Vo l u me 13, Nu mbe r 27 o CT. 24 , 2011

Rea d t he Jo uRna l o nl ine: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal

Natali Student CenterAdds Late-Night Options

Students Take 9/11 Donations to Shanksville

This Week:Mission Day,Security

ConferenceTwo important and popular annual events

illustrate the broad range of ideas beingexplored by Cal U’s students, faculty and

staff. This week the campus community is invitedto attend Mission Day XIII and the fifth annualConference on Homeland and InternationalSecurity.

Mission Day XIIIOn Wednesday, Mission Day will feature Dr.

Sugata Mitra and his provocative idea of“minimally invasive education.”

Mission Day begins at 8:30 a.m. in SteeleHall’s Mainstage Theatre. Daytime classes will becancelled so all members of the campuscommunity can discuss the notion that“education is a self-organizing system.”

Mitra is a professor of educational technologyin the School of Education, Communication andLanguage Sciences at Newcastle University in theUnited Kingdom. His “hole in the wall” projectdemonstrates the power of curiosity to stimulateself-instruction and peer-shared knowledge.

“Mission Day is a very special event, and Ibelieve those who participate will be intrigued byDr. Mitra ‘s perspective and presentation,” saidCal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr.

“Events such as Mission Day harness thevariety of ideas assembled on our campus. Wenever fail to come up with notions that weotherwise would never have thought of. I urge theUniversity community to attend.”

A Cal U tradition since 1998, Mission Dayallows all members of the University communityto engage in dialogue, share ideas and voicerecommendations as equals in order to advancethe institution’s mission and goals.

— Continued on page 2

After conducting a weeklongseries of events recalling theterrorist attacks of Sept. 11,

2001, a small group of Cal U studentsdelivered a commemorative flag and a$1,200 donation to the National Flight93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

The memorial, recently dedicated asa National Park Service site, marks thelocation where a hijacked airliner crash-landed as its passengers and crewattempted to wrest control fromterrorists believed to be steering theplane toward Washington, D.C.

The funds presented at the memorialwere raised primarily through the sale ofspecial “Armenti’s Army” T-shirtsfeaturing an American flag design.

Students also signed “I WillRemember …” pledge cards, whichwere assembled into a flag-shapedcollage, and the Technology Education

Association of California (TEAC)constructed a case to hold an Americanflag that was dedicated to the memoryof Flight 93 and flown over AdamsonStadium during the football game onOct. 10.

Coordinating the on-campus eventswere Student Government, the Office ofVeterans Affairs, the Office of CivicEngagement, the Inter-Residence HallCouncil, STAND Campus Ministry andTEAC.

“It was an honor to represent Cal Uat the Flight 93 memorial,” said studentSarah Newmeyer, an AmeriCorpsCommunity Fellow. “(The passengersand crew) lost their lives to make minebetter, and I can never thank themenough.”

Mike Mendolla, secretary of StudentGovernment, noted that Armenti’s

— Continued on page 3

Extended hours at the Natali Student Center aregiving Cal U students more options for late-nightactivities on campus.

The student center now is open until 2 a.m. everyday of the week. Students can relax with friends inlounge areas or the Commuter Center, enjoy a game ofbilliards in the Corner Pocket recreation room, playvideogames or take part in other activities suggested bystudents and organized by the Student Activities Board.

The Flatz convenience store, which features freshlymade quesadillas — a student favorite — will remainopen until 1 a.m. every Monday through Saturday. OnSundays, the Piazza Pizza shop will stay open untilmidnight.

Late-night services and activities were added at therequest of Cal U students, said Dr. Nancy Pinardi,acting vice president for Student Affairs.

“Listening and reacting to our students’ needs is aStudent Affairs priority,” she said. “Each semester, focusgroups are conducted to determine how best to meet theneeds of our students. Student focus groups this semesterindicated a desire to extend late-night hours in ourNatali Student Center.”

To provide more on-campus activities for students, afree 11 p.m. show has been added to the nightly movielineup at the Vulcan Theater, inside the student center.

The 140-seat theater also hosts a free movie at 4 p.m. — Continued on page 3

Skip and Co. artist Vince Cantola creates an airbrush design on Cal U student Nick Meston in the Performance Center during arecent student event. The Natali Student Center is now open until 2 a.m. to give students more options for late-night activities.

Cal U students proudly pose with custom-designed T-shirts, a flag and a check before theyboard a Vulcan Flyer for a trip to the National Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa.

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PASSHE Approves 2012-2013Appropriations Request

Campus BRIEFS

ScholarshipDinner Thursday

The 15th annual ScholarshipRecognition Dinner will be held at 6 p.m.Thursday in Gallagher Hall.

This invitation-only event gives donorswho have created privately fundedscholarships through the Foundation forCalifornia University an opportunity tomeet the student recipients whose lives havebeen changed through their generosity.

Both students and donors are remindedthat the event begins promptly at 6.

For giving opportunities, call theDevelopment office at 724-938-5775.

Solar Observationson Campus

Members of the campus communitywho would like to observe sunspots or learnthe basics of using a telescope may join theSociety of Physics Students at 11 a.m.Tuesdays and Thursdays in the courtyardoutside the New Science building.

Solar observation depends on weatherconditions. In the event of inclementweather, the activity will be postponed tothe next meeting time.

For more information, e-mail SteveAllinger at all0395@calu.edu or Dr. KausarYasmin at yasmin@calu.edu.

SECA Serves Spaghettion Halloween

As part of the 2011 SECA fundraisingcampaign, “I give because ...,” a spaghetti-and-meatballs lunch will be offered from11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in thePerformance Center.

Cost is $7. The meal includes salad,dessert and beverage. All proceeds aredonated to SECA, the State EmployeesCombined Appeal.

Tickets are available for dine-in or take-out options. Take-out tickets must bepurchased in advance.

All ticket-holders will be eligible for achance to win a door prize.

To purchase a lunch ticket and supportthe annual SECA campaign, contact eitherDana Turcic (turcic@calu.edu) or NormHasbrouck (hasbrouck@calu.edu).

— Continued from page 1The conversation already has

begun on Twitter, the popular socialmedia site. To take part, follow@CalUofPA and use the #calumdayhashtag to share your thoughts .

Registration for Mission Day XIIIon Oct. 26 is ongoing. Check the CalU website, www.calu.edu, for a link tothe registration page, or visitwww.calu.edu/events/mission-day/index.htm. The website includeslinks to videos about Mitra’s work.

Those in attendance will beentered into a drawing for iPads,Penguins tickets, student scholarshipsand more.

Homeland SecurityConference

Cal U’s fifth annual Conference onHomeland and International Securitywill take place from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Tuesday in the Performance Center.

This year’s theme is TransnationalCrimes and Security.

Delivering the keynote address

will be Maj. Gen. Donna F. Barbisch’84, who retired after a 38-year careerin the U.S. Army. She now ispresident of Global DeterrenceAlternatives and director of theInstitute for Global and RegionalReadiness.

Also on the program is formerspecial agent Mark Camillo ’76, a lawenforcement and security professionalwho specializes in emergencypreparedness operations. He is senior

vice president of strategic planning forContemporary Services Corp., theworld’s largest event security firm, andpresident of Apex Security Group, anaffiliated executive security company.

The conference is sponsored bythe Department of Justice, Law andSociety at Cal U. Cost is $25 perperson; fee includes lunch.

To register, send a check for $25,payable to the Foundation forCalifornia University; please include“JLS” (Justice, Law and Society) inthe memo line. Mail checks to Dr.Emily Sweitzer, Security ConferenceCo-Chair, California University ofPennsylvania, Department of Justice,Law and Society, P.O. Box 30,California, PA 15419.

Registration information forgroups and corporations is online atwww.calu.edu; look for the event inthe “News” or “Events” carousel onthe homepage.

For more information, contact Dr.Emily Sweitzer at 724-938-4438 orsweitzer@calu.edu.

‘Lasting Light’ContinuesThrough Nov. 7University President Angelo Armenti, Jr.applauds the work of writer andphotographer Stephen Trimble, whowrote the text for ‘Lasting Light: 125Years of Grand Canyon Photography.’Trimble visited Cal U Oct. 11 to speakwith middle school students about theSmithsonian Institution travelingexhibition based on the book, and toshare images and stories about thephotos at a dinner with Universityfaculty, staff, alumni and friends.‘Lasting Light’ will be on display in theManderino Library Gallery through Nov.7. For gallery hours, visit www.calu.edu.

At its October meeting, the Board ofGovernors of the Pennsylvania StateSystem of Higher Education

(PASSHE) approved a 2012-3013 stateappropriation request of $421.4 million, anincrease of 2.1 percent, or about the expectedrate of inflation.

The request for an additional $8.6 millionnext year “reflects not only the recessionmanagement procedures adopted by the StateSystem to address today’s challenging economic times,but also the need to preserve academic quality and theability to continuously respond to the changing needs ofour students,” said board Chair Guido M. Pichini.

“Our university presidents and their leadership teamsare focused on finding the right balance in managingexpenditures to preserve the core academic programs onour campuses and to invest in the new areas of studyrequested by our students, whether it be a single classneeded to enhance their career development or anadvanced degree,” said Chancellor Dr. John C.Cavanaugh.

PASSHE’s 2012-2013 proposed budget addressesprojected rate increases in employee benefits, primarily for

health care and retirement contributions foremployees enrolled in the State EmployeesRetirement System or the Public SchoolEmployee Retirement System.

Combined benefits costs are expected toincrease on average by 8.6 percent. Utilitycosts are anticipated to rise by about 3percent.

The proposed budget also reflects thesettlement of agreements with the American

Federation of State County and Municipal Employees(AFSCME) and the Pennsylvania Doctors’ Alliance.Negotiations are continuing with six other bargainingunits, including the Association of Pennsylvania StateCollege and University Faculties (APSCUF), whichrepresents PASSHE faculty and coaches. The wagecomponents of those agreements expired last summer.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education isthe largest provider of higher education in theCommonwealth, with nearly 120,000 students.

The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree andcertificate programs in more than 120 areas of study.About 500,000 PASSHE alumni live and work inPennsylvania.

Mission Day, Security Conference Set

Dr. Sugata Mitra

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Advocate Urges Dialogue About LGBT Rights

Honor Society Wins National Award Center AddsLate-NightOptions

Students Take 9/11 Donations to Shanksville

— Continued from page 1

and 8 p.m. daily. Additional featurefilms will be added as the box officeschedule permits.

The Underground Café will continuefrom 9 p.m. to midnight every Thursdayin the Commuter Center. Thecoffeehouse-style event showcases musicperformed by students and localmusicians.

In addition, the Student ActivitiesBoard has added a 10 p.m. comedyshow to the next two installments of itsFunny Freaking Friday series. On Nov. 4and Dec. 2, comedians will perform atboth 7 and 10 p.m. in the student center.

Students also have requested morespecial Residence Life programs, such asvideogame tournaments, team games,“dorm wars” and pizza-night socials, saidLarry Sebek, dean for student services.

“I think it’s great that the Universitystaff members are listening to thestudents by adding even more oncampus opportunities, especially late atnight,” said junior Michaela Prater, amember of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.“I can’t wait for my first late-nightquesadilla.”

A full schedule of campus activities isavailable online; check the Events calendar atthe bottom of the Cal U homepage,www.calu.edu. Click “more” to see a monthlycalendar or to find event details, registrationinformation and links to videos or otherresources. Visitors with Facebook accountscan log in through the calendar to see whichof their Facebook “friends” plan to attend theevent.

The Events calendar also is availablethrough the free Cal Fusion app, available inthe iTunes Store and the AndroidMarketplace.

— Continued from page 1

Army T-shirts have been used in the past to raise awareness forparticular causes. This time, 150 custom-designed shirts weresold in four weeks.

Mendolla also spoke during a brief ceremony at thememorial site.

“The speech was one of the proudest moments of my life,”

he said. “During first-year student orientation we talk aboutgiving our time, talent and treasure, and there could not be abetter cause than this. I will never forget what (those aboardFlight 93) did for me.”

Walter Harris, president of Student Government, said theFlight 93 passengers would always be remembered as heroes.

“The experience inspired me to consider more carefully theactions that affect the perception of my character,” he said.

First Lady Barbara Armenti was theguest speaker Oct. 6 when Cal U’schapter of Alpha Lambda Delta

received the society’s prestigious Order ofthe Torch Award.

This year just seven of 272 ALDchapters earned the honor, which isbased on a scrapbook highlighting thechapter’s accomplishments during thepast year.

Founded in 1924, ALD is a nationalhonor society that recognizes academicexcellence among first-year students.Members must maintain a grade-pointaverage of 3.5 or higher and rank in thetop 20 percent of their class. ALDmembers also complete service projects,such as helping with the local foodpantry and raising funds for theAmerican Heart Association.

“You have earned this prestigiousnational award through yourcommitment to scholarship, service andprofessional development,” said the FirstLady, chair of the American HeartAssociation in Washington County.

“President Armenti and I are soproud that our students are so committedto helping others.”

Cal U’s ALD chapter, just six yearsold, also received the national office’sDelta Award for increasing membershipby more than 25 percent in a single year.

Presenting both awards was Dr.Herman “Butch” Hill, a professor atOhio University and vice president of

finance and long-range planning forALD.

“One of my secret missions is to findout exactly what you’re doing,” he joked.“I don’t know of any other chapter that’sbeen able to start from nothing and infive years be able to receive the TorchAward. Your scrapbook of activityclearly shows that this chapter has donesome amazing things in a short period.”

Rhonda Gifford, director of CareerServices at Cal U, also spoke at theevent. She praised ALD’s participation inthe Career Advantage Program, whichoffers a comprehensive program ofpersonalized, career-focused activities.

“By embracing this program you aretruly living out the mission of buildingcharacter and building careers,” she told

the students.Senior adviser Aaron McFadden gave

welcoming remarks and Jessica Lane, afounding member, described thechapter’s history. Junior adviser LaurenVitt recognized past and present officers,and Ashley Baird recognized scholarshiprecipients. Advisers to the chapter areKaren Posa, director of University-WideMentoring, and Dr. Michael Amrhein,director of the Office of Integration andOutreach for T.E.A.M.S. at Cal U.

Chapters awarded the Order of theTorch cannot apply for the next fouryears. To reward chapters that continueto excel, the national council presents theMaintaining the Flame award. Winnersreceive a patch to affix to their Order ofthe Torch banner.

The only openly gay football teamcaptain in NCAA history told anaudience of Cal U students that

young, college-educated people areamong the most ardent supporters of gayrights — but they need to continuespeaking out.

Brian Sims, the former captain ofBloomsburg University’s football team,spoke at Vulcan Theatre on Oct. 13 aspart of Diversity Awareness Month.

“You are all overwhelminglysupportive of gay rights, but you think …you’re the only ones, so therefore you arequiet,” he said. “Good or bad, the morepeople who talk about gay rights thebetter.”

A successful policy attorney, Simsspeaks regularly as an advocate for therights of lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender people. At Cal U he sharedhis life story and discussed “LGBTAdvocates, Allies, Athletes and Policies.”

Sims was team captain and aRegional All-American on Bloomsburg’s2000 football squad, which reached theNCAA Division II NationalChampionship game. He came outshortly after his senior season, he said,when the quarterback simply asked himabout his sexual preference.

“The team came out to me, really,more than I came out to them,” Simssaid. “They all wanted to apologize forany gay slurs they might have said, and Ialmost had to give them permission to get

over it. I knew they did not really meananything (derogatory), because they werejust used to using stupid words.”

Sims recalled that his defensive linecoach made a snide comment while theHuskies’ coaching staff and severalplayers were conducting a drill during asummer football camp for 400 highschool students.

Team members who knew Sims’sexual preference called him on it.

“The next morning the coach cameinto the dorm, stood on top of the tableand said, ‘Yesterday I said somethingreally stupid. I’ve spent my entire careertrying to teach young men what it meansto be on a team and what sportsmanshipis, and yesterday you had to teach me. Iowe you all an apology.’ Then gave me abear hug.

“That really set the standard for thecoaching staff with me,” Sims added.

“He recognized really quickly that theway my team reacted to me coming outwas exactly how any coach would wantany of their players to treat (ateammate).”

A story about Sims that appeared onthe Outsports.com website in April 2009drew a flood of e-mail. Shortly afterwardhe spoke at Penn State, and since then hehas talked with students at 100 differentschools.

After graduation Sims attended lawschool. The former staff counsel forpolicy and planning at the PhiladelphiaBar Association, he was named one ofthe 2010 Top 40 LGBT Attorneys Under40 by the National LGBT BarAssociation. He also serves as presidentof the board of directors for EqualityPAand chairman of GALLOP, the Gay andLesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia.

“There has never been a better time inhistory to be gay than right now,” he said.“I do not mean to minimize the struggleand the hard work left to do, but there’sbeen so much progress.”

He urged the audience to questionthose who say they oppose gay rights.

“They will say ‘just because,’ and ‘justbecause’ is a lousy answer,” Sims said.“If you are among the one in fiveAmericans who do not support gayrights, the best thing you can do tofurther your cause is just shut up.Because every time you talk about it, youmake more people come to my side.”

LGBT advocate Brian Sims (right) enjoys a discussion with LaMont Coleman (center) andSheleta Webb following his talk at Cal U as part of Diversity Awareness Month.

Proudly posing in front of the Order of the Torch banner following the Oct. 6 ceremony are(from left) Rhonda Gifford, Jessica Lane, Aaron McFadden, Ashley Baird, Lauren Vitt,Herman ‘Butch’ Hill, Michael Amrhein, Karen Posa and First Lady Barbara Armenti.

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Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.University President

Geraldine M. Jones Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Lenora Angelone Vice President for Student Affairs

Dr. Charles Mance Vice President for University Technology Services

Ron HuiattVice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Robert Thorn Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance

Craig ButzineVice President for Marketing and University Relations

Christine KindlEditor

Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff BenderWriters

The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Office of Communications and Public Relations 250 University Avenue California, PA 15419 724-938-4195 wald@calu.edu

Softball Team Wins Academic Honor NomineesSought forPresident’sFacultyAwards

The University introduces itself toprospective students and theirfamilies when Cal U holds its final

fall Discovery Day on Nov. 5.On Discovery Days, high school

students who are beginning their collegesearch are invited to visit the campus andlearn about the University’s academicofferings, housing, student activities,athletic programs and more. Students

may sit in on a class and take a tour. Theevent runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, call JeniferSigado at 724-938-1626 or e-mailsigado@calu.edu.

Nominations are beingaccepted for the 2012President’s Faculty

Awards. Tenured faculty memberswho have demonstrated excellencein teaching, research or service areeligible to receive one of theseprestigious awards, which arepresented at the annual President’sGala.

Any member of the Cal Ucommunity — students, faculty,staff or alumni — may make anomination. Self-nominations arepermitted.

Nominations close at 4 p.m.Friday.

Although a faculty member maybe nominated in multiplecategories, he or she may competefor only one award.

The nominee may select thecategory. For example, if a facultymember is nominated in both theteaching and service categories, heor she may submit supportmaterials for one or the other, butnot both awards.

Support materials are due by 4p.m. Nov. 14 .

University President AngeloArmenti, Jr. established the awardsto recognize deserving faculty fortheir outstanding work. Each 2012award recipient will be honored atthe President’s Gala in June andpresented with a medallion, anengraved paperweight and a $2,000check.

The 2011 President’s FacultyAward winners were Dr. ChristinePatti, honored for teaching; Dr.Robert S. Whyte, for research; andDr. Ralph Belsterling, for service.

President’s Faculty Awards areseparate from the awards given bythe Faculty ProfessionalDevelopment Committee, whichrecognizes recipients atCommencement.

Nominations will be acceptedby e-mail or paper copy. Pleasesubmit e-mail nominations to thePresident’s Faculty AwardsCommittee chair, Dr. Joseph Heim,at heim@calu.edu.

Send hard copies to Heim at theDepartment of History andPolitical Science, Box 6.

Each nomination must includethe name of the nominee, categoryof nomination (teaching, researchor service), and the name of thenominator.

Athird consecutive Coal Bowltrophy will be on the line for theCal U football team Saturday

when the Vulcans travel to play rival IUP. Kickoff at George P. Miller stadium in

Indiana is set for 1 p.m. This year’s CoalBowl will be broadcast live by WPCW.

The Coal Bowl trophy, whichresembles a coal miner’s lunch pail,recognizes a football rivalry that dates to1918. The winner of Saturday’s game willkeep the trophy on display until the teamsmeet again.

The Coal Bowl was conceived by BobLippencott ’66, a 2002 inductee in the CalU Athletic Hall of Fame, and his brotherBarry, an Indiana University ofPennsylvania graduate. Bob Lippencottplayed linebacker for the Vulcans, and hisbrother was a standout end for theCrimson Hawks.

Both have established endowedfootball scholarships.

The Lippencott family, which has along history of working in the coalindustry, felt the game would be anexcellent platform to honor their familiesand the region’s coal miners.

Once again the Pennsylvania CoalAssociation is the presenting sponsor ofthis event. Proceeds from the sponsorshipwill be split evenly between the two

universities to support scholarships forstudent-athletes.

As part of the pre-game festivities, theCal U and IUP alumni associations areco-hosting a “Coal Bowl Watch Party” atnoon at McFadden’s, on Pittsburgh’sNorth Side. Food and non-alcoholicbeverages will be provided, and a cash bar

will be available.Deadline to register for the alumni

event is Friday at 3 p.m.For more information about the alumni

gathering, contact Ryan Jerico at 724-938-4620or jerico@calu.edu, or Staci Tedro at 724-938-4486. To register online, visit the alumnisection of the Cal U website at www.calu.edu.

Academic recognition continuesto pour in for Cal U’s athleticteams.

On Oct. 10 the National FastpitchCoaches Association (NFCA) namedCal U an All-Academic Team. Ninestudent-athletes received individualacademic laurels from the organization.

Vulcan softball earned the teamacademic recognition from the NFCAafter posting a cumulative grade-pointaverage of 3.295 during the 2010-2011academic year.

The team GPA ranked No. 27nationally among NCAA Division IIprograms.

Cal U was one of only six programsfrom the Pennsylvania State AthleticConference (PSAC) to earn the all-academic honor.

In addition to the team award, theVulcans featured nine players whoachieved NFCA Scholar-Athlete statusby achieving a 3.50 GPA or higherduring the 2010-2011 academic year.The honorees are Maria Greco, AlysonJohnson, Melissa Lupinacci, KristenMcKenzie, Randi Miller, Kaitlin

Schilling, Tara Oravec, Hope Spancakeand Natalie Wideman.

On the diamond last spring, thesoftball team compiled a final overallrecord of 29-14 and won its 14thPSAC-West title under 18th-year headcoach Rick Bertagnolli. The Vulcansalso competed in the NCAA Division IIpost-season Tournament for the 21sttime in 22 years.

“Obviously, I am very proud of theteam’s accomplishments academicallyand athletically,” Bertagnolli said.“When you look at the many teamshere that are getting recognized foracademics, it clearly reflects the supportand cooperation of the faculty, who arecommitted to our students succeeding.”

Earlier this fall, the women’sswimming, women’s tennis, and men’sand women’s track and field teams alsoreceived Academic All-Americanhonors from the College SwimmingCoaches Association of America(CSCAA), the International TennisAssociation (ITA) and the U.S. Track &Field & Cross Country CoachesAssociation (USTFCCCA), respectively.

Senior pitcher Maria Greco was one of nineCal U softball players who achieved NFCAScholar-Athlete status by earning a 3.50grade-point average or higher during the2010-2011 academic year.

Cal Seeks Annual Coal Bowl Victory

Preparing to present the Coal Bowl Trophy to California following last year’s 18-15 overtimevictory at Adamson Stadium are (from left) Bob Lippencott, Cooper Lippencott, BarryLippencott, and George Ellis, president of the Pennsylvania Coal Association.

‘Explorers’ Welcome on Discovery Days