April/May 2016
Volume 55 Issue 3
what’s in
Determined Students Awarded for Success
THIS ISSUE
By Amber Nikolaus Managing Editor
Groups Aim to Connect Alumni Senior Genesis Ciriaco was awarded for ‘Layout Excellence for The Alvernian.’
Running the Show at MAC T&F Finals
SOTA: A Home Away from Home
Summer Hotspots in Berks County
On April 16 and 17, Alvernia students were recognized for their hard work and dedication during their years at the university. Saturday, April 16 was dedicated to the Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) Creativity Conference, hosted this year by Alvernia University. This conference featured not just students from the university we all know and love, but students from Albright, Kutztown, Penn State Berks and Reading Area
Continued on page 3
A Discussion in Harrisburg
(Dr.) Law and Sartorial Order By Genesis Ciriaco Editor “I have never seen the man wear the same thing twice!” Ryan Shannon shouted. Shannon, a graduating senior, has had Dr. Richard Law as an English teacher. For students, Dr. Richard Law is an awesome teacher with great dress style. To his peers, Dr. Law is a highly respected professor within Alvernia’s English and Communication department. The eighty-three-year-old has over forty years of higher education experience, but is still as excited to teach every day as he was when he began his career. Dr. Law earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education at West Chester State College, followed by a master’s degree in English at Lehigh University and a doctorate in English at Temple University. Through his years as a student, he enjoyed exploring the world of literature, with his interests ranging from Shakespeare to Henrik Ibsen. Before he began teaching at Alvernia, he taught at Kutz-
town University for 29 years. During his years at KU, he held several positions; an English professor, assistant Dean of Liberal Arts and acting Dean of Graduate Studies. He retired from KU at 58, but he had strong desires to continue teaching literature. In 1992, Dr. Law became an adjunct professor here at Alvernia. “I got lucky!” Dr. Law said. “Someone left, so [Beth] DeMeo would’ve had to make an international announcement of the opening and
By Kanyeeayl Davis Editor
conduct interviews at the end of the spring semester in order to have someone ready to teach by the fall. Instead, she convinced me to join full time.” Dr. Law has taught a variety of English and literature courses ranging from Composition and Research to nearly every English course Alvernia offers. In his classes, Dr. Law gives in-depth perceptions to traditional plays, historical comedies and dramas. His students enjoy his teaching style. This may have to do
Continued on page 5
Dr Richard Law, a man of many suits and profound words.
Photo courtesy of Genesis Ciriaco
Alvernia
Photo courtesy of Genesis Ciriaco
Affinity
Community College. The conference is hosted by one of the five schools every year, and it just so happened it was Alvernia’s year to host. With 329 students in attendance, Sharon Blair, Executive Assistant of Academic Affairs, calculated it to be the largest HECBC Conference ever. Students from all majors were welcome to submit their work. The conference showed off students who spent their time researching, doing poetry, writing, creating artwork, performing, and more. This was a whole day spent admir-
On April 12, 2016, Dr. Josh Hayes’ philosophy class traveled to Harrisburg to lobby on behalf of education within the Pennsylvania state budget. Recent proposed cuts in the budget may potentially stifle funding for education. When the students reached Harrisburg, Senator Judy Schwank told Alvernia students about the recent state budget crisis. The crisis touched Schwank’s heart and compelled her to act. “I heard some reports that how students were really suffering in terms of getting that funding and being able to afford their expenses, not only tuition but just daily living expenses,” Sen. Schwank said. Senator Schwank was happy that the budget finally came through, but was disappointed that the budget process held up some of the things that students needed. Schwank supports the PHEAA program and other Tuition Assistance Programs. She wants to make sure that funding for these critical pro-
Continued on page 3
campus news
2 April/May 2016
THE ALVERNIAN STAFF Managing Editor Amber Nikolaus Layout Amber Nikolaus Section Editors La’Key Brathwaite Genesis Ciriaco Kaneeayl Davis Monica Echeverri Kyle Grim Keith Noonan Brian O’Shaughnessy Macy Storm Contributing Writers Jillian Baker Christopher Casciotti Antonio Gaetani Carmen Gonzalez Mirco Giangiulio Justin Herforth Kayla Provost Theodore Rogers Dale Saylor Justin Strohm 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.
© 2016 The Alvernian
Vol. 55 Issue 3
Flynn Files: May 2016 Springtime has finally come to Alvernia. Memories of cold April weather are fading, and students are sporting shorts and flip flops. Another glorious Honors Convocation was paired with a stunningly successful Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium, hosted by Alvernia and featuring students from the five Berks County colleges and universities. Soon to come, as I write this, is the familiar procession of year-end events: Spring Fling, SGA Awards Lunch, Senior Send-Off, Senior Athlete Dinner, Senior Leaders Dinner, to name but a few, and then Baccalaureate Mass and, finally, Commencement. I do love this time of year. Yes, it is a time of mixed emotions. Faculty, staff, and administrators bid farewell to students whom we have come to care about deeply. Students become acutely conscious of those teachers, coaches, or other staff who have made a difference for them. But these weeks are also celebratory, featuring special young people. Our seniors. Our newest proud alumni. And all of us at Alvernia are in turn proud of them as they leave campus well prepared “To Do Well and To Do Good.” Here are profiles of just a few of these special seniors. They are scholars, leaders, difference-makers, one and all. And they have excelled and made an impact in multiple ways. JAMIE CAPIELLO is our distinguished Senior Scholar, one of 10 Honors Program graduates, a major in Behavioral Health, a Scholar Athlete, participating in both cross country and track, and recipient of the Henry Miller Award. CARLA BROUGH, a Biology major and another Honors Program graduate, received the Sr. Alodia Award. Carla is also much appreciated for her faithful work as a tour guide for the Admissions Department. JANESSA RASMUS has received both the Spirit of St. Francis Award for Nurses and the Peace & Justice Student Award. Another Honors Program graduate, she is also a Resident Assistant and a Student Ambassador for Admissions. Here’s a shout out to the other Honors Program graduates: Alexander Arguelles, Jullian Clancy, Edward Eidam, Elizabeth Gordineer, Lillian Hussar, Alexander Paul and Eric Sandbakken. Servant-leaders abound
at Alvernia. Thirteen seniors have completed more than 300 hours of community service, with Jenn Bielecki, Harlee Ehrets and Zach Zechman exceeding 500 hours. BROOKE MERKEL completed the largest number of any Alvernia senior as the Holleran Center’s Outstanding Community Engagement Awardee. Three groups of students exemplify service leadership on the campus: Resident Assistants, Tour Guides and Ambassadors. Few students have served in as many capacities as COLTON SMOKER, a Business major recognized for his excellence in marketing, who has been a member of IGNITE, the student leadership club, for four years. He has been a tour guide in Admissions, an RA and a Student Ambassador. KELLI FITZGERALD, a MSOT student, has been a Student Ambassador and Resident Assistant as well as a member of IGNITE for three years. She also has been honored with the Health Science Service Award. AMBER NIKOLAUS is noted for her excellence in multimedia production and for being one of three Head OWL Graduates. She is a Communications major and a SURF winner and recently was recognized for the outstanding Alvernia research poster on Honors Weekend. GENESIS LOPEZ, another Resident Assistant, is a Psychology major recognized for her Clinical Excellence. Still another Resident Assistant, biology major AMRUTA PATEL, has received the Outstanding Internship Award and has been a member of the student leadership club, IGNITE, for three years. NATALIE MEDINAS, another Ambassador, is a Nursing major and has received the Nursing Leadership Award, while BRITTANY LANTZ, another Ambassador, is a Business major and has received the Institute of Management Accountants Award. In addition to several students mentioned above, we have six additional senior RAs-including Nina Arant, Samantha Brockway, Leon Lipscombe, Brittany Lantz, Lauren Prator and Olivia Dunzelman—and a Community Facilitator, former RA, and track athlete, Tia Thomas. And here is a shout out to the whole wonderful gang of Tour guides and Student Ambassadors: TOUR GUIDES: Jenn Bielecki,
Alysse Caparoni, Raychel Copeland, Myrisa Kates, Dabrina Konowal, Dom Petaccio, Colleen Reilly, John Robinson and Rick Vukovic. And AMBASSADORS: Francesca Bova, Raychel Copeland, Courtney Norris, Lauren Prator, and John Robinson. Two former SGA officers have made wide-ranging contributions. GABRIELLA MESSINA, a Chemistry major, has received the Sr. Alodia Award. Gabriella has also been a leader on campus as a Resident Assistant and a tour guide, while serving as the President of the Student Government Association. Gabriella has represented her fellow students effectively at Board of Trustee meetings and at countless other events as well as serving on the search committee for our new Vice President for Advancement. TATIANA DUENO is both a Social Work major as well as a recipient of the Dr. Phyllis Hay Research Award. Tatiana has also served as the Vice President for the Student Government Association and is one of three Head Owl Graduates. For the first time, we have graduating seniors who have completed the IGNITE leadership program, including (as well as those mentioned above) DABRINA KONOWAL, a member for four years, and JOHN ROBINSON, a member for three years. Three other seniors (along with junior, Erica Luna) had the privilege of traveling to Assisi as part of our Assisi Pilgrims program: Caroline McCormick, Kelsey Travor, and Alexis Travers. Three seniors with recognition in the arts include BRITTANY MARKEL, a Nursing major who received the Alvernia University Choral Award and ANTHONY WILSON, a Theatre major, and Marisa Gittelman, a Psychology major, both nominated for the Irene Ryan Scholarship Award. Two dozen senior studentathletes will graduate with academic honors, with some of them (and several others) also receiving prestigious athletic recognition. EMILY KELLY, part of two ECAC Championships in field hockey, is the eighth student in school history to earn the National Field Hockey Individual Academic Award in all four years. SCOTT DRESSLER, a hockey player and Communication major, is a recipient of the Margaret Oberholtzer Lawrence
Alvernia University President, Dr. Thomas Flynn. Award for Excellence. The Outstanding Senior Athletes are CHRIS BURNS (Baseball) and ALY SHILLING (Softball). Chris has received All-Commonwealth recognition and national attention as one of five Alvernia baseball players designated as a “Player to Watch.” Aly, now the school season record holder for assists, also has garnered several all-conference awards as well as the ECAC Championship in 2014. LOGAN FOCHT, a senior starter in basketball, regrettably has no NCAA eligibility left, but she will take her 3.9 GPA into our new DPT program! More undergraduate students than can be recognized here received awards at the annual Honors Convocation. This year we also recognized eight Adult Education Graduates who have received awards in their fields. EDWARD SCHIKEL has received the Academic Excellence Award in Criminal Justice, BEVERLY HIRNEISEN, a recipient of the Outstanding Social Work Academic Award, VALERIE DURDEN, another recipient of the Outstanding Social Work Academic Award, SAMIRA STEWARD, a recipient of the Outstanding Social Fieldwork Placement Award, ANTHONY CALAFATY has also received the Outstanding Social Fieldwork Placement Award, MARY FRAIN, a recipient of the Leaders in Learning Award in Nursing, and STEFANIE LEINBACH, a recipient of the Spirit of Saint Francis Award in Nursing. When we honor some of the best among us, we honor the best in each and every one of us. So here’s to the Alvernia Class of 2016. Congratulations. We Are Proud of You. See you on stage! Peace and All good, President Flynn
April/May 2016
campus news
3 Vol. 55 Issue 3
Determined Students Awarded for Success (Continued pg. 1) ing what students have done, and work that they put in at the college level. Senior social work major, Tatiana Dueño and her research partner Jennifer Affleck have been working towards the answer to student leaders and their perceptions on drug and alcohol abuse. Their seven-month long experience was presented in front of their social work class, but the conference was their first opportunity to present their research in front of a large crowd. “My partner and I had been working on this project since September and still had some loose ends to tie up after the conference,” Dueño said. “To be honest, every single aspect of it was exhausting, especially receiving IRB approval. We had to submit our application a few times and got approved just two days before we were scheduled to do the research. So
we were definitely on a time crunch and it was incredibly stressful. It seemed like every time we thought we were almost done something else came up and threw everything off. So being able to finally present our research was an amazing feeling. It was finally over.” Many others conducted research in the same areas as Tatiana and Jennifer, but others involved totally different subjects in the areas of science, psychology and many others. Sharon Blair helped organize the whole event, and took her time in doing so. She spent a few weeks organizing students, universities, presentation topics and their time slots all with a lot of help from Microsoft Excel. “A lot went into consideration when organizing each group and session,” Blair said. Blair held private meetings with professors in order to decide who would be applicable candidates for the confer-
ence, and even then the end result was 329 students. Each student received a certificate for their day of participation, and their hard work and dedication paid off by being able to show off what they were working towards. Sunday, April 17 was also packed with recognition. Senior students, along with a few others, were asked to show off their posters and research they presented the day prior. They were all judged and the best were picked by a number of faculty and staff. These students won $100 cash for their success. After the small presentation, the large Honors Convocation commenced. Parents and guests were welcomed to sit in the PEC and applaud as their students were awarded for their success at Alvernia. Students from majors such as English & Communications all the way to graduates and adult students were recog-
nized for certain achievements. Faculty members were recognized for their excellence, and then finally students were given cords for the many successes they have proceeded to overcome through their years at Alvernia. One winner of the many awards given during Honors Convocation, Carla Brough, received the Sr. Alodia Award, which is presented to a graduating senior who demonstrates outstanding scholastic achievement, community service and dedication to the sciences. Brough said, “I am really glad that I took the initiative to get involved on campus during my freshmen and sophomore years.” “If I hadn’t gotten involved then, I may not be where I am today. I feel that I have grown as a person in many ways. Not only have I learned how to be a better team player, I have also learned how to be a
strong leader.” Hard work, perseverance and dedication paid off in the end for all the students that were awarded and recognized on a bright and sunny April weekend. Both days were a great success, and a big thank you to Sharon Blair for taking so much time to make both events what they were.
grams is maintained so that students will have enough money to pay for their education. As individuals, Senator Schwank lets the students know that they can help her along with other state legislatures in providing more funding for education. Voters should speak up to let their representatives know they are willing to pay more personal income taxes,in order to make college affordable. “It is important for you to have a say so and speak to your representatives no matter what party they are to let them know that one, you want to have a budget on time, and if you do, what aspects of the budget are important to you,” Schwank said. Speaking with the Governor’s Budget Director, Will Danowski, students wanted to know if representatives had met to discuss the next state budget. “We recently had two meetings about the budget,” Danowski said. “And it is an interesting process. Hopefully it will be successful this year, and we have a budget by June 30.” In the process of coming up with a new budget for the
state, Danowski said that the five parties are right now working on a “cost to carry” agreement. “What that means is if you were to keep everything the same, in terms of having no increases in spending, so no increases in student loan spending, no increases in education for pre-k through 12, just what the cost of mandated government expenses would be, and that’s going to be over last year,” Danowski said. According to Will Danowski, he believes that just on the cost to carry alone without adding another dime to student loan spending or pre-k through 12 education, the cost to carry figure will be over a billion dollars. However, even if all five parties agree to a number, personal income taxes will need to be raised to meet the spending requirements. “Once you get that cost to carry figure the next goal would probably be, how much money can we all agree to spend, and if you can get there, the next step will be how are we going to collectively raise the revenue to pay for that spending,” Danowski said. Speaking on the cost to
carry agreement, Vice President for University Life and Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Cicala thought this could be a possible step in the right direction for the future in providing more funding for Pennsylvania education. “I think it’s a prudent one,” Dr. Cicala said. “As in anyone’s own personal budgeting, it’s important to know if we can meet current expenses before deciding whether or not – or how much – additional expense may be taken or additional revenue is needed.” Sophomore psychology major Christine Aponte
thought speaking to their state representatives helped them understand the complexity of the budgeting process. “I enjoyed talking about some of the state budget issues that took place recently because it is important to talk about,” Aponte said. “To think about all the people who go through this and aren’t really informed about this issue, just shows the importance of having a discussion, which we can then come up with ways to address the issue.” Being able to lobby a very important issue about the
PA state budget directly with state legislatures will be a memorable moment these students will never forget. In all, if students want to see a change in educational funding, they have to let their local representatives know they are willing to fund it.
Good luck to all grads!
Photo courtesy of Dr. Joseph Cicala
A Discussion in Harrisburg (Continued pg. 1)
Philosophy students from Alvernia University gather around Senator Judy Schwank to discuss Pennsylvania state budget issues.
spotlight
4 April/May 2016
Vol. 55 Issue 3
By Monica Echeverri Editor It began as an invested interest in a moment of hysteria. The 90s introduced the wonders of a virtual world through video games, and Dr. Ryan Lange’s interest was piqued. He loved the idea of a world fashioned out of a mix of fictional stories and bright colors, but saw that other people feared them as culturally barren diversions that cultivated addictive behaviors. Dr. Lange decided to dedicate his future to analyzing human behavior through studying habits, or more widely known as automatic behaviors, to investigate why video games became such an important part of some people’s lives. Early in Dr. Lange’s educational career, he needed to decide between pursuing communication or psychology.
He couldn’t decide which would work better for him, so he flipped a coin. The coin toss said that communication was the winner, and Dr. Lange has followed that path for the last 15 years of his life. Drawing upon his interest in video games, Dr. Lange focused most of his graduate work on automatic behaviors in new technology. His doctoral work focused on habitual use of YouTube. He has since expanded his behavior studies into other new media technologies, such as LinkedIn. Dr. Lange has recently undertaken a study of how habitual viewing affects people’s sense of telepresence when watching videos. Though he spends his time teaching young adults about the communication field, Dr. Lange stands firm in his idea that an academic can never truly stop learning. “I still consider myself a student who has developed some subject matter exper-
tise,” Dr. Lange said. “Professionals must always continue learning.” His learning and adaptation stands far beyond the classroom walls. Dr. Lange applied his study of how humans automate behaviors to undertake an exercise and weight loss program. Having a family history of poor physical health and a less-than-ideal weight of 280 pounds, Dr. Lange decided to make a change in July of 2015. Adapting to a rigorous strength training regime and clean eating, Dr. Lange underwent a physical transformation that led him to lose over 75 pounds in nine months. Mind over matter was perfectly embodied in this scenario, and Dr. Lange urges people to understand themselves a little better in order to live a calm and fruitful life. “Control what you can, but know what you can’t control,” Dr. Lange said. It is essential in order to
By La’Key Brathwaite Editor Amber Nikolaus, managing editor of The Alvernian, is graduating with the class of 2016. Nikolaus has been a part of the Alvernian staff since spring 2014, but became the full-time managing editor this year. Nikolaus puts in countless hours in the editing and layout process for the Alvernian. Nikolaus wants to keep her options open regarding her future plans, but is returning to Alvernia for her Master’s in Business Administration. She plans to continue look for jobs as the semester comes to a quick end. However, Nikolaus will be stepping down from her position as managing editor to give another young upcoming student the chance for a great experience. “The Alvernian has been a great opportunity for me but I don’t want to overdo it,” she said. “I think it’s time for someone else to take over a great leadership opportunity.” “I will help anyone that needs help, but I do not plan on doing as much as I do now for the Alvernian. It’s time
for someone else to take over and learn the ropes a little bit.” “I have met some great faculty members, and got to know them better just from writing articles for the Alvernian. I also spent my whole summer interviewing communications professionals, so I think if the Alvernian has taught me anything it is how to interview.” Nikolaus also believes her experiences at the university helped her master the Adobe Creative Suite. Adobe InDesign is used for the Alvernian layout, and without training she would not have been able to complete layout. If anyone is interested in learning more about InDesign and possibly helping to layout the newspaper, she recommends that students feel free to ask for training in the Media Suite. This semester, Nikolaus had to balance a senior level work load, an internship, working in the media suite, and doing layout for the Alvernian. Throughout her time at Alvernia, Nikolaus also took part in a variety of campus activities ranging from community service to being a part of the Campus Activities Board.
Dr. Ryan Lange socializing with his co-worker Polly Mathys.
stay humble and knowing when to negotiate for one’s own benefit. Dr. Lange said that experience was critical in his formation as an adult, and the lessons he has learned at a variety of roles continue to remain with him throughout his years of traveling and
learning. He has worked in a variety of settings ranging from fast food counter help to college radio DJ, but has ultimately found a home at Alvernia. “I feel like this is the right place for me,” Dr. Lange said. “I hope to stay at Alvernia for many years to come.”
Photo courtesy of Ralph Porrazzo
Amber Nikolaus’ Bright Future
Photo courtesy of Woosoon Kim
Mind Over Matter
Amber Nikolaus spent a day outside taking pictures for her LinkedIn account. “The Alvernian has been a great opportunity for me but I don’t want to overdo it,” she said. “I think it’s time for someone else to take over a great leadership opportunity.”
“I’ve had some great opportunities to get involved,” she said. “My community service hours were done by sophomore year, because of the service days we have along with being involved in orientation weekend,” Nikolaus said, “Being a part of the Campus Activities Board gave me the opportunity to network and also gave me a say in who came to perform at the school.”
Nikolaus has no regrets about her busy lifestyle. “I have had a great time with friends I wouldn’t trade for the world, and have met some great people who have helped me through anything I may have needed help with.” The one piece of advice she would give new students is to reach out to the community as soon as possible. “I just wish I took more opportunities and took more opportunity for internships,”
she said. “Right now looking for jobs is hard without any experience.” Nikolaus shows the value of being involved in the Alvernia community, and is a model of the Franciscan values that the University teaches every day. For more information about The Alvernian, contact Dr. Ryan Lange at ryan. lange@alvernia.edu.
April/May 2016
campus news
5 Vol. 55 Issue 3
with the fact that he never has set due dates, which is great for procrastinators. “We all have obligations in life,” Dr. Law said. “I understand that being a college student can be quite challenging. If extending a due date by a couple days takes a weight of their shoulders and gives them more time to come up with something great, then why not?” Students that have taken Dr. Law’s classes have all good things to say. “His classes are very informative and enjoyable at the same time. The films he shows in class help me get a better understanding of the material being covered. He’s the man!” Jamere Wilcox, communication major, said. “The students here are so nice to work with,” Dr. Law said. “We teachers are lucky to have students so eager, deserving and appreciative! I am constantly having students thank me and dedicate
their all into their work.” Dr. Law is also a heavily published scholar. He said the secret to his scholarly success is his curiosity. Whenever a topic captures his attention, he writes a 2,000 to 3,000 word article discussing the material extensively with his own thesis. Dr. Law has also presented at a variety of conferences. “Dr. Law is one of the most active researchers and scholars on campus,” Beth DeMeo, chair of the English and Communication department, said. As if this was not enough, Dr. Law also attends college meetings, serves on the undergraduate Honors Advisory Board and assists with literary journals and poetry competitions. Dr. Law will be honored this year by being named an emeritus professor. He plans to retire again from higher education, though like his previous retirements, not very quickly. He has started Alvernia’s gradual retirement
By Brian O’Shaughnessy Editor
“The Alumni Council has been tasked with creating a more enhanced experience for alumni while increasing the engagement from our alumni base,” Sloan said. “The Affinity Committee of the Alumni Council realized the formation of alumni affinity groups would create a means for that experience to help not only alumni, but also current students and the University alike. “Recent higher education surveys and studies show more alumni identify with their respected organization, club, course of study, etc. than with the concept of class year,” Julianne Nolan said. One reason is students are more likely to connect with an organization or club because of the increased time spent with peers due to their shared interests. One of the main focuses the affinity groups target is networking between current Alvernia students and Alumni. “The recurring theme the Alumni Council has heard from current students is the desire for networking opportunities within Alumni Affinity Groups,” Sloan said. “It is all about building a network of alumni that can
Photo courtesy of Matt Pyne
Law and Sartorial Order (Continued pg. 1)
Senior Matt Pyne grabs Dr. Law for a quick picture before class.
process, which allows faculty members to step down to teaching part-time and take on fewer governance responsibilities. This gives the person the opportunity to still pursue his or her passion with less pressure before
saying good-bye. “Dr. Law definitely has kept busy,” DeMeo said. “He is a phenomenal and honorable person that will be missed.” But what about his suits? Dr. Law is known to stunt around as the fashionable
come together for social purposes, career assistance, and maintaining ties to the University and its current students.” With guidance from the Alumni and Parent Relations Office and the Alumni Affinity Engagement Committee, affinity groups can structure events and programs based on the need and dynamic of the group. An example might be a career seminar hosted by Nursing Affinity Group on a topic that has merit for both audiences – alumni and stu-
dents. Or it could be something as simple as an athletic affinity group reaching out to members, encouraging them to come back to campus to cheer on the Crusaders. As more and more students continue to graduate from Alvernia, Sloan and Nolan hope the affinity groups will continue to grow. “We see the future of Alumni Affinity Groups as a way to promote our alumni base and the association. We also hope this type of direct engagement will strengthen the alliances with our current
man on campus. His combination in suits are creative, colorful and truly stand out. “I try not to wear the same thing to every class meeting,” Dr. Law said with a chuckle. “I like to keep a variety. Funny thing, the other day I wore a suit from twentyfive years ago and it still fits perfectly. I was amazed by how the suit held up as well as myself.” Dr. Law would leave students with some words of wisdom about his lengthy career. He quoted one of his favorite Romantic poets, William Wordsworth: “The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.”
Affinity Groups Aim to Connect Alumni to Alvernia
Alumni at Margaritaville in 2013.
Photo courtesy of Carey Manzolillo
The Alvernia University Alumni Association is made up of more than 12,000 graduates across the United States. These alumni are part of a significant organization that can make a tremendous impact on the future of Alvernia and its students. In an effort to keep alumni more involved after they graduate, Alvernia is establishing affinity groups across the country. The intent is to provide another means for the alumni association to become stronger and more robust. Alumni Affinity Groups will target a number of areas related to either academic or extracurricular student organizations. Such examples include campus tour guides, Student Government, athletics, campus activities, Resident Assistants, Nursing and Occupational Therapy. David Sloan, Alvernia University graduate assistant and a member of the Alumni Association’s Affinity Engagement Committee, is helping to get these groups established along with Julianne Nolan, Director of Parent & Alumni Relations.
students, all alumni, faculty and staff.” Sloan said. According to Nolan, “Ultimately, we want our current students as well as our alumni to have a stronger tie with their alma mater and share their experiences and their stories to keep Alvernia University dynamic.” For more information about these affinity groups and how you can get involved, contact David Sloan at david. sloan92@gmail.com or Julianne Nolan at julianne. nolan@alvernia.edu.
6
club news
April/May 2016
Vol. 55 Issue 3
A Year of Circle K Success By Carmen Gonzalez Contributing Writer
a classroom with items that homeless students may need. Circle K has been working with Caitlin’s Smiles, an organization created by a parent of a young girl that passed away of cancer, and it is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The members got small bags and filled them up with toys and created inspirational cards for children with terminal illness. Rosemary McFee, faculty advisor for
Photo courtesy of Circle K
In the last year, Circle K Club has had great success working with the Reading High School and Opportunity House project. Circle K and Reading High School began working together to help give to the less fortunate people at the Opportunity House. For this particular project the members of the club
were able to make bags and fill them up with toiletry items such as soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Alexa Cerulli, President of Circle K, said, “I was really impressed and proud of our members for this project and how much things we collected, many people were so willing to bring and buy items.” Circle K has also been able to help a program at Reading High School designed to fill
Circle K members working together to create coloring books for elementary schools in the Reading area.
By Theodore Rogers Contributing Writer The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) is a club created by the occupational therapy (OT) program to allow students that are OT majors to meet other OT majors. Among the many outstanding programs here at Alvernia University, Occupational Therapy is one of the most popular fields that many students decide to study. The occupational therapy program is dedicated to
promoting the health and well-being of people and to help a person who is suffering from a disability or illness to participate in the activities of everyday life, such as education, social interaction, and work. SOTA helps occupational therapy students engage with and learn from each other. Sean Buckley, a junior occupational therapy major, is the current president of the club. His objectives for the club are to make SOTA enjoyable and exciting. “SOTA is a way for people to have a better understand-
ing of occupational therapy and have hands-on experiences all while forming lasting connections with your fellow peers,” Buckley said. Buckley felt the club needed a huge makeover and needed to be revamped. His goals were to get members more involved therefore he and the secretary of the club came up with fundraiser ideas and social events to keep the club going and known. To help SOTA members make those lasting connections, it implemented a buddy system that pairs up first year
Photo courtesy of Dr. Karen Cameron, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
SOTA: A Home Away From Home
SOTA members posing for a picture while attending the buddy walk for kids with Down syndrome.
Circle K was able to deliver all the cards and bags this semester that were created by the members of the club to the Caitlin’s Smiles organization for them to distribute in hospitals within the city and also outside of the state. Alexa Cerulli said, “After doing the Caitlin’s Smiles project I felt really good about everything, it was nice to know that by just taking an hour or so out of my day that I can put a smile on the faces of children with terminal illnesses.” The last major project Circle K worked on this year was Granny’s Corner. The members of the club placed a rocking chair and thirty new or gently used books in kindergarten classrooms in the Reading area. “Twelfth and Marion was the first elementary school we did, and we gave between 30-32 books to kindergarten and first grade age students so that the teacher can sit in the rocking chair and read to
the students,” McFee said. The next schools on the list will be 10th and Green and 10th and Penn Elementary School, and they are currently looking for one extra rocking chair to be able to complete this project and provide other teachers in the Reading area the joy of being able to read books to their students with comfort. The club members have collected over 300 books and will continue to hunt for more rocking chairs and books over the summer. Granny’s Corner is a continuing event that Circle K hopes to continue through the following semesters. The Club will accept donations of any rocking chair in decent condition. If you have any questions, and would like to assist in any of the events Circle K has put together feel free to contact Rosemary McFee by email at rosemary.mcfee@alvernia. edu.
students and sophomores with juniors and seniors to help everyone to get to know each other. Members are able to meet upperclassmen, as well as underclassmen. This is a way for members to get familiar with the students that are involved in the club and way for everyone in the club to have to someone to look up to or confide in. Anna Kolodziej, a junior occupational therapy major, is the current secretary of the club. Her goals for the club is to have a place for OT majors to share experiences about the challenges and obstacles they may face working in this type of field. “It’s a great place to share field work experiences outside of the classroom,” Kolodziej said. This past April was OT month. To celebrate, the club held an ice cream social event in the campus commons to spread awareness on disabilities. The club will be allowing everyone on campus to join them to help bring attentiveness by allowing others express their beliefs and ideas on how the Alvernia community can help bring awareness to the issue.
Service is important to SOTA. It helps its members get service hours through multiple community service events such as the Buddy Walk for Children with Down Syndrome and feeding over 400 people at the Kennedy House soup kitchen. This coming May, the club will have the opportunity to help run the 5K Walk for Wounded Warriors. The club also organizes different fundraiser events at places such as Chipotle, Friendly’s, and Panera to raise money for the club to be able to purchase food for local shelters. The rest of the money raised from these events is used to hold other gatherings for the club such as pizza parties to celebrate the end of the semester. This coming fall, SOTA will be welcoming new first year occupational therapy majors that wish to be a part of the club. If you’re interested to joining SOTA, you must be a current OT major. It meets every other Wednesday at 9 p.m. For more information, email Sean Buckley, Anna Kolodziej, or Tori Walsh.
April/May 2016
club news
7 Vol. 55 Issue 3
Dr. Caroline Fitzpatrick Reflects on Sigma Tau Delta Sigma Tau Delta is the International English Honor Society. It is the second largest honor society with over 870 chapters located around the United States and abroad. Sigma Tau Delta confers distinction for high achievement in English language and literature to undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies. Alvernia’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, Kappa Pi, is among the most well-known chapters in the society. Dr. Caroline Fitzpatrick, an associate professor of communication and English, has sponsored our chapter sponsor for the past 15 years, and has served on the Sigma Tau Delta board for 10 years. Dr. Fitzpatrick has been at Alvernia University for 20 years. She teaches communications, media, cultural studies, research, and writing to undergraduate and gradu-
ate students. Dr. Fitzpatrick is also trained in technical and grant writing. Her work has helped non-profits in securing more than $600,000 in grants within the last ten years. Dr. Fitzpatrick currently serves as the President of Sigma Tau Delta, which is an enormous responsibility. She
helps to facilitate the development and strategic planning involved with this organization. ”When I first was hired at Alvernia, I attended a convention with Beth DeMeo with only five students,” Dr. Fitzpatrick said. “I realized how much the students took away from going to this convention,
Photo courtesy of Alvernia Marketing Department
By Kayla Provost Contributing Writer
Dr. Caroline Fitzpatrick contemplates her lengthy and distinguished career at Alvernia University.
and how enriching it really was for them.” After being part of the convention once, Dr. Fitzpatrick started to become involved with Sigma Tau Delta. Dr. Fitzpatrick is very passionate and hardworking. She aims to have a purpose beyond teaching. Helping her students succeed in and out of the classroom is a main priority to her. Sigma Tau Delta gives her the opportunity to help students succeed outside of the classroom. “I love education, and I want others to feel that too,” Fitzpatrick said. “A sense of giving back and making sure the education is sustained for the future is important.” “There are two things that I am very proud of about being apart of Sigma Tau Delta,” Fitzpatrick said. “One being, we are able to give away scholarships, grants, and awards to the students. The second, Sigma Tau Delta is one of the few international
undergraduate organizations that holds conventions annually.” On campus, the chapter runs book drives, assists with the Christmas on Campus, and Spring Fling, participates in the Edible Book Festival, provides the editors for The Zephyrus, the college literary arts journal, and hosts a year-end induction picnic. For more information and how to become involved, contact Marybeth DeMeo at beth.demeo@alvernia.edu or Carrie Fitzpatrick at carrie. fitzpatrick@alvernia.edu.
Sports Management Association Sponsors “QUAD” By Mirco Giangiulio Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Dr. Woosoon Kim
Spring Fling kicked off on April 29 with “QUAD.” The Sport Management Association (SMA) sponsors QUAD every spring to raise money for SMA. The event provides students with fun outdoor activities to start Spring Fling weekend. “QUAD is the start off to Spring Fling weekend, so it’s our job to ensure the student body has a fun time,” Keefe said. “With having the responsibility for this brings the pressure because we also want to be successful like other clubs on campus and not have a boring event.” QUAD features a CornHole tournament and now a water-balloon fight. “There
are many different fun activities that weekend, so we want it to be a fun time for everyone after a stressful year of school.” QUAD also provides the students the opportunity to win raffle prizes, which include gift cards, gift baskets, and Philadelphia Phillies Diamond Club tickets. Participating students also receive t-shirts, as well as complimentary pizza from Mimmo’s. The event is not only important to Spring Fling weekend, but to the Sport Management Association as well. “QUAD is important to the Sport Management Association because it is the biggest event for our club,” Keefe said.
Students taking part in the Corn-Hole Tournament at last spring’s QUAD.
8
sports
April/May 2016
Vol. 55 Issue 3
Alvernia Running the Show at MAC Track and Field Finals Alvernia will host the MAC Track and Field finals from May 5 through May 7. The event will draw in a crowd from 13 different schools throughout the MAC conference. The MAC track and field championships will be the largest athletics event Alvernia has hosted to date. Alvernia Athletics Director Jon King wants this event to be memorable for all of the student athletes participating in the event. “The kids work hard 365 days a year to be at their very best around this time, so we want to be able to match that effort on our behalf to make it a special event for them,” King said. “It’s a big deal to be able to host a MAC championship, so we need to make the event something that they won’t forget.” It takes a lot of work to host an event as large as
the MAC track and field finals. Track and field coach Eric Bennett has helped plan the event along with the MAC league office. Bennett has had experience hosting the MAC track and field finals back when he was at Rochester University, so he knows what to expect from having a championship event at home. Yet, while Bennett knows what goes into hosting the finals, it will be Alvernia’s first attempt at being the host school. “We’ve hosted numerous events on and off campus before from NCAA basketball events to baseball regionals, but nothing on a scale can compare to this,” King said. “You have 13 schools, times that by two teams for men and women, giving you 26 different teams. There will potentially be over 1,000 student athletes on campus, then add in their families. This will be a huge event for us.”
With over 1,000 in attendance, parking will become a pressing issue on campus during the three day span with the influx of parents and students from all 13 participating schools. “Parking will definitely be an issue, mainly on Thursday and Friday of the event because there will still be students here for classes,” King said. “People are going to have to park where ever they can find a spot, on or off campus.” The Crusaders are favored to win in the finals, but other schools may make strong showings. On the men’s side, Widener University is a favorite to win numerous events as they have top performers in almost every event. For the women’s events in the finals, Misericordia University and Lebanon Valley College are two of the top teams to compete with Alvernia. The track and field finals
are going to be a competitive battle through each competition, and King believes it will bring great publicity to the university moving forward. “Any event like this can bring positive publicity to a university, if we are able to market it correctly it definitely can,” King said.
care science major getting ready to graduate. Ehrets was key to the squad throughout her four years of college. Her position on the squad is back in which she would usually help hold up the girls on her shoulders for the girls who are “flyers” do to either flips or to get the crowd more pumped at a higher level. “She is a very nice person and fun to be with and she also makes practice fun, she is very energetic, verbal, loud and encouraging,” Kurtz said of Ehrets. Coach Miele agreed that
Ehrets’ hard work takes her performance to the next level. “Her passion, enthusiasm, and hard work was shown at every moment,” Miele siad. “She is the ultimate performer.” Junior OT major Morgan Kurtz has another season yet, and has been cheerleading for twelve years ever since she saw her sisters doing it. “I have gotten to meet a lot of people interact with many people about experience,” Kurtz said. Lastly is sophomore business management major
Kayla Shugar. Shugar has two more seasons left, and has been cheering for thirteen years. Shugar is very dedicated to cheerleading and loves getting the crowd pumped up at the games. The cheer squad is mainly seen during both men’s and women’s basketball home games every season. They also compete in different cheer competitions as well as hosting one of their own. The girls are coached by Rosanne Miele who has been with the team since the 20132014 season. A cheerleader herself, Miele started teaching eight years ago and has loved it ever since. But for Coach Miele, her teaching is about raising awareness and giving back. “We have had the opportunity to raise funds for these charities and be part of some great experiences like Cheer for a Cure and Laney’s Legacy of Hope walk,” Miele said. Cheerleading is not an easy thing to do, as it takes special training and care to avoid injuries. Each member of the squad must trust one another, and the whole team must work together. College cheerleading is more challenging that high school cheer. Some of the new
“This is especially true with our webcasts that we do with the Crusader Sports Network, being able to reach an audience of people watching their kids compete. No one does track and field webcasts, so to be the first to do so on such a big stage is going to be groundbreaking.”
Photo courtesy of Jon King
By Justin Herforth Contributing Writer
Freshman, Christian Mele running in 1500m race on 4/2 in an invitational at Alvernia University.
Being Filled with Alvernia Cheer By Justin Strohm Contributing Writer
Photo courtesy of Sue Ehrets
While most people might only think of the Crusader cheerleading squad being part of men’s basketball games, the squad shares its spirit in many ways. The squad includes three key components with each bringing something different to the table. The three include senior Harlee Ehrets, junior Morgan Kurtz and sophomore Kayla Shugar. Harlee Ehrets is both the cheer captain and a health-
AUCheer posing for rival night between Alvernia & Albright on Jack McCloskey Court in the PEC.
wrinkles include requiring three stunts of a higher difficulty than at the high school level. The cheer team will have one upcoming event this summer. It will be a cheerleading summer camp open to ages 5-18. This camp is designed to help teach the basics of cheerleading. Alvernia’s cheer team will be at the same camp in August to work on their own things for upcoming competitions and 2016 basketball season. Contact Coach Miele for more information on the camp.
Visit the Alvernian!
April/May 2016
sports spotlight
9 Vol. 55 Issue 3
For Meghan Haas, All About That Training (No Trouble) Meghan Haas is not just someone who checks hips, cracks backs, follows concussion protocol, or someone who does “the typical athletic trainer thing.” Haas is someone who believes in equality in sports, someone who is supportive and encouraging, and who is fully vested in her athletes. Haas’s athletic training career started when she tore her ACL while skiing when she was 15. “When I partially tore my ACL, I thought I would be done with athletics,” she said. “But my athletic trainer showed me how I could come back from an injury like that. I want to pay it forward and encourage athletes to do the same.” As a full time athletic trainer, Haas’s responsibilities include: managing and supervising the athletic training staff, being in charge of all
Photo courtesy of Jon King
By Jillian Baker Contributing Writer
Meghan Haas.
sports, taking care of all of the athletes, and traveling with certain teams. Haas is also an adjunct professor alongside being a full time athletic trainer. She teaches health and wellness as well as some of the athletic training courses. Being an adjunct professor gives Haas an opportunity to keep her
skills fresh and up-to-date, and allows her to see the latest research. “My favorite class to teach is the psychological side of athletic training,” Haas said. “I love hearing about how the students are seeing things in different psychological ways.” “I also like teaching health and wellness because I get to see the rest of our students, not just athletic training students or athletes.” Athletic training students are required to spend observational hours, therefore there are always new faces coming and going from the training room. “It’s really great that they are able to see so many different styles of athletic training. They get to learn our way of doing things and take it from there and go elsewhere and see how everyone does stuff differently,” Haas said. “It gives us energy to be better. I also love people and chaos so having a busy training room is a norm to me.”
Luke “Hangen in There” at Alvernia
Haas earned her master’s degree at Alvernia University and after she worked in the Wyomissing School District. Once she felt ready, she came back to the college setting and back to Alvernia University. “One thing I love about Alvernia is that here everybody is somebody, not just a number,” Haas said. Haas draws inspiration from her athletes, “I see them at their lowest and I see them at their highest and I see how they overcome their adversities to succeed. Being an athletic trainer at Alvernia allows me to get to know and connect with every single athlete. That’s why I love being an athletic trainer,” Haas said. Haas loves coming to work everyday because of the close-knit, family like athletic department. “There aren’t a lot of places that you love going to work every single day, but I do. I love getting up and coming to work. The best people I’ve
ever met and known are here.” Meghan Haas is much more than the typical athletic trainer. She’s a mother, and a steadfast, devoted woman who wants the best for everyone. She’s the one who will not only help you heal physically, but mentally as well. She will not ask you to do something she has not, or would not, do herself -- advice she received from a colleague at Wyomissing. If she was not an athletic trainer, Haas would be a wedding planner, “so I can spend other people’s money,” Haas said with a laugh. Haas has advice for anyone stuck in a rut. “If there’s anything you’re unhappy with... or you’re not satisfied with, you have every right to change it. You have every ability to do what you want, and nobody should hold you back.”
This year marked the first time in the past six seasons that the Alvernia University men’s tennis team did not have a stand out player. In past seasons, the men’s tennis team had aces like Dan Minnich, who won the MAC tournament his sophomore year and exceeded over 100 wins in his four-year career. Another standout player was Dennis Sult, who as a freshman received both Rookie of the Year as well as Player of the Year. Both Minnich and Sult contributed to the tennis team’s success and led the team to multiple playoff appearances. The men’s tennis team has lost many dynamic players such as Minnich and Sult to graduation over the past years. Fortunately for the team, new talent is on the horizon. Head coach John McCormack caught wind of Luke Hangen, a former Division I player who was interested in attending Alvernia University this past spring. “He really is a special player,” McCormack said. “He has tremendous foot work and poise on the court which is key in giving him the com-
Photo courtesy of Julie Siedel
By Antonio Gaetani Contributing Writer
Luke Hangen (right) with his doubles partner Reid Hoff (left).
petitive edge when playing tough opponents.” Hangen previously resided in Santa Clarita, California, but made the move to Reading, Pennsylvania along with his step-father, in order to be closer to family. Hangen’s step-father currently works at Reading Hospital, as does Hangen, who assists patients and delivers food to them. While in California, Hangen competed in a variety of tournaments. He was ranked as a 4.5/5 player,
which is the second highest rating available. Hangen’s ranking makes him a top notch player like Minnich and Sult. In high school, Hangen played basketball all four years and never picked up a tennis racket until attending college. His father played at a local tennis club and one day, Hangen decided to join him. Since then he has been receiving private lessons and continuing to improve on his game.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity to continue my tennis career, and hopefully can help this team win a title,” Hangen said. Hangen is currently undefeated in doubles play, partnering with first year player Reid Hoff. He is posting a .500 record playing at first singles. Hangen’s leadership and skill will be useful to the Crusaders to help defeat tough conference opponents such as cross city rival Albright.
Need something to keep you busy next semester?! Contact Ryan Lange at ryan. lange@alvernia.edu for fabulous prizes.
10
university classes
April/May 2016
Vol. 55 Issue 3
What Can You Do with a Theology Minor? A Lot! Alvernia offers a vibrant theology major as part of its Catholic mission. Yet, majoring in theology does not necessarily mean that someone will go to work for a church organization, although many students enter the program with that as their goal. Dr. Corey Harris, assistant professor of theology, is working on finding a way that people can use theology in another way. He wants to set up another minor that is centered in the theology major’s mission. It is a work in process, but Dr. Harris wants to call it a minor in the Catholic Social Tradition. “The goal for this minor is to show that there is more to do with theology than go into the ministry,” Dr. Harris said. It can lead a new wave of students that have a background in theology into a variety of possible roles. Dr. Harris wants to use
what he learned while he was going through college to show others what theology is truly about. Dr. Harris went to Lafayette College and graduated with a degree in Religious Studies/ World Religions. He went on to get his master’s degree at LaSalle University, and got his doctorate at Duquesne University. Dr. Harris wants to bring what he learned through his years in school to this new minor in the Catholic Social Tradition. “It is a work in progress, but I hopefully want to have this minor in place by the fall semester in 2016,” Dr. Harris said. With his studies, he wants to show that theology’s insights into the human condition has a broad value across society. Part of the minor will feature two new classes that will focus on what he wants out of the Catholic Social Tradition. The two classes
he wishes to create is a 200 level and above ethics class called Topics, while the other
one will be a 400 level class called Leadership. “In the Leadership class, it
Photo courtesy of Christopher Casciotti
By Christopher Casciotti Contributing Writer
will allow students to have an ability to be a part of an internship,” Dr. Harris said. Those internships will be routed through a connection that Dr. Harris wants to make with the O’Peake Center at Alvernia, and he wants to make another partnership with Leadership Berks. The goal of the new theology minor is to show students that training in the Catholic Social Tradition can lead them to a variety of vibrant careers beyond church service. It intends to be a centerpiece of Alvernia’s ongoing commitment to its Franciscan values of service, humility, peacemaking, collegiality and contemplation.
Dr. Harris wants to use the information he gathered in school to show that theology can lead to many other jobs.
Outsider Art & The Bernardine Mural In the spring of last year, Dr. Tom Bierowski and Dr. Carrie Fitzpatrick teamtaught an ENG/COM course called “American Outsider Genius.” The teaching was split between the professors, and the course had two objectives. Firstly, Dr. Tom, as he is known around campus, and Dr. Fitzpatrick wanted to teach students about a unique type of artist: The Outsider Artist. An outsider artist creates merely for the love of creating. They never work for profit or popularity, and are not concerned if anyone ever sees what they do. This puts them “outside” of the mainstream artist, who works at least in part for a pay-off. In this class, students were taught about the concepts and ideologies associated with outsider artists, then studied examples of outsider artists. One outsider artist considered was Henry Darger, a hermetic Chicago janitor who spent his days and nights crafting around 35,000 pages of story revolving around fantasy characters known as
“The Vivian Girls.” The course sought to then have students employ their new knowledge of outsider art to create a unique mural on the Alvernia campus. Each student was initially tasked with creating a sketch of what they thought the mural should look like, or of an image they thought should be included in the mural. Some of the sketches included depictions of Alvernia’s athletic teams, St. Francis, Mt. Alvernia, and even a Crusader riding a firebreathing dragon. Once these sketches were handed in, a smaller group of students with knowledge or majors in art and design were tasked with combining the sketch ideas into one overall image. After the group and professors agreed on an image, the class was divided into three distinct and smaller groups. One group was the mural group. These students were in control of sketching, redrawing, adjusting, and planning out the picture, and with learning how to get it up on a surface. A second group was designated the documentary group, and their task was to record, both on paper and on film, the class itself and the
creation of the mural. The third group was the advertising and PR team, who needed to raise funds for extra materials for the mural, as well as throw an unveiling gala on the last day of the spring semester. The project had many challenges. One of the largest obstacles was finding a location for the mural. The proposed surface for the mural was originally planned for the outside of the gymnasium, but the size of the mural made this impractical. The class ultimately received permission to use a staircase in Bernardine Hall. “Trying to figure out a perfect wall on campus to place the mural design was not easy,” student artist Kaneeayl Davis said. “We decided on placing the mural on the wall going up the main stair case in Bernardine Hall. We wanted it to show big on a wall that people pass by daily.” The finalized mural featured imagery associated with the school, including the Bernardine Sisters, Mt. Alvernia, and St. Francis. Dr. Tom enjoyed the image and layout of the mural. “I think it is strange and possibly even weird,” Davis said. “In other words, I love
it!” The documentary crew produced two documentaries on the class’s material. One documentary was a jocular look at the trials and accomplishments of the class, while the other was a more serious set of interviews with Dr. Tom and Dr. Fitzpatrick that focused on their personal experiences with outsider art. The advertising group raised funds, crafted handmade t-shirts, and threw a gala party that featured the class sporting homemade tinfoil accessories and a soundtrack by student musicians.
Students, professors, parents, and even Dr. Flynn himself joined in on the celebration, where the documentaries played on a loop and the artists displayed their final product. The unveiling was capped by a reading from the Spring 2015 issue of the Zephyrus. Looking back a year later, Dr. Tom had only positive feelings toward the course, the project, and the overall experience. “It was exciting, since the Outsider Mural project was the first of its kind at Alvernia. I would love to do the course again. Why not?”
Photo courtesy of Dale Saylor
By Dale Saylor Contributing Writer
The mural in Bernardine Hall.
April/May 2016
other news
11 Vol. 55 Issue 3
Summer Hotspots in Berks County Summer is just around the corner. With the nice weather finally around, the urge to go outside is stronger than ever. Berks County is home to many hidden gems for outdoor lovers everywhere. Whether it is hiking, biking, or strolling, these places are perfect for anyone looking to spend some time in the sun. Gring’s Mill Recreation Area: This 33-acre area contains many activities for those who want to spend some time outside. The recreation area has numerous areas to play games with friends, including a horseshoe pit, a quoits pit, a sand volleyball court, and shuffleboard. For those who may want to go solo or in a pair, there is a nature trail to stroll along and take in the beauty. The Recreation Area also contains an amphitheater, where the Summer Concert Series
is held on Sunday evenings throughout the summer. Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center: For anyone who wants to get lost in nature for hours, Nolde Forest is the place to go. The 665 acres of woodlands contains numerous trails that weave throughout the forest and lead to the streams and ponds contained within its boundaries. There are teaching stations for those who want to learn more about the forest, its history, and the creatures that inhabit it. There are numerous mansion houses hidden behind all the deciduous trees that are a sight to see. Nolde Forest also contains areas where visitors can picnic and go fishing. Blue Marsh Lake: This man-made lake is the perfect place for any kind of nature lover to go. The lake is open for boating and swimming. Visitors can also go fishing, water skiing, and scuba diving.
There are numerous trails that allow for biking, horseback riding, and bird watching. Blue Marsh also connects to other trails in the area for those who want to explore further. Neversink Preserve Loop Trail: The 4.4 mile loop offers numerous activities for nature lovers. This trail runs along a river for the perfect scenic view. Nature lovers can hike this trail, as well as go biking. This trail is continuous, allowing for those who want to take a long walk to be able to do so. Antietam Lake Park: This part is one of the county’s newest additions. It is located in Lower Alsace Township and is home to some of the most scenic views in Berks County. For now, visitors can just walk around and enjoy the scenery. By 2019, this park will be fully loaded with new trails, a viewing platform, focal points for nature lovers,
Photo courtesy of Macy Storm
By Macy Storm Editor
Ducks and other wildlife can be seen at Blue Marsh Lake.
and educational programs for visitors to learn about nature. In the past, Alvernia’s Adventure Club explored these nature wonderlands. Since the club has disbanded, nature lovers have to visit these places on their own. Many of Alvernia’s students have experienced these nature getaways. Jocelyn MacAleese finds Blue Marsh Lake to be a great place to explore. “It’s like peaceful oasis in the middle of Reading,” MacAleese said. “It’s a great place to just get away.” These parks are spread out
in all different directions in Berks County. Many of them are just miles away from the city of Reading. “Even though everyone thinks about the city of Reading, there’s just so much more to the area,” Shannon Homa, junior, said. “Relaxing by the lake and hiking in the woods are perfect for anyone in the Reading area.” To find more parks and more information about these parks, visit www. co.berks.pa.us and select the Parks Department.
language on drone use,” King said. Since the flying of drones is highly regulated by the FAA and Alvernia is an educational institution, there are far more requirements to fulfill than an individual flying one as a hobby. Along with the FAA, Alvernia has the issue of insurance policies for the drone. Alvernia’s Environmental Health and Safety Manager, is Courtney Faust. Faust’s job ranges from being an emergency contact for chemical spills on campus to overseeing compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations. Faust was able to answer a few questions regarding the drone’s insurance policy. Since it is such a complicated and well-regulated topic an exact cost has not been discussed to this date. “Cost for insurance coverage has not yet been determined,” Faust said. “We are still in conversation with the insurance broker as they have presented many questions to answer regarding our intended use, drone size, and specifications, etc. Operation of drones is highly regulated by the FAA.” Obviously, the drone will be flying around campus at
different heights so there is a call for concern. Whether it is damage to the drone or property damage, everything must be accounted for. “Injury to property or people if the drone unit fails, potential privacy issues, potential fines from FAA if the University did not follow FAA requirements. Endorsing use of drones, without insurance coverage, would present a high risk activity,” Faust said. The issue of insurance over a drone is an issue faced at many institutions. “The policy would focus more on damage the drone may cause. It is more of a liability and property damage issue for us,” Faust said. “However, we are still in discussion with the insurance broker. Many other educational institutions across the country have banned drone use until proper insurance coverage, FAA approval, and a University Policy is finalized.” Getting the drone airborne again is going to be a long and complicated process. When it does fly again you can bet that the pictures it takes will take your breath away.
The Sky’s The Limit with Alvernia’s Drone Drones were originally used by the United States government in fear of losing pilots around 1959, but Alvernia’s drone won’t be flying combat missions anytime soon. Instead, it will be hovering over Alvernia taking breathtaking photos. Alvernia purchased the 3DR Solo drone for around $995 and planned on originally using it for marketing purposes. The drone can be flown as low as 5-10 feet and as high as 200-300 feet. Alvernia’s Sports Information Director, Jon King, believes the sky is the limit with the new drone. After seeing the Houston Astros use a drone to capture great images of players’ practices, King began developing ideas as to the use of the drone. “I would love to put together a hole-by-hole tour of the disc golf course at Angelica, then I’d like to do the same aerial tour of Ledgerock, our home golf course,” King said. While the use of the drone for a form of live coverage doesn’t seem to be in the near future, King thinks that the
Photo courtesy of Jon King
By Kyle Grim Editor
The turf field photographed from the 3DR Drone.
drone could be used to make supplemental videos and such. In the fall, he was able to capture an aerial photo of a soccer game, which was posted on the Athletic Department’s Instagram. “I thought that was pretty cool,” King said. “I envision a shot at a baseball game where you have it stationed outside the fence in center waiting for a fly ball to center to end an inning.” “As the ball comes down the drone goes up to maybe 25-30 feet then follows the center fielder in to the dugout
after the catch. I think something like that could be used in a lot of different places.” While the drone seems to be a great addition to the campus, it also comes with some concerns. There aren’t any regulations set in stone yet. The Federal Aviation Administration is still trying to figure out what to do with drone pilots. At one point, they were trying to get all pilots to be licensed. “I’m not sure we’ll get to that point, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some more well-defined insurance
Undergraduate & Graduate Courses
r e t is ! g e R day To
Summer SessÄąon Starts May 16, June 6 & July 5 Get ahead this summer! On campus, Online & Blended formats. Day & Evening classes available. All courses accredited. Credits readily transferable. Financial aid may be available.
Register today at alvernia.edu/summer 2016-2017 - SummerSessionAlvernianAD.indd 1
4/22/16 9:22 AM