Cal Times Oct. 4, 2019 - Homecoming Preview Edition

vol. 50 no. 2 Oct. 4, 2019

news

Oct. 4, 2019

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ABOUT THE COVER

C al U’s Home c oming we ek and we ekend is c oming up, from O ctob er 7-12. The we ek will feature activ ities, sp orting events, giveaways, and of c ours e, voting for Home c oming Royalty. To v iew the full s che dule and candidates for King and Que en, s e e pages 10-13.

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 biweekly 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

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

322 3rd Street California, Pennsylvania 724-938-2395

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!

c a l t i mes .o rg caltimes@calu.edu 724.938.4321

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: Danny Beeck, Angela D’Amato, Pam DelVerne, Evan Peffer, Reggie Supris, 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.

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Oct. 4, 2019

Coover Hall Rededication Ceremony

By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu

A campus landmark has finally re opene d with a brandnew lo ok. The newly renovat e d Co over Hall has b e en transforme d inside and out with all the b ells and whistles one could imagine.

The former industrial arts building, which was originally c onstructe d in 1938, has re op ene d its do ors with a larger fo otprint, up date d utilities, state-of-the-art te chnology, and a brand new b old lo ok.

A re de dication c eremony for the grand re op ening of Co over Hall was hoste d during c ommon hour on Tues day Septemb er, 17, 2019.

“Co over Hall has b e en transforme d into a thoroughly mo dern facility, wih all the latest te chnology,’ said President G eraldine M. Jones in her remarks at the c eremony.

“It’s an ideal home for our D epartment of Applie d Engine ering and Te chnology, and for s ome of our hands-on c ours es in art and graphic design.”

Co over Hall is lo cate d just steps away from the Quad on campus. The building has b e en clos e d for c onstruction work for just ab out two years.

New c onstruction has adde d more than 4,200 s quare fe et and a mov ing steam line double d the studio and classro om spac e on the lower level. The building is air c onditione d and an elevator improves ac c ess. Other features include high-

efficiency windows that brings in ab out 90% of natural light inside, and energysav ing LED lamps which have brightene d up remo dele d hallways, classro oms, and labs.

The main flo or prov ides spac e for me chatronics engine ering te chnology, industrial te chnology and te chnology e ducation programs. This includes a STEM/ Clean Prototyping Lab where students can work with 3D printers, las er engravers, a digital flatb e d cutter, and small-format CNC milling machine. The Physical Te chnologies Lab is e quipp e d for light fabrication; a s eparate ro om is designe d for working with metals, plastics, and wo o ds on a larger s cale.

Throughout the building, the latest te chnology has b e en installe d in “smart” classro oms and instructional c omputer labs. The two year, $11 million proje ct was funde d through the state D epartment of G eneral s erv ic es, with an additional $1.1 million allo cate d for built-in furnishings.

Co over Hall’s past has not b e en eras e d, it has b e en enhanc e d tremendously.

The photos:

Ab ove: An exterior picture of the newly renovate d Co over Hall.

Far Left: President G eraldine Jones joine d by others in cutting the c eremonial ribb on.

Left: The ground flo or b oasts a sp e ctacular c ommuter lounge.

All photos c ourtesy of Leigh Swartzfager

Oct. 4, 2019

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Liberal Arts Festival Draws in Crowds

Annual Liberal Arts Festival gives a taste of different cultures Photos By Lily Gongaware, Graphic Designer GON7253@calu.edu

The College of Lib eral Arts hoste d the annual Art & Culture Around the World Lib eral Arts Festival on O ctob er 1, 2019 in the Convo cation Center.

The event inv ite d b oth C al students and lo cal high s cho olers to explore multiculturalism and opp ortunities for students. Include d in the event were live drawing/painting s essions, crafts, ethnic fo o d, and dancing. View v ide o c overage of the event on our s o cial me dia pages, @C alTimesNews.

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Oct. 4, 2019

Ready, Set, Relay for Life!

12th Annual Relay for Life event raises over $14k for cancer research

By Angela D’Amato, Contributor DAM8341@calu.edu

Re ady, s et, Relay! This past we ekend CalU held their 12th annual Relay for Life. The event was full of games, activities, and lot s of walking.

There were 28 teams that registere d for the event and many c ommunity memb ers als o attend in supp ort of the caus e.

This year the goal for Relay was s et at $10,000, all to b e donate d to the American C anc er So ciety.

At the start of the event, with help from all the teams that signe d up and other c ommunity memb ers, Relay rais e d $12,500 and by the end of the event, the total was up to $14,000. The top teams who rais e d the most money were the Relay for Life Club and the C alU Staff and Friends. Top groups include d G amma Sig ma Sig ma and Sig ma Kappa. Throughout the end of last s emester and the b eginning of the current s emester, the Relay for Life Club held fundrais ers to gain supp ort and start fundraising. One of thes e fundrais ers, b eing “D ial a Dog,” where they made and s old hot dogs on campus. The money that is rais e d helps the C anc er So ciety to assist p e ople and their families who are struggling with canc er.

The American C anc er So ciety offers things such as fre e rides to and from do ctor’s app ointments, fre e wigs, and fre e nights of lo dging for patients. To prov ide a fre e ride actually takes $20, while wigs are $75, and $100 for lo dging.

Rachel C apar, memb er and treasurer of the Relay for Life Club on campus, said “It was really awes ome to s e e our efforts pay off and the supp ort of the C al students and c ommunity, all for canc er supp ort and res earch!” C apar als o said that it was exciting to s e e how Relay grew this year from the past, esp e cially last year.

The event starte d off with a sp e e ch from s ome memb ers of the Relay for Life Club on campus as well as a repres entative from the American C anc er So ciety all explaining what would happ en during the day.

Throughout the event, participants were

able to play games s et up by organizations, like s ororities and fraternities. Each organization that participate d was able to pick a c ertain typ e of canc er to show their supp ort for as well as make their own games participants c ould play. Participants c ould als o jump in the b ounc e hous e, get s ome fo o d from vendors, and even try their hand at the dunk tank which feature d multiple p e ople during the day. Throughout the day, participants als o playe d games that the Relay for Life Club put on; like musical chairs and a game with a ball of plastic wrap and prizes inside.

Some other sp e cial events that to ok plac e were raffle baskets, pinwhe els, and lap b eads. The Raffle baskets were fille d with exciting prizes like gift cards to restaurants, sp orts-relate d items, and even a fire pit.

The pinwhe els were a meaningful proje ct

were indiv iduals were able to write names in memory, supp ort, or honor of p e ople clos e to them who had or have canc er. The lap b eads were given to p e ople who were walking. Everyone got one b ead for every lap they walke d and they were able to c olle ct them and put them on a string s o they c ould v isually show how many laps they to ok throughout the day.

Participants had fun with their friends and organization memb ers while als o supp orting a meaningful caus e. One participant Kayla G ermini, who is a junior and in G amma Sig ma Sig ma, participate d in her first Relay saying “My first Relay was one to rememb er. I’m s o happy how much we as a s cho ol rais e d this year!”

The event then ende d with a silent lap around the track to signify a moment of silenc e for p e ople affe cte d by canc er.

“It was really awesome to see our efforts pay off...all for cancer research.”

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news

Oct. 4, 2019

Storming Area 51... why?

More than 2,000 attendees visit to “see them aliens”

By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu

Sitting just about 83-miles outside the bustling city of Las Vegas, Nevada, lies the Mojave Desert. Las Vegas, or often known simply as Vegas, is the 28th most populated city in the United States and the most populated city in the state of Nevada. While most visitors to this city get lost in the lights, casinos, and famous Las Vegas strip, there is a sequestered area that lies outside of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.

We have all seen in the news about the “Area 51 Raid.” Area 51 is the common name of a highly classified United States Airforce facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range. The facility is officially called Homey Airport or Groom Lake, named after the salt flat situated next to its airfield. Located almost three hours north of Las Vegas, the Area 51 facility is considered to be one of the most heavily-guarded federal government property in the United States.

Earlier this summer, a new Facebook group was created called “Storm Area 51: They Can’t Stop Us All.” This group started out as a joke and then very quickly went almost instantly viral. The intended purpose of this Facebook group was to get “alien enthusiasts” to storm the Area 51 facility in the dead of night in

the early morning hours of September 20th and 21st, 2019. More than two million people has RSVP’d to the event. Numerous memes about storming Area 51 had instantly spread throughout Facebook and then spread to other social media platforms including Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Discord. People joked about how they intended to “see them aliens.”

The town of Rachel, Nevada, which is near-ish to Area 51, but about 45-miles from the nearest gas station, braced for visitors.

It was not totally clear how much this Facebook group thing was a joke or whether it was serious--an Internet meme that got stuck somewhere in the delicate membrane that separates the online world, with its anime-inspired advice for how to sprint in a way that helps you dodge bullets (head forward, arms pointed straight back, it’s called “Naruto running”), and real life, where Area 51 is guarded by armed military officers who probably could stop as many people as they wanted to.

Who were these people and why did they come to this Facebook group? Some came for the memes while others came because they love and have an interest in the paranormal or they were bored. Some even had intentions to

sell stuff or some combination of these reasons.

Many jokes came up from this idea of storming Area 51. Over time, the memes, jokes, and Facebook group had seemed to die down in activity. As the storm date of September 20th grew near, many people who followed the event wondered if people were actually crazy enough to storm Area 51. On the morning of the storm date, crazy-enough people actually did show up to the testing facility. At least 2,000 people showed up for the gathering and prepared to “storm Area 51.” The visitors had come to test the boundaries.

While being a very secretive U.S. military base, Area 51 is best known among conspiracy theorists and in popular culture as the place where the U.S. government has stashed alien spacecraft. (The Pentagon has acknowledged funding UFO research in general, but the U.S. government has said that Area 51 was a secret While this whole “Storm Area 51: They Can’t Stop Us All” joke came into play, it was unclear about the intentions for storming this U.S. military base. While adventure seekers went to the grounds of Area 51, others stayed behind and watched it all uncover on the news. Area 51 is definitely a strange place with strange activities occurring.

“While most visitors to this city get lost in the lights, casinos, and famous Las Vegas strip, there is a sequestered area that lies outside of the hustle and bustle of Las Vegas.”

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entertainment

Oct. 4, 2019

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Where are they now?

Danny Beeck ‘19 begins career with NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers

By Danny Beeck, Cal U Alumnus, 2019

I can still he ar the theme s ong coming from the old tub e TV sitting in my living ro om. Waking up e arly on the we ekends t o wat ch my favorit e sport s stars and how they fare d the night b efore is one of the e arliest memories I have growing up.

I wante d to b e on the s cre en one day talking ab out the pros and rav ing ab out their talents.

Fast-forward to high s cho ol, and my sights on the s cre en change d just a bit.

I starte d to develop a taste for more of the creative asp e cts of journalism, and even the p ossibilities of b eing b ehind the camera. My high s cho ol pro duc e d the morning announc ements with two different hosts, and I was always to o afraid to b e the one mic’d up. I found a passion for storytelling through words and for making extremely low quality v ide os with a humorous twist at the end of the morning announc ements. I had big dreams ab out what I c ould do with a degre e, and that le d to making a trip across the state to C alifornia University of Pennsylvania where I develop e d my passion for storytelling even more.

Starting at C al U, I still had a fear of b eing in front of the camera. At every chanc e, I volunte ere d to do the less-than-desirable jobs. I aske d to do the stories that nob o dy wante d to do, or just didn’t have time to do. I to ok advantage of every opp ortunity that was given to me. My first opp ortunity was announcing a high s cho ol fo otball game after only a few months of b eing at s cho ol, and I thought back to the c ountless times that I c ommentate d my Madden games on Xb ox. It might s ound crazy, but I’m almost p ositive that I was not the only p ers on that has ever done it. I starte d to get c omfortable, and develop e d my on-air p ers onality.

The announcing le d to writing,

and it all to ok off from there. I to ok advantage of an opp ortunity at the C al Times newspap er, and found mys elf in the E ditor-In-Chief chair starting my s enior year. I s ent my resume to the Pittsburgh Penguins during the summer of my s enior year, and lande d a pro duction internship which stoke d the fire yet again to achieve my dreams. Being clos e to the team and working alongside s ome of the most talente d p e ople I know allowe d me to b e a sp onge in that env ironment. I learne d the fundamentals of op erating in the professional sp orts field, and it turne d into a part-time p osition at the c onclusion of my internship.

The Penguins s eas on came to an end, and another opp ortunity op ene d up with AT&T S p ortsNet. I gaine d invaluable exp erienc e with e diting s oftware and working in a fast-pac e d env ironment that was very similar to a news format with a sp orts twist. It wasn’t the team side, but it showe d me the imp ortanc e of getting work done in a timely manner, and with pre cision.

Graduation was just around the c orner, and s o was crunch time. I had big dreams, and I wante d to get to the

top. The Tampa Bay Buc cane ers gave me a chanc e, and I jump e d on it right away. Packing up my life and mov ing to a different c orner of the c ountry might s ound daunting, but in my mind, I achieve d a life-long dream of mine.

Working in the NFL in any capacity was fulfille d after travelling 1,001 miles to Tampa, F lorida.

I hit the ground in a full sprint when I starte d, and to ok on proje cts that might have b e en over my head. I to ok advantage of the opp ortunity, and aske d to take on even more after that.

It was the relentless desire to prove to thos e around me that I des erve d to b e there that lande d me the internship, which turne d into a full-time p osition after almost a month and a half.

Although the role change d, the spirit never will.

I cannot say enough ab out the opp ortunities and the exp erienc es that I had at C alifornia University of Pennsylvania. A small s cho ol nestle d in the c orner of Pennsylvania op ene d up s o many do ors to the big stage.

Take advantage of opp ortunities and find your passion. Chas e that goal and never los e your spirit.

“I took advantage of the opportunity, and asked to take on even more after that.”

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entertainment

Oct. 4, 2019

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Beta Game introduces cross-play and new modes to franchise

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

The Call of D uty: Mo dern Warfare b eta kicke d off it s first we ekend of e arly-rele as e play on S ept emb er 19th and remaine d open until S ept emb er 23rd. The opening we ekend b eta did not fe ature the highly anticipat e d crossplay fe ature t o the franchis e, but it did allow players the chance t o jump back int o the action and t est out the game b efore it s official rele as e in lat e O ct ob er.

The 2v2 Gunfight mo de made its debut to the public during op ening we ekend of the b eta and re c eive d a rather p ositive resp ons e from players, b eing note d as a nostalgic mo de that brings C all of Duty back to its original ro ots.

We ekend two of the online b eta b egan on Septemb er 20th and ende d on Monday, Septemb er 23rd, prov iding fans with the last taste of the game for over a month.

D espite this b eing the last playthrough b efore the game’s releas e, we ekend two brought with it the intro duction of crossplay to the franchis e, allowing players on any system the ability to join forc es and hit the battlefield.

Other mo des for play during its s e c ond we ekend of op en b eta include d the 32v32 Ground War mo de where teams of 32 duke it out on a large-s cale map featuring vehicles and other metho ds of mass destruction.

Two full we ekends of action-packe d gameplay may not b e enough to fully make a c onclusion ab out the suc c ess of the newest COD game to hit the stores, but it has prov ide d enough insight to identify things that develop ers should tweak b efore the game is officially releas e d to the public.

Many c omplaints following the b eta revolve around the game’s spawning system. Typically, it is c ommon for players to respawn near their remaining teammates.

Yet, the spawning within Mo dern Warfare has s e en s everal rep orts from players who state they are b eing spawne d dire ctly next to their opp onents, resulting in them b eing insulting kille d up on re-entering the battle.

D evelop ers, Infinity Ward, are aware of the spawning issues that many players have actively voic e d and will hop efully makes steps to improve this element of the game b efore it hits storefronts.

“COD developers seem to finally have an understanding of what their hardcore fan base wants to see.”

In re c ent years, C all of Duty has pursue d a more futuristic approach throughout its games, offering a fast-pac e d and dystopian storyline to the well-known campaign mo de. With the releas e of Black Ops 4 in late 2018, not only was the campaign mo de c ompletely eradicate d, but the franchis e b egan to pursue its role in the Battle Royale genre with the intro duction of Blackout, a mo de where 88 players c ould fight to their death to b e the last man standing.

Many fans dislike d the futuristic take on the game and have made s everal demands that the franchis e return to its typical, first-p ers on-sho oter style it originally drew its suc c ess from.

With the rather p o or p erformanc e of its pre de c ess or, Mo dern Warfare will onc e again offer players the long-awaite d opp ortunity to immers e thems elves in a traditional take on the campaign mo de of the game. The return of campaign mo de do es not mean that the fo cus will shift away from the b elove d multiplayer mo des. Players will still have the chanc e to c omp ete against one another online in traditional multiplayer mo des such as Team D eathmatch and Domination. As new multiplayer mo des are intro duc e d to the franchis e, COD develop ers s e em to finally have an understanding of what their hardc ore fan bas e wants to s e e.

Although my p ers onal opinion on the game following the b eta is still undetermine d, b oth mys elf and the rest of the gaming c ommunity is intereste d to s e e how C all of Duty: Mo dern Warfare will p erform following the full version releas e on O ctob er 25th.

Call of D uty: Mo dern Warefare will b e rele as e d in lat e O ct ob er.

entertainment

Oct. 4, 2019

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ALBUM OF THE WEEK

By Evan Peffer, Staff Writer PEF9535@calu.edu

Tiny Moving Parts - breathe Tiny Moving Parts’ newest release, breathe, is what you would expect from the band. They’ve clearly found a sound that works for them, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be changing it up any time soon.

The album is good, especially when listening to each song as an individual. However, the band’s comfortability with this type of sound is obvious seeing as how most of the songs are very formulaic.

On a first listen, distinguishing the songs from one another becomes almost impossible. While this does make it difficult to get a feel for each song, it does happen to make the album perfect as background noise if you need something upbeat on while you work on something else. Overall, the album shows great skill at songwriting techniques, it just happens to possibly be a little too much of a good thing.

RATE: 85/100

By Sam Kuhne, Entertainment Editor KUH6802@calu.edu

OCTOBER 5 - 11

VULCAN THEATER MOVIE REVIEW Jordan Peele’s Us

The month of October kicks off with US taking the screen at the Vulcan Theater. This thrilling box-office hit follows alongside Adelaide Wilsons as she returns to her childhood home. An

VULCAN THEATER TUESDAY, SATURDAY, & SUNDAY 4PM - 7PM - 10PM

uneasy feeling is felt not only by the characters in this film, but also by the audience as the main characters come face-to-face with four masked strangers who send the Wilsons in a fight for survival. Most unsettling of all, when these masked figures finally reveal what’s under the mask, they are met with an identical version of themselves. Director Jordan Peele has made a name for himself throughout the industry with other classic hits such as, Get Out. While his style is unusual for the genre, Peele knows how to develop a good story line and send a terrifying chill up your spine.

RATE: 95/100

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Oct. 4, 2019

homecoming

Design By Reggie Supris, MAC Lab

homecoming

Oct. 4, 2019

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homecoming

Oct. 4, 2019

KAYLA BALDINGER

THOMAS SCHIEDLER

JOCELYN SIMMERS Homecoming King and Queen elections will be held on Sunday, October 6th and Monday, October 7th in the lower lobby of the Natali Student Center.

MADDIE RUSH

MAGGIE CAVE

You MUST be a currently MUST BRING YOUR CAL CAR

g candidates

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Oct. 4, 2019

MIRANDA ANDERSON

MICHAEL BORDONARO

ERIC TOWNSEND

enrolled student and you RD to be permitted to vote!

CYNTHIA OBIEKEZIE

OLIVIA EBERSOLE Sunday, October 6th: 5-9PM Monday, October 7th: 8AM-9PM

14 The photo: In this photo releas e d by the official website of the offic e of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani briefs me dia at Mehrabad airp ort pav ilion up on arriv ing in Tehran from New York, where he attende d the Unite d Nations G eneral Ass embly, Iran, Friday, Sept. 27, 2019.

Rouhani said U.S. sanctions on his c ountry are “more unstable than ever.” (Iranian Presidency O ffic e v ia AP)

opinions

Oct. 4, 2019

Trump, Iran, and the Saudi Oil Attack Tensions between United States and Iran grow

By Cam King, Opinions Editor KIN3908@calu.edu

There’s no denying that in the last two ye ars, t ensions b etwe en the Unit e d Stat es and Iran have b e en rapidly incre asing as a result of withdrawal from the Iranian nucle ar agre ement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by the Tr ump administration in e arly 2018.

The initial agre ement, criticize d by Republicans for prov iding a fals e notion that a path to nuclear weap ons would not b e attainable by the Iranians, was the fo cus of much c onversation in the 2016 ele ction and b eyond. This criticism supplie d much pressure to b oth then President-ele ct Donald Trump and the Iranians, whos e leader, Ayatollah Seyyid Ali K hamenei, even warne d that the nation-state would “not renegotiate” the agre ement following Trump’s ele ction.

Trump, a candidate that champione d withdrawal from all Middle Eastern c onflicts and o c cupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, and other neighb oring nations, has sinc e change d his tune on the matter after es calations in the region, pre dominately in Iran. On June 20th, 2019, it was rep orte d that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had shot down a Unite d States drone. D espite there b eing little public ev idenc e that the attack was Iran’s doing, this was followe d by heavy great anger from the President, who allege dly had plans to strike Iranian territory, but calle d off the calls onc e he had learne d how many deaths would b e caus e d.

As time has went on, rhetorical tensions have als o c ontinue d to ris e b etwe en U.S. and Iranian forc es. The biggest encroachment, however, were the most re c ent attacks on a Saudi Arabian oil field in early Septemb er. It is understo o d that although this attack was not a dire ct one on U.S. infrastructure, it is b elieve d to have b e en done to up end the U.S. oil e c onomy, as Saudi Arabia is our numb er two prov ider of oil. The attack halte d over a day’s worth of oil pro duction, and the amount of oil destroye d is estimate d to b e over 6 million barrels.

America’s resp ons e to the attack, suitably lo cate d on President Trump’s Twitter, exclaime d that the Saudi Arabian government was investigating the situation, and the U.S. sto o d on the ready, “lo cke d and loade d”, to retaliate against who ever p erp etuate d the attack. It was later reveale d by b oth the Saudi Arabian and Israeli governments that Iran was resp onsible for thes e attacks, and, as a result, the Unite d States announc e d more ground tro ops on the Saudi Arabian b order.

This resp ons e has garnere d much criticism, even from the President’s p olitical bas e, as they are vehemently opp os e d to new Middle Eastern intervention. The President reassure d the press, however, that the US would not pursue war in the region,

despite the deployment of new b o ots on the ground.

There are many that b elieve this attack, in c onjunction with the U.S. drone attack in June, are the results of a fals e flag op eration p erp etuate d by b oth Saudi Arabia and Israel, as b oth nations are currently in active proxy c onflicts with the state of Iran. In fact, in August, it was reveale d that the states of Saudi Arabia and Israel were taking part in c overt diplomatic and intelligenc e op erations in the last few years. This fact alone has le d many in c onspiracy circles to b elieve that the attacks thems elves are b eing us e d by this c overt allianc e in order to forc e U.S. involvement in Iran, in order to achieve a variety of diplomatic, e c onomic, and ge ographic goals s ought by b oth the Israelis and the Saudis. However, this remains a the ory nonetheless, and is not the officially rep orte d story.

My opinion, first and foremost, is that if the Unite d States is going to get involve d in any c onflict at all, why not utilize unwavering American intelligenc e that is in no way influenc e d by international influenc ers? While many claim this is not p ossible, as much international interferenc e takes plac e pres ently within U.S. intelligenc e agencies, why s o oner rely on intel c onjure d by the Saudis or Israelis, two states that clearly have much to gain from an Iranian c onflict? While I have supp orte d the President thus far, I fe el as if thes e choic es are a massive oversight of his initial campaign ide ology, which include d fo cusing on U.S. problems first, ergo “America First”, when it c omes to international c onflict. The U.S. military c omplex, or the U.S. government, for that matter, is not owne d by any international entity. It is owne d, and op erate d, by the p e ople within its b orders. The question remains: who are our p oliticians b eholden to? The p e ople that ele ct them, or an international lobby that s e eks to b o ost their national legitimacy while ours is tarnishe d? You b e the judge.

opinions

Oct. 4, 2019

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iPhone Frenzy Apple releases the new iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max

By Cam King, Opinions Editor KIN3908@calu.edu

It’s ess entially a ritual at this point. Ever y S ept emb er, Apple announces a slew of new t e chnology t o the market from the St eve Job s The atre in Cupertino, California.

It’s ess entially a ritual at this p oint.

Every Septemb er, Apple announc es a slew of new te chnology to the market from the Steve Jobs Theatre in Cup ertino, C alifornia. This year, on Septemb er 10th, Apple announc e d not one, but thre e new iPhones. While rumors and leaks were a flurry in the months leading up to the event, most surprisingly ac curate if not sp ot-on in terms of their c ontent, many were skeptical as to whether or not the announc ements would hold the same water as usual. To the surpris e of many, though, Apple still brought the magic to an announc ement that would normally b e regarde d as a wash, as the cats were already out of the bag.

Apple’s traditional s che dule for iPhone releas es was a two-year cycle, in which a new mo del was releas e d and the subs e quent year would b e an “S” rev ision in which sp e e d, p erformanc e, and overall usability was well p olishe d and refine d. More re c ently, though, this cycle has b e en move d to a thre e-year one, in which Apple will releas e thre e c ons e cutive years of dev ic es that are for the most part c osmetically similar, with key improvements each year. For instanc e, late 2017 marke d the announc ement and releas e of the iPhone X, Apple’s latest re design of their ic onic dev ic e. In 2018, the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were reveale d, marking minor fixes and p erformanc e improvements to the “S” mo dels, with the XR b eing a more affordable variant of the XS with notable differenc es, such as its 6.1 inch LCD display as opp os e d to the 5.8 and 6.5 inch OLEDs on the “S” variants.

In 2019, the thre e dev ic e variants announc e d by Apple were the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max. While all thre e dev ic es s e e big changes from last year’s versions, the aesthetics and sizes of the latter are here to stay, such as the everp opular “notch” that hous es the front-facing camera and Fac e ID te chnologies.

The iPhone 11, p ois e d by Apple as a b etter, faster version of the prev ious year’s XR, sp orts yet another LCD display with the up date d A13 B ionic chips et and an extra camera lens, on top of its standard

wide lens, for ultra-wide photography.

Ac c ording to Apple, its battery life will last one hour longer than last year’s XR, as well. Its pric e p oint is $50 cheap er than the XR, at $699 retail, in a susp e cte d bid to app eal to the value dev ic e market that has s e en suc c ess for manufacturers like Go ogle, with its Pixel 3a dev ic e releas e d early this year. The dev ic e will c ome in six c olors, including white, black, re d, gre en, yellow, and purple.

The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max sp ort s ome even bigger changes. The dev ic es, nearly identical b esides display and b o dy size, sp ort an additional ultra-wide camera lens in addition to last year’s standard wide angle and telephoto zo om lens es. Apple als o reveale d thes e camera improvements allow the ability to sho ot up to 4K v ide o. Additionally, like the standard iPhone 11, the two Pro variants will als o s e e an upgrade from the A12 to A13 B ionic chips et and big battery upgrades. Ac c ording to Apple, the iPhone 11 Pro will s e e a four-hour improvement in battery life over last year’s iPhone XS, and the iPhone 11 Pro will s e e a five-hour improvement over last year’s XS Max. In addition to thes e improvements, one interesting c osmetic change from Apple is the rollout of a “s oft touch”, matte glass back on the dev ic e. The dev ic e will c ome in four c olors, including spac e gray, silver, gold, and midnight gre en.

With the releas e of iOS 13, the overall us er exp erienc e is als o improve d, esp e cially on the new dev ic es. Key features of the new op erating system include b etter pro c essing and batter management, system-wide dark mo de, a swip e-able keyb oard, “Sign in with Apple”, and more.

As an employe e of a te chnology c ompany, I was fortunate to re c eive a hands-on exp erienc e with the dev ic es shortly b efore they went on sale, and, inev itably, s old out. I can definitely say that although thes e dev ic es land in the third year of Apple’s brutal thre e-year dev ic e releas e cycle, they are a definite step up in a way that is more significant than the X to XS transition. In the hand, the Pro and Pro Max have a premium fe el that is ab ove and b eyond that of last

year’s XS variants. The s oft-touch back c ompliments the stainless-ste el frame that the dev ic e is built on, and has an infe ctious app eal that blows the glossy back of the XS out of the water. In app earanc e, the Pro and Pro Max lo ok o dd at first sight.

Apple opte d for a symmetrical, triangular format for the thre e camera mo dules in a glossy, s quare glass bump that is cut into the rest of the glass back. The lo ok grew on me overtime, and fortunately lo oks much b etter than what many of the early leaks and renders indicate d. The cameras are inde e d exc ellent, esp e cially for v ide o.

Apple’s photo pro c essing is not at “Pixellevel”, in referenc e to the Go ogle Pixel’s cameras s o to sp eak, in terms of p ost-shot app earanc e, but is definitely s ome of the finest on the market. The iOS exp erienc e with iOS 13 adds great improvements to the simple, minimalistic, and already refine d qualities of iOS as an op erating system.

As a p ers on that fre quents Android in addition to iOS, I can definitely say that the exp erienc e, overall, is a c omp etitive improvement.

As for the standard iPhone 11, it’s the XR with an extra camera, but that’s not a bad thing. The iPhone XR was Apple’s b est s elling dev ic e of 2019, and this minor improvement will b e sure to put the iPhone 11 on the same c ours e, esp e cially with it’s attractive pric e p oint.

All in all, the new iPhones are great dev ic es. To the question of whether or not Apple is innovating rather than c ompromising, I would take the latter argument. But then again, this year was not meant to b e a major c osmetic or functional change, but rather a final refinement to an already refine d dev ic e s eries.

With that b eing said, I fe el that current XS and XS Max owners ne e d not upgrade.

Like prev iously state d, the improvements made are great, but not enough to justify an additional phone purchas e this year, in my opinion. Perhaps wait for the 2020 dev ic e revamp b efore c onsidering a change.

As for everyone els e, give the up date d cameras and refine d us er exp erienc e a shot. You’ll b e getting your hands on the b est Apple has to offer.

Check This Out: The iPhone 11 retails at a starting pric e of $699, the 11Pro starts at $999, and the 11ProMax will put you out of $1099.

Regardless of the ste ep pric es, Apple CEO Tim Co ok rep orts that iPhone 11 sales are off to a “very strong start.”

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opinions

Oct. 4, 2019

Vegan on Campus A first-person point of view of being a vegan

By Hannah Wyman, Contributor WYM7514@calu.edu

As I survey the sa lad bar for the umpte enth time, I catch a whiff of the Indian buffet on the other side of Gol d Rush.

In a fe e ble attempt to ignore my want for chicken curry, I pick up my bowl of lonely vegeta bles and wa lk to the ta ble my friends and I had claimed as our’s for the next hour.

Onc e s eate d, I lo ok down at my oil and v inegar dous e d salad, missing my usual choic e of ranch dressing which Go ogle c onfirme d was off limits.

“How long are you doing this vegan thing?” my friend Skyra He ckman inquires over a definitely-not-vegan-but-stillextremely-app etizing b owl of pasta. “I’m planning on thre e days.” She tells me how she do esn’t think that she c ould ever go vegan and to b e honest, I’m not sure I c ould either, esp e cially not on campus.

In retrosp e ct, thre e days isn’t long at all. Compare d to my c ousin Kate who has b e en vegan for more than five years and who has b e en my only s ourc e of vegan knowle dge, thre e days is insignificant.

I’ve learne d from her that a vegan diet is unquestionably healthier and helps prote ct against c ertain canc ers, not to mention that it re duc es the env ironmental c ost of our fo o d overall while als o taking a stand against animal cruelty and animal exploitation everywhere. All of thes e asp e cts make me want to live a vegan lifestyle. However, to me, thre e days without che es e is a lifetime. Later, my herd of friends and I brave the bitter c old of the night for Fyre and our usual latenight meal. I stand at a kiosk and analyze the bright s cre en. Mozzarella sticks have dairy. Mac ‘n’ che es e bites do, to o. Chicken nuggets and burgers are obv iously meat.

Finally, ignoring the fact that the french fries were probably frie d in the same oil that the chicken was, I plac e my order.

After my name is calle d out, I situate mys elf and dip my fries in barb e cue sauc e, trying not to think of the honey b e es that are b eing exploite d just s o I can enjoy my fo o d.

Though the options are limite d at Fyre and Vulcan Express, it’s not that big of a deal to me in this moment, as my veganism is only fle eting. However, for students who have allergies and dietary restrictions, not b eing able to eat c ertain things isn’t an exp erienc e for an article, it’s a lifestyle.

I can’t imagine b eing s o restricte d all the time, esp e cially when you rely on another party to prepare and s erve your fo o d.

Earlier to day, I had emaile d my neighb or, Alyssa Komoroski, on b eing vegan at C alifornia University of Pennsylvania.

“Many of the staff here on campus are not e ducate d when it c omes to different fo o d philos ophies,” Alyssa writes. “It can b e very frustrating, and it can make you fe el like no one is listening or really cares.”

Alyssa c ontinues to p oint out how “there is a small s ele ction for vegans, and they make the same thing every day. There is no variety.” I esp e cially s e e this lack of variety while attempting to s ele ct s omething from one of the many vending machines statione d around the university. Thos e big disp osing giants are home to candy bars, bags of chips, and b e ef jerky, all of which are not vegan. To c ombat the lack of snack in my life, I venture down to Dollar G eneral in hop es to find s omething to eat that isn’t salad. There, in the fluores c ently lit aisles, I shuffle through a variety of plastically package d fo o ds. I’m not us e d to actually reading the ingre dients that make up the fo o ds that I buy. I spin s oup cans around and turn over bags of chips.

Finally, I manage to walk away with a can of Pringles, jellyb eans, and s ome trail mix.

Leav ing the store with a single yellow plastic bag, I fe el unsatisfie d. I wante d to b e vegan for thre e days without sacrificing to o much of my usual diet. The goal is to eat a healthy, balanc e d amount of fo o d which als o was varie d each day.

Perhaps, if I c ommute d or live d at Vulcan Village, eating fo o ds without dairy, eggs, honey, meat, and other animals/animal pro ducts wouldn’t b e such a challenge.

However, while it is p ossible to b e one of the 1,100 residenc e hall students and live a vegan lifestyle, a student shouldn’t have to sp end more money to make their own fo o d just b e caus e a meal plan do esn’t offer enough options. A student als o shouldn’t give up the exp erienc e of liv ing in

residenc e halls to me et their dietary ne e ds.

My phone reads 11:30 pm. Clos e enough.

I’ve gone almost 72 hours as a vegan. I take a bite of one of my chicken tenders from Fyre. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss chicken. Warm and crispy, C alifornia University of Pennsylvania may not know how to cater to vegans but they c ertainly know how to make a go o d nugget. I guess, it is p ossible to b e a vegan, even on a c ollege campus. It’s als o definitely b etter for one’s health and the env ironment in the long run.

So, why don’t more p e ople do it?

Probably b e caus e it’s inc onvenient, but als o, b e caus e there aren’t enough res ourc es offere d. To me, that’s one of the most imp ortant parts. If students are the foundation of a university, then the university should b e listening to what students are saying. Things are evolv ing and changing. College campus es are p erfe ct plac es to bre e d new ideas and innovators and leaders.

“A student shouldn’t have to spend more money to make their own food just because a meal plan doesn’t offer enough options.”

opinions

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Oct. 4, 2019

Cal U welcomes first-year class with more high-achieveing students 967 freshmen start the academic year at Cal

By Cal U Public Relations CALIFORNIA, PA. (Sept. 5, 2019) — With the arrival of the Class of 2023, C alifornia University of Pennsylvania c ontinues to build its academic quality.

First-year students entering C al U have an average high s cho ol grade-p oint average of 3.27 this fall, exc e e ding the average of 3.17 for inc oming students last year.

The numb er of entering freshmen with a high s cho ol GPA of 3.0 or higher ros e by 9% this fall, c ompare d to last year, and C al U saw a 12% increas e in first-year students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. “ We intentionally s et a s omewhat lower goal for overall first-year enrollment, with a mission to rais e the average GPA and standardize d test s c ores of the entering class,” explaine d T. Dav id G arcia, v ic e

president for Enrollment Management. “ We definitely were more s ele ctive; however, our class size exc e e de d exp e ctations, and we were able to bring in a strong first-year class of 967 students.”

C al U’s newest students c ome from 48 Pennsylvania c ounties and 33 U.S. states.

“The numb er of out-of-state freshmen ros e by almost 39%,” G arcia said, including increas es in students from Maryland, Ohio and New York.

This is the fourth c ons e cutive year that C al U has strengthene d the academic profile of its first-year class. Bas e d on their SAT or ACT s c ores and high s cho ol grades, C al U freshmen may b e eligible for Vulcan Merit Scholarships value d b etwe en $1,500 and $4,000 p er year.

During the 2018-2019 academic year, C al U awarde d nearly $3.2 million in merit and ne e d-bas e d aid. “Students with a strong academic background are dis c overing that C al U offers a great value,” G arcia said.

C al U offers an array of challenging programs in s cienc e and te chnology, including new majors in microbiology and veterinary te chnology. Qualifying students in the pre-professional biology program are guarante e d a s eat in Lake Erie College of Me dicine’s me dical or pharmacy s cho ols, and C al U’s me chatronics engine ering te chnology program is unique within Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher E ducation.

The university als o has highly s ele ctive programs in fields ranging from physical therapist assistant and c ommunication dis orders to early childho o d e ducation and professional golf management.

C al U’s first-year class repres ents ab out 30% of the university’s undergraduate enrollment this fall. Although figures won’t b e finalize d until after the university’s official “c ensus date,” Sept. 16, C al U rep orte d a first-day-of-class headc ount of 4,865 undergraduates and 1,975 graduate students.

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Oct. 4, 2019

puzzles

sports

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Oct. 4, 2019

CalU Scoreboard and Standings

By Tom Caton, Editor in Chief CAT7359@calu.edu

Women’s Sports CROSS COUNTRY: Last Me et: Sept. 27- At Chatham E den Hall Inv itational (Gibs onia, Pa.)/1st-39 Next Me et: C arnegie Mellon Inv itational, Pittsburgh, Pa., Saturday O ctob er 12 G OLF: Last Me et: Sept. 30-O ct. 1- At Lewis (Ill.) F lyer Interc ollegiate (Lemont, Ill.) NTS Next Me et: O ctob er 6-7, at Post (Conn.) Lady Eagles Inv ite, Watertown, Conn., SO CCER: Last G ame: Sept. 28- At Slipp ery Ro ck/Loss, 0-4 Next G ame: O ctob er 5, versus Seton Hill, C alifornia, Pa., Phillipsburg So c c er Facility, at 2 p.m.

TEN NIS: Last G ame: Sept. 25- At Saint Vinc ent (Latrob e, Pa.)/Loss, 4-5 Next G ames: O ctob er 5-7, PSAC Indiv idual Championships, Blo omsburg, Pa. VOLLEYBALL: Last G ame: Sept. 28- Versus West Chester, C alifornia, Pa., Convo cation Center/Win 3-2 Next G ame: O ctob er 4, at Shepherd, Shep erdstown, W.Va., at 7p.m.

Men’s Sports CROSS COUNTRY: Last Me et: Sept. 27- At Chatham E den Hall Inv itational (Gibs onia, Pa.)/1st-15 Next Me et: C arnegie Mellon Inv itational, Pittsburgh, PA, Saturday O ctob er 12 FO OTBALL: Last G ame: Sept. 28- At E dinb oro (E dinb oro, Pa.)/WIN, 24-7 Next G ame: At IUP, Indiana, Pa. at 2 p.m. *11th Annual Coal Bowl G OLF: Last Me et: Sept. 30-O ct. 1- At Saint Le o (F la.) The Griffin Inv itational (Petersburg, VA)/9th-898 Next Me et: Tiffin (Ohio) Ryman Memorial, Tiffin, Ohio, O ctob er 7-8 SO CCER: Last G ame: Sept. 28- Versus Pitt-Johnstown, C alifornia, Pa., Phillipsburg So c c er Facility/T, 1-1 (2OT) Next G ame: At G annon, Erie, Pa. at 1p.m.

Oliver for Homecoming King!

Just Kidding.

Welcome Back, Alumni.

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Oct. 4, 2019

sports

Vulcans cruise past Shippensburg, 58-7 Noah Mitchell sets career high with four touchdowns Photos By Jeff Helsel and Leigh Swartzfager

S ophomore quart erback No ah Mit chell (upper left) s et a care er high with four t ouchdowns and finishe d with 289 passing yards on 16-of-28 att empt s with no int erceptions.

Running back Nels on Brown (upper right) e clips e d the centur y mark for the s e cond time this ye ar, finishing with 105 yards and two t ouchdowns on 13 att empt s.

J unior defensive back J immy Pierce (far left) re corde d a 39-yard int erception for the s e cond t ouchdown of his care er.

Wide re ceiver Jacks on Daugherty (right) s cores a 28yard t ouchdown on fourth-and-10.

sports

Oct. 4, 2019

Cal U Women’s Rugby Club

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California University of Pennsylvania Women’s Rugby Club host e d a friendly mat ch versus Fairmont Stat e at Ro adman Park on S aturday, S ept. 21, 2019. Fairmont Stat e won the first two rounds with s cores 22-17 and 20-7 while Cal U won the final round 10-5.

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sports

Oct. 4, 2019

Men’s Soccer vs. Pitt-Johnstown The Cal U men’s s o ccer t e am battle d t o a 1-1 double-overtime draw versus PittJohnst own in the opening mat ch of PSAC West action at Phillipsburg S o ccer Facility on S ept.

28. S enior Marcos G arcia, Jr. s core d the lone go al for the Vulcans.

Volleyball vs. West Chester

Women’s Soccer vs. Edinboro S ophomore Tyana Quivers tallie d a care er-high nine kills on 19 attacks against the G olden Rams as the Cal U volleyball t e am de afe at e d West Chest er 3-2 on S ept.

28, 2019.

Cal U women’s s o ccer t e am freshman Elisab eth Engle in a cont est versus Edinb oro on We dnesday, S ept. 18. The Cal U Vulcans surrendere d thre e go als in the s e cond half as the Fighting Scot s went on t o claim a 4-0 vict or y.

sports

Oct. 4, 2019

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Cross Country and Tennis

S ophomore Tatiana B e aufils finishe d in fourth place as the women’s cross countr y t e am claime d the t e am title at the Eden Hall Invitational host e d by Chatham, Gib s onia, Pa., on S ept.

27, 2019.

The Cal U men’s cross countr y t e am post e d a perfe ct 15-point s core b ehind six r unners in the t op-10 overall t o s e cure the t e am title at the Eden Hall Invitational host e d by Chatham on Friday evening, S ept. 27.

The Cal U t ennis t e am opene d the fall s e as on with a 5-4 loss at St. Vincent in L atrob e, Pa., in nonconference play on We dnesday, S ept.

25. S enior Charlie G allagher (ab ove) and s ophomore newcomer Fallon Wins e ck e arne d the lone vict or y for the Vulcans in doubles play.

Photos By: Jeff Helsel and Leigh Swartzfager

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sports

Oct. 4, 2019

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT JOE ULIANO CLASS: Senior

Photo by : Name

MAJOR: Communications/Radio & TV HOMETOWN: Altoona, Pa. HIGH SCHOOL: Altoona Uliano helped the Vulcans capture the team title with a perfect score at the Eden Hall Invitational on Friday evening.

He finished second overall with a time of 28 minutes, 26.97 seconds – best among attached runners – and posted an average mile pace of 5:43 over the eight-kilometer course. Cal U earned its first invitational title since 2017 and registered a perfect score for the first time since the season-opening race in 2010.

KAYLIN BURKEY CLASS: Freshman MAJOR: Chemistry HOMETOWN: Boardman, Ohio HIGH SCHOOL: Boardman Burkey helped Cal U open league play with a pair of 3-2 comeback victories over the weekend, averaging 3.60 kills and 3.70 digs per set. She paced the team with both 19 kills and 27 digs, which were a career high, in a 3-2 win against Millersville on Friday. Burkey then tallied 17 kills on a .326 hitting percentage and collected 10 digs and two service aces the following day in a 3-2 victory over West Chester.

Athlete Spotlight courtesy of Tom Caton