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2012oct8journaldraft1.qxp_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 10/3/12 8:56 AM Page 1
California University
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 25 OCT. 8, 2012
READ THE JOURNAL ONLINE: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
‘Holidays’ Theme for
Homecoming Parade
fter a full week of special events,
Saturday’s Homecoming Day
activities promise to shift the
annual celebration into high gear.
Pre-parade activities begin at 9 a.m.
near Azorsky Hall, with a petting zoo,
bounce house, face painting, trackless
train rides, food booths sponsored by
various clubs and organizations, and
more. Radio Disney will broadcast live
from 10-11:30 a.m. outside Herron Hall.
Third Street will be closed beginning at 7
a.m. to accommodate the activities.
At 10 a.m. the African American
Alumni Society will meet in the
Multipurpose Room of Carter Hall.
The annual Homecoming Parade,
with a “Holidays” theme, will step off at
noon. The line of march will follow the
Loop Road, with the parade beginning at
the Convocation Center. Marchers will
turn right on Union Street, return to
campus on Second Street and end the
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Homecoming
Parking Changes
isitors who wish to park on
campus while attending
Homecoming events may
park in Lot 4 (the River Lot) or use
the Vulcan Garage, where parking
will be free from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday.
On Saturday, these road closures
will be in effect:
• Third Street will be closed on
campus beginning at 7 a.m.
• Hickory Street will be closed
from Sixth Street to Third Street
starting at 7 a.m.
Parade participants can access
Lot 4 (the River Lot) via Green Street
and Second Street. The River Lot
also will be available, via Second
Street, to the campus community,
alumni and Homecoming guests.
— Continued on page 4
V
march at the Kara Alumni House.
A tailgating party with activities for all
ages, including a football fun zone with
five football-themed inflatables, will begin
at 1:30 p.m. at Roadman Park.
At 2 p.m., Cal U’s PSAC champion
women’s volleyball team will host
Slippery Rock at in the Convocation
Center. And at 3:30 p.m., the nationally
ranked Cal U football team will host
division rival Lock Haven University in
Adamson Stadium at Hepner-Bailey
Field. At halftime, winners of the
Homecoming Parade float competition
will be announced, and the Homecoming
king and queen will be crowned.
Acting President Jones will visit the
various fraternities, sororities and other
organizations preparing floats for the
Homecoming parade on Friday.
For more information about the weeklong
Homecoming 2012 events and activities, visit
www.calu.edu .
Brittany Marcolini, a twirler in the Cal U Marching Band, participates in the 2011
Homecoming Parade. This year’s parade steps off at noon Saturday from the Convocation
Center.
Chicago Comedy AllStars Set for Friday
laugh-out-loud night of Chicagostyle comedy has been added to
the lineup of Homecoming
Week activities.
The Chicago Comedy
All-Stars will perform at
7:30 p.m. Friday in the
Convocation Center.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The stand-up comedy
show features a troupe of
veteran performers, all
from the Windy City and
each with an impressive
list of TV comedy credits:
• Dobie Maxwell, aka “Mr. Lucky”
(“Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,”
Comedy.tv).
• Sonya White (“Last Comic
Standing 4,” “Girls Behaving Badly,”
CMT’s “Country Fried Chicks”).
• Jimmy McHugh (HBO, Comedy
Central, ESPN2).
A
• Dwayne Kennedy (“Late Show with
David Letterman,” Showtime, FX’s
“Totally Biased”).
The public is welcome to
join Cal U students, alumni
and community members for
this night of fast-paced,
stand-up comedy. The AllStars typically perform solo,
then come together as a
group and riff off one
another in a hilarious finale.
Ticket price is $5 for
students, $10 for others.
Tickets are available through
Ticketmaster and at the Convocation
Center Box Office.
Also this week
This week Cal U also will host
performer Nate Staniforth, whose
multimedia magic show is scheduled for
7 p.m. Tuesday in the Convocation
Center. The family-friendly performance
is free. Doors open at 6 p.m. for general
admission seating, and local residents
have been invited to attend.
Staniforth is known for staging
“campus invasions” at colleges and
universities across the country. He arrives
early with a video camera and spends the
day filming as he performs close-up
magic tricks for small groups of students.
Video highlights — and the students’
reactions — become part of the evening’s
stage show, which combines stunning
illusions, original music, audience
participation and video to create a oneof-a-kind multimedia presentation.
Visitor parking for both shows is available
on campus. For questions or information
about handicap accessibility, call the
Convocation Center Box Office at 724-9384600. For a link to Ticketmaster online, or a
full schedule of Homecoming activities, visit
www.calu.edu .
Traveler Receives Greenlee Scholarship
al U junior Lauren Turosik is one of
ship with the Semester at Sea program. She
four communications students who
embarked in August on a 107-day, transhave been named recipients of the
Atlantic voyage that will take her to 16 cities in
William D. Greenlee Scholarships.
14 nations.
The $2,500 scholarships, awarded for the
At Cal U, Turosik has been a group fitness
first time this year, were established to
instructor, an AmeriCorps Scholar, a disc
recognize the late founder of Greenlee
jockey for WCAL radio, a peer mentor, a
Associates, who also served as chair of the
student note-taker and an active member of the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Society for Leadership and Success. She sits on
Education (PASSHE) Foundation.
the Faculty Forum’s communications
Lauren Turosik
Turosik is completing a dual major in
committee and has been reporting on her
communication studies with a concentration in public
Semester at Sea for the Cal U website.
relations, as well as tourism studies.
Three other students from PASSHE universities also
A resident of California, Pa., she currently is aboard
received Greenlee Scholarships:
C
• Paris Helman, of Chambersburg, a
communications/journalism major at Shippensburg
University of Pennsylvania;
• Alane Presswood, of Bloomsburg, a
communications studies major at West Chester
University of Pennsylvania; and
• Natalie Wagner, of Milton, a public relations and
mass communications major at Bloomsburg University
of Pennsylvania.
The Greenlee scholarships were established by
PASSHE, the PASSHE Foundation and Greenlee
Partners late last year. They represent the largest
individual scholarships awarded by the Foundation.
— Continued on page 3
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Thumbs Up for TXT L8TR Campaign
he Office of Parking and
Transportation wants Cal U
students to keep their eyes on the
road and their cellphones in their pockets
while they are behind the wheel.
In conjunction with PennDOT, the
parking department is conducting a
safety campaign that aims to reduce
distracted driving.
Campus organizations are
encouraging students sign pledges saying
they will not text or engage in any other
behavior that might distract them while
they’re on the road.
Posters with the message “TXT
L8TR” and “Park the Phone” have been
posted in campus buildings, residence
halls, shuttles and shelters.
“Everything has been done in-house
at very little cost,” said Chris Johnston,
executive director of Parking and
Transportation. “Engaging the students
in the pledge process has made this more
effective than any previous campaign
we’ve tried because of the peer-to-peer
interaction.”
Packets that include pledge forms
and fliers are available in the Parking
and Transportation Office in Manderino
Library, Room 123. Pledge forms should
be returned to the office by Oct. 31.
The organization with the most
pledges will receive a trophy Nov. 7 at an
T
Posters with the message ‘TXT L8TR’ and ‘Park the Phone’ have been posted throughout the
campus as part of the Office of Parking and Transportation’s safety campaign that aims to
reduce distracted driving.
‘on-campus Youth Safety Conference.
AAA is sponsoring the trophy, and
Johnston said the automobile association
is interested in replicating Cal U’s
approach at other universities.
PennDOT, which provided the
campaign’s signage, has asked to
incorporate Cal U’s poster message in a
statewide safety campaign, he said.
Jay Ofsanik, press officer for
PennDOT District 12, said his
organization was very pleased to support
the safety campaign.
“Most times the most powerful
messages are simple messages,” he said.
“Chris, his staff and the students have
really taken the ball and run with this.
“Drivers are even more likely to
come in contact with a distracted driver
than an impaired driver, which shows the
number of people who are out there
driving and texting.”
Johnston praised Cal U’s Commuter
Council for its support of the campaign.
“They have been a strong partner,
communicating to those who drive back
and forth from campus and getting the
positive safety message out to the
campuswide community,” he said.
“All of the students involved have
embraced this and done a great job.”
Senior Whitney Williams, president
of the Commuter Council, said she is
100 percent involved because she has
friends who were involved in car
accidents caused by distracted driving.
“We as the Commuter Council feel
that safety is the No. 1 priority on the
road,” she said. “Texting can be just as
dangerous as drunk driving, and we take
this campaign seriously.
“No text is worth risking your life or
someone else’s. It can wait.”
In addition to managing parking
resources, the parking office wants to
contribute to a positive safety message
for drivers, Johnston said.
“If we can remind just one person to
just park their phone when they are
driving, the campaign will be
successful.”
Campus BRIEFS
Vice Presidential ‘Debate
Watch’ Thursday
Acting President
Geraldine M.
Jones talks with
Justin James (left)
and Bradley
Wiggins during
the third annual
kickoff dinner
for Cal U Men
United, which
was held Sept. 27
in Kara Alumni
House.
Men United Holds Kick-Off Event
ne by one, mentors and
advisory board members
for Cal U Men United
introduced themselves and gave
students a clear message: We’re here
for you. We want you to succeed.
“Stop in and see these mentors
as often as you can,” advised Acting
President Geraldine M. Jones.
“Including me.”
Ninety people attended the third
annual kick-off dinner for Cal U
Men United, which was held Sept.
27 in Kara Alumni House.
Since it began meeting in 2010,
the organization has worked to
provide a community that supports
the growth, development and
achievement of young men of color
as they strive to become men of
character prepared to take an active
role in the community.
“The ultimate goal is to
graduate,” the President said. “It’s
our job to do all we can to prepare
you for Commencement and for
life.”
Jones’ husband, Jeffrey, gave the
keynote speech at the event. He has
a background in strategic business
development and marketing,
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2
including five years as global
alliances managing director for
Unisys. Today he is president and
owner of Capture Inc., which
comprises an art gallery, framing
shop and photographic services.
He commended the students for
building a solid foundation at Cal U
by seeking out mentors and urged
them to begin planning for their
future careers.
“Focus on interview skills. Dress
well. Speak in a jargon that fits the
organization’s culture. Know your
competition. Know your value, so
you know the value you bring to the
organization.”
Jeffrey Jones also told students
to define success for themselves.
“Money is temporary,” he said.
“Your life should be about family,
church, other things you like to do.
Your career is in there, but don’t be
one-dimensional.
“I’m proud of all of you, and
I’m so impressed to see how
focused you are on your goals and
how well you get along with one
another,” he told the group. “I
anticipate a better world because of
you.”
A student panel — Anthony
Kane, Chase Loper, Justin James,
Bradley Wiggins and Marc Miller
— spoke about the importance of
joining Cal U Men United.
Kane, the group’s president and
a graduate assistant in the Office of
Social Equity, stressed the
importance of accountability for
those reaching for success.
“Sometimes you need one
person who will tell you that you
need to do better,” he said.
“Many of these young men are
first-generation college attendees,
and young men who were told they
would never attend college,” said
Dr. Gwen Perry-Burney, a member
of the Cal U Men United Advisory
Board. “I see them as future leaders,
respected husbands and partners,
and fathers who thrive in our
society.”
Cal U Men United meets bi-weekly
in addition to special events throughout
the year. The next meeting will be at 11
a.m. Tuesday in Duda Hall, Room 103.
For more information about the group,
contact Alisha Carter in the Office of
Social Equity, at 724-938-4014 or
carter_a@calu.edu .
Cal U’s participation in Debate Watch
continues at 9 p.m. Thursday, when the only vicepresidential debate of the 2012 election season
will be shown in Eberly Hall, Room 110.
After the televised debate, Dr. Kelton
Edmonds and Cal U student Mario Coppola will
facilitate an open discussion about the candidates,
their performance and the issues they raised.
Debate Watch is a nationwide program held
under the auspices of the Commission on
Presidential Debates. The University’s “watch
parties” are sponsored by the American
Democracy Project at Cal U.
Admission is free, and the public may attend.
Visitor parking is available in Vulcan Garage, off
Third Street near the campus entrance
The second of three presidential debates will
be televised on Oct. 16. Serving as Debate Watch
facilitators will be Dr. Melanie Blumberg,
LaMont Coleman, Joy Helsel and student
Camilla Cionni.
Save the Date: Mission Day
Daytime classes will be cancelled Oct. 24 so
all members of the campus community can focus
on enrollment initiatives and a new strategic plan
for the University.
Those are the topics for this year’s Mission
Day, when faculty, staff and students gather as
equals to discuss an idea of importance to the
campus community.
Acting President Geraldine M. Jones urges all
members of the campus community to attend and
help move the University forward.
Registration information will be available soon
at www.calu.edu .
Dueling Pianos Perform
The Underground Café will become “Café
Cal” when the Dueling Pianos perform from
9 p.m.-midnight Thursday at the Food Court
inside the Natali Student Center.
Students and members of the Cal U
community are welcome to attend, or to showcase
their own talents during 15-minute slots each
week.
2012oct8journaldraft1.qxp_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 10/3/12 8:56 AM Page 3
Alumnus to Receive
Annual Carter Award
and master’s degrees in
rian Johnson ’94, ‘96
English from Cal U. He
will receive the fourth
currently is pursuing
annual Jennie Carter
doctoral studies in
Leadership Award during a
communications media and
luncheon Tuesday in the
instructional technology at
Kara Alumni House.
Indiana University of
The award honors
Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth “Jennie” Adams
He is the co-author of
Carter, Class of 1881, who
Reel Diversity: A Teacher’s
was Cal U’s first AfricanBrian Johnson
Sourcebook (2008), winner of
American graduate. The
the 2009 Phillip Chinn Book Award
University honors Carter each year
by the National Association for
near or on her birthday, Oct. 9, by
Multicultural Education, and We’ve
recognizing an individual who
Scene It All Before: Using Film Clips in
embodies her indomitable spirit.
Johnson serves as a faculty member Diversity Awareness Training (2009).
A member of the ministry team at
in the Department of Developmental
Revival Tabernacle in Watsontown,
Instruction at Bloomsburg University,
Pa., where he is the youth pastor,
where he is director of the Frederick
Johnson also is a film reviewer for
Douglass Institute for Academic
Christian Spotlight on Entertainment
Excellence. He is a founder of the
( www.christiananswers.net ).
Pennsylvania Association of Liaisons
and Officers of Multicultural Affairs, a
In August 2009, his book
consortium that promotes best
Sintimacy: The Christian’s Love Affair
practices in higher education.
with Secret Sin, was published by
Johnson earned both his bachelor’s Revival Nation Publishing.
B
The University Choir will perform with the Washington Symphony Orchestra Saturday night.
Choir to Join WSO’s
Halloween Concert
he Washington Symphony
Orchestra’s Halloween concert this
Saturday will be a treat for more
than 100 Cal U choir members.
The entire University Choir will team
with the WSO to perform three
movements from Mozart’s “Requiem.”
The Scored to Death concert will take
place at 8 p.m. at Trinity High School in
Washington, Pa.
Five members of the Cal U String
Ensemble also will perform with the WSO.
Dr. Yugo Ikach, chair of the Music
Department, also serves as the WSO’s
music director and principal conductor.
“I believe it’s a real thrill for college
students to sing with the whole symphony
orchestra backing them up,” said Ikach.
“We started preparing for this during
choir camp, and in essence our string
ensemble students simply slip within the
ranks of our regular WSO players.
“We’re really looking forward to it.”
Senior Kirill Tyulkov, a commercial
music technology major, joined the
University Choir this fall. A native of
Russia, he said he enjoyed singing in front
of the Convocation Center during Family
Day, and he is looking forward to
performing with the WSO.
“I am real excited. I never had this
kind of experience before,” he said. “You
can feel this force when a real orchestra
plays for you, and we are also doing such
a great piece. I can’t wait — I think we’ll
be at our best.”
In the seven years since he was named
principal conductor for the WSO, Ikach
regularly has involved students in the
performances.
The Cal U String Ensemble, under the
direction of Margaret Schottman, plays
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along with the WSO at two concerts per
season. University Choir singers
participated in last year’s holiday concert
and will do so again this December.
Last fall, Ikach and Todd Pinkham,
assistant professor of art and design,
performed their crafts simultaneously at a
concert that blended music with art. Ikach
also has organized an elite choir
comprising singers from all 14
Washington County high schools.
“Although we have a number of
commercial music technology majors
now, the vast majority of these people are
not going to be making their living in
music,” Ikach said. “What they are going
to be are lovers of the arts.
“I think we do a lot here at Cal U, and
obviously with my work in the WSO, to
foster the next generation of art
supporters. We do this by getting their
hands dirty, so to speak, by actually
participating.”
At all WSO concerts, Cal U students
are admitted free of charge with a valid
CalCard.
Ikach regularly urges students from all
majors to attend live events, especially
ones where their peers are performing.
“If you’re singing with a full
symphony and 800 people in the audience
are watching, that’s a pretty exciting
thing,” he said. “This is going to be a
memorable experience for our students.”
The WSO will perform “Scored to Death”
at 8 p.m. Oct. 13 in Trinity High School
Auditorium, 231 Park Ave., Washington, Pa.
Ticket price is $20 for adults, $15 for senior
citizens and students; Cal U students are
admitted free with a valid CalCard. For more
information, call Sandy Sabot at 724-2239796.
Traveler Recipient of
Greenlee Scholarship
— Continued from page 1
“The scholarships were established
to provide financial support to PASSHE
students who are preparing to enter and
make an impact in the professional
arena of communications and
journalism, like Bill did,” said John
Bolger, chair of the PASSHE
Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.
The scholarship winners were
recognized recently at a luncheon held
in Harrisburg.
“On behalf of PASSHE and the
120,000 students we serve, I want to
thank the Greenlee Partners and
Greenlee family for establishing the
William D. Greenlee Scholarship,” said
PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C.
Cavanaugh.
William Greenlee co-founded
Greenlee Associates, a prominent
lobbying and business strategies firm
with offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., in
1980. The firm’s name was changed to
Greenlee Partners in 2000. Mr.
Greenlee’s roots in and love of
journalism led him to create Harrisburg:
ONLINE, a daily newsletter that
featured his unique brand of political
insight and sage quips. He was editor of
the online publication from its creation
until his passing.
The PASSHE Foundation works to
secure and disburse public and private
funds that enhance and support the
goals of the Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education. It also works to
establish strategic public and private
partnerships to meet the changing needs
and expectations of the commonwealth
and its citizens.
During the last academic year, the
Foundation distributed 379 scholarships
valued at more than $230,000 to
PASSHE students and $50,000 in health
care program awards to PASSHE
universities. Students at all 14 PASSHE
universities were scholarship recipients,
according to PASSHE Foundation
President Jennifer Scipioni.
Autism
Endorsement
Offered Online
he Pennsylvania Department of Education has
granted initial program approval for California
University of Pennsylvania to award an
endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorders to certified
special education teachers who complete a 12-credit
program online.
Program endorsements are certifications added to
Level I or Level II teaching certificates; they
acknowledge competence in emerging areas of
knowledge where formal PDE certification does not
exist.
The endorsement program in Autism Spectrum
Disorders is intended to provide a multidisciplinary
perspective on students with ASD and their families. Cal
U’s Department of Early, Middle and Special Education
already is teaching the required courses, and the
University expects to offer the endorsement to qualified
special education teachers beginning this spring.
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Show and Tell
Dr. Bernard Means, director of the Virtual Curation Unit at Virginia Commonwealth University, shows Cal U student Kelly Davison
how to scan an artifact using a portable digital 3D scanner. The device creates a threedimensional digital image that can be
archived for future study. Cal U faculty members and students from various academic areas observed the demonstration on Sept. 24
in Frich Hall. Anthropology professor Dr. John Nass organized the demonstration after seeing the scanner at a conference earlier this
year.
3
2012oct8journaldraft1.qxp_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 10/3/12 8:56 AM Page 4
Multisport Star Will Enter Hall of Fame
Editor’s Note: Cal U will hold its 18th
annual Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Friday
at the Performance Center in the Natali
Student Center. For reservations, contact
Montean Dean at 724-938-4418. Throughout
the fall, The Journal will profile each of the
2012 Hall of Fame inductees.
homas “Shot” Jackson was a
multi-sport standout for the
Vulcans from 1973 through 1977,
excelling in football, wrestling and track
and field.
In football, Jackson began as the
backup tight end to all-conference player
Mike DeMichela ’76, but he was moved
to defense during his freshman year by
longtime coach and faculty member John
Katusa.
Jackson played mostly at nose tackle
before being moved again, this time to
defensive end, during his senior season.
He also played on special teams.
Jackson concluded his football career
by making a remarkable 139 tackles and
being selected as the 1976 squad’s most
valuable player. A co-captain in 1976, he
received the Andrew Kuzemka Memorial
Award for commendable athletic and
academic success.
“I had a ball playing football,” he
said. “We had a bunch of really good
guys on the team and had great
camaraderie. I remember after I scored
that touchdown, they had me kick the
extra point — but I missed.”
Jackson never wrestled in high school,
but Coach Frank Vulcano noticed him
helping one of his football teammates
train in the wrestling room.
“I kept pinning my friend, and the
other wrestlers were making fun of him.
Then all of a sudden it got real quiet,”
Jackson recalled.
“Coach Vulcano had been watching
us, and he asked me if I’d ever wrestled
before. I said no, and he just said to come
back so he could see me work. That was
that.”
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Thomas ‘Shot’ Jackson’s
ability to excel in three
sports has earned him
induction into Cal U’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jackson went on to
enjoy a distinguished
career with the
Pennsylvania
Department of
Corrections,
retiring in 2007.
Jackson became a four-year starter at
177 pounds. He compiled a 52-15 career
record, with seven of those losses
coming in his freshman season.
A four-time NAIA National
Championship Tournament qualifier, he
placed second at the 1977 PSAC
championships after achieving third- and
fourth-place showings in the previous
two years.
Jackson’s wrestling achievements
earned him trips to the states of
Washington and Iowa.
“Cal State gave me my first plane
ride, and just making it to nationals was
something special,” he said. “I almost
won the state title, but I got taken down
on a fireman’s carry at the end of the
match.
“Wrestling was a great experience.”
In track and field, Jackson was a
four-year letter-winner in the pole vault.
In all, he earned 11 varsity letters.
“They did not give scholarships back
then, and it wasn’t like it is today, where
most every athlete is focused on just one
sport,” Jackson said.
“So no one told me I couldn’t wrestle
after football season or run track after
wrestling. Playing the three sports during
the school year, and baseball in the
summer, was just the natural progression
for me.”
Jackson joins all three of his
collegiate head coaches — Elmo Natali
’53, Vulcano and Marty Uher — as Cal
U Hall of Fame inductees.
“I still see Marty every so often, and
he always jokes that he couldn’t believe I
was a pole vaulter,” Jackson said with a
laugh.
“If you gave Mr. Natali respect and
100 percent effort, he loved you. If you
were slacking he could tell, and he
would let you know.”
Uher said he’s very pleased to see
Jackson become part of the hall of fame.
“Even back then he was a rarity. You
just do not see many people competing
in different sports,” Uher said. “Tom was
not the best in any particular sport, but
he was very good in all of them. “
Off the field, Jackson earned both his
bachelor’s degree in education and his
master’s degree in education with a
guidance counselor’s certificate from Cal
U.
He was member of the Kappa Alpha
Psi fraternity and the Young and Gifted
Gospel Choir. While earning his
master’s degree, he served as a graduate
assistant coach for the football team’s
outside linebackers.
Jackson credited his parents, who
both passed away this year, for teaching
him to prioritize his time.
“My dad always taught me if you’re
going to do something, do it to the best
of your ability; don’t half-step
anything,” he said.
“If I didn’t get my grades, I couldn’t
play sports or enjoy college life. So my
priority was to get good grades, because
I was having a good time and I wanted
to continue going to college.”
Originally from Houston, Pa., and a
graduate of Chartiers-Houston High
School, Jackson competed in scholastic
football, basketball (where he earned his
nickname), and track and field.
He was a starting defensive end and
center on Chartiers-Houston’s 1971
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic
Athletic League championship football
team.
After leaving Cal U, Jackson had a
distinguished career with the
Pennsylvania Department of
Corrections. He began as a counselor
and moved from juvenile corrections to
adult corrections in 1984. He was a unit
and program manager before becoming
a deputy, and in 2007 he retired as the
deputy superintendent of the State
Correctional Institution at Waynesburg,
Pa.
The multi-sport star believes his Cal
U education helped pave his career path.
“I look back very positively on my
education,” he said. “You can’t argue the
advantage of having two degrees.”
In retirement, Jackson counseled
troubled children who were suspended
from school, and he still drives a bus in
the Avella Area School District. He is
also a deacon with the Mount Olive
Baptist Church in Canonsburg, Pa.
Jackson and his wife, Lorraine, live
in Washington, Pa. The couple has two
grown daughters — Brianna ’10 and
Kaitlyn. Jackson coached both daughters
in youth basketball and softball.
“I am elated about my induction,” he
said. “People over the years asked me if
I ever made the Hall of Fame, and I
would just say, ‘Not yet.’ It’s the Lord’s
will, because everything is the Lord’s
will, and I am excited.”
Parking Changes
Coal Bowl
Champs Again!
— Continued from page 1
Acting President Geraldine M.
Jones and Cal U head football
coach Mike Kellar proudly hold the
Coal Bowl Trophy after it was
presented by John Pippy (left), CEO
of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance,
moments after the Vulcans’
dramatic 2624 victory over IUP on
Sept. 22. The Coal Bowl began
when Cal U alumnus Bob
Lippencott ’66, a 2002 inductee in
the Cal U Hall of Fame, and his
brother Barry, a graduate of IUP,
established endowed football
scholarships at each university in
2009. As part of their initiatives,
the families have donated a
Coal Pail trophy that is presented
annually to the winner of the
game. This year junior wide
receiver Trey Johnson, who caught
six passes for 120 yards, was
named the Lippencott Family Most
Valuable Player. Cal U has won
each of the four Coal Bowl games.
Some parking lot changes also will be in effect:
• Lot 21 will be closed to traffic on Saturday in
order to host family activities.
• Lot 11 will be used for the Homecoming
Queen’s court and parade vehicles.
• Lot 2 will be open to permit holders and those
attending the President’s Circle Brunch.
The Vulcan Flyer shuttle will operate until 10:30
a.m. Saturday. Service will resume immediately
after the parade, when the shuttle stops at Booker
Towers to take fans to the football game at
Adamson Stadium.
Also on Saturday, no parking will be permitted
from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Second Street (200 to 500
blocks), Third Street (200 and 400 blocks) and
Union Street (200 block). Vehicles parked along the
parade routes will receive tickets from California
Borough Police beginning at 9 a.m. After 10 a.m.,
vehicles parked along the route will be towed.
The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Geraldine M. Jones
Acting University President
Robert Thorn
Vice President for Administration and Finance
Dr. Nancy Pinardi
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Bruce Barnhart
Acting Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Craig Butzine
Vice President for Marketing and University Relations
Christine Kindl
Editor
Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services
Sharon Navoney
Interim Vice President for University Development and Cal U for Life
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender
Writers
Office of Communications and Public Relations
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu
California University
VOLUME 14, NUMBER 25 OCT. 8, 2012
READ THE JOURNAL ONLINE: www.calu.edu/news/the-journal
‘Holidays’ Theme for
Homecoming Parade
fter a full week of special events,
Saturday’s Homecoming Day
activities promise to shift the
annual celebration into high gear.
Pre-parade activities begin at 9 a.m.
near Azorsky Hall, with a petting zoo,
bounce house, face painting, trackless
train rides, food booths sponsored by
various clubs and organizations, and
more. Radio Disney will broadcast live
from 10-11:30 a.m. outside Herron Hall.
Third Street will be closed beginning at 7
a.m. to accommodate the activities.
At 10 a.m. the African American
Alumni Society will meet in the
Multipurpose Room of Carter Hall.
The annual Homecoming Parade,
with a “Holidays” theme, will step off at
noon. The line of march will follow the
Loop Road, with the parade beginning at
the Convocation Center. Marchers will
turn right on Union Street, return to
campus on Second Street and end the
A
Homecoming
Parking Changes
isitors who wish to park on
campus while attending
Homecoming events may
park in Lot 4 (the River Lot) or use
the Vulcan Garage, where parking
will be free from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Saturday.
On Saturday, these road closures
will be in effect:
• Third Street will be closed on
campus beginning at 7 a.m.
• Hickory Street will be closed
from Sixth Street to Third Street
starting at 7 a.m.
Parade participants can access
Lot 4 (the River Lot) via Green Street
and Second Street. The River Lot
also will be available, via Second
Street, to the campus community,
alumni and Homecoming guests.
— Continued on page 4
V
march at the Kara Alumni House.
A tailgating party with activities for all
ages, including a football fun zone with
five football-themed inflatables, will begin
at 1:30 p.m. at Roadman Park.
At 2 p.m., Cal U’s PSAC champion
women’s volleyball team will host
Slippery Rock at in the Convocation
Center. And at 3:30 p.m., the nationally
ranked Cal U football team will host
division rival Lock Haven University in
Adamson Stadium at Hepner-Bailey
Field. At halftime, winners of the
Homecoming Parade float competition
will be announced, and the Homecoming
king and queen will be crowned.
Acting President Jones will visit the
various fraternities, sororities and other
organizations preparing floats for the
Homecoming parade on Friday.
For more information about the weeklong
Homecoming 2012 events and activities, visit
www.calu.edu .
Brittany Marcolini, a twirler in the Cal U Marching Band, participates in the 2011
Homecoming Parade. This year’s parade steps off at noon Saturday from the Convocation
Center.
Chicago Comedy AllStars Set for Friday
laugh-out-loud night of Chicagostyle comedy has been added to
the lineup of Homecoming
Week activities.
The Chicago Comedy
All-Stars will perform at
7:30 p.m. Friday in the
Convocation Center.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The stand-up comedy
show features a troupe of
veteran performers, all
from the Windy City and
each with an impressive
list of TV comedy credits:
• Dobie Maxwell, aka “Mr. Lucky”
(“Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson,”
Comedy.tv).
• Sonya White (“Last Comic
Standing 4,” “Girls Behaving Badly,”
CMT’s “Country Fried Chicks”).
• Jimmy McHugh (HBO, Comedy
Central, ESPN2).
A
• Dwayne Kennedy (“Late Show with
David Letterman,” Showtime, FX’s
“Totally Biased”).
The public is welcome to
join Cal U students, alumni
and community members for
this night of fast-paced,
stand-up comedy. The AllStars typically perform solo,
then come together as a
group and riff off one
another in a hilarious finale.
Ticket price is $5 for
students, $10 for others.
Tickets are available through
Ticketmaster and at the Convocation
Center Box Office.
Also this week
This week Cal U also will host
performer Nate Staniforth, whose
multimedia magic show is scheduled for
7 p.m. Tuesday in the Convocation
Center. The family-friendly performance
is free. Doors open at 6 p.m. for general
admission seating, and local residents
have been invited to attend.
Staniforth is known for staging
“campus invasions” at colleges and
universities across the country. He arrives
early with a video camera and spends the
day filming as he performs close-up
magic tricks for small groups of students.
Video highlights — and the students’
reactions — become part of the evening’s
stage show, which combines stunning
illusions, original music, audience
participation and video to create a oneof-a-kind multimedia presentation.
Visitor parking for both shows is available
on campus. For questions or information
about handicap accessibility, call the
Convocation Center Box Office at 724-9384600. For a link to Ticketmaster online, or a
full schedule of Homecoming activities, visit
www.calu.edu .
Traveler Receives Greenlee Scholarship
al U junior Lauren Turosik is one of
ship with the Semester at Sea program. She
four communications students who
embarked in August on a 107-day, transhave been named recipients of the
Atlantic voyage that will take her to 16 cities in
William D. Greenlee Scholarships.
14 nations.
The $2,500 scholarships, awarded for the
At Cal U, Turosik has been a group fitness
first time this year, were established to
instructor, an AmeriCorps Scholar, a disc
recognize the late founder of Greenlee
jockey for WCAL radio, a peer mentor, a
Associates, who also served as chair of the
student note-taker and an active member of the
Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Society for Leadership and Success. She sits on
Education (PASSHE) Foundation.
the Faculty Forum’s communications
Lauren Turosik
Turosik is completing a dual major in
committee and has been reporting on her
communication studies with a concentration in public
Semester at Sea for the Cal U website.
relations, as well as tourism studies.
Three other students from PASSHE universities also
A resident of California, Pa., she currently is aboard
received Greenlee Scholarships:
C
• Paris Helman, of Chambersburg, a
communications/journalism major at Shippensburg
University of Pennsylvania;
• Alane Presswood, of Bloomsburg, a
communications studies major at West Chester
University of Pennsylvania; and
• Natalie Wagner, of Milton, a public relations and
mass communications major at Bloomsburg University
of Pennsylvania.
The Greenlee scholarships were established by
PASSHE, the PASSHE Foundation and Greenlee
Partners late last year. They represent the largest
individual scholarships awarded by the Foundation.
— Continued on page 3
2012oct8journaldraft1.qxp_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 10/3/12 8:56 AM Page 2
Thumbs Up for TXT L8TR Campaign
he Office of Parking and
Transportation wants Cal U
students to keep their eyes on the
road and their cellphones in their pockets
while they are behind the wheel.
In conjunction with PennDOT, the
parking department is conducting a
safety campaign that aims to reduce
distracted driving.
Campus organizations are
encouraging students sign pledges saying
they will not text or engage in any other
behavior that might distract them while
they’re on the road.
Posters with the message “TXT
L8TR” and “Park the Phone” have been
posted in campus buildings, residence
halls, shuttles and shelters.
“Everything has been done in-house
at very little cost,” said Chris Johnston,
executive director of Parking and
Transportation. “Engaging the students
in the pledge process has made this more
effective than any previous campaign
we’ve tried because of the peer-to-peer
interaction.”
Packets that include pledge forms
and fliers are available in the Parking
and Transportation Office in Manderino
Library, Room 123. Pledge forms should
be returned to the office by Oct. 31.
The organization with the most
pledges will receive a trophy Nov. 7 at an
T
Posters with the message ‘TXT L8TR’ and ‘Park the Phone’ have been posted throughout the
campus as part of the Office of Parking and Transportation’s safety campaign that aims to
reduce distracted driving.
‘on-campus Youth Safety Conference.
AAA is sponsoring the trophy, and
Johnston said the automobile association
is interested in replicating Cal U’s
approach at other universities.
PennDOT, which provided the
campaign’s signage, has asked to
incorporate Cal U’s poster message in a
statewide safety campaign, he said.
Jay Ofsanik, press officer for
PennDOT District 12, said his
organization was very pleased to support
the safety campaign.
“Most times the most powerful
messages are simple messages,” he said.
“Chris, his staff and the students have
really taken the ball and run with this.
“Drivers are even more likely to
come in contact with a distracted driver
than an impaired driver, which shows the
number of people who are out there
driving and texting.”
Johnston praised Cal U’s Commuter
Council for its support of the campaign.
“They have been a strong partner,
communicating to those who drive back
and forth from campus and getting the
positive safety message out to the
campuswide community,” he said.
“All of the students involved have
embraced this and done a great job.”
Senior Whitney Williams, president
of the Commuter Council, said she is
100 percent involved because she has
friends who were involved in car
accidents caused by distracted driving.
“We as the Commuter Council feel
that safety is the No. 1 priority on the
road,” she said. “Texting can be just as
dangerous as drunk driving, and we take
this campaign seriously.
“No text is worth risking your life or
someone else’s. It can wait.”
In addition to managing parking
resources, the parking office wants to
contribute to a positive safety message
for drivers, Johnston said.
“If we can remind just one person to
just park their phone when they are
driving, the campaign will be
successful.”
Campus BRIEFS
Vice Presidential ‘Debate
Watch’ Thursday
Acting President
Geraldine M.
Jones talks with
Justin James (left)
and Bradley
Wiggins during
the third annual
kickoff dinner
for Cal U Men
United, which
was held Sept. 27
in Kara Alumni
House.
Men United Holds Kick-Off Event
ne by one, mentors and
advisory board members
for Cal U Men United
introduced themselves and gave
students a clear message: We’re here
for you. We want you to succeed.
“Stop in and see these mentors
as often as you can,” advised Acting
President Geraldine M. Jones.
“Including me.”
Ninety people attended the third
annual kick-off dinner for Cal U
Men United, which was held Sept.
27 in Kara Alumni House.
Since it began meeting in 2010,
the organization has worked to
provide a community that supports
the growth, development and
achievement of young men of color
as they strive to become men of
character prepared to take an active
role in the community.
“The ultimate goal is to
graduate,” the President said. “It’s
our job to do all we can to prepare
you for Commencement and for
life.”
Jones’ husband, Jeffrey, gave the
keynote speech at the event. He has
a background in strategic business
development and marketing,
O
2
including five years as global
alliances managing director for
Unisys. Today he is president and
owner of Capture Inc., which
comprises an art gallery, framing
shop and photographic services.
He commended the students for
building a solid foundation at Cal U
by seeking out mentors and urged
them to begin planning for their
future careers.
“Focus on interview skills. Dress
well. Speak in a jargon that fits the
organization’s culture. Know your
competition. Know your value, so
you know the value you bring to the
organization.”
Jeffrey Jones also told students
to define success for themselves.
“Money is temporary,” he said.
“Your life should be about family,
church, other things you like to do.
Your career is in there, but don’t be
one-dimensional.
“I’m proud of all of you, and
I’m so impressed to see how
focused you are on your goals and
how well you get along with one
another,” he told the group. “I
anticipate a better world because of
you.”
A student panel — Anthony
Kane, Chase Loper, Justin James,
Bradley Wiggins and Marc Miller
— spoke about the importance of
joining Cal U Men United.
Kane, the group’s president and
a graduate assistant in the Office of
Social Equity, stressed the
importance of accountability for
those reaching for success.
“Sometimes you need one
person who will tell you that you
need to do better,” he said.
“Many of these young men are
first-generation college attendees,
and young men who were told they
would never attend college,” said
Dr. Gwen Perry-Burney, a member
of the Cal U Men United Advisory
Board. “I see them as future leaders,
respected husbands and partners,
and fathers who thrive in our
society.”
Cal U Men United meets bi-weekly
in addition to special events throughout
the year. The next meeting will be at 11
a.m. Tuesday in Duda Hall, Room 103.
For more information about the group,
contact Alisha Carter in the Office of
Social Equity, at 724-938-4014 or
carter_a@calu.edu .
Cal U’s participation in Debate Watch
continues at 9 p.m. Thursday, when the only vicepresidential debate of the 2012 election season
will be shown in Eberly Hall, Room 110.
After the televised debate, Dr. Kelton
Edmonds and Cal U student Mario Coppola will
facilitate an open discussion about the candidates,
their performance and the issues they raised.
Debate Watch is a nationwide program held
under the auspices of the Commission on
Presidential Debates. The University’s “watch
parties” are sponsored by the American
Democracy Project at Cal U.
Admission is free, and the public may attend.
Visitor parking is available in Vulcan Garage, off
Third Street near the campus entrance
The second of three presidential debates will
be televised on Oct. 16. Serving as Debate Watch
facilitators will be Dr. Melanie Blumberg,
LaMont Coleman, Joy Helsel and student
Camilla Cionni.
Save the Date: Mission Day
Daytime classes will be cancelled Oct. 24 so
all members of the campus community can focus
on enrollment initiatives and a new strategic plan
for the University.
Those are the topics for this year’s Mission
Day, when faculty, staff and students gather as
equals to discuss an idea of importance to the
campus community.
Acting President Geraldine M. Jones urges all
members of the campus community to attend and
help move the University forward.
Registration information will be available soon
at www.calu.edu .
Dueling Pianos Perform
The Underground Café will become “Café
Cal” when the Dueling Pianos perform from
9 p.m.-midnight Thursday at the Food Court
inside the Natali Student Center.
Students and members of the Cal U
community are welcome to attend, or to showcase
their own talents during 15-minute slots each
week.
2012oct8journaldraft1.qxp_03-24-08 CAL U JOURNAL.qxd 10/3/12 8:56 AM Page 3
Alumnus to Receive
Annual Carter Award
and master’s degrees in
rian Johnson ’94, ‘96
English from Cal U. He
will receive the fourth
currently is pursuing
annual Jennie Carter
doctoral studies in
Leadership Award during a
communications media and
luncheon Tuesday in the
instructional technology at
Kara Alumni House.
Indiana University of
The award honors
Pennsylvania.
Elizabeth “Jennie” Adams
He is the co-author of
Carter, Class of 1881, who
Reel Diversity: A Teacher’s
was Cal U’s first AfricanBrian Johnson
Sourcebook (2008), winner of
American graduate. The
the 2009 Phillip Chinn Book Award
University honors Carter each year
by the National Association for
near or on her birthday, Oct. 9, by
Multicultural Education, and We’ve
recognizing an individual who
Scene It All Before: Using Film Clips in
embodies her indomitable spirit.
Johnson serves as a faculty member Diversity Awareness Training (2009).
A member of the ministry team at
in the Department of Developmental
Revival Tabernacle in Watsontown,
Instruction at Bloomsburg University,
Pa., where he is the youth pastor,
where he is director of the Frederick
Johnson also is a film reviewer for
Douglass Institute for Academic
Christian Spotlight on Entertainment
Excellence. He is a founder of the
( www.christiananswers.net ).
Pennsylvania Association of Liaisons
and Officers of Multicultural Affairs, a
In August 2009, his book
consortium that promotes best
Sintimacy: The Christian’s Love Affair
practices in higher education.
with Secret Sin, was published by
Johnson earned both his bachelor’s Revival Nation Publishing.
B
The University Choir will perform with the Washington Symphony Orchestra Saturday night.
Choir to Join WSO’s
Halloween Concert
he Washington Symphony
Orchestra’s Halloween concert this
Saturday will be a treat for more
than 100 Cal U choir members.
The entire University Choir will team
with the WSO to perform three
movements from Mozart’s “Requiem.”
The Scored to Death concert will take
place at 8 p.m. at Trinity High School in
Washington, Pa.
Five members of the Cal U String
Ensemble also will perform with the WSO.
Dr. Yugo Ikach, chair of the Music
Department, also serves as the WSO’s
music director and principal conductor.
“I believe it’s a real thrill for college
students to sing with the whole symphony
orchestra backing them up,” said Ikach.
“We started preparing for this during
choir camp, and in essence our string
ensemble students simply slip within the
ranks of our regular WSO players.
“We’re really looking forward to it.”
Senior Kirill Tyulkov, a commercial
music technology major, joined the
University Choir this fall. A native of
Russia, he said he enjoyed singing in front
of the Convocation Center during Family
Day, and he is looking forward to
performing with the WSO.
“I am real excited. I never had this
kind of experience before,” he said. “You
can feel this force when a real orchestra
plays for you, and we are also doing such
a great piece. I can’t wait — I think we’ll
be at our best.”
In the seven years since he was named
principal conductor for the WSO, Ikach
regularly has involved students in the
performances.
The Cal U String Ensemble, under the
direction of Margaret Schottman, plays
T
along with the WSO at two concerts per
season. University Choir singers
participated in last year’s holiday concert
and will do so again this December.
Last fall, Ikach and Todd Pinkham,
assistant professor of art and design,
performed their crafts simultaneously at a
concert that blended music with art. Ikach
also has organized an elite choir
comprising singers from all 14
Washington County high schools.
“Although we have a number of
commercial music technology majors
now, the vast majority of these people are
not going to be making their living in
music,” Ikach said. “What they are going
to be are lovers of the arts.
“I think we do a lot here at Cal U, and
obviously with my work in the WSO, to
foster the next generation of art
supporters. We do this by getting their
hands dirty, so to speak, by actually
participating.”
At all WSO concerts, Cal U students
are admitted free of charge with a valid
CalCard.
Ikach regularly urges students from all
majors to attend live events, especially
ones where their peers are performing.
“If you’re singing with a full
symphony and 800 people in the audience
are watching, that’s a pretty exciting
thing,” he said. “This is going to be a
memorable experience for our students.”
The WSO will perform “Scored to Death”
at 8 p.m. Oct. 13 in Trinity High School
Auditorium, 231 Park Ave., Washington, Pa.
Ticket price is $20 for adults, $15 for senior
citizens and students; Cal U students are
admitted free with a valid CalCard. For more
information, call Sandy Sabot at 724-2239796.
Traveler Recipient of
Greenlee Scholarship
— Continued from page 1
“The scholarships were established
to provide financial support to PASSHE
students who are preparing to enter and
make an impact in the professional
arena of communications and
journalism, like Bill did,” said John
Bolger, chair of the PASSHE
Foundation’s Scholarship Committee.
The scholarship winners were
recognized recently at a luncheon held
in Harrisburg.
“On behalf of PASSHE and the
120,000 students we serve, I want to
thank the Greenlee Partners and
Greenlee family for establishing the
William D. Greenlee Scholarship,” said
PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C.
Cavanaugh.
William Greenlee co-founded
Greenlee Associates, a prominent
lobbying and business strategies firm
with offices in Harrisburg, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., in
1980. The firm’s name was changed to
Greenlee Partners in 2000. Mr.
Greenlee’s roots in and love of
journalism led him to create Harrisburg:
ONLINE, a daily newsletter that
featured his unique brand of political
insight and sage quips. He was editor of
the online publication from its creation
until his passing.
The PASSHE Foundation works to
secure and disburse public and private
funds that enhance and support the
goals of the Pennsylvania State System
of Higher Education. It also works to
establish strategic public and private
partnerships to meet the changing needs
and expectations of the commonwealth
and its citizens.
During the last academic year, the
Foundation distributed 379 scholarships
valued at more than $230,000 to
PASSHE students and $50,000 in health
care program awards to PASSHE
universities. Students at all 14 PASSHE
universities were scholarship recipients,
according to PASSHE Foundation
President Jennifer Scipioni.
Autism
Endorsement
Offered Online
he Pennsylvania Department of Education has
granted initial program approval for California
University of Pennsylvania to award an
endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorders to certified
special education teachers who complete a 12-credit
program online.
Program endorsements are certifications added to
Level I or Level II teaching certificates; they
acknowledge competence in emerging areas of
knowledge where formal PDE certification does not
exist.
The endorsement program in Autism Spectrum
Disorders is intended to provide a multidisciplinary
perspective on students with ASD and their families. Cal
U’s Department of Early, Middle and Special Education
already is teaching the required courses, and the
University expects to offer the endorsement to qualified
special education teachers beginning this spring.
T
Show and Tell
Dr. Bernard Means, director of the Virtual Curation Unit at Virginia Commonwealth University, shows Cal U student Kelly Davison
how to scan an artifact using a portable digital 3D scanner. The device creates a threedimensional digital image that can be
archived for future study. Cal U faculty members and students from various academic areas observed the demonstration on Sept. 24
in Frich Hall. Anthropology professor Dr. John Nass organized the demonstration after seeing the scanner at a conference earlier this
year.
3
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Multisport Star Will Enter Hall of Fame
Editor’s Note: Cal U will hold its 18th
annual Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet Friday
at the Performance Center in the Natali
Student Center. For reservations, contact
Montean Dean at 724-938-4418. Throughout
the fall, The Journal will profile each of the
2012 Hall of Fame inductees.
homas “Shot” Jackson was a
multi-sport standout for the
Vulcans from 1973 through 1977,
excelling in football, wrestling and track
and field.
In football, Jackson began as the
backup tight end to all-conference player
Mike DeMichela ’76, but he was moved
to defense during his freshman year by
longtime coach and faculty member John
Katusa.
Jackson played mostly at nose tackle
before being moved again, this time to
defensive end, during his senior season.
He also played on special teams.
Jackson concluded his football career
by making a remarkable 139 tackles and
being selected as the 1976 squad’s most
valuable player. A co-captain in 1976, he
received the Andrew Kuzemka Memorial
Award for commendable athletic and
academic success.
“I had a ball playing football,” he
said. “We had a bunch of really good
guys on the team and had great
camaraderie. I remember after I scored
that touchdown, they had me kick the
extra point — but I missed.”
Jackson never wrestled in high school,
but Coach Frank Vulcano noticed him
helping one of his football teammates
train in the wrestling room.
“I kept pinning my friend, and the
other wrestlers were making fun of him.
Then all of a sudden it got real quiet,”
Jackson recalled.
“Coach Vulcano had been watching
us, and he asked me if I’d ever wrestled
before. I said no, and he just said to come
back so he could see me work. That was
that.”
T
Thomas ‘Shot’ Jackson’s
ability to excel in three
sports has earned him
induction into Cal U’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jackson went on to
enjoy a distinguished
career with the
Pennsylvania
Department of
Corrections,
retiring in 2007.
Jackson became a four-year starter at
177 pounds. He compiled a 52-15 career
record, with seven of those losses
coming in his freshman season.
A four-time NAIA National
Championship Tournament qualifier, he
placed second at the 1977 PSAC
championships after achieving third- and
fourth-place showings in the previous
two years.
Jackson’s wrestling achievements
earned him trips to the states of
Washington and Iowa.
“Cal State gave me my first plane
ride, and just making it to nationals was
something special,” he said. “I almost
won the state title, but I got taken down
on a fireman’s carry at the end of the
match.
“Wrestling was a great experience.”
In track and field, Jackson was a
four-year letter-winner in the pole vault.
In all, he earned 11 varsity letters.
“They did not give scholarships back
then, and it wasn’t like it is today, where
most every athlete is focused on just one
sport,” Jackson said.
“So no one told me I couldn’t wrestle
after football season or run track after
wrestling. Playing the three sports during
the school year, and baseball in the
summer, was just the natural progression
for me.”
Jackson joins all three of his
collegiate head coaches — Elmo Natali
’53, Vulcano and Marty Uher — as Cal
U Hall of Fame inductees.
“I still see Marty every so often, and
he always jokes that he couldn’t believe I
was a pole vaulter,” Jackson said with a
laugh.
“If you gave Mr. Natali respect and
100 percent effort, he loved you. If you
were slacking he could tell, and he
would let you know.”
Uher said he’s very pleased to see
Jackson become part of the hall of fame.
“Even back then he was a rarity. You
just do not see many people competing
in different sports,” Uher said. “Tom was
not the best in any particular sport, but
he was very good in all of them. “
Off the field, Jackson earned both his
bachelor’s degree in education and his
master’s degree in education with a
guidance counselor’s certificate from Cal
U.
He was member of the Kappa Alpha
Psi fraternity and the Young and Gifted
Gospel Choir. While earning his
master’s degree, he served as a graduate
assistant coach for the football team’s
outside linebackers.
Jackson credited his parents, who
both passed away this year, for teaching
him to prioritize his time.
“My dad always taught me if you’re
going to do something, do it to the best
of your ability; don’t half-step
anything,” he said.
“If I didn’t get my grades, I couldn’t
play sports or enjoy college life. So my
priority was to get good grades, because
I was having a good time and I wanted
to continue going to college.”
Originally from Houston, Pa., and a
graduate of Chartiers-Houston High
School, Jackson competed in scholastic
football, basketball (where he earned his
nickname), and track and field.
He was a starting defensive end and
center on Chartiers-Houston’s 1971
Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic
Athletic League championship football
team.
After leaving Cal U, Jackson had a
distinguished career with the
Pennsylvania Department of
Corrections. He began as a counselor
and moved from juvenile corrections to
adult corrections in 1984. He was a unit
and program manager before becoming
a deputy, and in 2007 he retired as the
deputy superintendent of the State
Correctional Institution at Waynesburg,
Pa.
The multi-sport star believes his Cal
U education helped pave his career path.
“I look back very positively on my
education,” he said. “You can’t argue the
advantage of having two degrees.”
In retirement, Jackson counseled
troubled children who were suspended
from school, and he still drives a bus in
the Avella Area School District. He is
also a deacon with the Mount Olive
Baptist Church in Canonsburg, Pa.
Jackson and his wife, Lorraine, live
in Washington, Pa. The couple has two
grown daughters — Brianna ’10 and
Kaitlyn. Jackson coached both daughters
in youth basketball and softball.
“I am elated about my induction,” he
said. “People over the years asked me if
I ever made the Hall of Fame, and I
would just say, ‘Not yet.’ It’s the Lord’s
will, because everything is the Lord’s
will, and I am excited.”
Parking Changes
Coal Bowl
Champs Again!
— Continued from page 1
Acting President Geraldine M.
Jones and Cal U head football
coach Mike Kellar proudly hold the
Coal Bowl Trophy after it was
presented by John Pippy (left), CEO
of the Pennsylvania Coal Alliance,
moments after the Vulcans’
dramatic 2624 victory over IUP on
Sept. 22. The Coal Bowl began
when Cal U alumnus Bob
Lippencott ’66, a 2002 inductee in
the Cal U Hall of Fame, and his
brother Barry, a graduate of IUP,
established endowed football
scholarships at each university in
2009. As part of their initiatives,
the families have donated a
Coal Pail trophy that is presented
annually to the winner of the
game. This year junior wide
receiver Trey Johnson, who caught
six passes for 120 yards, was
named the Lippencott Family Most
Valuable Player. Cal U has won
each of the four Coal Bowl games.
Some parking lot changes also will be in effect:
• Lot 21 will be closed to traffic on Saturday in
order to host family activities.
• Lot 11 will be used for the Homecoming
Queen’s court and parade vehicles.
• Lot 2 will be open to permit holders and those
attending the President’s Circle Brunch.
The Vulcan Flyer shuttle will operate until 10:30
a.m. Saturday. Service will resume immediately
after the parade, when the shuttle stops at Booker
Towers to take fans to the football game at
Adamson Stadium.
Also on Saturday, no parking will be permitted
from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Second Street (200 to 500
blocks), Third Street (200 and 400 blocks) and
Union Street (200 block). Vehicles parked along the
parade routes will receive tickets from California
Borough Police beginning at 9 a.m. After 10 a.m.,
vehicles parked along the route will be towed.
The California Journal is published weekly by California University of Pennsylvania, a member of The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
Geraldine M. Jones
Acting University President
Robert Thorn
Vice President for Administration and Finance
Dr. Nancy Pinardi
Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Dr. Bruce Barnhart
Acting Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
Craig Butzine
Vice President for Marketing and University Relations
Christine Kindl
Editor
Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services
Sharon Navoney
Interim Vice President for University Development and Cal U for Life
Bruce Wald, Wendy Mackall, Jeff Bender
Writers
Office of Communications and Public Relations
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
724-938-4195
wald@calu.edu