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California University

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 9 MARCH 16, 2009

The third annual Red and Black
Affair Extraordinaire is set for
March 29.

Sophomore Jacqueline Davis was recently awarded the 2009 Robert D. Lynch Undergraduate Leadership Scholarship from the Pennsylvania
Black Conference on Higher Education.

Student Wins Leadership Award
Education major lauded for hard work, accomplishments

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acqueline Davis, a sophomore early
childhood education major with a
minor in business administration,
has been awarded the 2009 Robert D.
Lynch Undergraduate Leadership
Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Black
Conference on Higher Education.
The award is given to an
undergraduate student who
demonstrates outstanding leadership
skills and at least a 3.0 grade-point
average. Interpersonal qualities and
participation in extracurricular activities

also were considered.
“Jackie Davis is very deserving of
this award,” said Provost Geraldine M.
Jones. “Her hard work and dedication
has led to this recognition of the many
good things she has accomplished
during her undergraduate career at
California University of Pennsylvania.
“She has excelled as a scholar, been a
leader in service and has not been afraid
to work hard to achieve her goals. I think
we will be hearing about many more of
her accomplishments in the years ahead.”

At Cal U, Davis is a class
representative on the Honors Student
Advisory Board and a spring 2008
inductee into the Alpha Lambda Delta
National Honor Society. She has been a
Student Government senator for two
years, serving for two semesters as a
recording secretary for that group. She is
president of the Zeta Epsilon chapter of
Zeta Phi Beta sorority, which has
participated in fund-raisers for groups
including the March of Dimes and the
— continued on page 3

Women Vie for Regional Title
Tonight in Hamer Hall

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Junior Brooque Williams has been a driving
force behind Cal U’s excellent 2008-2009
season. Cal U owned a 26-4 record heading
into the NCAA tournament.

onight in Hamer Hall,
California University will host
the 2009 NCAA Division II
Women’s Basketball Atlantic Regional
Championship game. Tip-off is at 7
p.m.
The Vulcan women earned the
right to host the regional contest after a
26-4 season that culminated with the
team’s seventh PSAC-West title in
eight years and unprecedented ninth
consecutive appearance in the PSAC
championship game.
Cal U now has tied the conference
record by making eight consecutive
NCAA tournament appearances.
The Vulcans’ first-year head coach
is Heather Kearney.
This is the third time since 2003
that Cal U women’s basketball has
hosted the NCAA event.

The Vulcan women entered the
playoffs on Friday hoping to win their
fourth Regional title in seven years,
continuing the University’s tradition of
success.
Cal U became the first PSAC team
to win the NCAA Division II national
crown in 2004, after a Final Four
showing in 2003. Both Cal’s men’s and
women’s basketball teams won NCAA
Regional titles a year ago, and the
Vulcan women have compiled a 15-6
NCAA tourney record since 2002.
Eight Regional championship
teams will compete at the 2009 NCAA
II Elite Eight National Championships
in San Antonio, Texas, beginning
March 24.
The March 25 national semifinal
games, scheduled for 6 and 8:30 p.m.,
— continued on page 3

Annual
‘Affair’ Raises
Scholarship
Dollars

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alifornia University will
showcase the latest spring
fashions and raise
scholarship dollars for students at
the third annual Red and Black
Affair Extraordinaire.
The California University
Alumni Association will host the
sold-out fashion show, gourmet
luncheon and charity auction on
March 29.
Adults will model the latest
trendy clothes from Cache’. Child
models will wear the newest styles
from Janie and Jack, Gymboree
and Crazy 8.
The Red and Black Affair
Extraordinaire raised more than
$19,000 last year, which the
Alumni Association distributed as
student scholarships.
KDKA-TV and Pittsburgh CW
traffic and transportation reporter
Jim Lokay will emcee the event.
Lokay graduated from Cal U in
2002 with a degree in
Communication Studies and a
focus on radio and television. The
East McKeesport native is a fixture
on the KDKA-TV morning news,
as well as making regular
appearances on the station’s
evening shows.
The Red and Black Affair
Extraordinaire will be held in the
Performance Center in the Natali
Student Union. Numerous vendors
will be on hand beginning at 10
a.m. The fashion show and
luncheon will begin at 12:30.
For more information, call
Tricia Rutherford Stahl at
412-257-8596 or 412-498-1674.

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Top Scholars Honored Saturday at Convocation

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alifornia University will recognize nearly 1,400 of its best and brightest
students at an Honors Convocation 2 p.m. Saturday in Hamer Hall
Gymnasium.
Dante Morelli ’02, former SAI president and student Trustee, will deliver the
honors address. A member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors for the
past three years, he currently is a doctoral candidate at Ohio University.
Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. will preside over the Convocation, and
Provost Geraldine Jones will introduce the platform party.
The University rewards academic excellence on the part of master’s, bachelor’s
and associate degree-seeking students by honoring Presidential Scholars at this
annual event. In addition to meeting other requirements, Presidential Scholars carry
a grade-point average of 3.25 or above. Both full- and part-time students are eligible
for the award.
This year’s Honors Convocation will recognize 220 students from the College of
Graduate Studies and Research, 225 from the College of Liberal Arts, 688 from the
College of Education and Human Services, and 248 from the Eberly College of
Science and Technology.
A reception for all attendees will be held in the gymnasium immediately after
the program.
For more information, contact Jodie Rooney at 724-938-1584 or
rooney@cup.edu. Information also is available online at www.cup.edu/
academic/hc.

Cal U success story Dante Morelli ’02 will deliver the honors address Saturday in Hamer Hall
Gymnasium.

Rappers Headline
Benefit Concert at Cal U
Tickets on sale now; proceeds
benefit Alzheimer’s Foundation

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Middle and secondary school students take part in the regional National History Day contest, held
Feb. 19 in the Performance Center. The event was sponsored by the College of Education and Human
Services’ Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program.

History Day Competition Expands

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tudents dug deep into history and preservice teacher served as judges for the
second annual Primary Sources
History Competition, held Feb. 19 in the
Performance Center.
“This local event is a microcosm of the
regional competition where approximately
500 students compete,” said Danni Hale,
coordinator for the regional National
History Day contest, dubbed NHD PITT.
“From what I saw, the entries are worthy
of consideration at the regional level and all
ought to enter.”
Some 125 middle and secondary school
students competed at Cal U this year, a
sharp increase over the 36 eighth-graders
who took part in 2008. They represented five
schools in four school districts: Belle Vernon
Area, Charleroi, Uniontown Area and
Ringgold.
The event was sponsored by the College
of Education and Human Services’ Library
of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources
(TPS) program, in affiliation with the
Department of History and Political
Science.
Modeled on the National History Day
competition, the Cal U event lets area
students compete locally while preparing
them for entering the regional competition at
the Sen. John Heinz History Center on
March 21.
Eight pre-service teachers judged the
entries.

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“This competition is an example of how
the college leverages the TPS resources to
reach out to the region’s educators and
students while enhancing university-level
instruction,” said Dr. Kevin Koury, acting
dean of Cal U’s College of Education and
Human Services.
Dr. Andrae Marak, chair of Cal U’s
History and Political Science Department,
said the event enhances skills that all
students need.
“Historical inquiry is an effective way of
developing critical thinking skills among
students, and this competition sharpens
students’ abilities to research, analyze and
draw conclusions,” Marak said.
Based on the positive feedback from
participating teachers and students, TPS
director and event coordinator Dr. Michael
Brna said he expects the event to grow.
Teachers realize that primary source-based
instruction is applicable across disciplines at
all grade levels, he said.
“Primary source-based instruction has
been reported to reinvigorate teachers who
seek new instructional methods using topics
that interest them,” Brna added. “This event
gives teachers a platform to experiment with
primary source-based instruction.
“The entries produced by students
provide direct evidence that both teachers
and students understand how to apply
primary sources in support of a chosen
theme.”

ickets are on sale now for a
benefit concert at Cal U
featuring award-winning
hip-hop artists Fabolous and Yung
Joc.
The music begins at 8 p.m.
April 3,when TKE Rock for a
Cure opens in Hamer Hall
Gymnasium.
The concert is presented by Cal
U’s Student Activities Board and
Student Association, Inc. Seventy
percent of the proceeds will be
donated to the Alzheimer’s
Foundation.
Def Jam Recordings artist
John Jackson, a.k.a. Fabolous, was
among the first East Coast rappers
to be influenced by Southern hiphop. The Brooklyn-born star has
two platinum albums to his credit
— Ghetto Fabolous (2001) and Street
Dreams (2003) — and his 2004
recording, Street Talk, went gold.
Back on the Def Jam label
after stints with both Elektra and
Atlantic Recordings, Fabolous
recently released his fourth album,
From Nothin’ to Somethin’.
Southern hip-hop sensation
Yung Joc is the artist behind “It’s
Going Down,” nominated for a
Grammy Award for Best Rap
Song in 2007 and winner of a
BET award for 2006 Hip-Hop
Track of the Year. Born Jasiel
Robinson, the Atlanta native also
reached No. 17 on the Billboard
Top 100 with “I Know You See It”
(2006). Both singles are from his
debut album, New Joc City.
In 2007, Yung Joc released
Hustlenomics and opened his own
record label, Swagg Team
Entertainment, managed by Jive
Records. A new album, Mr.
Robinson’s Neighborhood, is due out
this summer.
Opening the show at Cal U is
Armahn, an R&B and hip-hop
artist from Pittsburgh who recently
recorded his first single, “I
Wanna.” Born Armahn Tio
Ashley, he has performed live in

Hip-hop artists Fabolous, above,
and Yung Joc will perform in TKE
Rock for a Cure at 8 p.m. April 3 in
Hamer Hall Gymnasium.

churches and other venues
throughout southwestern
Pennsylvania.
Ticket price is $10 for students
with a valid CalCard, $15 for
others. To order tickets, visit
http://california-university-ofpennsylvania.ticketleap.com.

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‘Rover’
Flirts, Flaunts
Convention

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Through a partnership with Comcast, CUTV programming is available to more than 850,000 homes. Featured in the photo is Matt Korona, a
member of the CUTV crew.

Comcast Offers CUTV on Demand

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ore than 850,000 Comcast customers in four states
now are plugged in to California University
Television, CUTV.
Recently, the cable company switched CUTV from a
shared-band channel reaching approximately 20,000 homes in
the mid-Mon Valley to its Video on Demand (VOD) service
in the Three Rivers Region, which reaches parts of
Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland.
Including 24-hour availability on Armstrong Cable
(California and Connellsville systems) and Atlantic
Broadband (Fayette County and parts of Greene and
Washington counties), CUTV is now airing in nearly 1 million homes at no cost to the University.
“In my opinion, what we have now is far better than what
we previously had, and we were going to lose the Mon Valley
band, anyhow,” said J.R. Wheeler, Cal U’s assistant dean for
Student Services/Media.
“Comcast is really emphasizing Video on Demand, and
as busy as society is, to have the option to start and even
pause a program whenever you want is marvelous.”
So far, CUTV has aired more than 75 different pro-

grams on VOD, including athletic events, news center
broadcasts and documentaries. Comcast customers can
access CUTV programming by selecting the on-demand
button on their remote controls, scrolling to the Your Town
category from the menu and then selecting the California
University folder.
“It puts everything we do out there,” said Wheeler, who
recently watched a Vulcans football game while visiting his
mother in Beaver Falls. “High school kids who are interested
in doing something in a particular career can see it on TV.
This helps make Cal a very viable option for them.”
Since its inception in 1986, CUTV has won numerous
awards. It was named Station of the Year by the National
Association of College Broadcasters (NACB) and Best
College TV News Broadcast, Eastern Region, by the Society
of Professional Journalists. It also has won national Telly
Awards for sports, entertainment and magazine programs.
“You can’t measure or put a price tag on how CUTV
enhances our University,” said Bill Edmonds, dean of
Admissions. “Everything they put on the air reflects positively on the University or the community.”

Faculty, Staff Help Grads Stay in Touch

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he California University of
Pennsylvania Office of Alumni
Relations is looking for faculty
and staff who are interested in helping
graduates reconnect with their alma
mater.
Alumni gatherings at West Chester
Country Club in Rye, N.Y., on April 23,
at the Titlow Tavern in Uniontown, Pa.,
and a regional gathering in Tampa, Fla.,
on May 28 are just some of the many
events scheduled this spring.
The
thUniontown meeting will mark
the 95 anniversary of the first Cal
Fayette County Alumni Chapter, which
held its first banquet on April 24, 1914.
Leslie Fleenor, assistant director of
Alumni Relations, said faculty and staff
participation at such events is
invaluable.
“The faculty, staff and students
greatly enhance any of our events,” said
Fleenor, a Cal U alumna. “Obviously
there are geographical limitations, but
our alumni want to know about all the
wonderful happenings at Cal U, and
there’s nothing better than for them to
hear about it from those who are
experiencing it every day.”
Geography isn’t the only common
thread for alumni groups. The Industrial
Arts/Technology Education and the
Athletic Training alumni societies

he Department of Theatre and
Dance at California University
continue its 2009 season with
Aphra Behn’s “The Rover.” Designed for
mature audiences, the play is a comedy of
intrigue that initially appeared on the
stage in 1677.
Its author was England’s first female
professional playwright.
Curtain time is 8 p.m. March 18-21,
with a 2 p.m. matinee also on March 21.
All performances are on the Mainstage
Theater in Steele Hall.
Directed by Dr. Michael Slavin, chair
of Cal U’s Department of Theatre and
Dance, the Restoration comedy’s plot
revolves around sexual adventure and
seduction.
Despite a society that tries to force
women into proper behavior, Behn’s
female characters are empowered. They
use the merriment and masks of Carnival
to flirt without dishonoring themselves
and to discover the truth about one
another.
The show is open to the public. Cost
is $10 for adults, seniors and children; Cal
U students with valid CalCards are
admitted free.
For ticket information, or to order
tickets (with a credit card) by phone, call
724-938-5943.

Education Major
Wins Award
— Continued from page 1
American Heart Association.
Davis also is treasurer on the Student
Association Inc. Board of Directors and
vice chair of Student Cabinet, which is
the governing financial body for clubs and
organizations at Cal U. Recently she
began working with Ronald McDonald
House in Pittsburgh.
“My experiences at Cal have taught
me to have an open mind in approaching
all of my experiences, both welcoming
and promoting diversity in my
educational and extracurricular
involvement,” Davis said. “Without the
opportunities and encouragement to be
involved by past Honors Program director
Dr. Ed Chute, Provost Jones, Dr. Kevin
Koury, Dr. Nancy Pinardi and my family,
I would probably still be the average
college student without the leadership
experiences I have gained.
“Winning the award is truly a great
honor to me, being a first-generation
college student in my family. I have truly
made them proud.”

Women Vie
For Title Tonight
Jeff ‘Tank’ Lathom ’05 and Michael Perry ’63 connect at New York City’s Etcetera Etcetera
restaurant in August during an entertaining alumni event.

conduct very successful annual events,
for example.
The trainers group meets in
conjunction with the annual National
Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
meeting and clinical symposium, which
will be held June 17-20 in San Antonio,
Texas. This fall, the IA/TE alumni, who
hold a reception every Homecoming
Eve in Kara Alumni House, will meet

Nov. 5 in Camp Hill, Pa., in conjunction
with the 57th annual Technology
Education Association of Pennsylvania
(TEAP) Conference.
Societies for graduates who are
veterans or who participated in band or
the campus radio station also are being
formed. For more information or to
share ideas, contact Fleenor at Ext. 4418
or fleenor_l@cup.edu.

— Continued from page 1
will be broadcast nationally by ESPNU.
The 7 p.m. national championship game
on March 27 will be aired live on ESPN2.
Other teams competing in the Atlantic
Regional contest represent the District of
Columbia, Charleston (W.Va.),
Millersville, Gannon, Fayetteville State
(N.C.), Indiana (Pa.), and Johnson C.
Smith (N.C.) universities.
For thorough coverage of all Vulcan
athletics, visit www.calvulcans.com.

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THE CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY FORUM

THE CALIFORNIA
UNIVERSITY
FORUM
March 17, 2009
4:00 p.m/LRC Auditorium
TENTATIVE AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
III. ADOPTION OF
AGENDA
IV. MINUTES OF
FEBRUARY 17, 2009
(Approved by e-mail ballot – refer
to Forum website or Public
Folders in Outlook)

February 17, 2009 / 4:00 p.m., LRC Auditorium
MINUTES
The California University
Forum met in regular session Tuesday, February 17,
2009, in the LRC
Auditorium. Presiding
Officer Hoover called the
meeting order at 4:05 p.m.
The following senators
were in attendance:
Ms. Cinthia Arcuri
Dr. Mohamed
Benbourenane
Dr. Jane Bonari
Dr. Leonard Colelli
Ms. Sharon Elkettani

V. MINUTES OF EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE
(Informational Only – Minutes of
March 10, 2009)
VI. PRESIDING
OFFICER’S REPORT
A. Miscellaneous
Information
B. President’s Response to
Motions Passed
C. Notice of Executive Committee
Meeting: April 7, 2009 – University
Community Welcome
VII. PUBLIC COMMENTS
VIII. INTERPELLATION
Strategic Plan – Draft Three
(Informational Only)
IX. NEW BUSINESS
X. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Next FORUM Meeting April 21,
2009
XI. ADJOURNMENT

Ms. Fran Fayish
Ms. Rebecca Giles
Dr. Allan Golden
Dr. Joyce Hanley
Mr. Ryan Jerico
Dr. Chad Kauffman
Mr. Josh Mrosko
Dr. John Nass
Ms. Rebecca Nichols
Mr. Paul Sible
Mrs. Jenifer Sigado
Dr. Tom Wickham
Dr. Brian Wood
The following were also in
attendance:
Mr. Douglas Hoover,
Presiding Officer

Mr. Keith Kappel
Dr. Kevin Koury
Ms. Adraine Lewis
Mr. Donald Marszalek
Dr. Nancy Pinardi
Dr. Susan Ryan
Ms. Christine Schlieper
Ms. Marguerite Smith
Dr. Linda Toth
Dr. Jacqueline Walsh
Mr. Matthew Weiss

Mr. Loring Prest,
Parliamentarian
Mrs. Dana Turcic,
Recording Secretary
The following senators
were absent:
Dr. Lenora Angelone
Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.
Mr. Rick Bertagnolli
Dr. Bill Biddington
Ms. Ashley Briggs
Ms. Angela Burrows
Ms. Diane Dever
Ms. Kay Dorrance
Dr. Arcides Gonzalez
Ms. Mercedes Himmons
Ms. Geraldine Jones

Due to the lack of a quorum
of Forum senators,
Presiding Officer Hoover
adjourned the meeting at
4:15 p.m.

Attention University Community!
Call for Student
Nominations to Standing
Committees to the
California University
Forum
The California University
Forum has announced a
call for the nomination of
students for the University
Forum standing
committees. The Forum is
the University’s shared
governance system, which
enhances the
communication between
and among all segments of
the University. The
University Forum consists of
administrators, faculty, staff,
students and alumni, all of

whom have a voice in the
university’s future. Alumni,
faculty, staff, students, or
community members may
nominate any student of
California University to
serve. Self-nominations
are permitted. The
numbers of student seats
available on the committees
are as follows:
Athletic Advisory (3)
Budget (2)
Communication (3)
Core Values (3)
Planning & Priorities (3)
Safety and Social Equity (3)
Student Life (7)
Technology (3)
The committees meet

periodically to tackle certain
issues and make
recommendations to the full
Forum. For further
information and details of
the committees visit the
Forum website at
www.cup.edu/forum.
The Forum Executive
Committee will make the
final decision on appointees
to the various standing
committees. The nominees
will be contacted to confirm
acceptance of their
appointment.
The nomination form is
available via the Public
Folders (Campus-Wide
Resources/University

Forum) on the university’s
Microsoft Exchange Server.
(For detailed instructions,
contact the Computing
Systems Helpdesk at
campus extension 5911.)
All nominations must be
submitted to the Forum
Office by Friday, March 27,
2009.
For more information
contact Mrs. Dana Turcic,
Forum Recording Secretary
at 724-938-1633 or via
email at
CalForum@cup.edu or
turcic@cup.edu.
You may also write her at
University Forum Office,
250 University Avenue,
California, PA 15419.

Posters Will Showcase
Service Projects

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Commencement Videos Online
Sharon Fedorski waves to family and friends during the 2008 Winter Commencement. Full-length, captioned videos of
December’s undergraduate and graduate Commencement ceremonies now are available online at
www.cup.edu/commencements. The videos include remarks by University President Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.; Thomas
Crumrine, who addressed master’s degree recipients on Dec. 12; and Michael J. Napolitano, who spoke to bachelor’s degree
candidates Dec. 13. Also included are remarks by Ivan and Adelaide Guesman, lifelong educators who received honorary
doctorates — and shared a song — at the undergraduate ceremonies.

he Service and Service Learning Committee is
seeking entries for its annual poster session.
Registration deadline is April 1, and posters will be
displayed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 15 in the
Performance Center.
Campus groups, classes, individual students,
professors and staff members who serve the community
are eligible to enter posters highlighting their volunteer
efforts.
Examples of projects include tutoring children,
helping the elderly, collecting clothes for the homeless,
cleaning up the community, or assisting others with
computer problems, business questions or language skills.
Service and service learning involves helping others,
while learning from those others at the same time.
Usually, those offering the service reflect upon their
involvement so they can discover what they have learned
from the experience
The poster session is part of Academic Excellence
Days, sponsored by the Faculty Professional
Development Committee. Participants will receive a
certificate.
For more information, or to register, contact Dr.
Ralph Belsterling at belsterling@cup.edu or 724 938-4385.

The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Dr. Angelo Armenti, Jr.
University President

Dr. Allan J. Golden
Vice President for Administration and Finance

Christine Kindl
Editor

Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Development and Services

Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall
Writers

Dr. Joyce Hanley
Executive Vice President

Angela J. Burrows
Vice President for University Relations

OfficeofCommunicationsandPublicRelations,
250UniversityAvenue,California,PA15419
724-938-4195wald@cup.edu

The Journal is printed on paper made from trees harvested under the principles of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (www.SFIprogram.org).

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