vol. 50 no. 6 Dec. 6, 2019
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Dec. 6, 2019
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ABOUT THE COVER
The C al Times staff, (from left to right), Leigh Swartzfager, Sam Kuhne, Lily Gongaware, G e orge the Golden Retreiver, Ve onna King, Tom C aton, and Johnny Sakaguchi wish all of our readers a very happy and healthy holiday s eas on and new year. Se e you next s emester! (Photo c ourtesy of Jeff Hels el)
Our lo cal college radio station is lo oking for club s and organiz ations for campus drops and advertising. If you’re int erest e d, ple as e contact Evan Peffer at PEF9535calu.e du
G et Involve d with S.A.B.! We have a new me eting time at 5PM on Thursdays in the Vulcan The at er!
322 3rd Street California, Pennsylvania 724-938-2395
Advertise with the Place a classified or a full color print display advertisement in the Cal Times student newspaper at California University of Pennsylvania. Our bi-weekly print edition is circulated across Cal U’s campus and throughout the Mon Valley Region. For adver t ising rates and publicat ion dates,
please e-mail calt imes@calu.edu ADVERTISEMENT
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TOM CATON EDITOR IN CHIEF
LILY GONGAWARE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
CAM KING OPINIONS EDITOR
SAM KUHNE
LEIGH SWARTZFAGER SPORTS EDITOR
DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
JEFF HELSEL
CONTRIBUTORS: Taylor Barta, Skyler Bogus, Ashley Harn, Austin Heckman, Chris Lisle, Megan Organist, Matt Petras, Evan Peffer, Jonathan Sakaguchi, Hannah Wyman, Cal U Public Relations
POLICY: The California TIMES is a publication of the Student Association, Inc. and is distributed throughout the university campus and the Monongahela Valley area most Fridays of the academic year with the exception of holiday breaks. Any member of the university community may submit articles, editorials, cartoons, photographs or drawings for consideration. Deadlines are as follows: All written copy, announcements , e-mail (caltimes@calu.edu) and advertising submissions are due at Noon on the Monday before publication. Exceptions to these deadlines must be arranged with the editor. All submissions are the opinions of their creator(s). The California TIMES reserves the right to edit or refuse a submission as it sees fit without offering justification for content or advertising sections.
news
Dec. 6, 2019
Colonel to Address Graduates at Cal U
Alumnus Col. Lance D. Oskey will speak at 189th Commencement Ceremonies By Cal U Public Relations Alumnus Col. Lance D. Oskey will address graduate and undergraduate students at California University of Pennsylvania’s 189th Commencement ceremonies. Master’s and doctoral degree candidates will receive their diplomas and be vested in their academic hoods at 7 p.m. Dec. 13. Undergraduate Commencement begins at 10 a.m. Dec. 14. Both ceremonies will be held in the Convocation Center arena. In all, more than 1,000 students are expected to graduate, including those who choose not to attend Commencement. University President Geraldine M. Jones will confer the degrees and greet each graduate who walks across the stage. Graduates’ families and friends are welcome to attend. Cal U’s Winter Commencement recognizes students who completed their studies in August and December 2019. Both ceremonies can be viewed live online at calu.edu. For more information, visitcalu.edu/events/commencement.
About the Speaker Col. Lance Oskey, Class of 1993, is Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Cadet Command, at Fort Knox, Ky. Oskey began his military career at Cal U, where he was an ROTC cadet and a Distinguished Military Graduate. He received his first military commission, as an Army second lieutenant, at Old Main in 1993, and he celebrated his promotion to colonel in a ceremony at the Kara Alumni House in 2014. Oskey’s service includes deployments to Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to many stateside assignments. Before his appointment as chief of staff, he was commander of the 7thBrigade, U.S. Army Cadet Command, also at Fort Knox. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Infantryman’s Badge and Ranger Tab. In 2019 he received the Rear Admiral William R. Furlong Award for Military Service from the Cal U Alumni Association. Oskey and his wife, Amy Boehm Oskey ’94, have a son who is a college sophomore.
On behalf of the CalTimes staff, we would like to wish all graduates a happy graduation and the absolute best in the future!
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Dec. 6, 2019
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Dec. 6, 2019
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Born in Vietnam, Natalie Wiest reflects on her transracial adoption By Hannah Wyman, Staff Writer WYM7514@calu.edu Recently, 18-year-old Natalie Wiest has wondered what the first eight months of her life were like more than usual. After unearthing letters written by her biological parents over spring break, Wiest’s been faced with a decision that could connect her to her past. Not remembering anything about her life before America, any knowledge Wiest does have is from the stories her adoptive mother has told her. Perhaps the most impactful and memorable story for Wiest was the one of how both her biological parents would visit her every day at the orphanage in Hanoi, Vietnam, a northern city in which she was born. “It only reiterates the fact that they really did love me when they put me up for adoption,” Wiest said. “They came to see me because they cared, they didn’t just drop me off and forget about me.” Growing up as one of the only people of color in a predominantly white community of Palmyra, Pennsylvania, Wiest had always known that she was adopted from Vietnam as a baby. She remembered being in middle school and resenting the fact that she didn’t look like anyone else. She would even go as far as to deny parts of herself with hopes to be more likable to her peers. Wiest said “At times, I would try and act kind of racist towards my being Asian to try and fit in. Like ‘Hey I’m acting like you guys. Accept me.’” However, her adoptive parents never tried to keep her identity a secret or shield her from her Eastern roots. Wiest doesn’t specifically recollect being told that she was adopted as it’s always been a part of who she is. While Wiest remembered her mother always telling her “Yes, they gave birth to you but I am your real mother,” she also recalled how her mother always wanted Wiest to know where she came from. In fact, a picture of Wiest’s biological parents and three older sisters was displayed in their living room throughout childhood. Wiest said her mother choose to frame that photo so “she could teach me that this isn’t some secret, big thing. This is who you are. This is part of your identity. But you’re also my daughter.” Typically, children adopted from Asia have no information about their birth families. Wiest’s situation is unique to both her biological and adoptive families. Though decades ago, the majority of adopting families participated in closed adoptions, a process by which the record of the biological parents is kept secret, across Asia and Europe, Wiest’s biological parents were able to contact her in America. Wiest’s adoptive mother, Amy Wiest, wrote back and forth with the biological family. She remembered buying them small gifts watches and jewelry. She sent coloring books to gifts for the older sisters. However, communication eventually came to an end between the two families while Wiest was still very young.
“I would say the issue came when I got divorced. I didn’t know how to tell them that they gave their baby to us and we couldn’t make it work. So that’s when I kind of stopped writing,” Wiest’s mother recalls. Over spring break, Wiest was working on chores around the house for her mother when she found these letters while cleaning out a hutch. Wiest’s mother had only just recently told her about the existence of these letters for the first time. Wiest was at her work-study job when her mother texted her. Wiest was asking her mother about her adoption because she had learned about the dynamics of ethnic based families in her Sociology and Family class. She cried when she learned of the letters, she felt overwhelmed by the news and her mother’s support. At the time, she concluded that she would not read the letters until she was older. Wiest didn’t feel emotionally ready for new information about who her biological family is and what her life was like prior to being adopted. Despite this, when Wiest found the letters last month, she said it wasn’t “a conscious effort to find them.” It was just a coincidence and it happened to be the most convenient time to read them. Her mother was out of the house and Wiest was alone. There were only a few letters but from what Wiest read, many of them were happy new year wishes. “I think they just wrote every year a couple of times. They would say ‘We hope you’re in good health and we hope your family has peace this year. And good fortune.’” Her theory that she was put up for adoption due to financial reasons was also confirmed in the letters. She was unplanned and her biological sisters were much older when she was born at 12 and 15 years old. “A lot of it was saying that my dad, my biological dad, was really sick at the time that I was put up for adoption. So that’s probably part of the reason too,” Wiest said. Wiest said that she was in second grade when her parents went through their divorce. The year 2008 was also the same year the last letter between their families was sent. The last letter was small and written on a small piece of paper. Because the addresses were international, they were long and took up a large portion of the envelope. With the original letter is a translated version. Wiest is unsure who translated her letters from Vietnamese. As of right now, Wiest doesn’t feel as if she can reach out to her family in Vietnam. At 18 years old, Wiest is still very young. School also has a large factor in this decision to wait. She wants to be at a more stable point in her life before starting the process of learning more. “I’m in my chapter of college. I feel like I shouldn’t put that much stress on myself to find my parents.” “I definitely want to go to Vietnam eventually
and meet them. I feel like it’s important just because I know so much about them. They clearly wanted to keep in contact with me through the letters. I just think that it’d be really good, in general, to see where I came from.” Wiest recognizes that she is lucky to have such a strong support system. In fact, she said that she wouldn’t be so positive about her adoption if it wasn’t for her parents. Both have given their encouragement in her journey to discover more. “I’ve told her, that’s totally up to her and if that’s what she wants to do, I will do everything I can to help her with that,” said her adoptive father, Matthew Wiest. Her mother also said she would help Wiest in any way she could. “Natalie and I had talked about possibly writing a letter a few years ago. And I’ll help her if she wants to. If she ever wants to go visit, I will help her,” she said. Today, Wiest is proud of being adopted from Vietnam. She also believes that being both adopted and Asian play a large part in who she is and what she wants to do in the world. Currently, Wiest is attending California University of Pennsylvania with a major in social work but prior to declaring this major, she didn’t know what she wanted to do. “I took a quiz online and it said that social workers worked with kids that need to be adopted and I was like ‘I’m a kid who’s adopted.’ I thought that it was really cool that I could use the experience I have to help other people. So, if I wasn’t adopted, I think my whole identity of what I want to do in life would be totally different.” Though her origin story is a part of Wiest’s identity, her father doesn’t think that it defines who she is. He has only ever seen her as his daughter, nothing about adoption or ethnicity separating them. “She’s just Natalie. She’s my daughter... I never understood the race thing, to be honest. I would not change anything, I know that.” Wiest is many things. She’s kind and thoughtful and warm and full of life. While contacting her birth family is a big step, it will not change who she is, it will not turn her into someone else. “I feel like the reason why I wouldn’t change is because my roots are here. Getting to know my biological parents wouldn’t change that. Everything I am and everything I know is rooted here.”
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Dec. 6, 2019
Loss and Gain
Mother gives birth to twins, but only one survives By Ashley Harn, Contributor
Tiffany Wolfe was eight weeks pregnant when she went in for an appointment with her Obstetrician. “I was so excited to see my babies growing and their tiny little heart beats, as tiny as they were,” she recalls.
“I’ve accepted that it wasn’t my fault, and I’ve realized that Mason deserves siblings.”
She went into the appointment knowing that Baby B had measured a little behind at the last appointment, but hopeful that both babies would be thriving. “I guess deep down I had a gut feeling that the ultrasound technician was going to say something was wrong with Baby B but I was still so excited to see my babies.” She remembers lying on the table in the doctor’s office with her boyfriend, Cody Illian, holding her hand. They watched the screen anxiously and answered questions from the ultrasound technician. Wolfe says she knew something was wrong as soon as the room went silent. The technician turned the screen so that they could get a better view and explained what they were seeing. “She showed us Baby A first. She showed us his heart beat and told us that he was thriving and perfectly healthy. Then she moved onto Baby B and showed us that there was no heart beat.”
Wolfe was experiencing Vanishing Twin Syndrome, a condition in which the tissue of one fetus is absorbed by the other twin or multiple as a result of a miscarriage. According to Sirena Leon, a registered nurse in the Family Beginnings department of the Uniontown Hospital, Vanishing Twin Syndrome is a common occurrence in pregnancies of multiples. “We see it pretty regularly in pregnancies with multiples, usually during the first trimester. The moms come in with symptoms of a miscarriage and we perform an ultrasound that shows that they’ve lost one of the fetuses.” Leon says that in her experience, all moms handle the loss differently. “Some of them are so overcome with grief that we worry about what comes next when they leave the hospital. We worry about their ability to move forward and parent their remaining child. On the
other hand, some moms are so thankful to still have one baby that they don’t seem phased by the loss right away.” Wolfe, a first-time parent, was one of the many mothers who are over taken with grief. Josephine Wilson, a childhood friend of Wolfe’s, described her as broken in the weeks after finding out that Baby B had no heartbeat. “I remember she would be in mid conversation and have to excuse herself to the bathroom just to cry over the loss alone. You could hear her turn on the shower to muffle the sound of her crying.” For Wolfe, the hardest part was the feeling that she had done something wrong to cause the loss of her baby. “I felt that it was my fault and that I did something for it to happen,” she says. According to Leon, the most common causes of Vanishing Twin Syndrome are a chromosomal abnormality in the vanishing twin or improper implantation of the umbilical cord. “All the research suggests that it has absolutely nothing to do with the mom or anything she does before or during pregnancy. It’s really just a tragic chance occurrence.” Despite her tragic loss, Wolfe knew that she needed to move forward in order to be the best mother she could to her remaining baby. She says that she coped with the loss by taking it day by day and praying to God. “I would ask God why he had to take my baby; why he didn’t think that I could take care of two babies. Then I would remember, I need to be thankful I still have one baby.” She went on to have a successful pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby boy, Mason, on July 2nd, 2018. “I feel so blessed when I look at Mason. I feel so much love for him, I can just imagine what it would be like with two babies.” Wilson, also a fellow mom, says that she feels the loss of her baby has affected Wolfe’s parenting in a positive way. “It made her closer to Mason, in a way. It made her always remember that she could’ve lost him, before she gets frustrated over little things like if he doesn’t sleep at night or if he cries all day.” Today, Mason is 17 months old. While she still struggles with the loss of her baby, she finds comfort in knowing that she’s putting all her energy into her little boy. She plans to tell Mason when he grows up about his twin and hopes to give him more siblings in the future. “I’ve accepted that it wasn’t my fault, and I’ve realized that Mason deserves siblings. I’ve accepted that I deserve my baby, and I’ll be deserving of any future children that God decides to give us.”
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Dec. 6, 2019
Student Appreciation Week Cal U students receive benefits from annual Student Appreciation Week By Skyler Bogus, Contributor BOG5087@calu.edu
From Monday through Saturday, November 10-16, events have been going on all week for students to get discounted prices on items, get free food and win prizes in honor of Student Appreciation week. “It’s been an eventful week,” said Rylee Bove, a sophomore student at Cal U. “I got a free cookie and hot chocolate on Wednesday at the Vulcan Flyer bus stop; I was so thankful bec¬ause it was early in the morning and it was freezing outside.” The events that are occurring that benefit students for appreciation week include free lunches for veterans on Monday for Veterans day, a cookie giveaway on the Vulcan flyers and a mix off on Wednesday, a gaming tournament on Thursday and a chance to win prizes on Friday. The events are free of charge. The prizes for the gaming tournament and the mix off is up to $100 for first-place, $50 for second and $25 for third place. Friday the prizes include a 40-inch TV or Apple Air pods. Berry Floyd a junior at Cal U said that he is excited for the event on Friday because he was hoping to get the chance to win the tv. Other students like Bove said she was happy just to go to the events. For student appreciation week other events included the men’s and women’s basketball games on Wednesday and the women’s volleyball game on Friday. Including dairy queen bingo and creating the Student Activities board galaxy jars as entertainment for students. “I had so much fun at Dairy Queen bingo,” Payton Conners, a sophomore at Cal U. “I could just relax and eat ice cream while I play bingo.” Other students like Floyd said he took advantage of the discounted items that were offered. At the bookstore all students could get a 20% discount in the bookstore all week. And for students who live on campus they got half priced laundry all week. Breal Savage, a sophomore on campus at Cal U, said that the discounted laundry has really helped her financially and that she’s thankful for the generous gesture.
The members of several organizations around campus are to thank for the week. The student government, whose members are in charge of the collaboration each year, team up with other clubs on campus such as the SAB and the commuter club to help make student appreciation week possible. Seth Shiley, a senior and part of the Student Government board, said that they do student appreciation week once every semester and plan months beforehand. “We want to give back to the students,” said Shiley. “The students deserve a time to relax and get away from all the stresses from upcoming exams.” Student appreciation week has been a tradition
that has been going on for years as it is well received by the students There is positive feedback from students in attendance to these events who go to them for entertainment or to possibly win. At the mix off on Wednesday there was 40 to 50 people who attended the show. “I think that student appreciation week is a great thing,” said Savage. “It helps students relax and take advantage of the opportunities it gives.”
“The students deserve a time to relax and get away from all the stresses from upcoming exams.”
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Dec. 6, 2019
Cal Borough Celebrates Retired Police Chief Police Chief, Rick Encapera, retires after 41 years of hard work By Matt Petras, Contributor State Rep. Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run Township, delivered a celebratory certificate to recently retired area Police Chief Rick Encapera at the meeting on Thursday November, 14 of California Borough Council. Encapera, 70, served in the police department for 41 years and spent almost a decade as chief. He also served as an investigator, parole officer and more. He officially retired February 15, and the borough transferred his position of chief to Timothy Sheehan. Council also approved Margaret Nunley as a new full-time police officer. Cook opened his remarks by quipping that what he gave to Encapera was indeed a citation, but not a bad one. “This is a good type of citation by the way, not the other type of citation,” Cook said. “From the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a citation for the chief, whereas the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania takes
great pleasure in recognizing those citizens who selflessly devote their lives to ensuring the safety of the residents of their communities.” Cook called the day a “very special occasion,” and offered praise for Encapera’s years of service. “The House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pays a respectful tribute to Chief Encapera on his richly deserved retirement and notes with pride and gratitude his record of service, which far exceeds those standards normally ascribed as exemplary,” Cook said. After Encapera accepted the citation following lots of applause, he got a big laugh from the crowd. “Bud, I’m so glad to see you here tonight. I thought they were gonna haul me back to work,” Encapera said. “I’d like to thank everybody here in council, the mayor, all of the police officers, the citizens in California borough for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to serve you.”
After the meeting, Encapera said he has been enjoying retirement. “I miss the job,” Encapera said. “I miss going to work, but it’s time.” Also on Thursday November 14, council voted on a series of motions, including one regarding potentially dangerous trees near the library. “The library board has advised us that there is a problem with two dead linden trees around there that are precariously looming over the building and threaten the structure should they fall,” said Borough Administrator Dr. Richard Martin. Council approved $1,600 to address the trees. This story was made possible by a partnership between the Mon Valley Independent and the Cal Times of California University of Pennsylvania, funded by a grant from Bridge Pittsburgh.
State Representative, Bud Cook (left), awarding a celebratory certificate to recently retired California Borough Police Chief, Rick Encapera (right) at the Cal Borough Council Meeting on Thursday November, 14, 2019. Photo courtesy of Matt Petras.
entertainment
Dec. 6, 2019
Top 5 Video Games for your Christmas List By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu As the month of December begins, we are one step closer to the beginning of a new year. Looking ahead to 2020, there are so many exciting new games to be on the lookout for, especially for PS4. We’ve taken the liberty to assemble a list of recent/upcoming releases to entertain you throughout Winter break and onward into the New Year. I’ve put the following list together in order of release date to make it easy for viewing purposes. Please note that while some of these games are PS4 exclusives, there are some titles that will also be released on other consoles. Here’s the top 5 games to get amped up for:
Shenmue 3 Released on November 19th First up on the list is an action-adventure title that released late last month. For those who may not be familiar with the series, Shenmue is a continuation of the story of Ryo Hazuki, a teenage boy on quest to find his father’s killer in 1980’s China. The original Shenmue was released nearly 18 years ago on Dreamcast. Almost two decades later, Shenmue 3 allows players the opportunity to explore the Bailu Village and catch up with returning characters, bringing both a nostalgic experience to a modernized version of the game. While the 2nd installment of the series left fans with an emotional cliffhanger, Shenmue 3 may offer the closure that many players have long been awaiting, or not. The game is available to play now on PS4 and PC.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot Releases on January 17, 2020 Following the New Year, comes the release of an actioned based RPG Dragon Ball game, giving players the opportunity to relive Goku’s story once more. The game offers players the ability to partake in action-pact fights, fly around the world, eat and fish (things we know Goku loves to do), and interact with other characters (which includes some really epic fight scenes.) This game feels like a great way to enjoy the beloved anime series in a new, interactive way. Dragon Ball will be available to play on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Releases on March 3, 2020 While the third game on the list is a little bit further away, the anticipation and excitement for Final Fantasy VII is at an all-time high. After showcasing some of the games features at the Sony press conference at E3 back in 2015, fans finally got the chance to hear the release date and take a look at some additional components to game this year. This time around, the game will be taking on a more action based dynamic with the introduction of real-time combat. If you haven’t seen the character models for the remake, we strongly suggest you go take a look as soon as possible. The remake of Final Fantasy VII will only be available on PS4 come March.
Cyberpunk 2077 Releases on April 20, 2020 This game may be approaching the bottom of the list, but it is by far my personal favorite and the one I am looking forward to the most. As the latest release from CD Projekt Red (the developers of The Witcher), Cyberpunk is an openworld adventure story that takes place in Night City, a city obsessed with power, glamour, and body modification. While the game is still a ways off from being released to the public, what we’ve seen so far looks absolutely stunning in terms of graphics. Interesting gameplay mechanics such as the ability to shoot enemies while using your mind to scan the environment were also showcased in the initial trailer of the game. The game takes on a variety of new approaches, allowing players the opportunity to fully finish the game without killing anyone, if they so choose. Not to mention Keanu Reaves will be playing a big role in the RPG. The game will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The Last of Us Part II Releases on May 29, 2020 Unfortunately, the last title on our list went from an initial release date in early February to now not hitting stores until the end of May. Still, the Last of Us Part II is a game that has been in development for over 5 years following its well-known and highly praised predecessor. The story picks up with Ellie, a girl immune to a virus that has caused the remainder of the world to turn into flesh-eating zombies. For those who played the first game, you know that Ellie is now much older, and it is still uncertain where her companion Joel is. The first game ended on a bit of cliffhanger after Joel rescues Ellie from being killed. Not too much is known about the sequel, but it appears the game will partly take place in Seattle and there will still be plenty of violence and fight for survival. This game will be exclusively released on PS4 (and we highly recommend you play the first before buying it.)
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Dec. 6, 2019
Where Are They Now?
Taylor Barta, ‘19, follows his dream into the graphic design world By Taylor Barta, Cal U Alum, 2019
Growing up, I always put a focus on my education and improving my skills to be successful in the graphics and art field. Discovering Cal U early on in my educational career put me further towards achieving my goal of finding success in a graphics production job. I was first introduced to CalTimes by one of my professors, Mrs. Susan Urbine. She was so gracious and recommended me for the Graphic Design position for CalTimes after my second semester of classes with her. I never would’ve guessed that working for the school newspaper would teach me so much and open so many doors. Being a part of a professional, office-like environment tested both my individual skills for designing for deadlines, and working with a team to construct amazing layouts and an overall pleasant looking newspaper. I was blessed to work with some amazing people and we were all able to learn a lot from each other. The entire media suite, WCAL (radio), CUTV (television) and CalTimes(newspaper) is a massive, cohesive unite that that I was able to be a part of in its entirety. I learned from the radio how to be myself and express my thoughts and love for entertainment in a professional manner, I learned from CUTV how much teamwork is necessary to accomplish even the most minor tasks sometimes and finally from CalTimes, I learned how important time management and organization is to succeed in a professional environment. I was lucky enough to spend 3 wonderful years in and around the media suite. If it wasn’t for the connections I made, I wouldn’t have had the amazing college experience I did and be in the position I am now. Post-graduation, I took a 4-month break from any and all worries and spent the summer in New Jersey with my family. I got to surf in amazing conditions and even a few Hurricane swells, making that summer one of the most memorable ever. What made it even better was getting a call from two Cal U alumna and owners of a print production company, Peelz TM. They specialize in the design and print production of stickers, wraps and decals for diabetes medical equipment. They were reaching out to
newly graduated CalU Alumni for a new position with them. I was pumped at the opportunity to work for a small company who was looking to upgrade and begin expansion. The call went amazing and we scheduled an interview. Being my usual self, I completely overprepared for their chillax vibe and environment, but it must have worked for me. I heard back from them fairly hastily and since October of this year, I’ve been working there as a Print Production Manager and I couldn’t be more pleased. We all talk about Cal U often and the memories of teachers, events and clubs. I attribute an immense amount of my success to the media suite. Without everyone there, students and staff alike, I don’t know if I would’ve found this success on my own. Thank
you, Cal U! Besides the new job, I continue my love for entertainment and plan on hosting many reunion shows for my old WCAL radio show, The Chill Session, very soon. Most of my free time I invest in going to Yu-Gi-Oh card tournaments 3-4 times a week. I’ve actually earned my invitation to compete in the National tournament this year and I’m pumped for that. I will continue being the optimistic, nerdy, surfer kid who can’t help but sing along to songs that I love. I am blessed with where I am and can’t imagine what this world still has in store for me. Finally, I want to wish the new staff of the Cal Times good luck for this semester and for many semesters to come. Keep journalism alive and kick some serious butt!
“If it wasn’t for the connections I made, I wouldn’t have had the amazing college experience I did.”
entertainment
Dec. 6, 2019
WCAL DJ Spotlight
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Becca Glusco, AKA DJ 626, is a Junior Secondary Ed Major with concentrations in Math and Special Ed. Becca joined WCAL to be able to ‘play music that helps people embrace their inner child and remember the simple things when times get tough.’ Becca completed the majority of her DJ training with WCAL alumnus DJ Spooktacular, and says that her favorite memory with the station, by far, is when she participated in the annual lock in. Becca also serves as the Program Director for WCAL, the President of ALD,
Becca Glusco
Jim Gwyer
IRT-1848E-A
Financial Advisor
and is in the Honors Program. Listen to Becca’s show, ADHD Disney, on Thursday nights from 6-8pm!
edwardjones.com
Member SIPC
100 Third Street California, PA 15419 724-938-2305 ADVERTISEMENT
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Dec. 6, 2019
ALBUM OF THE WEEK By Evan Peffer, Staff Writer PEF9535@calu.edu
DeadTheAlbum - Breathe Carolina Breathe Carolina’s newest release showed a lot of promise with the singles and sneak peaks that were released in the time leading up to it. The stand-out of these sneak peaks, which also happens to be the best song on the album as a whole, is Breathe Carolina’s collaboration with The Ready Set on In the Dark. This song is upbeat and catchy, with The Ready Set adding a final stamp of uniqueness to the song. Sadly, though, the rest of the album does not quite live up to this song. While it is tonally cohesive, and each individual song may be passable, overall the album reads as boring when listened to straight through. It’s missing that extra touch that could have taken the album to its full potential.
RATE: 6.5 /10
A Christmas Story December 7th - 13th By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu
To close out the Fall semester, A Christmas Story will be featured at the Vulcan Theatre. This is a classic holiday film
VULCAN THEATER TUESDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY 4PM - 7PM - 10PM
that truly brings joy to the season! The comedic Christmas tale follows the childhood of Ralphie Parker, a boy who spends most of the film dodging bullies and dreaming of his perfect Christmas present, a “Red Ryder BB Gun.” The film is also filled with his cranky dad, his goofy little brother, and his doting mother. Come out and see the movie before heading home for Winter Break! And be ready for some extremely quotable material when you leave.
RATE: 10/10
entertainment
Dec. 6, 2019
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Cal U Professor Spotlight Professor Lynne Langley is known as the “California Mom” on campus By Matt Petras for the Cal Times
On the first day of her classes, California University of Pennsylvania professor Lynne Langley likes to put on the pop song “Best Day Of My Life,” dance around and encourage her students to sing with her. “It brought such a nice, welcoming atmosphere,” said freshman Courtney Geddes. “It just made all of us happy and laugh.” For decades, Langley, a proud California resident, has brought her up-beat, empathetic teaching to CalU, earning herself the nickname on campus of “California Mom.” Not only has Langley spent all of her life in California, she completed all of her schooling, including two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree, in the area. An adjunct professor at Cal U, she primarily teaches math courses like pre-algebra, but she has taught other subjects on campus as well. She even served as a Zumba instructor on campus for more than 10 years. “She’s just, plain and simple, awesome. She’s one of the best teachers I’ve had,” said Cal U freshman Justin Zerfass. “She just comes every day happy no matter what. Always brings a smile to my face and everybody else’s face. And she’s just a great person.” Math gives many students the most difficulties, but Zerfass said she does a good job of making it easier to understand. “She’s been very helpful,” Zerfass said. “She has a way of breaking things down where it’s much simpler.” This skill translated when Langley began teaching Zumba, she said. She struggled when she first learned it herself and needed it broken down to her, step by step. “It was the same as the math,” Langley said. “Because I had to see things as one, two, three. I was a good teacher of it because I had to learn it. I had a hard time learning it.” She also brought her signature light-hearted, cheery attitude to Zumba, she said. “I was called the woo-hooing Zumba instructor because my big thing was to go, ‘woo-hoo!’” she said. She found herself able to get through to people, just like when she teaches math. “I can get them to get it. I don’t know what it is,”
Langley said. “I think it’s in my DNA.” Both of her parents taught in some way, and her father worked at the university as a judicial officer. She learned a lot from him about how to treat her students. “I watched how he got the respect of the students by being with them and letting them know that you care,” Langley said. “That’s all they want to know, that somebody cares about them.” Another adjunct professor, Kathleen McGrew, has known Langley for about seven or eight years. She respects Langley’s opinions about how best to teach. “I’ll ask her (for) her thoughts on presenting things a certain way and how she would do something, things like that,” Mc-Grew said. “Her students love her and she always makes time for all of them.” Langley has given McGrew more than just professional support. “She’s also been a very true and loyal friend to me,” McGrew said. “Always there if I need help or just someone to listen and let me vent sometimes. We’re there for each other.” Langley also cares deeply about animals. She has a lot of rescue animals as pets, from iguanas to snakes to dogs. “I would do anything to keep an animal from
being abused,” she said. Langley has come to be known by the nickname “California Mom” partly because of her motherly distaste for cell phone obsession. The increased prevalence of smartphones has made it more difficult to keep students’ attention, she said. “I move a lot. I’m in and out. I do videos,” Langley said. “You have to do a lot of different things to keep their interest so they’re not wanting to grab their phones.” She also earned her nickname because of how much she cares for her students. She loves when students come back and tell her she helped them get through the beginning of their college days. “All they want is someone to listen to them and to let them know that they’re thought about and cared about,” Langley said. “I think that’s all anybody wants.” “She’s probably got a heart of gold, a heart as big as the world,” Liptok said. “She’d do anything for anybody.” If Liptok’s memories are any indication, Langley hasn’t changed a bit. This story was made possible by a partnership between the Mon Valley Independent and the Cal Times of California University of Pennsylvania, funded by a grant from Bridge Pittsburgh.
“All they want is someone to listen to them and let them know that they’re thought about and cared about...I think that’s all anybody wants.”
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entertainment
Dec. 6, 2019
The 29th Annual Mix-Off Event
SGA hosts annual non-alcoholic mix off event for Cal U students By Hannah Wyman, Staff Writer WYM7514@calu.edu
Students saw a refreshing campus event on Wednesday night. Part of Student Appreciation Week sponsored by Cal U’s Student Government Association, the 29th annual Alcohol-Free Mix-Off was hosted in the Natali Student Center. Eighteen teams made up of Greek life along with different campus clubs and organizations entered to create and serve a nonalcoholic beverage for the chance to win $100. Student government senator, Skyra Heckman, 19, said a lot went into putting together the event. “We had to get the materials to make a drink and decorations for the theme,” Heckman said. “We wanted to make a good drink but also make sure the table looked it’s best to match the theme we had chosen.” Andrew Elsenheimer, 20, helped FIJI serve a mixture of fruit punch, Ginger Ale, apple juice and cranberry juice which the fraternity dubbed “Stranger Drinks.” “The theme is Netflix and Chill, the most popular show on Netflix is “Stranger Things,”” Elsenheimer explained in good spirits. “Do I think we’ll win? Probably not. But I think I’m having a good time so that’s all that matters.” Conner Kennedy, 20, Jessica Sodmont, 23, and Mary Grace Long, 19 all hosted a table for STAND, one of the on-campus ministries, while blindfolded. With Blair Barstar, 21, flapping feathered wings and cawwing from a paper beak, STAND served a “Bird Box” inspired drink to students. “It is ginger ale with blackberry and cranberry juice and frozen Jell-O to make it like a slushy-kind of consistency,” Sodmont said. “We did “Bird Box” so we could dress Blair as a bird with big props. We all genuinely like the movie.” Outside of the performance center, tables were lined and decked out with thematic props and signs depicting different popular television shows and movies. Service sorority Gamma Sigma Sigma payed homage to the Netflix series “Atypical” while Student Government decorated for “Grey’s Anatomy.” Students stood packed shoulder-to-shoulder,
squeezing to move around. Long saw great participation and thought the event went well. “There is a lot of student involvement which is nice to see,” Long said. “It’s good for clubs to get out there and get their names out.” Rachel Manley, 19, who was representing Sigma Kappa, shared the same sentiment as she observed the crowds of students. “I think it’s definitely a better turnout than last year,” Manley said. “I’m really happy they do this stuff because it gets people just talking to other people and organizations and Greek life.” Heckman said she joined Student Government
because she wanted to help plan events like this for the student body. “I really like the idea of Student Appreciation Week because it’s a good way for us to give back to the students and show we care,” Heckman said. “There’s a lot of events that students can participate in and get the chance to win prizes. This is a great opportunity for students to get involved in campus life.” Judges awarded the Student Activities Board Best Overall and Best Costume awards for their “Orange is the New Black” themed table and drink. Student Government received recognition for Best Presentation.
“There is a lot of student involvement which is nice to see...it’s good for clubs to get their names out.”
entertainment
Dec. 6, 2019
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Happy Horror Days Returns Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park opens for a Halloween/Christmas crossover By Jonathan Sakaguchi, Staff Writer SAK8734@calu.edu
Twas the week before end of the semester and all through the town, deal in the stores and holiday surprises were found. But one surprise that did await, “Happy Horror Days” returning to Haunted Hills Estate. This is a Nightmare before Christmas that Jack Skellington would fear! That’s right, “Happy Horror Days” returns to Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park once again. The HHESP team has turned their two premier haunted houses from nightmares of horror movies into twisted Christmas nightmares. “A different type of Christmas event is coming to Western PA, and Santa Claus will be there - but you probably won’t want to bring the kids to this one,” said the spokesperson for the Estate “Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park in Uniontown will be opening “Happy Horror Days,” an extensive and unique Haunted Christmas Experience, for three weekends in December. The Park, which opened to rave reviews this past Fall, has outfitted two of its haunted houses with outrageous holiday decor and new, festively fearful creatures. This promises to be a new type of experience for the area, complete with rabid elves, a Krampus, dark Christmas creatures, and of course, a run in with the man (soaked) in red
himself.” “We are dedicated to providing unique, quality forms of entertainment to Western Pennsylvania,” says Aidan Finnegan, the event’s Marketing Director.” With Happy Horror Days, we offer an unconventional, yet fun way for local families and horror fans to celebrate the Holidays.” The event features two individual Christmasthemed Haunted Houses; one being a two - floor maze of scenes and scenarios, that places visitors in the middle of a macabre Christmas party - gone horribly wrong. Across the park’s Midway area, visitors can also explore a gory interpretation of Santa’s Workshop. Detailed sets, strategic lighting, chilling sound effects and terrifying costumes further set the stage before live actors strike for the kill. “Think of all the memories you had as a child around this time of year. Hot Cocoa, Christmas Lights, Snowmen, Santa coming down the chimney.
We’ve turned Christmas Nostalgia completely on its head. Some stuff is a little sick, but there’s definitely a Tongue - In - Cheek element, and it’s all part of the fun,” says Finnegan. Happy Horror Days will be open December 6th, 7th, 13th, 14th, 20th, and 21st. Admission to the event is $25 per person, and tickets can be purchased either at the event or via their website, HauntedHillsEstate. com The doors open at 7 p.m. and will run till about 10p.m. Haunted Hills Estate Scream Park is located at 236 Rolling Hills Estate Road, Uniontown, Pa., 15401. Happy Horror Days to all…and to all a good fright!!!
For more information on “Happy Horror Days,” visit www. HauntedHillsEstate. com
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opinions
Dec. 6, 2019
The Democratic Debate Mayor Pete comes out as clear winner in Nov 20 debate By Chris Lisle, Staff Writer LIS7502@calu.edu
At 9 pm on November 20, ten Democratic hopefuls took the stage to argue why they have what it takes to take on President Donald Trump and to defeat him in the 2020 presidential election. The Democrats on stage included Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), South Bend, Ind mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer. Overall, by the end of the debate, there was a clear winner from that crowded stage: Mayor Pete Buttigieg. He was able to successfully dominate the centrist lane, differentiate himself from his progressive rivals, and beat back attacks from his fellow rivals. It was expected that he would sustain many attacks as he has been surging in the polls in the crucial early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. Sen. Harris also seemed to have a strong night, talking directly to the black voters, a crucial Democratic voting bloc, and continuously arguing in favor of the need to rebuild the Obama coalition that sent him to the White House in 2008 and 2012. From where I was sitting, the former Vice President didn’t have a great night yet again. He gaffed and said he had the support of the only black female senator ever elected to the U.S. Senate (he was referring to former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun), despite the fact that Sen. Kamala Harris was on the stage with him and is the
second black female elected to the U.S. Senate. Vice President Biden also struggled with defending his opposition to the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana when attacked on it by Sen. Booker. While Senator Warren and Senator Sanders had a good night in that they really got to drive home their policy positions, there was a noticeable difference in this debate from previous ones: they weren’t the center of attention. Warren and Sanders have been battling over the progressive vote and in previous debates, them, along with Biden, have been the center of attention in the debates and have attacked each other relentlessly. This time around, though, it appeared Buttigieg took that throne away from them. At this point, I think it time for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to end her presidential campaign. In recent months, she has spent her time attacking the Democratic party and the establishment. She has attacked prominent Democrats that are still popular with Democratic voters. The Trump campaign is using comments she made in the debate to help with his re-election efforts. It is noble and certainly American to not accept the status quo and speak out against it, but time and place is key, and she is only helping President Trump and hurting Democratic efforts to take back the White
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House and potentially the Senate. She either needs to start talking about her policy and stop throwing a tantrum over the party or leave the race altogether. I felt that the debate overall could have been better as there wasn’t actually much debate between candidates but rather seemed more like a question and answer session. Candidates faced very few questions regarding the economy, an important policy area to American voters, but discussed impeachment at length. There were times when another candidate was mentioned in a response and that candidate was not given the opportunity to respond at all. Sen. Sanders was mentioned in responses a bit but didn’t get the opportunity to respond a while later, and Sanders was visibly annoyed that he didn’t get to respond when he should have. All in all, I feel the debate could have been improved. So far only six candidates have qualified for the December debate and I look forward to watching as it will be one of the final debates before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
“Pete was able to successfully dominate the centrist lane, differentiate himself from his progressive rivals, and beat back attacks from his fellow rivals.”
opinions
17
Dec. 6, 2019
Defend DACA By Chris Lisle, Staff Writer LIS7502@calu.edu
On November 12, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments over whether the Trump administration’s efforts to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is legal. The Trump administration argued that the DACA program, implemented via executive action in 2012 by President Obama, was unlawful. They also argued that even if it is lawful, the Department of Homeland Security had the right to end the program. The people challenging the administration’s efforts to end the DACA program argue that the administration hasn’t justified ending the program well enough, especially considering how many people rely on the program and how the economy has grown to depend on those people. Looking beyond the legality of the program, I think ending it would be a mistake that not only would cause negative economic effects but would also put a stain on America and her reputation. The U.S. economy has, in some respects, been doing well in recent years. Many low-income jobs that Americans and the economy depend on getting done are completed by immigrants, and the removal of DACA and deportation of Dreamers could hinder that. These kids had no say in coming to America. Their parents brought them here and they had no say in that decision. They grew up in American schools learning American values and beliefs. They grew up putting their hand over their heart and saying the Pledge of Allegiance everyday in school. They’ve gone to sports games and stood for the national anthem. They are just as American as every single person born on our soil. They beautifully demonstrate what it truly means to be an American. George Washington once said, “I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind to whatever nation they might belong.” Many of these individuals come from countries that are ravaged by drug cartels and violence. Their
governments are full of corruption. These are people that have left their home countries for a better life, for a better future. By removing DACA and sending them back, we are sending a stark message as to what we stand for. We are putting politics above human lives. No human is illegal. No human deserves to be sent back to a country that so dangerous to their lives. When will we truly become the country that George Washington hoped we would be? We can be that country. We can be the country that accepts persecuted peoples into our nation. Our very country was founded by peoples that were being persecuted and came to these lands. Why, now, should we tell other people that they cannot come here and are not welcome here? We advocated for democracy, we advocate for human rights, and yet, when we have the opportunity to stand by that stance and show that America cares and that we aren’t going to abandon people in need, we are walking away. Our strengths lie in our differences, not our similarities. These people bring new insights, new perspectives to our society and we should cherish that. President Trump said on the campaign trail that he would take care of Dreamers. He said he would leave them alone. Yet, here he is, fighting in the Supreme Court to get rid of DACA and getting ready to begin deporting them. He’s had the opportunity to have Congress pass the DREAM Act and protect Dreamers and yet he has not had the courage to make that happen. His slogan for his 2020 re-election campaign is “Promises Made. Promises Kept.” From where I’m sitting, it should be “Promises Made. Promises Broken.” He either needs to protect the Dreamers once and for all, or get out of the way so someone else can.
Oliver is collecting items for the Washington County Humane Society through December 31. Congratulations graduates and Happy Holidays to all!
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opinions
Dec. 6, 2019
Thankful for Thanksgiving Traditions Certain Thanksgiving traditions are almost 400 years old By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu
It is the holiday that is celebrated on the last Thursday in November. We spend this holiday by sitting around a table with various types of food and expressing reasons as to why we are feeling thankful. I am talking about the joyous holiday of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving can be traced back to the year 1621 when an event that Americans commonly call the “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by the Pilgrims after their first harvest in the New World in October 1621. Today, Thanksgiving is only celebrated on one whole day, but back then, the feast lasted for three days. This “First Thanksgiving” was deemed a popular event, as accounted by attendee Edward Winslow, who stated that 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims were in attendance that day. However, the way we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving is both similar and different than the way it was celebrated almost 400 years ago. While we still gather with family and friends around a table and pig out on delicious food, it seems as if traditions have changed over the last centuries. Speaking of food, traditional foods prepared on Thanksgiving include turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corned bread, and cranberry sauce. Just about every year, approximately 46 million turkeys are consumed on Thanksgiving Day. For Christmas, about 22 million turkeys are consumed and 19 million turkeys are consumed on Easter. Back in 2011, a whopping 736 million pounds of turkey was consumed in the United States alone! Some of the food eaten at the First Thanksgiving were a little bit different than what is seen on a table today. The residents at Plymouth Colony had an array of food including waterfowl, venison, ham, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. However, at the First Thanksgiving, there was not much variety when it came to dessert. Pies are the most popular dessert dish to prepare for Thanksgiving. Popular pie flavors include pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and apple. Every year, an estimated 50 million pumpkin pies are eaten at dessert time. It is said that the average person will consume about 3,000 calories during a Thanksgiving dinner!
Another popular Thanksgiving tradition is watching the annual “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” on TV, live from streets of New York City. This year, the parade turned 95-years old. The parade always displays marching bands, iconic floats, songs and performances from Broadway musicals, and the always famous giant helium-filled balloons. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade originated in 1924 back in Newark, New Jersey, which is right across the Hudson River from New York City. It is said reported that over 10,000 volunteers walk in the parade. Also, the parade follows its annual route from 77th Street and Central Park West and stretches 2.5 miles from West 77th Street to Macy’s Herald Square on West 34th Street. Aside from watching the Macy’s Parade, many football games are played on Thanksgiving…this includes games seen on TV or the annual “turkey bowl” you play with family and friends in your backyard.
Another exciting tradition of Thanksgiving is going out Black Friday shopping, which marks the beginning of the Christmas season. However, Black Friday can seriously get out of control with all the hustle and bustle of shoppers trying to claim that perfect Christmas gift. Every year, Black Friday starts earlier and earlier with stores opening on Thanksgiving Day rather than opening on Friday. With stores opening so early, it does not allow retail employees to spend the holiday with their families. There are so many traditions celebrated during the holiday of Thanksgiving, and no matter what that tradition is, or how you celebrate it, go out with a bang. Thanksgiving is the only holiday where you get to pretend to take a nap after dinner so you do not have to help wash the dishes. But in the end, remember to give thanks at Thanksgiving.
“No matter what that tradition is, or how you celebrate it, go out with a bang.”
opinions
19
Dec. 6, 2019
Cal U students complain about lack of campus parking Parking director addresses concerns By Megan Organist, Contributor ORG5556@calu.edu
Many college students enjoy venting about everyday struggles such classes and lack of sleep and money, but few things seem to give California University of Pennsylvania students as much reason to complain as the current parking situation. The way the university parking is currently set up, students can choose between two types of parking options: Tier 1 or Tier 2. For $150 a semester, students with a Tier 1 parking permit can choose to be able to park in either Lot 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 19 20, 21, 22, 23, or 24; Lot 14 and select areas of Lot 4 are reserved for faculty, according to the university’s parking webpage. Students with a Tier 2 pass pay only $100 per semester, but are limited to parking in Lot 4 and select areas of Lot 14. A common point of contention among students with a Tier 2 parking permit is not being able to find a parking place. Despite not having a car of her own to park on campus, Cal student Mellissa Heintzinger is quite familiar with the complaints of her fellow students who are often have to park at Vulcan Village when the lot they have purchased a permit for is full, she said. This semester marks the first semester Cal senior Richelle Santangelo has not purchased a parking permit for Lot 4 and instead purchased one for Lot 5. There were many times when she had a Lot 4 permit that she was unable to get find a parking place, making her late for class; this is yet to happen in Lot 5, Santangelo said. Although she does not like paying extra, Santangelo said that having a parking permit is absolutely necessary to her and will purchase one again for her final semester. Lots 4 and 14 are the most common parking option selected by commuters, who make up 60 percent of Cal U students, said Chris Johnston, director of university parking. The overcrowding, particularly in Lot 4, may be attributed to the increase in resident students who use that lot to store their cars in, said Johnston.
An increase in the number of students living at Vulcan Village who choose to drive their own cars and park in Lot 4 rather than take the Vulcan Flyer is also contributing to overcrowding, said Johnston. Finding available parking spaces might not be so much of struggle for students if the Vulcan Parking Garage, which in 2015 was listed as Lot 22 on the campus map, had not been shut down before the start of the fall 2016 semester. The garage currently stands empty, but maybe not for long.
“We hope to have the Vulcan Garage repaired and in service soon,” said Johnston. “This will provide even greater hourly and temporary parking, which is helpful especially with on-campus events.” Until then, Johnston urges students to park only within the areas designated on their permits, so as not to add to the problem of overcrowding.
To learn more about student parking options, go to www.calu.edu/ inside/parking/ or visit the Parking and Transportation office located in the library.
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Dec. 6, 2019
puzzles
sports
Dec. 6, 2019
21
Cal U Welcomes New Swimming Head Coach April Gitzen is ready to guide the swim team to success By Austin Heckman, Contributor HEC7947@calu.edu
After 18 years as head coach of the California University of Pennsylvania swimming team, Ed Denny retired earlier this year. Now, we get a look at Cal U’s swimming future with new head coach April Gitzen Gitzen, formerly April Staniszewski, is from South Park, Pennsylvania. She attended Cal U where she had a remarkable career as a swimmer (200509). She broke multiple school individual records at the time (400 IM of 4 minutes 36.66 seconds, 200 Breaststroke of a time of 2 minutes 25.07 seconds, and 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1 minute 6.23 seconds). She earned All-PSAC honors her Senior season at 400 IM and at a league meeting as a member of the 400-medley relay. April competed at the 2009 NCAA Championship in Houston, Texas. She competed in the 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 400 IM, and as a member of the 400-medley relay. April earned College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) honors in 2009 also. Gitzen was a Sport Management Major here at Cal U, and she earned her bachelor’s in 2009. Gitzen came back next year and earned a Master’s in Sport Management with a concentration in intercollegiate athletic administration. After her swimming career, she decided to go into coaching. She first started coaching the South Park Aquatic Club. After that she coached at West Virginia Wesleyan College. On differences between Cal U and West Virginia Wesleyan, Gitzen said: “Two obvious major differences, one is a public school and the other is a private school. Also, here at Cal U, there is only a women’s swim team compared to Wesleyan where they had a men’s and women’s swim team. But other than that, it is still Division II and the same rules apply.” At West Virginia Wesleyan College, Gitzen spent eight seasons (2011-2019) as the Swimming Head Coach for both Men’s and Women’s Teams. There she won Mountain East Conference (MEC) Coach of The Year in 2018 (Men’s Team) and 2019 (Both Men’s and Women’s Teams). Gitzen also took both the Men’s and Women’s teams to the MEC Championship in
“I’ve always wanted to be closer to home and be with family; that was my main driving factor into picking Cal U.” 2019. Last season, Gitzen coached both the MEC Men’s Swimmer of the Year, Arthur Assfeld, and the MEC Women’s Freshmen of the Year, Kylee Jackson. On why she chose to leave Wesleyan and coach at Cal U, Gitzen said “I’ve always wanted to be closer to home and be with family, that was my main driving factor into picking Cal U. I have always loved this institution; I have learned a lot and grew a lot as a person here during my five years. So, I wanted to come back and give back to the players.”
On what Gitzen expects from her team for the remainder of this season, she said “Is just for everyone to do their best every day. They’re not going to achieve their best time every time they swim or practice their best every day. But, if they try their best every time, I’m always going to be happy. I just want to continue to progress, and have more swimmers qualify for PSACs, and to win more meets.”
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Dec. 6, 2019
Vulcans earn win at Glenville State, 83-72
sports
Alexander posts first career double-double; Cal U scores season-high 58 points in the paint By Alex King, Cal U Sports Information Photo by Jeff Helsel, Cal Times
S ophomore Zyan Collins s core d a t e am-high 23 point s and re dshirt s ophomore Philip Alexander post e d a double-double, as the California University of Pennsylvania men’s basketball t e am s e cure d an 83-72 vict or y at Glenville Stat e in non-conference action on Sunday, De c. 1. With the win, the Vulcans extend their win streak to five-straight games and improve to 5-2 overall and hold a 2-1 record against Mountain East Conference (MEC) opponents this year. It marks the first five-game winning streak for the program since the 2011-12 campaign when Cal U started the season with a 5-0 record. Meanwhile, the Pioneers drop back-to-back games and fall to 4-2 this season after being held to a season-low in points on Sunday. Collins scored a season high in points and matched a career high in field-goals made after converting 11-of-18 from the field. The Virginia native also added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 40 minutes of action. Collins has scored in double-figures in six-consecutive games and ranks second on the team in scoring at 15.6 points per game this season. Alexander registered his first collegiate doubledouble after totaling 19 points on 8-of-16 attempts and a career-high 11 rebounds (seven offensive), plus tallied two assists and two steals, in 39 minutes. He is averaging 19.5 points per game over the last two contests while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor. Junior Brent Pegram finished with 17 points after making eight-of-nine from the free-throw line against the Pioneers. He also tallied four rebounds and five assists in 40 minutes of play. Freshman Luke House recorded nine points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 40 minutes, while sophomore Jermaine Hall, Jr. returned to the lineup after missing the last three games and posted eight points, seven rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes. Freshman Babatunde Ajike scored seven points and added eight rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes off the bench. The Vulcans established an early 13-6 advantage after starting the contest shooting six-of-eight from the field, led by Alexander with six points. The Pioneers responded by scoring seven of the next nine points to cut the deficit to 15-13 at the 13:49-mark. Cal U countered with eight-unanswered points to take a 23-13 lead before the Vulcans used a 9-3 run to stretch the advantage to 32-16 with 9:19 remaining in the first half. Glenville State then went on a 15-4 rally over a five-plus minute span to close the gap to 36-31, while Cal U was held to just four shot attempts and forced into four turnovers during that stretch. The Vulcans would score on a pair of layups in the closing minutes to hold a 41-33 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Cal U converted three-of-five shots in the opening two-plus minutes to stretch the lead to 49-37 at the 16:38-mark. The Pioneers started to chip away at the lead after knocking down five-ofseven from the field to trim the deficit to 55-48 with 12:35 left to play. The Vulcans responded with ninestraight points, including a three-pointer from House, to extend the advantage to 64-48 at the midway point of the second half. The teams would trade points over the next three minutes before Glenville State mounted a 13-4 rally to close the gap to 75-68 with just over three minutes remaining. Collins halted the run with a layup before both teams went scoreless for nearly two minutes. Pegram would seal the 83-72 victory after converting a perfect four-of-four from the free-throw line in the final minute. Cal U finished the game shooting 47.8 percent (33-of-69) from the floor while converting 14-of-17 (82.4 percent) from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Glenville State shot 40.0 percent (30-of-75) from the field and made just 9-of-38 (23.7 percent) from three-point range. The Vulcans held a 45-40 edge in rebounds and scored a season-high 58 points in the paint, while the Pioneers tallied 22 second-chance points. Senior Phil Bledsoe posted a double-double behind a game-high 24 points on 10-of-23 shooting and 12 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Junior Rodney Ray finished with nine points, six rebounds and two assists, while Glenville State featured three players tied at eight points in the loss. The Vulcans return to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover action on Saturday, Dec. 7, when they travel to face Shippensburg at 3 p.m.
Cal U men’s basketball team redshirt sophomore Philip Alexander
sports
Dec. 6, 2019
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Women’s basketball team moves to No. 9 in national poll Cal U featured in top 10 for fifth-consecutive year By Cal U Sports Information Photos by Jeff Helsel, Cal Times The California University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team jumped four positions to No. 9 in the latest Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Coaches’ Poll on Tuesday afternoon. The Vulcans have now been featured in the top 10 of the national poll in five-consecutive years. Cal U is tied with Lee (Tenn.) and Lincoln (Pa.) for the most wins in the country this season with seven. The Vulcans have opened the year with seven-consecutive victories and are one of nearly 40 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II. Last week, Cal U earned a 68-57 victory at Central State (Ohio) of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) on Tuesday before claiming a pair of wins at home over the weekend. The Vulcans started Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Crossover play on Saturday with a 79-56 victory against Lock Haven after five players scored in double-digits. The following day, Cal U rolled to a 70-42 victory over Mansfield behind a bench that accounted for 36 points. Cal U remains one of two teams from the PSAC and is now one of three teams from the Atlantic Region featured in the national rankings. Virginia Union (4-1) and IUP (5-1) both moved up one spot to Nos. 13 and 15, respectively, following a combined five wins last week. Glenville State (3-2), which was No. 22 last week, dropped out of the poll after suffering a one-point road loss at Ohio Dominican. The top-five teams remained unchanged from last week’s poll, but a pair of teams in the top 10 fell in the rankings following their initial losses of the year. Drury (Mo.) (4-0) continues to sit at No. 1 with 12 firstplace votes and is followed closely by defending-National Champion Lubbock Christian (Texas) (5-0), which received 12 first-place votes. Grand Valley State (5-0) and Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (4-0), which received the remaining first-place vote, continue to sit third and fourth, respectively. Fort Hays State (Kan.) (4-0) was idle last week and remained at No. 5. The Vulcans are idle for over a week due to Thanksgiving and return to action on Dec. 7 when they travel to Shippensburg at 1 p.m.
Cal U women’s basketball team senior transfer Monica Burns
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sports
Dec. 6, 2019
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Athlete Spotlight courtesy of Sports Information - Photos by Jeff Helsel
KARLEY OWENS Photo by : Name
CLASS: SENIOR MAJOR: SPECIAL EDUCATION: Pre-K HOMETOWN: LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA HIGH SCHOOL: GREATER LATROBE
Karley Owens recorded a pair of top-five all-time times in school history over the weekend while competing at the Magnus Cup hosted by Cleveland State. She reached the PSAC-qualifying standard in four different events and advanced to the finals in three events. Owens posted the fifth-best time in program history in both the 100 breaststroke (1:06.31) and 200 breaststroke (2:25.40) while competing in the ‘B’ finals of each event. The Greater Latrobe product also set season-best times in the 100 butterfly (1:00.13) and 200 IM (2:16.63) while in Cleveland.
ZYAN COLLINS CLASS: SOPHOMORE MAJOR: EXPLORATORY STUDIES HOMETOWN: SOUTH RIDING, VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL: FREEDOM Collins averaged 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game over the weekend, as Cal U opened league play with a pair of crossover victories. He recorded his first double-double of the season on Saturday with season highs of 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 73-70 win over Lock Haven. The Virginia native also collected three assists, two blocks and two steals versus the Bald Eagles. Collins then posted 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists in an 89-69 victory against Mansfield on Sunday.