California University

VOLUME 12, NUMBER 21 SEPT. 20, 2010

Internship
Takes
Senior to
Harrisburg

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Alcohol and drug
prevention specialist
Donna George (right)
and graduate
assistant Julie
Mackenzie lead the
Options@CalU
prevention program.

Risky Behavior?
Consider the ‘Options’

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al U students have new options to
help reduce underage drinking
and other high-risk behavior
involving drugs and alcohol.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control
Board (PCLB) has awarded the
University a $14,091 grant to support the
Options@CalU prevention program.
Tim Susick, associate vice president
for Student Affairs, applied for the grant
through Cal U’s Office of Grants and
Contracts. Alcohol and drug prevention
specialist Donna George will implement
the grant.
The Office of Student Affairs has set
a goal of reducing the level of underage
or dangerous drinking incidents by 7
percent this academic year.
The program arises from the
University’s strategic plan, which calls
for a comprehensive wellness center that
encompasses the needs of all students.
“Prevention certainly is one of those

needs,” said George, who came to Cal U
in June.
“Although the Options program at
Cal U is an educational program for the
whole University, we’re really targeting
first-year students, because we find
through research that’s where a lot of the
binge-drinking comes into play.”
Upperclassmen are being recruited to
serve as peer educators, said George,
who is training them in prevention,
education, mentoring and motivational
interviewing techniques.
Once they are trained, the peer
educators will give presentations to
interested student groups.
“We’ve had a very collaborative
relationship with the PLCB over the
years, and this is the third grant we’ve
received,” Susick said. “One of the best
practices in combating high-risk drinking
among college-age students is the use of
peer educators.”

The grant funding has enabled the
program to hire a graduate student, Julie
Mackenzie, to assist George. The award
also will be used to purchase resources
for on-campus health classes, residence
life groups or student organizations so
they can conduct research, give
presentations or simply make
information readily available.
“We’re looking to prevent some of
the incidents that occur because of binge
drinking, whether it be violence, sexual
assault or alcohol poisoning,” George
said.
One of many program projects under
way is called Quick Hits. Options@CalU
is looking for theater majors, or other
students who enjoy acting, to present
very quick prevention messages to
students. They hope to deliver their
message to a “captive audience” of
students waiting at bus
— Continued on page 4

Meakem Speaks at Cal U Sept. 28

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In 2005 he co-founded Meakem Becker
alifornia University of Pennsylvania will
Venture
Capital, an early-stage venture capital
host an appearance by talk radio host
firm headquartered in the Pittsburgh area.
Glen Meakem at 11 a.m. Sept. 28 in
A trailblazer in electronic commerce,
Room 110 of the Eberly Science and Technology
Meakem was named one of 40 technology pioCenter on the Cal U campus.
neers by the World Economic Forum in 2003.
Meakem’s talk, Help Save the American Dream:
He holds eight U.S. patents for electronic comWe Need You is free and open to the public.
merce inventions.
Visitors may park in the Vulcan Garage, near the
“Glen Meakem truly understands the role
campus entrance.
our American values play in achieving economKnown for his conservative views, the speaker
ic, professional, political and social success,”
has hosted The Glen Meakem Program on radio
says Dr. Michael Hummel, dean of the College
since 2008. It reaches listeners in Pennsylvania,
Glen Meakem
of Liberal Arts at California University.
Ohio and West Virginia on Saturday and Sunday
“Regardless of the profession we pursue, intemornings.
grating these values into that process produces a synergistic
Meakem is an entrepreneur who was the founder, chaireffect: We reap more benefits than we originally planned for.”
man and chief executive officer of FreeMarkets Inc., a busiThe program at Cal U is co-sponsored by the Linda and
ness-to-business Internet company that helped Global 1000
Harry Serene Leadership Institute, the American Democracy
companies save money by automating and improving their
purchasing functions. He founded the company in 1995, took Project, the College of Liberal Arts and the Leadership Club.
For more information, visit www.calu.edu.
it public in 1999, and sold it to Ariba Inc. in 2004.

al U student Michael
Candiello, of Mechanicsburg,
Pa., is working for the state
Department of Community and
Economic Development as part of a
15-week internship sponsored by the
Pennsylvania
State System
of Higher
Education
(PASSHE).
A senior
industrial
technology
management
major and
nanotechnology minor,
he is one of
Michael Candiello
14 students
participating in The Harrisburg
Internship Semester (THIS) program,
which provides students the opportunity to work in all areas of state government while earning a full semester’s worth of credits.
THIS invites students from each of
the 14 PASSHE universities to participate.
Candiello, the son of Susan
Candiello, is a 2006 graduate of
Mechanicsburg Area Senior High
School. He and the other students
participating in the program will
attend several academic seminars during their fall semester internship.
Each of the students also will complete an individualized research project as part of the program’s requirements.
More than 500 students from
PASSHE universities have participated
in THIS since the program began in
1989, each gaining valuable insight into
the workings of state government at the
policy-making level. Interns have
worked with dozens of state agencies
and in the offices of the governor, the
speaker of the House of Representatives
and the attorney general.
PASSHE students interested in
participating in THIS may obtain
information on the program by contacting their individual campus coordinator or their university’s cooperative or internship office, or by calling
the Dixon University Center at
717-720-4089.
The Pennsylvania State System of
Higher Education is the largest
provider of higher education in the
commonwealth, with nearly 117,000
students. The 14 PASSHE universities
offer degree and certificate programs
in more than 120 areas of study.
Approximately 454,000 PASSHE
alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

Geology Students Study New England Terrain

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or the third consecutive year, Cal U
students examined the diverse
landscape of the U.S. through a
field course in geology.
Led by Dr. Kyle Fredrick, assistant
professor of Earth Sciences, 14 students
spent 15 days driving up the coast of New
England to study geological formations
native to the region. The group stopped in
Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont and New York.
All students earned three credits and
had to complete a research paper on the
geology of New England before their
departure. They also were required to
keep journals that highlighted their
experiences throughout the trip.
This was Fredrick’s first time leading
the students through New England.
“New England has so much
vegetation and varying terrain,” he said.
“In one trip, the students witnessed
numerous coastal features, rock-type
variations, forests and mountains.”
Fredrick believes the exploration gives
real-life visual examples to supplement
standard course material. He also collects
photos, rock samples and student
accounts to enhance his introductory
geology and mineralogy courses.
“You can tell students about the
different types of beaches, but they don’t
completely understand until they see and
feel those beaches themselves,” he said.
“This course provides the opportunity to
see things outside of Pennsylvania and
gives students a visual reference
throughout the program.”
Students first studied salt marshes and
beach sediment composition in Cape
Cod, Mass. Before leaving the state, they
visited the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute. The institute specializes in the
understanding of the ocean and its
interaction with the Earth system. It is the
world’s largest private, nonprofit, research,
engineering and education organization.
Students toured the research station
and met three distinguished scientists who
discussed their job responsibilities and
educational background.
Another highlight of the field course
was visiting Acadia National Park in
Maine, where students hiked to the peak
of Cadillac Mountain. Pushed up by the
Earth’s volcanic forces millions of years
ago, the mountain stands at 1,532 feet and
is the highest point along the North
Atlantic seaboard.
“At Cadillac Mountain, we looked at
some of the glacial erosion features and

Dr. Kyle Fredrick (left), assistant professor of Earth Sciences at Cal U, guides his geology students along Popham Beach in Phippsburg, Maine.

also got to see some of the rock-type
variations across the island,” said
Fredrick.
After viewing a 5 million-year-old
fault line on the shores of Lake
Champlain in Vermont, the students
camped for three days in New York’s
Adirondack Mountains.
They toured the Barton Garnet Mines
to view road cuts of varying rocks, and
visited Lake Placid before ending their
voyage at Niagara Falls.
“After our return, a friend of mine
reminded me how important it was to
teach students the basics of camping,”
said Fredrick. “When retrieving samples,
many scientists hike to remote locations
and set up camp by themselves.
Hopefully, this experience will help to
prepare my students for future careers in
the field.”
Camping also helped to minimize the
price of lodging for students. Cal U
provided vans and absorbed the cost of
fuel; students paid for food and lodging.
“The administration has been
wonderful to work with,” said Fredrick.
“They have never questioned the benefit
of this course, or our use of the
University’s vans.”
Last year, students drove from the
Cal U campus to Wisconsin, into South
Dakota, through Wyoming and finally to
Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National
Monument and Preserve. The field
course plans to visit the Colorado

Dr. Kyle Fredrick, David Danko and Tana Deklevar descend Great Head Mountain in Acadia
National Park, Maine.

Plateau next summer.
If students continue the trips every
year, they have the opportunity to study
different parts of the country each time.
“The students seemed to really enjoy
it, and I think they all learned some
important things about geology, their
future career choices and also about
themselves,” said Fredrick. “They seemed
to develop a tight-knit bond that makes

for a great learning environment back on
campus.”
The participating students were
Samuel Ambrose, Karen Babyak,
Matthew Baird, Evan Bruce, David
Danko, Tana Deklevar, Matthew Erkel,
Joshua Greene, Nathan Hartman, Renee
Jardine, Matthew Miller, Chantelle
Parrish, Andrew Tomcik and Kristen
Wesolowsky.

Summer Institute a Success

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Join the Homecoming Parade
Cal U’s 2010 Homecoming Day will take place on Oct. 16, preceded by a week of activities
beginning Oct. 11. One highlight of this festive autumn event is the annual Homecoming
Parade, set for noon Oct. 16. Openings are still available for any pageant winners,
marching bands (high school or junior/middle school), performers or organizations that
would like to participate. For more information about participating, contact Melissa Dunn
at 724-938-4269 or dunn@calu.edu or Nikki Arthur at 724-938-4303 or arthur@calu.edu. A
complete schedule of Homecoming activities is available at
http://sai.calu.edu/homecoming/2010/.

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wenty-four teachers from 13 school
districts attended the Library of
Congress Teaching with Primary
Sources (TPS) fifth annual Summer
Institute last month to learn about teacher
resources at the Library of Congress and
how to integrate oral history into classroom
instruction.
This year’s Summer Institute was held
in collaboration with Intermediate Unit 1.
The theme was “Teaching ‘Pop Culture’
Using Primary Sources: The Coca Cola
Case Study.”
The two-credit course was designed to
introduce teachers to Library of Congress
online primary sources and teacher
resources, and to show them how to use
primary sources in conjunction with oral
history to enhance classroom instruction.
The TPS program is housed in Cal U’s
College of Education and Human Services.
Affiliation with the program “enables
Cal U to provide both pre-service and in-

service teachers with high quality
professional development opportunities, so
they can remain current with leading
educational trends,” said Dr. Kevin Koury,
dean of the College.
For more than six years, Cal U has been
a member of the TPS Consortium, which
includes just 24 institutional partners from
11 states.
“This exclusive membership not only
gives us access to Library of Congress
resources, it gives us opportunities to
interact with some of the country’s finest
institutions,” said Dr. Michael J. Brna,
director of Cal U’s TPS program. “The
result is a strong teacher professional
development program that enhances our
region’s educational network and enables us
to share with our teachers the work of
experts from across the nation.”
For more information about TPS teacher
professional development opportunities, contact
Brna at brna@calu.edu or 724-938-6023.

Dancing
on the
Quad
Student T.J. Holcombe, a
former professional
ballroom dancer and
president of the Latin and
Ballroom Dancing Club at
Cal U, dances with friend
Joelle Parise near the
Vulcan statue on the
Quad outside Herron Hall.
Holcombe is a former
professional ballroom
dancer and teaches most
of the club’s classes. The
club is open to all
students, faculty, staff
and members of the
community. No
experience is required.
During the fall semester,
the club meets 6-8 p.m.
Mondays and
Wednesdays in the Old
Main Chapel. The club
also is considering
holding sessions at 11
a.m. Thursdays at a
location to be
determined. For more
information, contact
faculty sponsor Dr.
Connie Monroe at
monroe@calu.edu.

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Veterans Use Road Trip to Raise Funds

ver Labor Day weekend, six
members of the Cal U Veterans
Club achieved victory for a good
cause and then enjoyed the Vulcan
football team’s exciting come-from-behind
season-opening overtime win at Saginaw
(Mich.) Valley State.
Robert Prah, club director and
director of veterans affairs, made the trip
to Saginaw with students and military
veterans Joshua Furlong, Chris Gray, Josh
Hager, Mike Lukas and Robert Marrone.
On the way, they stopped at various
American Legion halls and collected
donations for Global Online graduate
student Jacquelyn Syverson, whose
husband, Maj. Paul Syverson, was killed
in Iraq six years ago.
“She definitely could use the money,”
said Prah, “and even though it’s been six
years (since his death), something like this
never blows over. We wanted her to know
that we have not forgotten about her and
her husband making the ultimate
sacrifice.
“We also want it known that we
support our online students, too. They are
part of the Cal U family, even though
they don’t come onto the campus.”

Six members of the Veterans Club joined Cal U President Angelo Armenti, Jr. at the seasonopening football game at Saginaw Valley State, which the Vulcans won in overtime.

During the trip, the veterans posted
entries on the American Legion’s national
blog, and they were interviewed by the
TV news crew from a local NBC affiliate.
“Josh Furlong spoke about what we
were doing at each American Legion we

visited, and they responded,” Prah said.
“I just reserved a van.
“I think of the world of Josh after
this,” he added. “He took this to heart,
ran with it and coordinated everything.”
The Veterans Club hopes to present

Campus BRIEFS
Wildlife Society Plans Field Day
The student chapter of The Wildlife Society will
present its fifth annual Family Field Day from 1 p.m.4:30 p.m. Saturday in Frich Hall.
The public may attend this free event conducted in
cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Held rain or shine, the field day includes an archery
demonstration, a fly-tying demonstration and casting
contest, a display of animal tracks and scat, displays of
pelts from Pennsylvania fur-bearers, and information
about bluebird box construction.
This year’s special event is a bird dog demonstration
by Nick Mellon of Team Hunt Smith. Refreshments
will be available for purchase.
For more information, contact Matthew Malesic,
president of the student chapter, at mal5197@calu.edu

Wrestling Event Saturday

A professional wrestling event 7:30 p.m. Saturday in
Hamer Hall will benefit Cal U hockey teams and the
Mario Lemieux Foundation.

Presented by the International Wrestling Cartel,
“College Fightfest” will pit wrestling legend Tito
Santana against Star 100.7 radio’s Bubba the Bulldog. In
addition, Shima Xion will take on Cal U alumnus and
Uniontown native Jon Bolen ’00, an All-American nosetackle with the Vulcan football teams in the late 1990s.
Other matches feature wrestlers including Mia Yim,
Jimmy DeMarco, John McChesney and Shane Taylor.
A women’s tag team match will be held, along with a
lumberjack match featuring Cal U hockey team
members at ringside.
Cal U students with valid CalCards will be admitted
free to general admission seating or pay $5 for ringside
seats. Student tickets are available at the Natali Student
Center Information Desk.
Tickets for the general public are available at the
door, by phone at 412-995-7688 or online at
www.iwcwrestling. com. Adults tickets cost $10 for
general admission or $15 for ringside seats; children
younger than 10 pay $5 for general admission. The
show is intended for mature audiences, and parental
discretion is advised. Visitors may park in the Vulcan
Garage, near the campus entrance.

the money to Syverson on Veterans Day,
Furlong said.
“We just wanted to take a trip and do
something worthwhile,” he explained.
“The bigger thing is that we have guys
coming out of Iraq or Afghanistan having
problems, and to best help them we have
to get back to being involved with the
American Legion. These older guys have
the resources and political connections to
get us the help we need.”
The veterans raised more than $1,000
on their trip, and the donations have not
stopped.
“Some of the American Legion
groups are now contacting us, saying they
want to make a donation specifically from
their post,” Prah said. “On the trip we did
not take donations from the whole
organization but rather from individual
members.”
The journey culminated with the
Vulcans overcoming two double-digit
deficits and defeating the host Cardinals,
42-41.
“It was a quick weekend with a lot of
driving but for a good cause,” said Prah.
“I’m proud of our people for stepping
up.”

‘Christmas Carol’
Auditions Set

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he Department of Theatre and Dance,
along with the Mon Valley Dance
Council, will audition singers and dancers
for roles in A Christmas Carol, the Musical on Oct.
2 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.
Performers may audition for singing and/or
dancing roles in this musical version of the
holiday classic. Participants should dress
appropriately and arrive 30 minutes before their
scheduled audition times.
Male and female performers of all ages and
ability levels are needed. Auditions are scheduled
by age:
Ages 6-8: dance, 11 a.m.; singing, 11:55
Ages 9-12: singing, 11 a.m.; dance, 11:55
Ages 13-18: dance, 12:50 p.m.; singing, 1:35
Adults: singing, 12:50 p.m.; dance, 1:35
Performance dates will be Dec. 9-12. Dr.
Michael Slavin will direct the musical, with
choreography by Donna Marovic.
For more information, call Cal U’s
Department of Theatre and Dance at 724-9384220.

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Fifth Hall of Fame Sweetest for Hamer
Editor’s Note: Cal U will hold its
16th annual Athletic Hall of Fame
Banquet Oct. 15 at the Performance
Center. For reservations, contact Montean
Dean at 724-938-4418. Throughout the
fall, The Journal will profile each of the
2010 Hall of Fame inductees.

A

Next month, Dale Hamer will be inducted into his fifth
different Hall of Fame. The veteran official shares a laugh
with former player Herschel Walker.

‘Options’ for
Risky Behavior

— Continued from page 1

stops or standing in cafeterias lines, for example.
George compared this endeavor to the
national “Above the Influence” campaign.
“As the name indicates, Quick Hits will be
very unannounced and over-the-top,” George said.
“This will grab their attention and give students
something to think about.”
During the program’s initial stages, George
received recruiting help from residence hall
Community Assistants and from the Peer
Mentoring Program.
“They’ve been excellent,” George said. “Karen
(Posa, director of Peer Mentoring) has helped in
our recruitment phase and had some great ideas.”
George also praised PASSHE for
implementing the BASICS program — Brief
Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College
Students — at all 14 state-owned universities.
“Cal U and all the other PASSHE schools are
addressing alcohol and other drug issues in their
strategic plans for a reason,” George said. “The
productivity of all students while they go to
school here — and potentially long beyond their
years as college students — can be compromised
by choices made now.”

dedicated alumnus who has
served the University in
several capacities, Dale
Hamer ’60 is in his 33rd season as a
National Football League official
and his ninth year as an instant
replay official for the league.
Next month Hamer will be
inducted into the Cal U Athletic
Hall of Fame — the fifth hall of
fame in which he has been enrolled,
and perhaps the most special, he
said.
“California obviously means a
lot to me, and I certainly consider
this the most prestigious honor of
them all, because it kind of a
collectively takes in all the others,”
Hamer said. “I guess this is ‘one for
the thumb,’ as people like to say. I
am honored and humbled.”
Hamer started officiating in
1962. He was the head linesman for
two Super Bowls, in 1983 and 1988.
He served as referee of the 1992
American Football Conference
championship and was the alternate
referee for the 1993 Super Bowl. He
is a past president and the current

secretary-treasurer of the National
Football League Referees’
Association.
Hamer’s No. 104 striped jersey
was pictured on the cover of the
2009 NFL Referees Association
directory, and Inside Sports
magazine labeled him the “NFL’s
Best” in 1998.
“If you can’t play it or coach it,
there’s nothing to do but officiate it,”
said Hamer. “I’ve been blessed to
have found my niche a long time
ago.
“I’ve never felt uncomfortable in
the narrow stripes of high school or
college (referees) or the big stripes of
the NFL. (When you’re officiating,)
you’re in control, and everybody else
around you is going totally nuts.”
Before making his mark in the
corporate world, Hamer was a
secondary mathematics teacher and
coach at Clairton and West Mifflin
North high schools. He retired in
1992 after a 28-year career as vice
president for leasing and finance at
USX Corp.
For 13 years Hamer has been a
board member of the Foundation for
California University; he was the
foundation’s president from 20052009. He also served Cal U as
interim alumni director from 19941996.
The speaker at Cal U’s 2007
winter Commencement, Hamer

received the University’s Michael
Duda Athletic Achievement Award
in 1988, the Job Johnson Award for
Notable Achievement in 2004 and
the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus of
the Year Award. He is a member of
the Board of Presidential Advisors.
Hamer said he views his
involvement with Cal U over the
years as a continuation of his
undergraduate days.
“I am living my college career
vicariously now, with my active
interest,” said Hamer, who was
president of the Math Club his final
two years as a student. “My
involvement today gives me a piece
of the campus life I missed as a
student.”
“What President Armenti has
done to this University has given me
so much pride,” he added, “and I try
to convey that to other alumni. I ask
them when was the last time they
were on campus, and I tell them they
need to come back. That’s all it takes
to get alumni more involved. You
just need to get them on this campus,
because once they get here and see
it, they want to be part of it.”
Hamer and his wife, Dr. Arden
Hamer, served as honorary chairs of
the 2004 President’s Gala. The
couple resides in Murrysville, Pa.
They have three children — Lauren
(deceased), Lisa and Megan — and
five grandchildren.

Tennis Team Serves Academic Ace

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al U’s women’s tennis team does as well in the
classroom as it does on the court.
For the seventh consecutive year, the team
was recognized as an Intercollegiate Tennis Association
(ITA) All-Academic Team.
Six players were honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes.
Senior Nina Kowalski, a business administration
major, earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status for the third
straight year. In the Spring 2010 semester, the College
Sports Information Directors of America also named
her an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II
selection.
Juniors Axelle Fernandez and Mariana Oliveria both
repeated as ITA Scholar-Athletes. Sophomores Jutta
Bornefield and Jade Pondicas, and first-year player Julia
Cohen, also received the honor.
With six ITA Scholar-Athletes, the team matches the
program record set in 2006-2007.
The ITA All-Academic Team award for 2009-2010
was given to programs that had a cumulative team gradepoint average of 3.20 or higher on a 4.00 scale.
To earn ITA Scholar-Athlete status, an individual
player must be a varsity letter winner, have a grade-point
average of at least 3.50 for the current academic year,
and have been enrolled at his or her current school for
at least two semesters.
Under the guidance of ninth-year head coach Pablo
Montana (165-49), the women’s tennis team has won four
consecutive PSAC and NCAA Regional championships.

Senior Nina Kowalksi earned ITA Scholar-Athlete status for
the third straight season last spring while helping Cal U’s
women’s tennis win four consecutive PSAC and NCAA
Regional titles.

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

Dr. Lenora Angelone
Vice President for Student Affairs

Geraldine M. Jones
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Charles Mance
Vice President for University Technology Services

Christine Kindl
Editor

Bruce Wald
Writer

Dr. Joyce Hanley
Executive Vice President

Ron Huiatt
Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

Wendy Mackall
Writer

Jeff Bender
Writer

Office of Communication and Public Relations

250 University Avenue

California, PA 15419

Robert Thorn
Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance

724-938-4195

wald@cup.edu

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

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