December 22, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO “READING AT THE MALL” PROGRAM A SUCCESS Approximately 40 students from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania read stories to more than 50 children at the Millcreek Mall on November 30 and December 2. The participants were part of “Reading at the Mall,” a program sponsored by the University’s Institute for Literacy. The children and readers occupied a stage in front of Lazarus Department Store, complete with fireplace, Christmas stockings and gaily decorated tree. The program was a hit with children, parents and shoppers, providing a welcome break from the bustle of Christmas shopping. Under an Edinboro University banner, students and faculty members shared a wide variety of children’s stories during the two-day event. Dawn Snodgrass, chair of the Institute for Literacy, said the student readers were from different curricula, including elementary, secondary and special education, foreign languages, and student organizations. Students read stories in Spanish with guidance from professor Judy Gramley, American Sign Language story-tellers were supervised by Susan Boam-Wood, and elementary education majors relied on Dr. Nan Briggs for assistance. EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-27A5 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 22, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO STUDENT, 76, PLANS SECOND TEACHING CAREER When Fran Salem received her teaching certificate from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania this December, it was part of a plan to find a teaching position, work for 20 years or so and then retire. That may sound a bit bold for someone fresh out of college, but Salem, who turned 76 this year, plans on making her golden years the most productive years of her life. Most people in Salem’s position might be ready to settle down to enjoy retirement in peace and quiet after living a full life as a mother, teacher and missionary. Salem, however, has no intention of living in a rocking chair. That desire to make the most of life may have come from a series of personal hardships over the years. She was bom into a devout Roman Catholic family in Carnegie, Pa., in 1919. But when her mother died at an early age, her father left the church, and she and her brothers and sisters were raised as atheists. Salem went to high school in Triadelphia, West Virginia, married, and moved to Miami in 1942. She and her husband had five children together, but when the youngest was two, they divorced, and Salem had to raise them alone. Her life changed again when at the age of 30 she discovered Christianity. She attended Miami Christian College from 1956-1960. Her faith was tested when a daughter, Cathy, died at the age of 19 from kidney failure, and a son, Edward, was killed at 20 in an accident. She left Florida in 1963 to become a missionary in West Virginia and Kentucky. It was there she learned the importance of living a full life. “You can grow old miserable or you can do something with your life,” she said. “It’s a choice people make. I have met so many people A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO STUDENT PLANS SECOND TEACfflNG CAREER, Continued Page 2 Four years later she moved to Palmer, Alaska, to work at the Lazy Mountain Children’s Home. She enrolled at the University at Alaska and earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology, and took graduate courses in counseling. College life gave her the opportunity to take part in several activities. She took a wilderness survival course, learned to ski and swim, and even joined a local swim team. Her teaching career began in 1975 at the age of 56 when she was hired at a private school in Ohio, first as a teacher and later as a supervisor. She stayed there until 1981 when she took up missionary work again, this time in Trinidad. Most of Trinidad’s schools were started by churches of more than 25 different faiths. For the first year she traveled around the island country putting on puppet shows with religious themes. They were very popular because the schools had little in the way of visual aids. An orphanage in Sangre Grande, Trinidad, hired her to raise money to save it from bankruptcy. In the first year she raised $100,000 and saved the orphanage. After nearly five years she returned to western Pennsylvania and got a job at Children Youth Services in Meadville as a social worker. Following a brief stint there she trained to be a nurse’s aide at the Crawford County Vo-Tech School. “I thought I would have to take care of my sister,” said Salem. Fortunately, her sister has remained in good health. Salem decided to enroll at Edinboro to earn her teaching certificate for financial and moral reasons. As a missionary, she wasn’t able to put aside any money for retirement. She receives Social Security, but it isn’t enough to make ends meet. She realizes she needs to continue working to support herself. Most people would dread the prospect of working for the rest of their lives, but not Salem. “It’s immoral to sit around collecting a check when I could be working,” she said. “I don’t want to sit around in retirement, it doesn’t agree with me.” So this past semester she student taught - first at Linesville High School where she worked with special education students, and then in Conneaut Lake teaching second graders. Nothing pleases her more than working with children. “This has been the most fulfilling time of my life,” she said. “If I couldn’t find a job teaching I would volunteer.” With one lifetime of work and service behind her and another career ahead of her, Salem has one piece of advice for those nearing the so-called retirement age: “Live every year to the fullest - retiring from life is what kills people.” -30BKP:bja EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 22, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO GRAD’S ILLNESS LEADS TO HEALING CAREER Humbart “Smokey” Santillo has taken life’s lemons and made lemonade - and a lot more. At the time he graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 1970 he was suffering from a variety of nagging health problems. Instead of letting his ailments control his life he used them as a stimulus to become an authority on nutrition and naturopathic medicine, as well as a best-selling author, inventor, world-class athlete and a dam good saxophone player. Santillo, who grew up in an Italian family in Lockport, New York, had a very poor diet as a child. It was not uncommon for him to have three sticks of pepperoni, a half quart of milk and a quarter pound of cheese as a bedtime snack. Raw fruits and vegetables were rare in his diet. As a result, he developed allergies, swollen joints and other maladies. Nevertheless, he became a star athlete in high school and was recmited by Division I schools to play football until a knee injury dimmed his prospects. His high school’s vice principal was Jack Case, a graduate of Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. When Case learned that Santillo was looking for a college scholarship, he called his friend David O’Dessa, who was Edinboro’s football coach at the time. O’Dessa said to send Santillo down and found him a scholarship for track and football, where he played tailback. At college he continued on his diet of meat and protein. By the time he was 21 his weight had increased from 190 to 230 pounds while his problems with allergies and joints worsened. After graduating in 1970 with a degree in elementary education he taught school for two years. Then he formed a jazz and blues musical group called Smokey’s Session. Six years of playing in smoke-filled night clubs aggravated his health problems even more. A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO GRAD’S ILLNESS LEADS TO HEALING CAREER, Continued Page 2 He took allergy shots once a week, but when those were no longer effective his physician sent him to a series of specialists. “They played a guessing game about how to treat my condition and indiscriminately used a wide range of drugs,” said Santillo, “some of which caused me to black out at the time. It didn’t take me long to realize this method of treatment was leading nowhere.” In desperation he went to a health food store where he found a book that recommended giving up meat, eggs and dairy products and eating more fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. So in 1975 he became a vegetarian and began an intense study of nutrition. He moved to Tucson, Arizona, to study naturopathic medicine which combines herbs, diet and non-traditional therapies such as acupuncture and manipulation. He earned the degree of Doctor of Naturopathy and Master Herbalist from the American Medical Naturopathic Association. In 1981 he opened his own practice in Tucson and a year later authored his first book Natural Healing With Herbs. The book is considered a classic in its field and has sold more than 200,000 copies. Five other books followed - two of which became best sellers in the health industry. His second book, published in 1984 was Food Enzymes: The Missing Link to Radiant Health. It has sold more than 150,000 copies. His most recent best seller is Intuitive Eating. Published in 1993, it may surpass his other works in popularity. Santillo’s big career breakthrough was his invention of “Juice Plus.” He found a way to remove the water from whole fruits and vegetables, concentrate them into a powder in capsule form, and add enzymes and fiber. “The concentrated juice powder uses such nutrition-rich foods as kale, parsley, beets and barley - raw foods in capsule form,” explained Santillo. “These are not a supplement, nor are they fragmented substances like vitamins or minerals. They are whole foods concentrated.” He traveled around the country promoting his product, and hooked up with the National Safety Association (NSA), a multi-level marketing company. That connection changed his life virtually overnight. NSA has more than 400,000 representatives selling Juice Plus nationwide. The success of Santillo’s books and Juice Plus has made him a highly sought-after speaker all over the US and Europe where herbal medicines are popular, especially in England. The philosophy he preaches in 75 to 80 cities a year is simple and straightforward: We haven’t been taught good nutrition and we use drugs and medieines indiscriminately. Prevention should be our number one priority. By what he calls natural living - eating whole foods, exercising, and having clean air and water - we can create a healthy and natural living environment. -more- EDINBORO GRAD’S ILLNESS LEADS TO HEALING CAREER, Continued Page 3 He would not have such a following if his methods were not successful on himself. Since switching to a 1500-calorie diet that is 90 percent raw fruits, vegetables, seeds ^nd nuts, Santillo has not had a symptom of allergies and arthritis in twenty years. He has regained his athletic ability, recently tying his fastest high school time in the 40-yard dash. This year, at the age of 47, Santillo competed in the World Masters Games in Buffalo, anchoring the US (4x100) relay team to a first place win and a gold medal. He placed sixth in the world in the 100 and 200 meters, and won the Canadian Nationals in those events. Today he lives in East Amherst, New York, with his wife Dawn and their children Nicholas and Jessica. He no longer plays the saxophone professionally as most of his time is spent lecturing, travelling, writing and inventing new nutritional products. Anyone wishing to get a copy of his books may do so through his publisher, Hohm Press, P. O. Box 2501, Prescott, AZ, 86302. -30BKPibja Dr. Judith A. W. Thomas, interim vice president for enrollment planning and student life and chair and professor of education at Lincoln University, recently presented a workshop to education faculty on “Critical Multiculturalism and the New Curriculum.” A 1962 Edinboro graduate who was honored as a Distinguished Alumna by the Edinboro University Alumni Association in 1989, Thomas is a nationally renowned scholar, speaker and writer on issues of pluralism, diversity and multiculturalism. Her presentation was a continuation of the State System of Higher Education Social Equity Grant project, “Celebrating Diversity; Building Awareness in a University Setting.” EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 15, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS COMMISSIONED IN ARMY Malcolm H. Sexsmith and Brady M. Sexton were commissioned as second lieutenants in the United States Army, Quartermaster Corps, in a commissioning ceremony prior to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s winter commencement program Sunday, December 10. Sexsmith, a resident of Erie, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science/application. He will serve on reserve duty for the Army. Sexton earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. The Orchard Park, N. Y., resident will serve in the regular Army. Captain John K. Collison, head of the University’s military science/ROTC department, gave the welcoming speech at the commissioning ceremony. Edinboro’s Associate Vice President for Academic Programs and Dean of University College, Dr. Andrew Lawlor, gave the ceremony’s opening remarks. -30CCM:bja A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 10, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 732 STUDENTS GRADUATE AT EDINBORO’S WINTER COMMENCEMENT Edinboro University of Pennsylvania President Foster F. Diebold, now in the 17th year of his presidency, wiU confer degrees on 732 students at Edinboro's winter Commencement ceremony on Sunday, December 10, at 2:00 p.m. in McComb Fieldhouse. With a May graduating class of 732 students, Edinboro granted approximately 1,464 associate, bachelor's and master's degrees during the 1995 calendar year. Thirty undergraduate students will be graduating with summa cum laude honors (3.80 to 4.00 grade point average) 29 with magna cum laude honors (3.60 to 3.79), and 59 cum laude (3.40 to 3.59). Carrying the ceremonial mace and leading the academic procession at the ceremony is Donald James Renn, associate professor and chairperson of the department of chemistry. Since 1965, Renn has served as a teacher of graduate and undergraduate courses in all levels of chemistry. Featured speaker for the ceremony is Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter, dean of the School of Education and acting dean of the School of Liberal Arts. Serving in his dual role since October of this year, Kerstetter is responsible for the overall administrative leadership of both schools. A native of Danville, Pa., he earned his bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University in 1969, a master’s from the University of Delaware in 1971, and a doctorate from Gallaudet College (Washington, D.C.) in 1985. President Diebold will confer upon Erie businessman and community leader Louis J. Porreco the degree of Doctor of Public Service - Doctor Beneficiorum Publicorum, honoris causa. The honor recognizes Porreco’s leadership, long-standing support of higher education, commitment to public service and entrepreneurial contributions to the regional economy. - more A member of the State System- of Higher Education page 2 COMMENCEMENT, DECEMBER 1995 A lifetime resident of Erie, Porreco graduated from Erie East High School and attended Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Gannon University. In 1987, Porreco made the largest single contribution to Edinboro University’s capital campaign, a 27-acre, $1.1 million estate in Erie’s Millcreek Township. The estate and its 11 buildings have been transformed into the Edinboro University Porreco Extension Center, giving the University the presence and capability in the greater Erie area to offer both undergraduate and graduate coursework, as well as continuing education courses. The property’s 12-room main house, named Mary Porreco Hall in honor of Mr. Porreco’s aunt, is also available as a conference and seminar facility to business, corporate and civic organizations in the community. In recognition of his generosity to the University, Edinboro nominated Porreco for the prestigious Philanthropist of the Year award, a program of the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. He received the award in 1988 at a special banquet in Pittsburgh. Porreco’s contributions to the Erie area are well known and go beyond his special gift to Edinboro University. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Gannon University and is a trustee of the Erie Community Foundation. He is also on the Board of Corporators of the Saint Vincent Foundation for Health and Human Services and is the president of the S.S. Niagara Museum Corporation. -30psl EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 8, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO STUDENT ARRESTED ON FALSE ALARM CHARGES An Edinboro University of Pennsylvania student has been arrested and arraigned on multiple charges for triggering a false fire alarm in a campus dormitory. Erika Marie Thoms, an 18-year-old freshman, was arrested today by Edinboro University Police and arraigned before District Justice Ronald Stuck on criminal charges. She was released on a recognizance bond and ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing in Stuck’s Edinboro court on Thursday, December 14. Thoms is accused of setting a false fire alarm on the fifth floor of the female wing of Lawrence Towers dormitory ^shortly after midnight on December 6. She has been formally charged with two misdemeanor offenses under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code - False Alarms to Agencies of Public Safety (Section 4905), Recklessly Endangering Another Person (Section 2705), and also with Disorderly Conduct, a summary offense under Section 5503. She faces penalties of up to five years in jail and fines of up to $10,000. Thoms is also scheduled to appear before a disciplinary hearing under the University’s Student Code of Conduct on December 15. -30WAR:bja A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA 1995 WINTER COMMENCEMENT / Sunday, December 10, 2:00 p.m., McComb Fieldhouse ^ 132 students received master's, bachelor's and associate degrees. With a May graduating class of 732, the University granted approximately 1,464 degrees during the 1995 calendar year. The degree Doctor of Public Service, doctor beneficiorum publicorum, honoris causa, was presented to Erie businessman and community leader Louis J. Porreco. / Featured speaker was Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter, dean of the University’s School of Education. / Serving as University Marshal and leading the academic procession was Donald James Renn, associate professor and chairperson of the department of chemistry, with 30 years of service to Edinboro University. / 30 undergraduate students graduatd with summa cum laude honors (3.80 to 4.(X) grade point average) 29 with magna cum laude honors (3.60 to 3.79), and 59 cum laude (3.40 to 3.59). A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-27i5 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 8,1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: AREA EDUCATORS CONFER AT EDINBORO How should a teacher handle streetwise students? What strategies work best with dismptive students? Representatives of northwestern Pennsylvania's school districts recently joined Edinboro University's Center for Excellence in Teaching in discussing "Violent and Disruptive Students," a videoconference held on December 7. Dr. Linda Albert, developer of the cooperative discipline approach, was the featured speaker. Cooperative discipline might be the most widely applied disciplinary system developed in the last 20 years. Albert shared specific strategies for teachers to use when a "graceful exit" is called for. Actual classroom videotapes demonstrated her teaching methods. Dr. Lou Gonzales spoke of his years of experience in teaching streetwise students at the conference. He demonstrated practical strategies for teachers working in inner-city environments. Working with drug-exposed children and students with behavior disorders was Ellie Giles' topic. Giles also presented videotaped cases of these children and explained teaching strategies for defusing explosive classroom situations. -30CCM;bjk A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 4,1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS NAMED IN WHO'S WHO Twenty students from Edinboro University will be included in the 1996 edition of Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, along with the country's most outstanding campus leaders. Students are selected for this annual directory based on their academic achievement, service to the community, leadership in extracurricular activities, and future potential. They join an elite group of students selected from more than 1,800 institutions of higher learning in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several foreign nations. Students named this year from Edinboro University are: -30PSL:bjk A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 1, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: EDINBORO WRITERS TAKE TOP HONORS The winners of Chautauqua County’s Tenth Annual Artifacts Writers Competition were announced November 20, and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania can call two of the winners part of the family. Associate professor Barbara Grippe and Edinboro alumnus John Parsons won first place awards for their work. Grippe won first place in the essay category for “Panic and a Pennsylvania Poet,” a work based on the unusual names of towns around the state. Grippe is a member of Edinboro’s library faculty, with degrees in library science from Clarion University and the University of Pittsburgh. Attending the writers’ workshops at the Chautauqua Institution and Mercy hurst Poetry Workshops helped her hone her craft. Parsons took top honors in the play category with his one-act play. The Team. He received his bachelor’s degree in English literature from Edinboro, and did postgraduate work at the State University of New York at Buffalo. The Ellicottville resident writes a variety of fiction, which includes scripting mystery parties for friends. Grippe’s essay and Parson’s play will appear in the winter issue of Artifacts. The winners are slated to read their works on January 21, 1996. Both the magazine and the contest are sponsored by the Arts Council of Chautauqua County. -30CCM:bja A member of the State System of Higher Education EDINBORO UNIVERSITY PENNSYLVANIA Office of Public Information and Publications Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-2745 or 2929 Fax (814) 732-2621 December 1, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RAHAL NAMED TO NOTE POST The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has announced the appointment of Edinboro University professor Dr. Barbara Rahal as Pennsylvania coordinator for its 1996 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. Rahal teaches elementary education at the university’s Miller Research Learning Center. Now in its 39th year, this annual competition cites approximately 800 high school seniors for excellence in writing and recommends them to colleges and universities for admission and financial aid. High school English departments nominate seniors for the award, with each nominee submitting an impromptu theme and a sample of his or her best writing. High school and college teachers compose the regional judging committees who, under the direction of state coordinators, choose among the nominees. According to the NCTE, nearly 4,000 students were nominated for the 1995 NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing. The NCTE announces the contest’s results every October. NCTE consists of more than 125,000 teachers and institutional members from elementary school through postgraduate college. Its goal is more effective teaching of Englishlanguage arts and literature in the nation’s schools, colleges and universities. NCTE publishes journals, books and other media to assist teachers in the classroom and in their professional development. -30CCM:bja A member of the State System of Higher Education December 19, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LOCAL STUDENT RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has announced that Traci L. Shade, 81 Waterford St., Union City, was recently named the recipient of a Clarence C. and Cora Crawford Scholarship. Dr. and Mrs. Crawford originally came to Edinboro State Normal School in 1918. A mathematics instructor and vice principal, Clarence Crawford became the first president of Edinboro State Teachers College in 1929. During his tenure, he was highly respected in the community and on the campus, and often provided financial assistance to students. Dr. Crawford died in 1942. This scholarship is made available through contributions by D. Neal Manross. Traci is a nursing major and a graduate of Union City Area High School. -30PSL:bja December 19, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LOCAL STUDENT RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has announced that Renee Ann Sherrell, 3535 State St., Erie, was recently named the recipient of a Betty J. Murch Memorial Scholarship. This award is offered annually to an Edinboro University black female student who is 25 years of age or older who did not matriculate to college after high school and who has a 3.00 QPA or higher. The recipient must be enrolled full-time for both terms of the award. Renee is the daughter of Priscilla Sherrell. She is a social work major and a graduate of Academy High School. 30 - PSLibja - December 19, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LOCAL STUDENT RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has announced that Todd Kosterman, 2935 West 23rd St., Erie, was recently named the recipient of the Kevin F. “Rocky” Burkhardt Scholarship. This scholarship is presented annually to a biology major who has a minimum 3.5 cumulative quality point average. The recipient may receive this scholarship for two consecutive years if selected initially as a junior and all other selection criteria are met. This scholarship was established by the late Mr. Richard Burkhardt and his wife, Colleen, in memory of their late son, Kevin, who was a 1985 Edinboro University honors graduate in biology. Todd is the son of Trent Kosterman and Laura Kosterman. He is a graduate of McDowell High School and a biology major at Edinboro. 30 - PSL:bja - December 19, 1995 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: LOCAL STUDENT RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP Edinboro University of Pennsylvania has announced that Mike Plyler, P. O. Box 5, Main St., Townville, was recently named the recipient of a Harrington-Hoffman Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to an Edinboro University student from Pennsylvania, or nearby state, whose major is pre-medicine or chemistry with a cumulative quality point average of 3.30 or greater, and who will be enrolled full-time (12 credits or greater) during each term of the award. Funds for this award have been made available through an endowment made to the Edinboro University Alumni Association by Dr. Donald Hoffman, a member of the Edinboro University faculty and former Alumni Director, and his wife, Mrs. Linda Harrington Hoffman. It is named in memory of their fathers. Dr. Benjamin Hoffman and Mr. Homer Harrington. Mike is the son of Blair and Joyce Plyler. He is a biology/pre-med major and a graduate of Maplewood High School. 30 - PSL:bja -