California University

VOLUME 13, NUMBER 7 FEB. 28, 2011

Creative
Teens Win
Scholastic
Awards

Hail to
Hamer
Hall
Cal U junior
Chad Tipton
takes a shot
during the Feb.
19 game against
Gannon. The
Vulcans
defeated the
Golden Knights,
53-50, in the
last regular
season
basketball game
ever to be
played at
Hamer Hall. The
three-point win
concluded a
full day of 'Hail
to Hamer'
activities. See
the story on
Page 4.

M

Students Mark Tuition Freedom

A

s part of the Cal U for Life
initiative, students celebrated
Tuition Freedom Day on Feb. 15
with a march across campus and a rally at
the performance Center.
Tuition Freedom Day is the
mathematical date when the tuition funds
that students or their families paid for the
2010-2011 academic year are exhausted.
This year that date was Feb. 17.
“At this point we are rescued by the
taxpayers of the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania and generous donors to our
University, many of whom are alumni of
Cal U themselves,” explained Bonnie
Keener, president of the Student
Government Association.
“Although state appropriations are
declining, it is still support nonetheless.
Without the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania’s support , you could have
paid over $10,000 this year in tuition
alone! We students indeed have a great
— Continued on page 2

Cal U student Mike Hackenberg, a meteorology major, leads the Tuition Freedom Day march
across campus to the Performance Center on Feb. 15.

ore than 180 talented
middle school and high
school students were
honored in Steele Hall Mainstage
Theatre this month for their
participation in the 2011 Scholastic
Art and Writing Awards of
Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Students enrolled in public or
parochial schools throughout
Washington, Fayette, and Greene
counties were invited to participate in
the annual awards program. This is
the second year that Cal U hosted the
awards.
The mission of the Scholastic
Awards is to nurture the talent of
young artists and writers. The
regional affiliate here at Cal U seeks
to stimulate, promote and reward
creative excellence in the visual arts
and creative writing.
“I was so excited to see all of the
participants’ work and to see that
there are indeed other people out
there that love and appreciate art just
like I do,” said Lauren Mahokey, a
junior at Geibel Catholic High
School.
“I was very surprised and very
thrilled to have gotten a merit
award. It meant a lot to me and
made me feel that maybe I really
could try to pursue a degree in art.”
Eighth-grader Faith Gaffney, who
attends Central Christian Academy,
said she already is looking forward to
next year’s program.
“I was only hoping to get into the
show, let alone get a Silver Key!” she
added.
— Continued on page 3

Meteorology Club Wins
Carnegie Science Award

T

he Cal U Meteorology Club, the
Southwest Pennsylvania chapter
of the American Meteorological
Society, has been named an honorable
mention recipient of a Carnegie Science
Award.
The award was announced Feb. 3
during a media luncheon at the Carnegie
Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North
Shore.
The club will be recognized in the
University/Post-Secondary Student
category at the science center’s 15th
annual awards ceremony, scheduled for
May 6. In addition to honoring award
winners, the event includes a silent
auction, dinner and a keynote address by

Anousheh Ansari, the first female
civilian space explorer.
Carnegie Science Center established
the Carnegie Science Awards program in
1997 to recognize and promote
innovation in science and technology
across western Pennsylvania. More than
250 individuals and organizations have
been honored.
Last year Cal U Meteorology Club
received the Chapter of the Year Award
from the National Weather Association.
The club is the NWA’s Three Rivers
Chapter. Club members and their faculty
adviser, Dr. Chad Kauffman, accepted
the award in October at the NWA’s 35th
annual meeting in Tucson, Ariz.

The Cal U Meteorology Club was recently named an honorable mention recipient of a
Carnegie Science Award. Taking part in the presentation were (left to right) Ann Metzger,
co-director of the Carnegie Science Center; Geraldine Jones, Cal U provost; Chad Kauffman,
faculty adviser; Dustin Snare, chapter president; Katie Mercadante, inaugural StormFest
coordinator; Brittany Petrarca, chapter vice president; and Ron Baillie, co-director of the
Carnegie Science Center.

Contest Preps Students for History Day

E

ducation and history met when 158
eighth-grade students from Belle
Vernon Area, Charleroi, Trinity and
Uniontown Area school districts competed
in the fourth annual Primary Sources
History Day contest in the Performance
Center.
The History Day competition is
sponsored by the Library of Congress
Teaching with Primary Sources program.
First-, second- and third-place medals
were awarded in junior and senior divisions
for outstanding exhibits, documentaries,
performances, websites and research
papers. All participants received framed
certificates.
Judges and event volunteers included
Cal U history/political science and
education students, University faculty,
current and retired educators, and
community members who belong to local
historical societies.
The event was modeled after the
National History Day competition. For
many students, the Cal U contest was a
warm-up for next month’s regional
competition, to be held at the Senator John
Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.
One of these students was Ashley
Gillock, of Bellmar Middle School in Belle
Vernon. She and classmates Rachel
Parzynski and Jordan Bell created an
exhibit depicting the 1955 Montgomery
Bus Boycott, which was sparked by Rosa
Parks’ refusal to give up her seat for a white
passenger in Montgomery, Ala.
“At the time it was just a boycott, but
her actions did so much for AfricanAmerican civil rights,” said Gillock, whose
group began working on the project in
September. “It’s still talked about more
than 50 years later, and we learned so much
from the project.”
Sewickley Academy made its first visit
to the Cal U event simply to observe and
help prepare for the regional competition.
“This has been really interesting and
very competitive,” said Sewickley Academy

student Katie Gideon. “Coming here has
given us a good feel for what to expect —
and a lot of good ideas.”
Dr. Michael Brna, director of Cal U’s
Teaching with Primary Sources program,
said the quality of the event has improved
each year.
“This year’s high quality of student
entries was evidence that sponsor teachers
do a fantastic job of helping students
understand the value of using primary
sources in the contexts of history and
theme,” he said.
“We give special thanks to the volunteer
judges and Heinz History Center
representatives who made the day a
complete success.”
Ross Farmer, a social studies teacher at
Bellmar Middle School, has brought his
students to each TPS History Day
competition at Cal U. He believes it’s an
excellent prelude to the regional
competition.
“It gives our students an opportunity for
enhancement, to be creative and show off
what they are capable of outside the norm
of taking a test or writing a research paper,”
he said.
“They receive a tremendous amount of
feedback and constructive criticism here.
They need to use the feedback to make
improvements and finishing touches.”
Last year one of the Bellmar
documentaries won the statewide History
Day competition. However, Farmer
believes the Cal U competition does far
more than just help students succeed at the
next event.
“They are learning to do bibliographies
and using primary sources of information,
the type of skills the students will need in
college prep classes in high school,” he
said. “Instead of just running to Wikipedia
to do a research paper, this competition
forces them to do accurate research. If not
now, then down the road our students will
realize this competition is a tremendous
benefit and springboard for them.”

Belle Vernon Area Middle School student Anna Osiol discusses her project, ‘William
Penn’s Utopia: A Legacy of Success and Failure,’ with her uncle, Dave Treadwell.

Belle Vernon Area Middle School student Jason Morrow listens to Jessica Lane, a Cal U
graduate student and History Day judge.

Students Mark Tuition Freedom Day

— Continued from page 1

deal to be thankful for.”
In conjunction with the rally,
200 pieces of cake were
distributed to students outside of
Taylor and Byrnes in the Natali
Student Center.
“This was all about
awareness,” said Ryan Jerico,
coordinator of student and
young alumni programs. “Our
students appreciate the support
they receive, and they
demonstrated that.”
Also offering remarks at the
rally were James Lokay ’02, a
reporter for KDKA-TV and a
member of both the Alumni
Association and the SAI board
of directors, and Brittany Balaz,
chair of the 2011 Senior Gift
Drive Committee.
Lokay urged students to
remember the help they are
receiving and to “pay it
forward” by contributing to
scholarships once they establish
themselves in the workforce.
“Every generation at Cal U
must leave its mark, and you can
do that by helping the next
generation of students,” Lokay
said. “We must always do what
we can to make things better.”
Echoing Lokay’s sentiments,

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During Cal U’s celebration of Tuition Freedom Day, James Lokay ’02, a
KDKA-TV reporter, encourages students to leave their mark.

Balaz announced the kickoff of
the 2011 Senior Class Gift
Drive. The goal is to surpass last
year’s total of $8,000. To help
increase participation, President
Angelo Armenti, Jr. has agreed
to donate $1 for every student
who participates in the drive,
she said.
“Their legacy (Class of
2010) is being the first class to
give back not only time and
talent, but also treasure,” Balaz
said. “Our legacy has yet to be
determined.”
To show their appreciation,

Cal U’s students prepared and
mailed an open letter to the
taxpayers of Pennsylvania.
Copies of the letter, which was
approved through the Student
Senate, were mailed to every
member of the General
Assembly and submitted to
newspapers in Harrisburg and
throughout western
Pennsylvania.
“It is very important that we
make everyone aware of our
appreciation for the generous
amount of money invested into
our educations,” Keener said.

Students Express Thanks
NOTE: This open letter was submitted to newspapers in Harrisburg
and throughout western Pennsylvania.
To the legislators and taxpayers of Pennsylvania:
The students at California University of Pennsylvania write this
open letter in the spirit of gratitude.
Thanks to your support of public higher education, we will be
attending our state-owned university free of charge from Feb. 17,
2011, through the end of the academic year. That date marks
Tuition Freedom Day, the mathematical date when the tuition funds
that we (or our families) paid for the 2010-2011 academic year are
exhausted.
For the rest of the spring semester, our education will be paid
for by a combination of state funding, appropriated through the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and privately
funded scholarships. Those critical non-tuition dollars keep our
university running.
By helping to finance our education, you have given us the
ability to build a more promising future. We could not have
achieved this dream without your financial support.
Soon many of us will be teachers, healthcare professionals,
business owners, technicians or other productive members of the
workforce. We also will be taxpayers, “paying it forward” to
another generation of college students.
Recognizing this, we sincerely thank the General Assembly —
and every Pennsylvania taxpayer — for investing in our education.
Since 1852, California University has been a beacon of hope for
students, and we are determined to play a positive role in the future
of our university, our commonwealth and our great nation.
Bonnie Keener
President, Student Government Association
California University of Pennsylvania
(Submitted on behalf of California University’s 9,400 students in
accordance with a resolution passed unanimously by the Student Senate on
Nov. 22, 2010. A longer version of this letter was submitted to every
member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly shortly before Tuition
Freedom Day.)

Campus
BRIEFS
Student
Convocation Set
for Tomorrow
President Angelo Armenti, Jr.
will host the 2011 Spring Student
Convocation at 11 a.m. Tuesday in
the Performance Center, inside the
Natali Student Center. This gathering gives students the opportunity
to learn more about “The State of
the University” and to ask questions about their concerns.

Student Wins
$500 Scholarship
Cal U student-athlete Jerica Sneddon works on properly passing the baton with LeBron Pierce at the LeMoyne Multicultural Center’s
gymnasium in Washington, Pa.

Kids Take Tips from Track Team

I

n addition to running, jumping and
throwing, Cal U’s track and field
teams are getting their kicks by
working with youngsters ages 6-12.
Since January the coaching staff and
team members have been conducting a
track and field program on Tuesday or
Thursday evenings at the LeMoyne
Multicultural Center in Washington, Pa.
“We teach them how to run track by
showing them the proper techniques of
hurdling, passing the baton or even
jumping,” said Roger Kingdom, twotime Olympic gold medalist and Cal U’s
men’s and women’s head track and field
coach.
“They are learning by doing, but the
kids are having so much fun with it.
When you have fun with what you are
doing, a person tends to put forth a
better effort and be more receptive to
absorbing the information.”
Kingdom is a longtime friend of
Joyce Ellis, Lemoyne’s executive
director, who led the effort to rejuvenate
the center four years ago.
Ellis praised Kingdom and Cal U
assistant coach Jayson Resch for helping
the youngsters build athletic skills and
introducing them to some college-age
mentors.
“We have a whole generation of kids

(in Washington) who really do not have
any recreation centers to go to or
anywhere to receive technical instruction
in track and field,” she said. “This gives
the Cal students a community service
opportunity and a chance to meet kids
they otherwise would never meet.”
Kingdom emphasized that his
student-athletes are having as much fun
as the aspiring track and field
competitors.
“I was wondering if they would see
this as being a chore or an opportunity,”
Kingdom said. “But they have not
stopped laughing or joking about it yet,
and each week we take more and more
of our team down to the center.”
Cal U’s track coach has run many
youth camps and clinics through the notfor-profit Roger Kingdom Foundation.
Now he is helping the LeMoyne Center
prepare to offer an AAU-sanctioned
track and field program.
“The foundation Cal U is laying for
us is going to be what we build on as we
bring in the AAU program during the
summer months,” Ellis said. “What they
are doing for us is a catalyst to get us to
the next stage.
“Usually there’s little bit of
apprehensiveness, but kids took to them
instantly,” she added. “I attribute that to

Jayson and Roger, because they put such
a nice program together and did what
they said they would. We now have a
nice relationship and our kids look
forward to the instruction that Cal U is
bringing to the table.”
One of many Cal U team members to
enjoy the volunteer work is junior Jerica
Sneddon, a team captain and elementary
education major. She used to give
swimming lessons, and this was her first
time offering track and field instruction
to children. She also has become the
group’s unofficial photographer.
“I definitely have had a lot of fun,
and I think it is something different for
the children,” she said “I believe they
like working with us, and we like
interacting with them.”
Despite wintry weather, nearly 30
children have attended each session,
Kingdom said.
“We are excited about this and now
have something very good going on with
the center that could become an annual
event,” said Kingdom. “Most important,
we are giving these kids something they
can believe in, something that can keep
them from being led by the wrong
crowd.
“You don’t have to be in the streets to
have fun.”

Last fall, students were asked
to take part in an online survey
concerning possible renovations to
the Natali Student Center.
Participating students were entered
in a drawing for a $500 academic
scholarship from AVI
FoodSystems.
Alexa Sobek, a senior elementary education major from
Perryopolis, was the scholarship
winner.

Read the Journal
Online
The online Journal has a new
look! To read the Journal online,
click “News” at the top of the
Cal U homepage, www.calu.edu .
Then choose “Cal U Journal” to
see the current edition in its new
format or to review archived editions from 2011.

Staff Convocation
Rescheduled for
March 21
The Spring 2011 Staff
Convocation has been rescheduled
for 2 p.m. March 21 in the
Performance Center of the Natali
Student Center. President Angelo
Armenti, Jr. will give his "State of
the University" address and
answer questions from the staff.

Creative Teens Win Scholastic Arts, Writing Awards
— Continued from page 1
Heidi Marx, a senior at Waynesburg Central
High School, earned a Gold Key, the highest
award. Her work also was nominated for
national recognition.
“Winning an award like this has given me
encouragement and inspiration to keep honing
my talents,” she said. “Thank you for the great
experience.”
Dr. Mohamed Yamba, interim dean of the
College of Liberal Arts, welcomed the
students, parents and teachers to the awards
program.
The young writers and artists submitted 447
manuscripts and pieces of art in January, and
two panels of professionals judged the work.
The judges awarded 17 Gold Keys to young
artists and five Gold Keys to young writers.
The 10-member panel judging writing
included English Department professors Dr.
Kurt Kearcher, Dr. Bill Hendricks, Dr.
Madeline Smith and Dr. Krystia Nora.
The 10 art judges included Dr. Greg
Harrison, Dr. Susan Mohney, Dr. Scott Lloyd,

Maggie Aston and Richard Miecznikowski, of
the Department of Art and Design.
Beginning Jan. 25, guests were able to view
256 of the art entries on exhibit in the second
floor of Gallagher Hall. Cal U students who
helped to stage the exhibit were Ashley Bouton,
Tiffany Harris, Katie Resch, Ashley Rudacille,
Samantha Sundburg, Jess Lane, Katie
Mercandante, Jenn Murphy, Jonathyn Simpson
and Jordan Verbofsky.
Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity
members assisted. Mike Thoma produced a
PowerPoint presentation the audience could
view before the ceremony.
National judges at the Young Artists and
Writers Alliance in New York City are now
adjudicating the Gold Key art and writing.
National winners will be announced on March
8.
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
program, which began in Pittsburgh in 1923, is
the oldest and most prestigious awards program
in the country. The Alliance reports that
students from across the country submitted
more than 180,000 entries this year.

Cody Byers, of West Greene High School, receives an award from presenters
and board members Dr. Krystia Nora, an assistant professor in the
Department of English at Cal U, and Sandra Boyes. Byers earned two Gold
Key awards for her writing.

3

At left, the Cal U men’s basketball team sports ‘Hail to Hamer’ T-shirts
as players rally during pregame warm-ups. Above, Annie Malkowiak ’94,
’96, associate director of athletic development and assistant coach, gets
a hug from Cal U senior Kayla Smith before the women’s game. Both
teams were victorious in the final regular season games at Hamer Hall
on Feb. 19.

Alumni, Fans Share Memories of Hamer Hall

F

ormer Vulcan players and fans
returned to the bleachers in Hamer
Hall on Feb. 19 to watch the final
regular season basketball games contested
in the arena and to reminisce at a “Hail to
Hamer” celebration.
In games televised on WPCW-TV,
both the men’s and women’s teams
defeated divisional rival Gannon
University in front of a large crowd.
The win by Cal U’s women’s team,
under head coach Mark Swasey, clinched
the program’s 11th consecutive PSAC
playoff appearance.
Next season, the teams will play in
Cal U’s new Convocation Center, a $54
million facility slated to open this fall.
“This was a day of inclusion,” said
men’s basketball coach Bill Brown, who
initiated the Basketball Alumni Day
tradition in 2000. “We are thankful so
many people came to remember Hamer
Hall and have some fun on a historic
day.”
Hamer Hall has been the home court
for Vulcan basketball since 1965, two
years after ground was broken for the
campus landmark.
Basketball standout Dick Majernik
’55 – who scored many of his 1,317
career points in nearby Herron Hall
before Hamer was constructed — recalled
Myles Witchey, Tim Loomis and Jim
Boone, Cal U Hall of Fame coaches
whose championship teams played in
Hamer.
Majernik, a retired educator and the
2000 Basketball Alumnus of the Year,
also singled out Brown’s 2008 team,
which won the NCAA Regional title in
Hamer Hall.
“I fondly remember those
championship teams and how exciting it
was to watch them from the stands,” said
Majernik, a 1996 Cal U Hall of Fame
inductee. “Coach Brown is a good friend,
and he has done a wonderful job of
bringing back the alumni and getting
them involved.”

George Roadman ’68 (left), Charles Gladney ’66 (center) and J. Patrick Patrick Hobart ’68
share a laugh during the festivities marking the last regular season basketball games at
Hamer Hall.

Alumna Monica Kramer ’96 of
Washington, Pa., a theatre and
communications major, sings the national
anthem before the final games.

In all, Vulcan basketball teams have
won 12 PSAC titles and seven NCAA
Regional championships during the
Hamer years. Seven of the 12 conference
titles and six of the seven regional crowns
were won on the home court.
Tammy McIntire-Mandich ’90, ’91
was among the former players who
attended the festivities. During her junior
and senior sesons she helped Cal U’s
women’s team make its first two PSAC
playoff appearances, and she was part of
Cal’s initial Hall of Fame class, in 1995.

“Just looking out on the gym floor
brings back so many memories,” she said.
“We were proud to start a winning
tradition, and where the program has
gone is just amazing. The 2004 team
winning the national championship really
put us on the map.”
Becky Siembak ’04, a star player on
the national championship team coached
by Darcie Vincent, helped Cal U win 68
of 71 games in 2003 and 2004, with 36
straight home wins.
“Playing in Hamer was special and
definitely gave us an advantage,” said the
2003 National Player of the Year and
2009 Hall of Fame inductee. “It was our
home, and we were going to defend our
court.”
Also in attendance was Michael
Andresky ’79, ’92, a dedicated fan who is
past president of the Vulcans’ Sixth Man
Club and the 2003 Basketball Alumnus of
the Year. Andresky, who said he has
missed just a handful of home games
since 1969, recalled Cal’s thrilling 110-91
victory over heavily favored Cheyney in
the 1970 PSAC championship game.
“In my opinion, that was the loudest

and most crowded Hamer Hall ever was,”
he said. “Cheyney had four players who
went on to play in the NBA, but we
whipped them, and it was a great
atmosphere. I’ve always been a hometown
guy, and I have seen so many great games
at Hamer.”
Traveling from Florida as he has done
for many of the basketball alumni days
was the oldest returning alumnus, James
Zell ’39. A Hall of Fame inductee, Zell
joked that he once scored 19 points in a
game, the school record at the time.
“He is what this is all about and is a
treasured member of our basketball
program,” Brown said.
Annie Malkowiak ’94, ’96 has not
only played in Hamer Hall, but also has
been a public address announcer, athletic
administrator and now an assistant coach.
A 2000 Cal U Hall of Fame inductee, she
was the first Basketball Alumna of the
Year, in 2002.
“I really can’t put into words all that
Hamer Hall means to me,” she said. “At
the same time, though, the new
Convocation Center shows how much the
University is progressing. It will create so
many outstanding opportunities for the
teams, the school and the region. It’s
going to be incredible.”
The 2011 Basketball Alumnus and
Alumna of the Year were announced
during the event. Award winners were
Tom Graney ’77 and Cris Winter ’84.
Although the basketball teams are
moving to a new arena, the women’s
volleyball team will continue to play its
home matches in Hamer Hall.
“We are not saying farewell. Hamer
Hall will remain a vital part of our
campus,” said University President
Angelo Armenti, Jr. “We will build a new
tradition at the Convocation Center, but
we will always remember the
accomplishments of the student-athletes
and coaches who proudly called Hamer
Hall their home.
“They will always be welcome here.”

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. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services

Craig Butzine
Interim Vice President for Marketing and University Relations

Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ron Huiatt
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Christine Kindl
Editor

Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Affairs

Robert Thorn
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance

Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender
Writers

Office of Communication and Public Relations

250 University Avenue

California, PA 15419

724-938-4195

wald@calu.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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