November/December 2015
what’s in THIS ISSUE
Volume 54 Issue 3
Alvernia Hosts Conversation About Death This lecture and By Anne Heck Penalty discussions like it remain a Editor
Photo courtesy of Anne Heck
Campout at the Convent
Alvernia featured speakers (from left to right) Richard Dieter, Art Lafflin, Karen Clifton and Joe McGettigan, with David Myers at the moderator.
Better World Books
Exceeding Expectations
Continued on page 3
The Phoenix Always Returns
Campus Community
By Brian O’Shaughnessy Editor
By Madison Kaley Contributing Writer
Funny animals took over the Francis Hall theatre this semester when “The Phoenix Always Returns.” Alvernia Theatre Club performed “The Phoenix Always Returns,” as their fall production. The play, written by Yaroslava Pulinovich, is a comedy about a cat who wants to be an international singing star. The cat has a series of adventures with an ancient phoenix named Felix along the way. Dr. Nathan Thomas, director of Alvernia Theatre, chose the show for multiple reasons. “Over the course of the summer, members of the Theatre program and I read many plays,” he said. “As we started the school year, there were a number of plays that we were looking at, and we didn’t clearly know of course who the new freshmen would be.” Marcus Williams, senior, played the role of the Phoenix. Williams liked playing the role and being a role model for the new first
year students. “It was a great role,” Williams said. “I feel like the Phoenix has a lot of my character traits. To be able to play someone who’s lived for so long and also being a senior and sharing my experience with the younger cast, I feel that the Phoenix is that embodiment of what it’s like to be so knowledgeable and old fashioned. I enjoyed playing it.” The theater program also faced the challenge of losing Jeff Award-winning set
designer Brian Prather. “We also faced a situation where we had lost our lead faculty in design and technical theatre,” Dr. Thomas said. “So, rather than be a little loose in choosing the show and then having a fast turnaround time on design -- we had to make some choices very quickly at the start of the semester.” Fortunately, Dr. Thomas found a lot of support among his students for a new production.
Continued on page 5
Photo courtesy of Nathan Thomas
Circle K Puts Granny in a Corner
tribute to the late Senator O’Pake. The discussion panel of four featured Richard Dieter, a lawyer and Senior Policy Director at the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D.C.; Art Laflin, organizer, writer and speaker in the faith-based nonviolent movement for peace and justice; Joe McGettigan, former Assistant District Attorney in Philadelphia and currently a member of McAndrews Law Office, Berwyn, PA; and Karen Clifton, Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing
Alvernia hosted “Justice and Mercy: A Conversation about the Death Penalty” on November 16 in the Francis Hall Theater. Around 100 people attended the panel discussion. The O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership & Public Service sponsored the event. Alvernia University President Dr. Thomas Flynn addressed opening remarks to those in attendance with a reminiscent reminder of the impact Senator Michael O’Pake had on Alvernia and our surrounding community.
Marcus Williams (front) as Felix the Phoenix and Amy Dundon (back) as Tossya the Cat.
Reading isn’t your typical college town. While Reading is home to Alvernia University, Albright College, Reading Area Community College and Penn State Berks, the city is not dominated by college students. Alvernia works hard to give its students a feeling of a community. Recent construction has given Alvernia eight residence halls in a variety of configurations. Upperclassmen can live in apartment-style halls without having to move off campus. Alvernia also allows students of legal drinking age to drink in designated residence halls. The community also opens itself to Alvernia students. A number of local businesses offer discounts to Alvernia students with their student IDs. Some of these include the Kenhorst Dairy Queen, Friendly’s, Mimmo’s Restaurant, Mama’s Pizzeria, and Trooper Thorn’s. Community members see great value in connecting
Continued on page 3
campus news
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November/December 2015
STAFF Managing Editor Amber Nikolaus Layout Amber Nikolaus Section Editors Veronica Cepparulo Leah Green Anne Heck Samuel Mirarchi Brian O’Shaughnessy Contributing Writers Jillian Baker Madison Kaley Mirco Giangiulio Shannon Homa Mady Johnston Keith Noonan Jaionna Odom Faculty Advisor Dr. Ryan Lange
The Alvernian is the official student newspaper of Alvernia University. To contact newspaper staff, the office telephone number is 610-796-8358.
Articles submitted for consideration into The Alvernian should be written in some semblance of AP style. Letters to the editor, requests for advertisements, and general comments and questions may be submitted to ryan.lange@alvernia.edu. The editors reserve the right to edit submissions for clarity, accuracy, and length.
The views expressed in The Alvernian are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the student body, faculty, staff, administration, or sponsors.
© 2015 The Alvernian
Flynn Files: December 2015 None of us believes we are mere products of our childhood environments. Nor do we believe, even as college students, that our values and beliefs--what we hold sacred--are simply derived from our families. Yet personal experiences as we are growing up are major influences on how we come to see the world. I grew up in a Boston neighborhood that was relatively homogeneous: certainly, racially (Boston was as segregated as most northern cities) and also economically--families of modest means, far from impoverished but far less comfortable than our suburban counterparts. Yet religious backgrounds were varied: two of my childhood friends were Jewish. I recall my surprise that Roger Sherman and Robert Lamasny attended church on Saturday not on Sunday and, in fact, didn’t attend church at all, but rather “temple.” When as a young graduate student I was “getting serious” with a woman from a very different background, it so happened our best friends were Jewish. We soon stood under the chuppah (pronounced “huppa”) as the witnesses at their wedding, and they returned the favor as two of our witnesses when we were married by my uncle, a priest, in Helen’s Lutheran church in faraway South Dakota. Seders and bat mitzvahs were part of our early married life, alongside baptisms and Easter dinner. We sat Shiva when Larry’s dad died, just as he and Lynda flew home from Mexico twenty years ago to attend my uncle’s funeral at the Jesuit Center, a mere half hour away from a tiny college (unknown to me at the time!)
called Alvernia. Interfaith relations were initially simply personal for me. Yet I came to recognize that genuine interfaith efforts require far more than personal affection. Essential are mutual respect and appreciation equally of different perspectives and shared values with those we barely know as well as passionate commitment to open, ongoing dialogue. It starts with the valuing of one’s own religious tradition and spirituality; it flourishes when we honor and value the traditions of others. For Alvernia, guided by the Franciscan ideal of “knowledge joined with love” and the core values of our Sisters, our identity as a Catholic university calls us to support and nurture the religious traditions and spiritual growth of all members of our community. As the Bernardine Franciscans put it so well, we are “Sisters and Brothers to All.” Our new Prayer and Reflection Room, incorporated into the Bonaventure Room of Franco Library, complements small chapels in Francis and Veronica Halls and our main chapel in the Motherhouse by providing a sacred space for both interfaith discussions and private contemplation welcoming to all, especially those from non-Christian traditions. The Prayer and Reflection Room has been made possible by generous financial support from two families of trustees who have encouraged and helped shape our interfaith efforts: Elsayed and Catherine Elmarzouky, Mike and Susan Fromm, and their children. On behalf of the entire university community, and
Photo courtesy of Snavely
t h e alver n ian
Vol. 54 Issue 3
Alvernia University President Dr. Thomas Flynn
our interfaith partners beyond the campus, I again thank them for their inspiration as well as their support. The creation of this room builds on the work begun at the large interfaith service at my inauguration a decade ago. It will support the work of our interfaith chaplaincy team and complement the annual Interfaith Lecture, the Fromm Interfaith Award, and our other related initiatives. It will also advance Alvernia’s partnership with “A Common Heart,” a wonderful interfaith community organization linking the Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim communities. So as we open this new special space, let our interfaith engagement
Mission Moment: Don’t worry. Be happy.
efforts provide opportunities both for meaningful (and transformative) personal experience and also for deep reflection on the many bonds we share with those of different beliefs and faiths. Surely our world has never been more in need of women and men of faith, hope, and charity, rooted in the Franciscan ideals of inclusion and “knowledge joined with love.” Peace and All Good, Tom Flynn P.S. Many of those involved in launching our new “Prayer and Reflection Room” will share their perspectives in the next Flynn Files early in 2016.
campus news November/December 2015
3 Vol. 54 Issue 3
Alvernia Conversation on Death Penalty (Continued pg. 1) Network to End the Death Penalty. The experience and background of these individuals impacted the audience in attendance profoundly. Each individual brought a different perspective of contemplation to audience members. Individual perspectives were met and challenged with details provided by the panel. Richard Dieter reminded those in attendance that it will be our choice as “deciders of whether the death penalty remains.” He also reflected that this year will mark the fewest death penalties in 40 years. He expounded on reasons why the death penalty does not work, citing our inalienable right to life, the risk that innocent people may be executed, and the right to due process that ends if execution is carried out. Dieter asked the audience if death was a necessary
punishment. Also, sometimes those on death row wait as long as 30 years to be executed. Art Lafflin’s perspective focused on how the families of victims can learn to cope with their suffering in the aftermath of heinous crimes. Lafflin’s brother Paul was murdered by Dennis Soutar, a homeless paranoid schizophrenic. Lafflin’s family endured great suffering at the loss of their loved one, but his message is one of forgiveness and love. “Forgive and you will be forgiven ... violence ends where love begins,” Lafflin said. Lafflin reminded the audience of God’s command for us not to kill, and the importance of upholding this ultimate human right to life. Joe McGettigan took the opposite position. He spoke about the victims and their right to justice. McGettigan said that we are a society
built on reward and penalty. To punish those that commit crime maintains order in our society. If you choose to take a life without justification, the death penalty should remain an option for punishment. McGettigan posed questions to the audience of whether life imprisonment for repeated robberies in comparison to life imprisonment for murder seems a fair penalty. He also asked how people would re-evaluate the death penalty if they lost a loved one. Karen Clifton closed the panel by discussing the Catholic Church’s position on the death penalty as “cruel and unnecessary.” She challenged the audience to “work to remove it.” Clifton reminded the audience that the “answer for violence is love, not more violence.” “We are more than the worst thing we’ve ever done,” Clifton said. The O’Pake Lecture
Series regularly provides an opportunity to discuss current topics important to the community. David Myers, Director of the O’Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service, felt a discussion about the death penalty was particularly timely this year. “As you may know, the Governor of Pennsylvania has declared a moratorium on imposing the death penalty, while a committee established by the state legislature looks into issues related to the death penalty. This has been controversial,” Myers said. The lecture series allows for education on issues like the death penalty to encourage reflection and contemplation. It provides a hostile-free environment that supports differences of opinion and respect for one another. Visit http://www.alvernia. edu/about/ethics-andleadership/ for details about
the institute and upcoming lectures/events.
Write for The Alvernian!
with the youth of Alvernia University. Marilyn Wagner, a member of the Shillington Lions Club, saw Alvernia’s close location as an opportunity to network, and get youth involved with her organization. “Eventually we will need the younger generation to carry on our legacy,” Wagner said. “The opportunity to create a relationship with Alvernia’s students is perfect for that.” Alvernia actively reaches out to the Reading community to get involved with its community groups. The Holleran Center for Community Engagement, established in 2006, connects Alvernia students to worthy causes across Berks County. The South Reading Youth Initiative, for example, connects Alvernia students with at risk elementary students. Alvernia students help the children work on homework and assist in developing relationships. Alvernia’s campus resides in the heart of Kenhorst Borough. Alvernia and the borough sat down in 2010 and ironed out any differences between each other. Since then, Alvernia’s relationship with
Kenhorst has been positive. Jeri Diesinger, Kenhorst borough manager, commented on Alvernia’s commitment to upholding this relationship. Diesinger specifically commented on Alvernia’s program for older residents of the borough. Dr. Joseph Cicala, Vice President of University Life and Doug Smith, Vice President of Finance and Administration, initiated a program in which older residents can contact the University to be paired with students willing to provide help such as shoveling sidewalks or driveways. “Several of our neighbors took advantage of the program last winter and we hope that this program will continue,” Diesinger said. “All of these efforts have aided in building the good relationship both communities enjoy today.” For more information on getting involved with the Holleran Center for Community Engagement, visit http://alvernia.edu/about/ holleran-center/. Students can also find participating businesses offering discounts by visiting https://www.alvernia.edu/
Photo courtesy of The Holleran Center
Campus Community (Continued pg. 1)
student-life/activities/pdfs/ Paint_The_Town.pdf.
Amanda Rhoads, sophomore psychology major, is working with first and second grade students at Millmont Elementary as part of the South Reading Youth Initiative.
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campus news
November/December 2015
Vol. 54 Issue 3
Campout at the Convent What is one way that someone can escape the everyday pressures of school, work, and assignments? Spend a weekend with the Sisters! The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters opened their arms to twenty young women for one weekend of laughter, relaxation, insight, and faith. On Friday, November 6, the Sisters hosted their annual fall retreat in the Bernardine Franciscan Motherhouse Convent. The Sisters took each young woman through an exciting, inclusive, and highly reflective weekend by connecting to ourselves, one another, and God. The retreat included women from both Alvernia University and Siena College, which is located north of upstate New York. The Sienna students found out about the retreat three years ago when a flyer was
sent to the school and have been participating ever since. Siena students traveled five hours to get to the Franciscan motherhouse, but it sure was worth the trip. The campout began with an enactment by the sisters of “The Woman at the Well,” a story in the Bible where Jesus meets a woman of the lowest standards that no one will talk to. At a well he asks her for water, and she gives it to him. The women reflected on the importance of such a story. The following morning was met with a presentation by Sister Jean Jacobchik, on the gift of the present moment. There are often times when we forget what is taking place right in front of us. “You cannot focus on the past; it has already gone by,” Sister Jacobchik said. “You cannot worry about the future because that has not happened yet. You must pull all of your attention on the present and learn to live in
the moment.” The presentation was followed by a Prayer Walk. All of the women on the retreat took a long walk outside of the convent to explore their inner connection with the self. Surrounded by the vast open space, some women gravitated towards the grotto, others towards statues, and many towards nature. For a moment, there was peace and taking the time out to live in the moment. All the troubles and worries of the world seemed to fade away. Once the walk ended everyone made their way back into the Convent for the next event, which was the gifting of others. All of the women sat down at tables and began threading and weaving Christmas tree embroidery patterns to put onto cards to give to someone special. The campout concluded with a Mass, then a dinner. Many students were thrilled
to have been a part of the campout as much as the sisters were thrilled to have them. First year political science major, Maris Schutz, commented on what the retreat meant to her. “The retreat helped bring together students who were active in their faith.” Schutz wanted “to hang out with friends who also went, but to get away from college life and relax for a weekend.” As for the sisters, “My favorite part is witnessing the deep faith of the participants. The girls were so wonderful,” Sister Madonna said.
Sister Madonna explained the purpose of the retreat. “[We wanted to help] young women express their spirituality and talk about God and the values in their life, so they can be close to God and live out the Baptismal commitment,” she said. “[The retreat] was also a chance to talk about things that are important in our lives and the lives of all of us.” In the future, there are many more retreats to come that will happen both by flyer around campus, and by email.
Women at the retreat talk to one another during the gifting.
Photo courtesy of Jaionna Odom
By Jaionna Odom Contributing Writer
By Leah Green Editor On Tuesday, November 10, students prepared to show their school spirit at the annual pep rally. What they did not expect was the power going out. Due to a Met- Ed equipment failure, an area in and around Alvernia University went without power for several hours. Power shut off around 4:30 p.m. and remained off until about 10:30 p.m. Repair crews did not arrive at the scene until 8 p.m. The piece of equipment was connected to several power transformers, which caused a delay in repair. An E2campus alert was sent out announcing that all activities and classes had been cancelled for the remainder of the night, including the Maroon and Gold Night festivities. “I was actually really disappointed, to be honest, because it’s one of the main events that I look forward to,” Veronica Cepparulo, junior, said. Cepparulo had been looking forward to the pep rally but had to make do with the hand she was dealt.
Cepparulo lives in one of the upper classman buildings that had been totally without power for the duration of the evening. “We had to hang out in other buildings that had power and just explored the campus a little.” Cepparulo said. Internet access was also disabled during the power outage, which left some students with no way to complete homework assignments. Aijah Hickey, a sophomore at Alvernia, lives in the pods and was one of the students who were unable to complete homework. Hickey and her roommates had power in four rooms for about an hour before the rest of the power was shut off. “We lost total power so we played hide and go seek since we couldn’t do homework.” Hickey said. The total blackout worked favorably for the game and the roommates were able to turn a bad situation into a fun one. Other students also went with the fun approach, having Nerf gun battles and playing card games while using an iPhone for light. Hannah Mallets, an RA
Photo courtesy of Carey Manzolillo
When The Lights Went Out At Alvernia
Most of Alvernia lost power during the outage, though some buildings had backup power.
for sophomores in Judge hall, came prepared for the dilemma. “I handed out pumpkin lanterns,” Mallets said with a laugh. Mallets comes from a military family who pride themselves on being ready for anything, even if it’s just the lights going out. The lanterns had been gifts from her family for Halloween and Mallets had kept them. Alvernia Campus was not totally without power. Some buildings had backup generators to provide help for those who needed it.
The Student Center was able to keep the power on for the cafeteria to continue serving hot food. Some of the surrounding lampposts in the quad were also kept on. Dedicated students could be seen using the outlets on the posts to charge their phones despite the rain. Some of the dorms also had some electricity. Backup generators were able to keep some ceiling lights on but outlets proved useless. Water to toilets and sinks ran but there was no heat for a hot shower. All power returned around
10:30 p.m. and cheers rung out all over campus. “The campus was creepy without power even though it was still kind of fun,” Cepparulo said. “But I’ve never been happier to turn a light switch on after that.”
club news November/December 2015
5 Vol. 54 Issue 3
The Phoenix Always Returns (Continued pg. 1)
Photo courtesy of Nathan Thomas
“As it happens, we have a group of very enthusiastic and talented freshmen (along with our returning students) -- so we wanted a show that would be fun, have opportunities for the folks who wanted to be involved, and meet the mission of the program and the institution,” Dr. Thomas said. “I think we found it.” Lauren Knecht, first year student, was one of the audience members who was very entertained by the production. “I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did,” Knecht said. “I found myself cracking up pretty loudly at some points.” With another successful production completed, Dr. Thomas hopes that audiences were entertained. “As I say, this is a Pixar-like comedy,” Dr. Thomas said. “Most of the major characters are animals. And I hope that our audiences get a sense of friendship, adventure, and what it means to regain hope
Alex Paul (center) as Elton John and Amy Dundon (right) as Tossya the Cat.
after you seem to have lost it. It’s a very positive show.” Preparations are already underway for next semester’s
theatre production. If any student is interested in auditioning or joining the Alvernia Theatre Club please
contact Dr. Nathan Thomas at nathan.thomas@alvernia.edu.
By Mady Johnston Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of RoseMary McFee
Members of Circle K have been collecting books and rocking chairs for local kindergartens in a project called Granny’s Corner. On October 1, Angelica Riccobono, club president Alexa Cerulli, and faculty advisor Rosemary McFee donated 5 rocking chairs
and over 150 books to kindergarten classes at the 12th and Marion Elementary School in Reading. Along with the books and rocking chairs, Circle K collected around 190 coloring books. “The children were thrilled when Alexa and Angelica delivered the books,” McFee said. “In the first classroom, Alexa read a book to the children. [They] were attentive and gave Alexa a ‘round of applause’ when she finished. The teachers all expressed gratitude for the donations.” Granny’s Corner is an example of Circle K’s mission as a club, as its motto is, “Live to Serve; Love to Serve.” Circle K is a student organization focused on providing service to the community and leadership development to its student members. Circle K is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Berks, and is part of Kiwanis
Photo courtesy of RoseMary McFee
Circle K Puts Granny in a Corner
Alexa Cerulli (left) and Angelica Riccobono (right) at 12th and Marion Elementary School in Reading.
International. Kiwanis International has over 13,000 members in 17 countries. McFee, Circle K faculty advisor and an instructor in the Criminal Justice Department, said that Granny’s Corner was inspired by a conversation she had at a student honor society induction dinner about a teacher not having an aide. “[A] comment was made that if a rocking chair and a grandmother were in the classroom the children would love to have a book read to them,” she said. “That conversation sparked ideas within the Circle K club.” Most of the books and
rocking chairs were donated by students, faculty and staff. The project also goes beyond kindergartens. “Students divided the books by age and grade,” McFee said. “Books that were designated as reading levels for older children will be donated to the Olivette Boys and Girls Club.” Next, Circle K will be donating books and rocking chairs to the 10th and Green Elementary School in Reading as part of the Granny’s Corner project. Circle K hopes to go on to place a rocking chair and enough books for each child in every kindergarten classroom in Berks County.
Circle K members are continuing to collect books and rocking chairs for Granny’s Corner. Circle K is planning other service projects as well. Other projects for this semester include preparing “personal care” bags for the less fortunate at Opportunity House and making cards and decorating bags for “Caitlin’s Smiles Project” based in Harrisburg. For more information about Circle K, contact Rosemary McFee at rosemary.mcfee@alvernia. edu or 610.796.8313.
club news
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Vol. 54 Issue 3
Lions and Alvernia and Service… Oh My! By Veronica Cepparulo Editor The Lions Club has roared onto Alvernia’s campus this semester. Lions Club is a worldwide service organization operating in 200 countries with 1.4 million members. Alvernia’s chapter has 34 members. Madison Kaley is the club president of the Lions Club on campus. Kaley is a transfer student who will be graduating in December. While she was at West Chester University, two of the guiding Lions discussed starting a club at West Chester. After transferring to Alvernia, there was no doubt that she would start a club here. “When I got to Alvernia I didn’t really have to think about it much,” Kaley said. “I grew up with the Lions Club. My dad was a Lion, and so the club has already provided me so much.” Lions Club International
was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1917. Melvin Jones, a business leader, told his members that they should reach beyond business issues and address the betterment of the community. Jones contacted similar community service groups across the country and brought them together under the Lions Club umbrella. Within three years, the Lions Club was an international group. The mission statement of the Lions Club is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and and promote international understanding. Kaley intends to continue that proud tradition with the Alvernia group. “There’s really nothing you can’t do as a Lion,” she said. “I really want the members of the club to see that and to truly believe in the club.” The Lions Club is open to
all students of all majors. As a Lion, all you have to do is be willing to do service. Kaley finds service opportunities throughout Berks County and makes them available to the group. Like every club on campus, the Lions club needed an advisor. Lee Ann Bieber, student success coordinator, was excited when she heard Alvernia students were looking at starting the club. “We are learning so much this semester about responsibilities of a campus club and what it means to be a Lion!” Bieber said. “I always knew about the Lions Club but it wasn’t until recently I learned they are the world’s largest service club. It was interesting to learn about the number of campus clubs starting up.” Bieber is excited to continue to work with the group of students. Dedication has definitely paid off for the Lions so far. During Homecoming and
Family Weekend, SGA hosted a banner contest for the clubs and organizations on campus. After much discussion and designing, the Lions had finished their banner. When the winners were chosen, the Lions were thrilled to find that they had won 2nd place. The Alvernia Lions Club has already received an outpouring of support from the local clubs, which has lifted the spirits of the members. Marilyn Wagner, who is a LEO Representative, has been so supportive to all the members of the club. “She has been so responsive to our questions and we really feel like we are not standing alone!” Bieber said. Wagner has given the club ideas for service projects in the past. Past Lions Club service projects have included a campus-wide can collection and a food drive at Redner’s. The Redner’s food drive brought in almost 260
pounds of food, which was sent to the Greater Berks Food Bank. Victoria Gowland, junior representative, joined the group after one of her friends had mentioned it. “I like the idea that I can figure out how to fit it into my daily schedule,” Gowland said. Gowland likes that the Lions Club doesn’t have a mandatory service hour requirement to stay in the club. “Being an RA and working off campus, it is hard for me to find a service project to do,” she said. “Because there are so many little ones offered to us through the Lions Club, I can pick and choose which ones I want to do so that they will fit into my daily schedule.” The Lions Club meets every other Thursday in the seminar rooms in the Student Center at 8 p.m. For more information, you can contact Madison Kaley at Madison. Kaley@alvernia.edu.
It Would Be A Better World If These Books Went Away
Sigma Tau Delta is currently in the process of relocating 55 boxes of books.
Photo courtesy of Shannon Homa
Since 2009, Sigma Tau Delta’s Kappa Pi chapter at Alvernia University has collected and donated books annually to various literary initiatives including Better World Books (BWB). After collecting 55 boxes full of donated books for the organization this past spring, Sigma Tau Delta has been faced with the challenge of finding a new home for the
books after a recent policy change. Better World Books was founded in 2001 by Notre Dame Graduates with the goal of sending books to various non-profits across the world. In the years following the founding of the organization, BWB would accept any form of book donation from children’s picture books to cook books. After reaching out to BWB for shipping labels early in
Photo courtesy of Shannon Homa
By Shannon Homa Contributing Writer
The stacks of books have been sitting in the front of the BusinessCommunication building for several years.
the fall semester, Dr. Carrie Fitzpatrick was told that the organization would only take school textbooks published within the last three years. When asked for clarification of what qualifies as a “textbook”, it became clear that the organization was unsure what they are looking for. “Not only does that limit the genre of books accepted, it also limits the number of possible donations due to how recent the books must be,” Jocelyn MacAleese, Sigma Tau Delta member, said. This drastic policy change has left Alvernia’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta with over 1,500 donated books without a home. Currently, the books are
being stored in the Business/ Communications Building lobby on campus. STD is in the process of relocating the 55 boxes. In the past, STD has donated books to the St. Bernardine Sisters’ mission in Santo Domingo, Better World Books, and local libraries. STD will be sending Spanish to English and children’s books to Santo Domingo with Campus Ministry’s Alternative Break trip this spring. Any modern textbooks will be shipped to Better World Books headquarters. The rest of the donated books will be going to West York Area High School, where a student is collecting books to revitalize her library as a
senior project. The student reached out to Sigma Tau Delta’s Kappa Pi chapter via e-mail, and the club has agreed to help in any way that they can. Alvernia University’s STD organization has collected a total of 10,000 books since 2009, with 5,000 getting recycled and 5,000 getting reused. Despite this year’s speed bump, the club intends on continuing book collections with these successful rates. Once the books collected in 2015 have been sent to their designated organizations, the Business/Communications Building will have room to start the process all over again.
sports
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November/December 2015
Vol. 54 Issue 3
Harvey “Exceeds Expectations” In Women’s Basketball Women’s basketball head coach Sheila Cook named Christina Harvey as her assistant coach for the upcoming season. Harvey is a graduate of Pfeiffer University, which is a Division III school in North Carolina and has an enrollment (2010) of 1,961 students. Harvey studied Exercise Science with a Sports Medicine Concentration and a minor in Athletic Coaching. While earning her degree, Harvey was a four-year member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and a captain of the basketball team three out of her four years there. While she was a Pfeiffer Falcon, Harvey scored 1,200 career points and led her team to the NCAA tournament. Harvey was also nationally ranked in field-
goal percentage (11th) and double-doubles (14th), was selected to the All-Conference team twice. In the 2012-2013 season, the Falcons had the second best record in the program, and also had their first NCAA tournament win against #3 seed Anderson (SC). After graduating from Pfeiffer University, Harvey went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from California University in Pennsylvania. She volunteered during graduate school as an individual basketball training coach and an assistant boys Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball coach. After receiving her Master’s, Harvey decided to look at collegiate coaching positions. “It has always been a dream of mine to coach at the college level once my playing days were over,” she said. “Basketball has meant so
much to me throughout my life, I knew I wanted to always be a part of it.” Harvey wanted a opportunity to share her passion, love and knowledge of the game of basketball. Harvey discovered Alvernia’s women’s basketball program and applied for the assistant coach role. After her initial phone interview, Cook invited Harvey to campus for the final face-to-face interview. “I knew about halfway through that I was going to hire her,” Cook said. “Coach Christina was excited about the University and fell in love with our campus. I could tell that Coach Christina was someone who I could work closely with.” Harvey’s Master’s in Exercise Science will be put to work in her new role. “This season I feel like some of the things I will bring to the team is my knowledge of Strength and Conditioning,
Tom O’Connell Changes the Guard
my passion for the game, and the fundamental aspects of basketball,” Harvey said. “Coach Christina has exceeded my expectations of her,” Cook said. “She works tirelessly to improve our players, her own coaching skill set, and meshes great with me.” “On the court, she pushes the team, makes them laugh and helps to improve each player daily. Her focus and excitement is palpable and contagious.” Harvey focuses on the fundamental aspects of the game, which is high on Cook’s list of priorities to work on for the upcoming season. “Coach Christina is great at teaching fundamentals which likely comes from how fundamentally sound she was as a player and her coaching experience at the lower levels. That skill is hugely important to our team.” “I think this year will be a step in the right direction as we continue to improve,”
Photo courtesy of Christina Harvey
By Jillian Baker Contributing Writer
Christina Harvey is the new assistant women’s basketball coach.
Cook said. “At our Team Retreat, we set out some great team goals and work daily to achieve them. At the retreat we also picked our team’s ‘Core Values’ of Respect, Selflessness, and Dedication. They are the values that our team places above all else and the three keys to our success this season.”
Crusader ice hockey coach Tom O’Connell is turning over his team to a new generation. O’Connell has been a player, coach and mentor for the Alvernia men’s hockey team since it began in 2002. “I actually played the first year we had a club team,” he said. “The first season was an in-house league. We had about 7 startup teams playing.” At the end of the 2002 season, O’Connell was asked if he would coach the team rather than play. His decision to coach led him to build up a program from very little. “It took a good three years of recruiting and playing limited schedules,” he said. “We play 26 games now, but back then we played maybe 12.” O’Connell’s leadership saw the Crusaders rise to prominence. In the 2008 campaign, the Crusaders went an outstanding 20-4. “That was the year that (the program) really took off,” O’Connell said. “We had 22 freshmen come in that year, but we haven’t had that many freshmen come in since.” Since then, the competition
Photo courtesy of Keith Noonan
By Keith Noonan Contributing Writer
This will be Coach Tom O’Connell’s last year for the Crusader ice hockey team. He plans to continue coaching for the women’s golf team, and assisting with the men’s golf program.
has gotten harder. The Crusader men now play in the Delaware Valley Collegiate hockey Conference. “The strength of our schedule consists of one of the top teams in the Atlantic region,” O’Connell said. O’Connell said he feels Bryn Athyn and Neumann are the teams that are “outstanding” in their conference. Even so, O’Connell thinks the Crusaders have strong players of their own. “We have 5 or 6 guys on
our team that could play for anybody,” O’Connell said, going on to cite center Brian Callahan, wing Nico Delgiorno, defensive players Brett Fernandes, Matt Klosinski and Mike Urban as being the stand out Crusader players. Looking forward, O’Connell believes first year goaltender Justin Gueveraz could be a standout, but only time will tell. Coach O’Connell has also recruited multiple players from across the country, such
as James Bangar. Bangar hails from Los Angeles, California. Coach O’Connell found him on a recruiting website in which he can find players from all over the world. He has used this site quite frequently throughout his tenure as the men’s hockey coach. Although the team currently is under .500, O’Connell thinks the team has the potential to make the playoffs despite the hard schedule they face. This will be the last year O’Connell helms the Crusader
ice hockey team. Rather than continuing to coach the team on the bench and making game time decisions, he plans to mentor the current assistant coaches, Andrew Dziedzic and Lucien Staquet, to take the program head on next season. “I am doing the administrative work, making sure we are scheduled, the officials are there and we have game day,” O’Connell said. “I’m mentoring this new coaching staff through this process, but I’m letting them get all the experiences.” “I’m not running practices anymore and I don’t set the lineups anymore either … I have micromanaged this entire thing for 15 years, coaching, writing articles and recruiting.” Coach O’ Connell plans to continue head coaching with the women’s golf team and assistant coaching the men’s golf program here at Alvernia. He plans to take bigger roles in both programs for years to come. Alvernia men’s ice hockey wraps up their year facing Penn State Brandywine, George Mason University, Rowan University, and Bryn Athyn University.
Undergraduate & Graduate Courses
Winter SessÄąon Starts December 14
Undergraduate and Adult Education: ART 122-W1: Introduction to Digital Photography BIO 109-W1: Human Biology COM 290 or ENG 290-W1: North American Folklore & Culture HIS 112-W1: The Study of American History MAT 208-W1: Introductory Statistics PED 304-W1: Wellness for Life PHI 105-W1: Introduction to Philosophy PHI 210-W1: Professional Ethics PSY 101-W1: Introductory Psychology PSY 208-W1: Human Development Across the Life Span PSY 215-W1: Multicultural Issues SOC 111-W1: Principles of Sociology THE 105-W1/W2: Foundations of Theology THE 210-W1: Medical Moral Theology THE 225-W1: Global Issues: Gospel Perspective
Graduate: COR 520-W1: Ethics and Moral Leadership
r e t s i ! g e R day To
MBA 520-W1: Marketing Services MBA 620-W1: Managerial Economics MED 535-W1OL: Issues Concerning Special Education Programs
Get ahead this winter break! Two accelerated formats - Online and Blended All courses are accredited. Credits are readily transferable. Financial aid may be available.
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