Men's Hockey Team Seeks National Title

The Cal U I men's hockey team is pursuing its second American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division III National Championship this week.

Under the direction of head coach Justin Berger, the 26-0 Vulcans will open the national championship contest by facing the Lansing Stars at 1:45 p.m. March 10 in the Germain Arena in Estero, Fla.

The team will face CSU-Northridge at 8:15 a.m. March 11 and Central Florida at 2 p.m. March 12. The semifinals and championship game will be contested on March 13 and 14.

Men's and women's hockey are club sports at Cal U. The men's team won the ACHA national title in 2008.

For updates, results, game times and more information, visit http://sai.cup.edu/sai/clubs/hockey.

Scores so far:
March 10 - Cal U tops Lansing, Mich., 11-3
March 11 - Cal U tops Cal-Northridge, Calif., 9-2

Give online to help rebuild a school in Haiti!

A Letter from the President

Dear members of the University Family,

California University, along with our 13 sister institutions within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), is participating in PASSHE's Haiti relief effort.

I encourage your support of the fundraising initiative described below.

The outpouring of donations across the world has been impressive and quite moving. I applaud those of you who have already responded with tremendous generosity to the immediate needs of the Haitian people.  

In its relief initiative, PASSHE is looking beyond the immediate needs to a time when rebuilding will commence, both for the country and for the Haitian people. These citizens, many of whom lived in great poverty before the earthquake, will be faced with the arduous task of re-establishing an economic and educational infrastructure; therefore, PASSHE will concentrate its efforts on collecting donations for rebuilding a school in Haiti. 

Cheyney University and Kutztown University will serve jointly as coordinators of the effort to identify and adopt such a school. 

A fund will be established in the PASSHE Foundation to collect donations from faculty, staff, students, alumni and other groups. Members of the California University family who wish to donate to this effort should make checks payable to "Foundation for Cal U," and the designation "Haiti Relief Fund" should be noted in the memo section of the check.

Mail checks to: Foundation for Cal U, P.O. Box 668, California, PA 15419. A charitable gift receipt will be sent from the Foundation for Cal U noting that your donation has been designated for the Haiti Relief Fund.

You may also give online. All donations made through the University's Foundation will be forwarded to PASSHE.

In addition, the University will host Help for Haiti: A Special Convocation at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 11. Details about the program will be coming soon.

With sincere appreciation,

Angelo Armenti, Jr.
President

Congress has amended the federal tax code to allow some gifts from Haitian Earthquake Relief made in 2010 to be deducted on income tax returns for the 2009 federal tax year.  More information is available in IRS Publication 526 and its lead amendment page, available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p526.pdf

The deadline for the Faculty Professional Development Committee's 2010 Merit Award nominations is quickly approaching.

Each FPDC Subcommittee - Research, Teaching and Learning, Technology, Service and Service-Learning, and Grants and Contracts - offers a $1,000 award that can be used for appropriate professional activities.

The form to nominate a faculty member for the Merit Award can be downloaded from the FPDC's website.  Self-nominations for the award are acceptable.

The completed nomination form must be received in the Faculty Center, 134 Azorsky, by noon on Feb. 15.

Students network, clubs meet service goals and children benefit from a project organized by the Women’s Center.

Tie-n-Talk participants saw the first tangible results this month when nearly 30 “Blanket, Book and Bear Bundles” were delivered to the Washington Women’s Shelter for young children victimized by domestic violence.

“We provided the fleece material and children’s books, and we asked participating groups to donate teddy bears,” said Kay Dorrance, a former graduate assistant at the Women’s Center who now is interim coordinator/advocate for the P.E.A.C.E. Project.

“Each group scheduled specific times to come in and make the blankets and tie it all together with ribbon.”

Tie-n-Talk participants included the women’s swimming team, Black Student Union, Best Buddies, PRSSA, the PRactitioners, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Sigma Pi and the Psychology Club.

“The idea behind Tie-n-Talk was really to give clubs and organizations something they need, which is involvement in service projects,” said Dorrance, who will earn a master’s degree in social work this May.

“At the same time, it was an ideal way to network, build some relationships and see what kind of events we have planned. We want to build that bridge with the Women’s Center and students on campus.”

During her internship at Domestic Violence Services of Fayette County, Dorrance saw firsthand how children are affected by family violence. She believes the bundles can offer some comfort.

“It’s something soothing to give them to make things a little better,” she said. “Oftentimes children and women come into a shelter with literally just the clothes on their back. They do not have time to gather what few toys they might have.”

The Women’s Center has scheduled an array of activities for the spring semester, including a fundraiser for Tie-n-Talk.

Collaborating with the women’s swimmming and softball teams — and endorsed by First Lady Barbara Armenti — the Women’s Center is co-hosting a raffle to benefit The Village, a nonprofit facility near campus that offers child care for low-income single parents who are pursuing their education at Cal U.

The grand prize of the raffle is free in-state tuition for a semester, or the cash equivalent ($2,800). All proceeds benefit The Village daycare center, the Women’s Center and the two teams. Tickets may be purchased at the Women’s Center, Carter Hall G-45.

“The Tie-n-Talk event was successful,” said Nancy Skobel, director of the Women’s Center and the P.E.A.C.E. Project. “The raffle was a direct spin-off from this and helped more people become aware of the center and what we have to offer.”

A woman with a heart for educating others, one with a passion for organizing social-awareness events, and a third who is pursuing a lifelong dream to be a teacher have each been recognized as an Outstanding Woman of the Year for Fall 2009.

The awards are given each semester by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), established in 1990 with the support of President Angelo Armenti, Jr.

“The commission focuses on women’s issues and concerns, advocates on their behalf and recommends to the President specific actions that should be taken to improve the status of women at California University,” said Dr. Lisa M. McBride, special assistant to the president for equality employment and education opportunity (EEEO), University ombudsperson and interim president of the PCSW in the Office of Social Equity.

The honorees are Melissa Nelson in the graduate category, Katie Mercadante in the undergraduate category and Julie Miller in the non-traditional undergraduate category.

— Nelson graduated in December with a master’s of education degree. She tutors students to help them prepare for the PRAXIS II elementary teaching certification, is active with Science Olympiad and developed the American Sign Language curriculum for the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

Nelson currently is working on the development of a charter school to aid English-as-a-Second-Language students to improve their English and learn two major world languages.

“We are looking for outstanding women, and Melissa certainly stands out,” said Dr. Connie Armitage, who joined Jane Bonari in nominating Nelson for the award.

“She stands out in a crowd for her professionalism and work ethic. She’s involved in so many things. She’s a real go-getter.”

— Mercadante is pursuing bachelor of science degrees in earth science and secondary education with a minor in GIS/emergency management. She has organized campus events such as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and Take Back the Night to raise awareness of women’s issues. As a community assistant, she hosted programming to discuss the issue of date rape and served as a resource for female residents. She also has been a leader in several sororities on campus.

“Katie is a high achiever in her male-dominated field of earth science and meteorology,” wrote nominator Karen Posa, director of University-wide mentoring. “Periodically throughout my career, I have had a few opportunities to meet an exceptional student who stands out among the rest. Katie Mercadante is one of those students.”

— Miller, who is pursuing a bachelor of science in education, came back to school to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. She is active in her community with the Perryopolis Heritage Society, developing and running a one-room schoolhouse demonstration during the town’s Pioneer Days.

She also works full-time at Linden Hall Corp., helping to prepare young women to be the leaders of their generation. She is the proud mother of two daughters, both in college themselves.

Noted Bonari in her nomination letter, “Julie’s dedication to hard work and her desire to help people will enable her to become an outstanding teacher.”

The awards were presented at a luncheon in December. Guest speaker was Lynda Jones, president of the California, Pa., chapter of the AAUW, formerly known as the American Association of University Women.

For more information about the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, contact McBride at 724-938-4014 or mcbride@calu.edu.

CALIFORNIA, Pa. (Jan. 18, 2010)... 

An article by Dr. Keith Wilmot, assistant professor in Cal U's Department of Justice, Law and Society, was published recently in the journal Social Justice in Context.

The multidisciplinary peer reviewed journal publishes articles written by scholars and professionals committed to the study of social justice utilizing quantitative and qualitative approaches.

Wilmot's article is titled "A Dilemma in Context: The Question of Certainty and Fairness Within the Parameters of Federal Sentencing." 

In it, he explains that in the current legal environment, where sentencing guidelines have been rendered advisory, the relevant conduct provision has remained intact - judges may still consider unadjudicated conduct at sentencing.

After serving as a special agent with U.S. military intelligence, Wilmot worked as an investigator for both the Douglas County Public Defender's office and the Douglas County Attorney's office, both in Omaha, Neb., where he conducted pre-trial investigations for the public defender and investigated criminal fraud cases for the county attorney.

"This is a very significant piece of scholarship published by Dr. Wilmot," said Dr. Michael Hummel, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "His extensive past practitioner experience is evident in his scholarly activity and also in what he offers our students in the classroom.

Wilmot's current research involves issues within the scope of federal and state sentencing and issues regarding race and crime. 

He recently co-authored another manuscript currently under review for publication, "Sentencing of Native Americans: A Multi-stage Analysis Under the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines." 

Cal U will host the national premiere of a theatrical production that traces the immigrant experience in America from the mid-1800s to the present.

America Amerique begins its national tour at 8 p.m. Jan. 23 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

In 20 scenes, seven actors will portray characters as diverse as a young Russian Jewish girl from 1890 to an Italian father of 1900 to a 21^st-century border guard watching over a stretch of desert running into Mexico.  

Historian Thomas Jessen Adams drew the play's background from letters, court documents, journals, diaries, broadcasts and newspaper accounts of actual events. Text was written by John Adams, managing director of The JENA Company, which specializes in national tours of new work by acclaimed theatre artists.

Previous productions by the New York City-base company include Unforgettable: The Nat King Cole Story and the civil rights chronicle My Soul Is a Witness, which was staged at Cal U in 2006.

In addition to the premiere performance of America Amerique, the cast and crew will hold technical and dress rehearsals in Steele Hall.

Sponsored by the Student Activities Board at California University, the performance is open to the public. Tickets are free, but registration is required. To attend, call 724-938-4303. 

Cal U's Black Student Union and the Office of Multicultural Student Programs will celebrate Black History Month in February with an array of campus activities and a trip to the National Afro-American Cultural Center and Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio.

The month's keynote event will be a talk by author and poet Sapphire. Her best-selling novel Push is the basis of the hit movie Precious, nominated for three Golden Globe awards. Sapphire will speak at6 p.m. Feb. 23 in the Performance Center, inside the Natali Student Center. A book signing will follow.

Other events include a poetry slam featuring professionals and an open microphone at 8 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Gold Rush, and a step-dancing performance featuring The Soul Steppers at 9 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Performance Center.

Campus events are free; the Cal U community and the public are welcome.

A trip to the National Afro-American Cultural Center and Museum also is open both to Cal U students and to community members. Cost is $15 for students, $30 for others; ticket price includes transportation and admission to all sites, a trip to a nearby shopping mall, and dinner at the Golden Corral.

2010 Black History Month Events

Sponsored by the Black Student Union and Office of Multicultural Student Programs

Feb. 1 — 6:30 p.m., church service led by Rev. Montele Crawford, Natali Student Center, rooms 206-207.

Feb. 4 —5:15 p.m., “Talk back” discussion forum, Carter Hall Multi-Purpose Room. Tamanika Howze, Director of the Kingsley-Lincoln Freedom School, will discuss the history of Freedom Schools.  

Feb. 10 — 8 p.m., poetry night, Natali Student Center, Gold Rush.  

Feb. 11 — 9 p.m.-midnight, Valentine’s dance, Johnson Hall Community Room. Admission is free before 10 p.m., $2 after 10. Half the proceeds will be donated to the Kingsley–Lincoln Freedom School.

Feb. 18 — 8 p.m., game night, Natali Student Center, Commuter Center. A bingo event and a spades card tournament ($15 per team) will be held for cash prizes, in addition to board games and videogaming stations. A portion of the card tournament entry fees will be donated to the Kingsley–Lincoln Freedom School.

Feb. 20 — 6 a.m. Trip to National Afro-American Cultural Center and Museum in Wilberforce, Ohio. Cost is $15 for students, $30 for others. Call Tonya Kirkland, 724-938-4307.

Feb. 22 – 9 p.m., Soul Steppers step-dancing show, Performance Center.This event is co-sponsored by the Student Activities Board.

Feb. 23 — 6 p.m., talk by Sapphire, author of Push, Performance Center. The hit movie Precious, nominated for three Golden Globe awards, is based on Sapphire’s best-selling memoir. The free event is open to the public.

Feb. 24 — 9 p.m., Black history trivia contest, Natali Student Center, Commuter Center. This event is co-sponsored by The National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Feb. 26 — 7 p.m.-midnight, seventh annual BSU formal dinner and dance, Willow Room, Rostraver Township. Bus departs from the Natali Student Center at 6:30 p.m. Limited tickets; cost is $15 per person, $20 per couple. Tickets are available at the SAI offices, Natali Student Center.

Cal U’s Zeta Phi Beta sorority and Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) fraternity have earned the President's Award for the most outstanding fraternity and sorority on campus.

The award is the highest recognition a fraternity or sorority can receive. It is based on scholarship, community service, overall Greek activities and educational programming.

This is the 10^th consecutive year that Zeta Phi Beta has won the President’s Award.

The group has raised funds for the American Heart Association, the March of Dimes and Ronald McDonald House, and participated in events such as Light the Night walks and highway cleanups. Members volunteer at preschools and make Easter baskets for the elderly, and the sorority holds frequent workshops on topics such as healthy relationships and wellness.

Founded in 1920, Zeta Phi Beta has chartered hundreds of chapters and initiated thousands of women around the world. It was the first Greek-letter organization to charter a chapter in Africa; to form adult and youth auxiliary groups; to centralize its operations in a national headquarters in Washington, D.C.; and to be constitutionally bound to a fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Phi Gamma Delta received the President’s Award and the Scholarship Award for a second year. Members had an average GPA of 3.18, exceeding the overall campus fraternity average of 2.73.

The fraternity brothers participated in Relay For Life, Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, The Big Event, Take Back The Night, educational programming for alcohol awareness, sex education, and Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits” training. They also work extensively with Cal U’s P.E.A.C.E. Project

Cal U’s fraternity was recognized by Phi Gamma Delta’s national newsletter, The Friday Letter — Good News Edition.

The Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, also known as Fiji or Phi Gam, has 107 chapters and seven colonies at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is dedicated to developing men of character within the academic setting, with the aim that they will become fully contributing members of society.

Also known as Fiji or Phi Gam, Phi Gamma Delta has 107 chapters and seven colonies at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Its international headquarters is in Lexington, Ky.

“The University is very proud of the Zeta Phi Beta sisters and Phi Gamma Delta brothers,” said Dr. Lenora Angelone, vice president for student development and services. 

“Their community service, stellar academic work and active presence on the campus symbolize the part of our University’s mission that involves building character.”

For the third consecutive year, Cal U’s football team has earned the NCAA Division II Lambert Meadowlands Cup, awarded by the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

Cal U finished atop the final Lambert Meadowlands weekly poll with 120 points. Shippensburg, Edinboro, East Stroudsburg and Bentley (Mass.) universities rounded out the top five.

Joining Cal U as Lambert trophy winners for the 2009 season were Penn State (FBS), Villanova (FCS) and Wesley (NCAA Division III). Only the Nittany Lions and Vulcans were repeat winners in their respective divisions.To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands award, a school must be located in the East or play at least half of its schedule against eligible Lambert Meadowlands teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania; teams in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if at least half their schedule features eligible teamsEstablished in 1936 as the Lambert Trophy, the annual award recognizes supremacy in Eastern college football at all NCAA levels.

Under the guidance of eighth-year head coach John Luckhardt (68-28), the Vulcans compiled an 11-4 overall record in 2009. The team won its fifth consecutive PSAC-West championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals for the third straight season.

Over the past three seasons Cal has compiled a 36-7 cumulative record, a perfect 20-0 divisional mark and won seven of 10 NCAA playoff games.

For the seventh consecutive semester, Cal U’s athletic programs have compiled a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

In all, 201 student-athletes were named to the fall 2009 edition of the Vulcan Athletic Director’s Honor Roll. To be eligible for the academic honor, student-athletes must earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the semester.

The women’s golf team achieved the highest cumulative team GPA at 3.58, with all eight players attaining honor roll status. The baseball team topped the men’s side with a 3.18 cumulative GPA and 21 players on the honor roll.

Eighty-seven percent of the women’s cross country team, and 85 percent of the softball team made the honor roll. The women’s track and field team had the greatest number of athletes on the honor roll, with 39.

For the second consecutive year, Cal U has been named one of America’s Top Military Friendly Colleges and Universities by Military Advanced Education, a magazine for service members who are continuing their studies.

The magazine’s listing notes Cal U’s accreditation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The most popular programs among military students, it says, are in sport management, science and technology, legal studies and criminal justice.

In 2008, Cal U joined forces with GoArmyEd, a gateway to higher education for soldiers stationed anywhere in the world. Through the online GoArmyEd portal, soldiers and their families have easy access to bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered by Global Online, Cal U’s Internet-based learning community.

Cal U’s athletic department ranks third among 16 schools in the 2009-2010 race for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Dixon Trophy.

Led by 16 points from the women’s volleyball team, the Vulcans have amassed 74.5 points. Also achieving double-digit point totals for Cal U were football (15), women’s soccer (14) and men’s golf (11).

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania leads the Dixon Trophy race with 79.5 points followed by Bloomsburg with 75.

Seven different institutions have won the Dixon Trophy, including Cal U, which won the 2008-2009 award after totaling a league-record 161 points.

The PSAC has awarded the Dixon Trophy annually since the 1995-1996 academic year to a member institution whose athletic program earns the best overall finish in conference championships and/or regular-season play.

During the course of the academic year, points are awarded based on an institution’s finish in 22 conference sports. Only a school’s best 12 finishes, six men’s and six women’s, are used in the final calculation of the Dixon Trophy standings.

Seven PSAC championships will be contested in the 2009-2010 winter season: men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, and wrestling.

Digital images by Robert Creamer on display beginning Dec. 18 at California University

CALIFORNIA, PA (Dec. 4, 2009) — Digital technology reveals the beauty of nature in Transitions: Photographs by Robert Creamer, an exhibition created by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration the National Museum of Natural History. 

Transitions will open Dec. 18 in Manderino Gallery, on the third floor of Manderino Library at California University. The images will remain on view through April 27. 

In creating the works for this stunning exhibition, Creamer traded his usual camera for a flatbed scanner. His compositions use flora and fauna that are placed directly on the scanner in aesthetic arrangements or suspended over it. The resulting detail is eerily lifelike and yet incredibly expressive.
  
“I’m challenging the traditional notion of beauty as something perfect and flawless,” said Creamer. 

Many of his photographs show flowers in various stages of decay. Creamer’s subjects were drawn from the research collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Florida, and the Echo Hill Outdoor School in Maryland.  

Transitions features 39 of Robert Creamer’s high-resolution images created exclusively for the exhibition.  Many are paired to show a subject in transition. This exhibition also features a video by videographer Jeannie Yoon about Creamer’s scanning and printing. 

“I enjoy exploring the transitory nature of beauty and am constantly enthused by the serendipitous understandings and new relationships that this technique reveals to me,” Creamer said. 

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.

All SITES exhibitions at Cal U are open to the public. Gallery hours and other information is available online at www.calu.edu/sites. To discuss group tours or field trips, call exhibitions coordinator Walter Czekaj at 724-938-5244 or e-mail czekaj@calu.edu.

CALIFORNIA, Pa. (Jan. 18, 2010)...

Inspiration and advice from three distinguished alumni highlighted Cal U's 169th Commencement.

President Angelo Armenti, Jr. conferred degrees on more than 1,200 graduates, including students whose diplomas were awarded in absentia.

"This is your University. For all time to come, California will be your alma mater, and you will always be welcome here," President Armenti said.

"I invite you to return often and to keep in touch with us. Be sure to let us know about your life after you leave here. Please know that California University of Pennsylvania is extremely proud of you and your accomplishments."

Richard Sabo '55 addressed the master's degree candidates on Dec. 18, and Jerry Salandro '70 delivered remarks Dec. 19 at the undergraduate event.

Before the undergraduates received their diplomas, Provost Geraldine Jones introduced Carol B. Mitchell '72, '75, who was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

Mitchell is president and chief executive officer of Verland, a nonprofit parent company whose subsidiaries serve more than 200 people with disabilities.

In her address, Mitchell gave a moving account of how her relationship with David, a young boy with severe intellectual disabilities, inspired her life's work.

"David and his friends lived such inhumane lives in such appalling conditions ... that I instinctively knew what Verland should be like," she said. "Today, all Verlanders live lives of dignity with appropriate support in beautiful, comfortable homes.

"I hope my life's work gives enough credit to Cal U," said Mitchell, who was visibly moved by the honor. "This is a dream come true, and I will continually strive to more worthy of this very special degree."

In their speeches, both Sabo and Salandro touched on our country's unprecedented freedoms and its recent economic struggles.

Sabo, who retired in 2006 as the assistant to the CEO of Lincoln Electric, wove his address around a series of four-letter words - free, love, hear, pray, goal, work, save and give.

"I hope to be more practical than profound," he said, noting that the United States has the only Constitution in the world that protects its citizens from the federal government.

"I have learned that personal experience and human relationships, both in your personal and professional life, are what is going to carry you. The road to success is always under construction. A marvelous way to learn is to listen, but I would like to add that if you hear, you will learn even more."

Sabo, a former Vulcan football player, echoed President Armenti's frequent call to "pay it forward," and he asked the master's degree candidates never to stop learning. 

"The secret to happiness is to give, and the essence of giving is to serve," he said. "Learn as if you are going to live forever, and live as though you are going to die tomorrow."

Salandro, founder and CEO of Iris Technologies, urged the graduating class to take full advantage of the opportunities this country offers and to remember those who sacrificed for it.

"Tough times never last, but tough people do," he said. "You are making history by being a part of this great country, where millions of people came before you and paid a price ... for your rights to freedom and peace. We can never forget those people."

He also reminded the graduates to be grateful for those who helped them reach this milestone.

"When you were born, your parents looked at you and wanted you have things better," he said. "That's because we live in America, where dreams are made."

While congratulating graduates at both ceremonies, President Armenti urged them to become a part of the University's culture of philanthropy, as embodied in the Cal U for Life initiative.

"As you walk across the stage to receive your diplomas, you will be closing one chapter of your life's journey, and opening another," he said. "That turning of the page is likely to be both exhilarating and just a little disconcerting, since we can never know what the future will bring.

"But one thing is certain: You will join the select group of educated and influential citizens, teachers, business leaders, scientists, scholars and others who will build tomorrow's America, and tomorrow's world."