ommunity
onnections
Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Dear Clarion
University neighbor,
Since becoming Clarion
University’s 16th president in
July 2010, I have expressed
my personal goal that
Clarion University becomes
a more civically engaged
university. I’m pleased to
report that the university’s
strategic planning process
last year affirmed a commitment to civic engagement as a
core value of our university community.
As part of Clarion University’s efforts to create and
maintain mutually beneficial relationships with our
community partners, I’m delighted to share this newsletter
with you. It will be sent twice a year—in the fall and
spring—and it’s designed to keep you apprised of major
campus initiatives; construction projects; cultural, arts,
entertainment, sporting and other events; as well as issues
that we hope will be of interest to you.
I believe that as a public university, Clarion University
has the obligation and opportunity to be a vital partner
in making the Clarion area a great place to live and work.
We remain committed to supporting regional engagement
and economic development and to serving as an
important educational and cultural resource for the entire
area through our teaching, research and service.
I encourage you to participate in the life of the university
by attending our events and activities. Please also take
advantage of the university’s resources and let us know how
we’re doing by using the contact information provided in
each issue.
Have an Eagletastic fall! I look forward to seeing you on
campus and in the community!

Karen M. Whitney
President

Fall 2012
Being a good neighbor: 101
At the heart of a good neighborhood is the relationships
established among its neighbors. The first step in building
a relationship is respecting those next door, down the
street and around the corner.
“A core group of community members and students,
in conjunction with Clarion University/Community
Alcohol and Other Drugs Task Force, developed the
Good Neighbor Program to allow Clarion students
and Clarion area community members to live as good
neighbors in our community,” said Jim McGee,
coordinator of health promotions at the university.
The Good Neighbor Program is designed to work with
issues that arise both on and off campus. The goal is
to work with off-campus students to raise awareness
of negative issues and promote positive decision making
with students and community members with whom
they come into contact.
Through the program, students are encouraged to:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Recognize they are part of a neighborhood.
Spend time getting to know their neighbors.
Treat neighbors with respect.
Identify potential concerns such as noise levels,
trash removal, parking and property lines.
Exchange contact information and schedules.
Take pride in where they live.

The program recently was awarded a $14,323 grant
through Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, which will
support the Good Neighbor Program’s neighborhood
walk-throughs. Members of the Alcohol Task Force go
door to door to educate students about alcohol use
and the Good Neighbor Program.
President Karen Whitney and other university
administrators met recently with 22 landlords of student
rentals to review changes to the university housing
policy, which, beginning in fall 2013, will require students
to live on campus during their first four terms.
Now open, she wants to continue that dialogue.
“We want to hear from landlords how the
university can work with them to ensure a
quality experience that helps their studenttenants stay in school and graduate,”
Whitney said.
For information about the Good
Neighbor Program, contact McGee at
814-393-1949 or jmcgee@clarion.edu,
or Matt Shaffer, coordinator of judicial
affairs and residence life education, at
814-393-1918 or mshaffer@clarion.edu.

Community Service
Day set for Oct. 20
Clarion University students will
work throughout the greater
Clarion area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Oct. 20 for Fall Community
Service Day. Organized by
Clarion’s Center for Leadership
and Involvement, students work
with community agencies and
organizations for the betterment
of the community. They will be
wearing Community Service Day
t-shirts.
Local agencies can register a
project or other work to be done
by contacting Kelly Ryan, assistant
director for leadership and
service, at 814-393-1688 or
kryan@clarion.edu.

Have your say
“We won’t be building audacious
buildings at Clarion. We won’t be
building the ones that make the
paper and are splashy, because
that’s not Clarion. We’re down to
earth, we work hard and we work
hard on behalf of our students.”
Karen Whitney, President
The Facilities Planning Department
is responsible for major construction,
maintenance and repair contracts at
Clarion University and is guided by a
facilities master plan. Clarion University
will soon begin to develop a new plan
and seeks community input.

Eating clean, eating green
Chartwells, Clarion University’s food
service, is making Eagle Commons
dining facility a place that nourishes
the people who eat there and the
local economy
by buying local.
Chartwells works
with 10 farms
within a 100-mile
radius of Clarion
to procure inseason produce.
Additionally,
Chartwells has
committed to
serving an entrée
once a week using
meat from local
farms. Of the
food offered at

account how best to advance
academics, student life, student housing,
athletics, parking and landscaping,
and efforts toward environmental
responsibility and updated Americans
with Disabilities Act requirements.
“We are very committed, through our
president, to be sure the borough and
Oil City participate in the process
so that we complement our host
municipalities,” said Ric Taylor, director
of facilities planning and management.
Open forums will be scheduled.
“It will be about a 16-month process,”
he said. “We want to be sure that
everyone has the opportunity to be
heard, and the best solution will be
provided based on those comments.”

“This is one of the most successful
fixed-route, rural transportation
programs in the state,” said Paul
Bylaska, vice president for finance
and administration at the university.
The handicapped-accessible bus
service is free of charge for Clarion
University students with ID, senior

The community is
welcome to dine
at Eagle Commons.
For hours and
daily menus, visit
www.dineoncampus.com/clarion.

Athletics app keeps
fans in the know
Clarion University Sports Information introduced the latest way
for Golden Eagles sports fans to
stay connected, an app for fans on
the Android TM Operating System.
Fans can download the app from
their AndroidTM devices by visiting
www.clariongoldeneagles.com and
scanning the QR code. With the
AndroidTM app, Clarion fans will be
able to access the latest news and
headlines from Clarion’s athletic
website, as well as team schedules
and rosters and live scores from
select athletic events. Fans can also
use the app to buy football tickets.
Fans with smartphones or tablets
can download the TuneIn app to
listen to games and access stats.

Student-supported bus service
available to community

Academic fees paid by Clarion
University students cover 25 percent
of the $200,000 annual cost for bus
service, and the university and a federal
grant cover the balance.

Chartwells has implemented Project
Clean Plate, which prompts students to
take only as much
food as they can
eat, and
Project Green
Thumb, which
encourages
recycling and
composting.

Eagle Commons dining facility, at the corner
of Wood and Arnold streets, buys meat and
produce from local farms when possible. The
doors to Eagle Commons are open to the
community, as well as to the university.

The plan will provide a clear vision
of the university’s future, taking into

Clarion University students contribute
to the community in many ways.
Because of them, Clarion Area Transit
(CAT) buses are available for student
and community use.

Eagle Commons, 95 percent is made
from scratch.

citizens age 65 and older and children
younger than 5; other riders pay a
nominal fee.
Area Transportation Authority of
North Central Pennsylvania operates
the CAT buses, which run Monday
through Saturday, except during
academic breaks. Campus loops and
mall loops have pick-up and drop-off
points at various locations on and off
campus.
This year, the CAT bus added night
service Monday through Thursday
on the campus loop and Friday
and Saturday on the mall loop.
For a complete schedule, visit
www.clarion.edu/bus.

New app puts Clarion
on the global map
At the fall community breakfast,
which will be held at 7:30 a.m. Oct.
25 at the American Legion, Clarion,
($7 at the door), the iClarion app
will be introduced to show how
the community and university are
using new technology to heighten
Clarion’s visibility among travelers.
The app, available as a free
download on AppleTM and DroidTM
mobile devices, will present
information on the community,
including local attractions, businesses
and amenities.
Find out more about the app on
Oct. 25.

Learning by doing
There’s nothing else like it in the United
States or perhaps the world, and,
for local elementary through college
students, learning about amphibians will
never be the same.

“We’re about our students’ success,
and we’re about helping our students
prepare to achieve their dreams.”
Karen M. Whitney,
President

Clarion University,
Clarion-Limestone
School District in
Clarion Township and
the Center for
Conservation Studies,
Inc., are collaborating
to develop the
Clarion-Limestone
Amphibian Research
Center in a former
greenhouse and
building at ClarionLimestone. CLARC
The spotted salamander is one of the amphibians that will be studied at
is designed to aid in
the research and save Clarion-Limestone Amphibian Research Center.
endangered species
of amphibians.
A 40-foot windmill and solar panel
Dr. Andrew Keth, Clarion University
professor of biology, and Alysha Cypher, were erected on site to generate
electricity to provide heat and light for
who graduated from Clarion in May
the greenhouse complex. Rainwater is
with a degree in biology, partnered
collected in holding tanks to provide a
to create CLARC.
clean, viable water source.
The project is important on an
Clarion-Limestone teachers have been
international scale because it will
asked to develop curriculum around
address widespread extinction of
CLARC.
amphibian species worldwide.

Would you like to make a gift
to Clarion University? Give online at
www.clarion.edu/givenow
or call 814-393-2637.

Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry Executive Director Tracy Becker, State Representative and
Clarion University Council of Trustees member Donna Oberlander, Clarion Borough Mayor Andrea Estadt,
Clarion University President Karen Whitney and Clarion County Commissioners Butch Campbell, Wayne
Brosius and Greg Faller cut the ribbon to officially open Golden Eagle Landing, Clarion University Book
Center’s new downtown location at 650 Main Street. The downtown location will add vitality to the
business community and provide an off-campus book center site where shoppers can find clothing, gifts
and more. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Building the future
The Clarion University campus
is looking a bit fresher thanks to
a summer of painting, masonry
work and general repairs for safety
and aesthetics.
“I think that our campus ought
to complement the borough,”
said Ric Taylor, director of facilities
planning and management.
“By putting on a good presentation,
it brings up the standards of the
neighborhood and the borough
itself,” he said.
Along with continued maintenance
and repairs, the university has
several major projects slated for
the near future:
•

The 112-year-old Becht Hall
was last renovated in 1995.
Interior demolition is expected
to begin this month, with a
project completion estimate of
spring 2014. Contractors will
replace the building’s wood
frame with a steel frame and
install geothermal heat pumps,
which take advantage
of underground geothermal
conditions for heating in winter
and cooling in summer. Becht
will serve as a one-stop shop
for student services.

•

Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium
will undergo renovation.
A start date has not been
determined, but schematic
design work should begin this
fall. Taylor said the building
needs a cosmetic upgrade,
but the structure is in sound
shape. Renovation will include
replacement of HVAC,
electrical and lighting systems.

•

A new natatorium will
connect to the Student
Recreation Center, and the
current pool will be covered
over and the room used as
an auxiliary gym.

The cost of renovating Tippin
and building a new natatorium
is about half of the cost of
completely replacing Tippin.
Renovation of both buildings
and construction of the natatorium
will be done in accordance with
criteria for LEED (Leadership
in Energy and Environmental
Design) certification. No
disruptions or road closures
are expected to impact the
community.

Arts, culture and entertainment at Clarion
Detailed information about the following events is available at www.clarion.edu/events.
Events at Venango College are at Clarion University’s Oil City campus.
For a schedule of athletic events, please visit www.clariongoldeneagles.com.
2012
Through Oct. 30, “gotta have it: collecting strategies and
obsessions” (curated by Vicky A. Clark)
2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 2 to 5 p.m. Friday; noon to 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday; Art Gallery, Carlson Library
Oct. 17-18, Clarion University High School Choral Festival
9:30 to 11:30 a.m, Marwick-Boyd Auditorium
Oct. 25, Community Breakfast
7:30 a.m., American Legion, Clarion

2013
Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Breakfast, (time/location TBD)
March 6-10, “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”
(Clarion University Theatre)
8 p.m. (March 6-9), 2 p.m. (March 10), Marwick-Boyd Little
Theatre
March 29-30, Second Series (Clarion University Theatre;
produced, directed, performed and often written by students)
8 p.m., Hart Chapel

Oct. 26-27, Second Series (Clarion University Theatre;
produced, directed, performed and often written by students)
8 p.m., Hart Chapel

April 4, Community Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. (location TBD)

Oct. 28, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia American Music Concert
3 p.m., Hart Chapel

April 8, Holocaust Remembrance Day/Esther Bauer
(Holocaust survivor)
7:30 p.m., Robert W. Rhoades Center, Venango College

Oct. 30, Terry Tempest Williams (freedom of speech activist)
7:30 p.m., Robert W. Rhoades Center, Venango College

April 7, Wind Orchestra Concert
3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

April 9, Matt Croyle (filmmaker), 6:30 p.m., Hart Chapel

Nov. 10, Honors Colloquium
7:30 p.m., Hart Chapel

April 11, Kane Smego (nationally recognized spoken-word
poet), 7:30 p.m., Robert W. Rhoades Center, Venango College

Nov. 14-18, “All’s Well That Ends Well”
(Clarion University Theatre)
8 p.m. (Nov. 14-17), 2 p.m. (Nov. 18), Marwick-Boyd Little
Theatre

April 24-28, “Seascape” (Clarion University Theatre)
8 p.m. (April 24-27), 2 p.m. (April 28), Marwick-Boyd Little
Theatre

Nov. 27, Zach Wahls (LGBT equality activist)
7:30 p.m., Robert W. Rhoades Center, Venango College

May 1-17, Bachelor of Fine Arts Show,
Clarion University Art Gallery, Carlson Library

Nov. 28, Joseph Firecrow (Cheyenne flutist)
7:30 p.m., Robert W. Rhoades Center, Venango College

May 4, Concert Choir, Alumni, and Venango Chorus,
Carmina Burana with orchestra
7:30 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

Nov. 30, Wind Ensemble Concert
7:30 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

May 5, Symphony Orchestra Concert
3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

Dec. 1, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers Concert
7:30 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium
Dec. 2, Symphony Orchestra Concert
3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

Two university music groups welcome community
members to join.

Dec. 4, Jazz Band Concert
7:30 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium
Dec. 7, “8” the Play (Clarion University Theatre)
8 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre

Concert Choir meets from 3 to 3:50 p.m. Mondays and
Wednesdays in Marwick-Boyd Fine Arts Center and has
several performances throughout the year. Contact Dr.
Hank Alviani at 814-393-2384 or halviani@clarion.edu.

Dec. 9, Pennsylvania Youth Wind Symphony
3 p.m., Marwick-Boyd Auditorium

Symphony Orchestra performs at the end of each
semester. Contact Dr. Casey Teske at 814-393-1828.

The Community Connections newsletter is published by the President’s Office, Clarion University of Pennsylvania,
840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214-1232. Clarion University is an affirmative action equal opportunity employer.

Clarion University of Pennsylvania
840 Wood Street
Clarion, PA 16214