-pound weight class in a 10-3 decision over Pitt wrestler Tyler Wilps.

No. 5 Abdurakhmonov had a total of four takedowns overall in the match propelling him to his team high 31st win.

Abdurakhmonov also defeated Brandon Vernali of Millersburg University and Corey Carlo of Cleveland State University.

Clarion freshman Chelsea Signorino was excited

Archive Photo / The Clarion Call

Clarion wrestler Trey Hicks looks to take down an opponent during the EWL Championships which were held Sunday, March 4. to see Abdurakhmonov go out on top.

“It was a great way to end his senior year. He is an animal,” said Signorino.

Junior James Fleming became a two-time EWL individual champion by taking

the individual title in the 157-pound weight class.

Fleming recorded a 4-2 win over Bloomsburg University’s Frank Hickman.

No. 4 Fleming scored a first period takedown and a second period escape

earning a 3-0 lead going into the third.

Fleming had riding time propelling him to his 4-2 win.

Fleming also defeated Cleveland State’s Brandon Sommers by a 16-0

technical fall and then pinned Edinboro’s Casey Fuller at 4:38.

Fleming raised his record to 27-2 on the year.

Both Fleming and Abdurakhmonov will be participating in the

NCAA D-I Nationals.

“Both our winners really went out there and took care of buisness,” said coach Matt Dernlin.

Joining Fleming and Abdurakhmonov in St. Louis for the Nationals, will be junior Steven Cressley who finished in third place in the 184-pound weight class earned him the final qualifying spot.

Cressley defeated Lock Haven University’s Zach Heffner by a score of 5-3 in the third place match.

Cressley was 3-1 on Sunday, raising his record to 17-14 on the year.

Cressley opened the day with a 6-5 win over Heffner but then lost by fall in the semi-finals to West Virginia’s Matt Ryan.

The fourth place finishers included Tyler Bedelyon at 141, Alex Thomas at 197 and Quintus McCorkle at 285.

The fifth place finishers were Joe Waltko at 133 and Cameron Moran at 149.

The tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award went to Pitt’s Matt Wilps.

Abdurakhmonov, Fleming and Cressley will next travel to St. Louis, Mo. to compete in the Division I Nationals on March 15.

Megan Daley Women’s W omen’s softball softball senior senior pitcher pitcher INTERVIEW BY John Owens

Q A

As a senior, how do you want to leave your legacy on the program?

I just want to leave the underclassmen with the knowledge of what a team is and remember that you need to work hard and push each other through every workout, practice and game regardless of how hard it gets.

Q A

What are your plans after graduation?

I still have another year of school, and then I plan on attending graduate school somewhere.

Q A

What is your favorite softball memory here at Clarion University?

There are so many memories for me because I had four different coaches while I played here, but having the privilege of playing for Shintreka Hudson is the best memory. She has helped me through so many situations and taught me so many important things during the season and out of season. She is the coach who you can call at 2 a.m. if you need someone to talk to about something. She is the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life.

Q

How has playing softball improved your four years here at Clarion?

A

Without softball, I don’t know who I would be. Softball has made me who I am. It helped me network with so many different people, organize my busy schedule and realize that no matter how many crazy days I have, there is always a whole team of girls sitting there to help me out with it.

Q

How do you occupy yourself when it’s not softball season?

A

We have off-season workouts and individual practice; softball never ends. I do like when I can take naps in between my classes though.

Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call