CLARION
U N I V E R S I T Y

M A G A Z I N E

WINTER 2018

Queen
of the bees

CLARION

WINTER 2018
VOLUME 5
NUMBER 3

FEATURES
12 Queen of the bees

Junior Riley Bessetti is studying medicinal properties
of bee resin and venom and keeps a hive in the Science
and Technology Center to aid her studies.

14

Excellence in teacher training is the norm
School of Education director Dr. Gwyneth Price
shares how Clarion teacher education stays on the
cutting edge.

16 We the people

Economics professor Sandra Trejos came to the U.S.
as a student in 1992. Twenty-six years later, Trejos is a
freshly sworn American citizen who just voted for the
first time.

24 Fox Meadow Winery

THE VOICE OF THE

GOLDEN EAGLES

Dan and Cheryl Mortland fell in love with Virginia and
the idea of owning a vineyard there. Years later, Fox
Meadow Winery offers award-winning wines and a
stunning view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

4 Clarion Digest
Junior Tree Zuzzio is appointed to the
university’s council of trustees; GPAs and SAT
scores for the new freshman class are higher
than they’ve been in 10 years; State System
Chancellor Dan Greenstein visits Clarion during
his tour of campuses; rankings show acrossthe-board excellence in programs; alumni
Breanna Adams and Brian Cook Sr. are named
to '40 under 40' lists for Erie and Pittsburgh.
10 Homecoming 2018
32 Sports roundup
After a good start to the season, the football
team saw the effect of multiple injuries; after a
two-year absence from the NCAA Tournament,
volleyball makes a big return; Robert “Tick”
Cloherty (’62) adds Pennsylvania Sports Hall
of Fame induction to his lifetime of athletic
achievements; injured athletes can have a
tough time mentally, as well as physically.
40 Class notes

When you talk to Clarion alum Mike Kalinowski (’92, ’96), you’d
probably expect him to be on the radio. His voice has a depth that is
commanding, but gentle enough to make you feel like you’re in the
company of a friend.
And that’s probably the best way to describe Kalinowski – he’s a
friend to the university. As Clarion University’s announcer for football
for the past 31 years, he delivers play-by-play and color commentary,
all while staying positive about the team and university he loves.

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER
Junior Riley Bessetti

48 Courageous Endeavors
In the racially tumultuous 1960s, three black
women looked fear in the eye and pursued
their educational dreams.

“As an alumnus, I want to see the school be successful and the
football team be successful,” Kalinowski said.
His love of the broadcasting game started early...

Read more at www.clarion.edu/kalinowski
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

1

Pennsylvania State System of Higher

CLARION
UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

President: Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson
Executive editor: Tina Horner
Co-editors: Sean Fagan (sports);
Amy Thompson Wozniak (’02, MS ’06)
Design: Bryan Postlewait (‘04)
Contributors: Michelle Port,
Hope Lineman ('10, MS '16)
Photographers: Adam Reynolds (’15), Bri Nellis (’16)
Address comments and questions to:
Clarion University Magazine
Center for Advancement
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
840 Wood St., Clarion, PA 16214
Email: alumni@clarion.edu
Visit Clarion University on the Web
at www.clarion.edu
Clarion University Magazine is published by the
Division for University Advancement for alumni,
families of current students and friends of Clarion
University. Alumni information is also located
at www.clarion.edu/alumni.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania is committed
to equal employment and equal educational
opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless
of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, affectional
or sexual orientation, age, disability or other
classifications that are protected under Title IX of
the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, and other pertinent state and
federal laws and regulations. Direct equal opportunity
inquiries to: Assistant to the President of Social
Equity, Clarion University of Pennsylvania
216 Carrier Administration Building,
Clarion, PA 16214-1232.
814-393-2109.

Education Board of Governors
Chair: Cynthia D. Shapira
Vice Chair: David M. Maser
Vice Chair: Samuel H. Smith
Sen. Ryan P. Aument
Rep. Matthew E. Baker
Audrey F. Bronson
Joar Dahn
Sarah Galbally
Rep. Michael K. Hanna
Donald E. Houser Jr.
Barbara McIlvaine Smith
Marian D. Moskowitz
Thomas S. Muller
Pedro A. Rivera, secretary of education
Sen. Judy Schwank
Harold C. Shields
Brian Swatt
Rep. Mike Turzai
Neil R. Weaver
Janet L. Yeomans
Gov. Tom Wolf
Council of Trustees
Chair: J.D. Dunbar (’77, MS ’79)
Vice Chair: Milissa Bauer (’84)
Secretary: James L. Kifer (MBA ’83)
Dr. Syed R. Ali-Zaidi
Susanne A. Burns
The Honorable R. Lee James (’74, ‘83)
The Honorable Donna Oberlander (’91)
Larry Pickett (’77)
Howard H. Shreckengost (’83)
Neil Weaver (’00)
Tree Zuzzio, student trustee
Alumni Association Board of Directors
President: Jeffrey Douthett (’79)
President-Elect: Theresa Edder (’91, MS '05)
Treasurer: Jonathan Catanzarita (’11)
Secretary: Virginia Vasko (’88)
Lindsay Banner (’07)
Angela Brown (’80)
Michael Chapaloney (‘99)
Henry Crawford (’02)
Kimberly Griffith (’87)
Lee Grosch (’62)
Sandra Jarecki (’69)
Bridget Kennedy (’90, MS '07)
Thomas Launer (’10)
Barry McCauliff (’72)
Chris Myers (’12)
Ryan Peffer (’03)
Michael Phillips (’03, MBA ’04)
Michael Polite (’86)
Will Price ('09, ’11)
David Reed (’09)
Robert Schmidt (’69)
Georgia Yamalis (’15)
Glenn Zary (’97)
Christopher Enos
Eagle Ambassadors president

Six honored with
Distinguished Awards
Clarion University Alumni Association
honored five alumni and a faculty member at the 2018 Distinguished Awards
Banquet Oct. 5.

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Greetings Clarion community,
It’s almost time to ring in a new year. Every year I take stock
and make some meaningful resolution. Making a resolution
provides an opportunity to take a good look internally and think
about how to grow as a person and then make a plan on how to
reach that goal.

Nominations for 2019 Distinguished
Awards are now being accepted.
Visit www.clarion.edu/awards.

The same holds true for our university. The time has never been
more critical for us to work together to ensure that we continue
to meet the changing needs of our current and future students
– be they on our Clarion main campus, our Venango site or from
anywhere in the world through our online programs. That’s what
our True North Initiative is all about. Our TNI will help us create
our three-year plan of action. This plan will move the university in
the direction we, as a community, decide is our best path.

Awardees are:
Distinguished Alumni
Mark S.
Andrekovich (’84)

What direction, you ask? That’s up to you.
Charles F.
Klingensmith (’61)

A task force representing faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community will develop five or six
university-wide priorities that will guide us toward the resolutions – or goals – we set. Every single university stakeholder is encouraged to share ideas on what those goals will be. Visit www.clarion.edu/truenorth
to stay updated and for opportunities to help shape the future of your university.

Ronald J.
Sylvester (’85)

One area that we know is important to our Clarion family is athletics. As the renovation of Tippin proceeds, we have launched Golden Eagles Rising, a campaign to support student-athletes, the programs in
which they participate and the facilities where they train, practice and compete. Combined, the investment in Tippin and the Golden Eagles Rising campaign poise Clarion to achieve competitive excellence in
the PSAC and nationally. Learn more at www.clarion.edu/supportgoldeneagles.

Distinguished Venango Alumni

Thomas N.
Cole (’86,’88)

We know that it will take a lot of hard work to succeed in meeting these goals, but we can do it. Our
campaign is named Eagles Rising, and we want to continue to give our students what they need as they
launch in life. Our Clarion University is rising. I look forward to a year of great things to come.

Distinguished Faculty
Dr. Susan C.
Prezzano

Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson
Distinguished Service

Ann Thompson
Director, Alumni Engagement
Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson ex-officio
President, Clarion University

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

President
Clarion University

Terri “Tiki”
Kahle (’87)
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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STUDENT NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

STUDENT NEWS I CLARION DIGEST
Clarion ADMITS BEST-PREPARED CLASS IN 10 YEARS
The quality of academic credentials of this year’s freshman class is the highest it has been in more than a decade.
Grade point averages have been creeping up, from 3.20 in 2005 to 3.43 now.
"Seventy-two percent of the incoming class carries a GPA greater than 3.10," said David Dollins, associate vice president
for enrollment management. "In addition, 68 percent of the incoming class ranked in the top half, and 24 percent ranked in
the top fifth, of their high school classes."
SAT scores are higher, too, with an average score of 1040, up from last year's average of 1036.
"With the inception of Clarion providing merit scholarships, along with the creation of the director of scholarships position, we have been able to attract some of the best students in the Clarion region and throughout western Pennsylvania.
In fact, this freshman class earned more than $1 million in merit awards, all of which goes toward helping them access the
fantastic opportunities here," Dollins said.

ZUZZIO APPOINTED student TRUSTEE

THAT’S a WRAP

Gov. Tom Wolf has appointed Tree Zuzzio, a junior
business management/political science major from Camp
Hill, as student trustee for Clarion University. He will serve
until his May 2020 graduation.

procedures governing the use of university facilities and
property; annual inspection of university facilities; and the
annual evaluation of the president.

It’s a bird! It’s a car! No, it’s Clarion University President
Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, whose car recently was
transformed, morphing from SUV to Eaglemobile.

Zuzzio serves on Student Senate. He is a member of the
Campus Safety Committee, Student Relations Committee,
Academic Affairs Committee and the Student Affairs
Advisory Board. Zuzzio participates in the Honors
Program and was the recipient of the Board of
Governors Scholarship. He is active in theatre productions
and received the Silver Fox Comedy Scholarship in 2017.

Pehrsson hatched the idea to have her red Chevrolet
wrapped in blue and gold.

The Council of Trustees is responsible for the establishment of academic programs and schools for consideration
by the Board of Governors; review and approval of annual
operating and capital budgets, fees, purchases and
contracts; participation in university and System-wide
strategic planning; review and approval of policies and

to be able to display that Golden Eagle pride wherever I
go. My husband – Dr. Bob – and I are thrilled!"
She and her husband footed the bill. Clarion University
created the design, and Clark Vinyl Graphics, Shippenville,
printed and applied the wrap.

"There are so many reasons to love Clarion University and
for our alumni, students, faculty and staff to be proud,"
Pehrsson said. "My idea behind getting the car wrapped was

MARCH madness
We don’t mean to toot our own horn,
but we have 130 reasons to do so. This
year’s Golden Eagle Marching Band
has surged to 130 members including
instrumentalists, color guard and
majorettes. Last year, the band had 118
members including all sections; in 2014,
there were only 52 members. Dr. Casey
C. Teske, who first served as director
from 1996 through 2001, has led the
band since fall 2014.
"What makes the marching band so
successful is the eclectic mix and hard
work of the instrumentalists, color
guard and majorettes from all majors
that make up the group," Teske said.

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CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

5

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST

CHANCELLOR GREENSTEIN
MAKES STOP AT Clarion

MULTIPLE CLARION UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN
RANKED AMONG THE best IN THE STATE AND COUNTRY.

State System Chancellor Daniel Greenstein visited
Clarion in October as part of his tour of each of the 14
schools in the system. As part of his visit, Greenstein
engaged in an open forum with members of the Clarion
community. To open the forum, Greenstein addressed
the topic of school closings:

ONLINE BSBA IN REAL ESTATE:
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"I didn't come here to close campuses. I wanted to
get that off the table so we can have a conversation," he
said, adding that closing campuses is counterproductive
to the mission of higher education.

ONLINE BACHELOR’S IN ENGLISH
• #6, SR Education Group, Most Affordable Online Colleges

ONLINE BACHELOR’S IN COMMUNICATION

Among Greenstein’s system-wide priorities are
improving relationships, building enrollment, fostering
diversity and student success.

• #11, SR Education Group, Most Affordable Online Colleges

ONLINE BACHELOR’S IN SOCIOLOGY
• #13, SR Education Group, Most Affordable Online Colleges

ONLINE MBA

PROUD OF OUR PRIDE

• #13, BestCollegeReviews.org, Best Online MBA Programs

Clarion was awarded a four-star rating by the College Pride Index, a non-profit
organization that identifies and rates LGBTQ-friendly colleges to help students
find campuses that are welcoming.
Departments across campus answered extensive questions about Clarion's
policies and practices, resulting in Clarion earning four out of five stars and being
named a Premier Campus, one of only two in western Pennsylvania to earn the
distinction.

MU XI WINS REGIONAL

excellence AWARD
The Mu XI Chapter of Sigma Global Nursing Excellence,
the international honor society of nursing, has earned the
Showcase of Regional Excellence Award. The award
recognizes the work of chapters in relation to Sigma's
presidential call to action in the area of "collaborate."
The Collaborate Award signifies a professional service

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project that Mu XI completed last year when, in
collaboration with the Emergency Nurses Association of
Pennsylvania, state senate and state representatives, and
the Clarion community, it presented a conference,
"Communities in Crisis: PA's Opioid Epidemic."

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

7

CLARION UNIVERSITY – VENANGO DIGEST

ALUMNI NEWS I CLARION DIGEST
TWO recognized ON ‘40 UNDER 40’ LISTS
BREANNA GRIFFITH (’11) ADAMS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
SPECIALIST FOR ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AND
BRIAN COOK SR. (’03), OWNER OF GOLDEN SKY MEDIA COMPANY,
HAVE BEEN HONORED ON “40 UNDER 40” LISTS FOR ERIE AND
PITTSBURGH, RESPECTIVELY.

Adams inspects everything from restaurants and pools to campgrounds
and body art establishments. Her work has been recognized by the National
Network of Public Health Institutes, who awarded her their "Rising Star"
honor last May. Outside of work, Adams coordinates the Erie Free Store,
ensuring that everyone maintains their right to basic human dignity with
access to quality clothing and household items. She was the culture district
coordinator for this year's Celebrate Erie.

NURSING CLUB RAISES MONEY, awareness
Cook got his start in radio but
now freelances as an international
multimedia journalist for television
and radio, including NBCNews.com,
The New Pittsburgh Courier and 90.5
FM WESA. As president of Pittsburgh
Black Media Federation, he teaches
the next generation of journalists
through the Frank Bolden Urban
Multimedia Workshop. He has
mentored high school students in
the free program since 2002, giving
students hands-on experience in
interviewing, writing, copy editing
and public speaking.

The ASN Nursing Club’s 5th Annual 5K Walk/Run, held Oct. 11 on Justus Trail, Oil City, raised money for American Cancer
Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer which funds innovative research, provides free information and support,
and helps people reduce their breast cancer risk or find it early, when it’s most treatable. The walk raises awareness and
brings people together to make a difference for everyone who has been touched by breast cancer. This year’s theme was
All in for the Fight.

CU SERVE HOSTS
NOLA FEST
CONFIDENCE BOOST ASN ENROLLMENT
Move-in weekend included a day of
team building and ropes courses at
Camp Coffman.

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Fall 2018 enrollment in the Associate
of Science in Nursing program is at 63
students, the highest enrollment in the
past five years.

Student organization CU Serve
kicked off the Venango Campus
Cultural Arts series with a New
Orleans feast, trivia and mask
decorating Sept. 13, followed by James
“Fuzz” Sangiovanni, legendary guitarist
who presented the history, music and
culture of New Orleans. CU Serve will
complete a mission trip to New Orleans
in the spring.

TOBIN’S BOOK

published

Thomas Tobin’s book, “Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone; Universal
Design for Learning in Higher Education,” has been published by West
Virginia University Press.
Thomas J. Tobin ('02 MSLS) is the conference programming chair
at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the author of “Evaluating
Online Teaching” and “Copyright Ninja #1: Rise of the Ninja.”

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

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A Timeless
Tradition

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The theme for the 65th annual Autumn Leaf Festival was fitting for
Clarion University’s homecoming festivities because it truly is
‘A Timeless Tradition’ that alumni look forward to each year.
This collage includes scenes from CU’s Homecoming Alumni
Reception, which is always held before the ALF Parade.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

11

When it comes to keeping bees, you might say
Clarion University junior Riley Bessetti is the queen.
Since last fall, with special permission, Bessetti has
been keeping a hive on the third floor of the
Grunenwald Science and Technology Center. As a
molecular biology and chemistry double major, Bessetti
has particular interest in the medicinal properties of
propolis, a resin bees create from the buds of
cone-bearing trees they use to form their hives.
In addition to propolis, Bessetti is interested in the
healing properties of bee venom. Yes, venom.
Bessetti said venom is believed to have anticoagulant properties and promotes healing. Bessetti once
sprained her ankle and allowed a bee to sting her in the
area of her sprain. She said the bruising was reduced
almost completely in less than a day.
Bessetti, whose left forearm bears a bee tattoo, said,
“The thing I like about bees is how complicated they
are. For such a small organism, there is so much to learn
about them. They are truly fascinating.”
She’s not the only one who has found the appeal.
At the beginning of the semester, swarms of people
like to check out the bees from behind locked doors.
The bees go about their business of collecting pollen
and making honey, while the queen lays eggs, growing
the colony. Bessetti estimates that this colony, which
started with between 2,000 and 5,000 bees, now has
upward of 50,000 to 60,000 bees with 90 pounds of
honey.
The first colony Bessetti started last fall died after a
particularly wet season. Even though the colony died,
it still yielded 45 pounds of honey. This year, her colony
seems to be thriving, and it may even grow to the point
of needing to be split.

Queen
of the bees

Bessetti comes from a line of beekeepers. Her father, CU
alum Joseph Bessetti (’95, molecular biology), taught her
about beekeeping when he took it up as a hobby eight
years ago.
“I got into it because of him. It was a hobby we could do
together,” Bessetti said.
“I was always curious about it. My grandfather kept bees
when I was a kid,” Joseph Bessetti said.
Joseph Bessetti said his grandfather stopped keeping
bees when his bees died, most likely of mites – a pest
common to honeybees. His interest in keeping bees was
piqued because he wanted to know what killed his
grandfather’s bees and if he could keep bees without the
use of chemical treatments.
Having Riley as part of his hobby was a bonus.
“Riley was always willing to try new things,” Joseph
Bessetti said.
Now that the semester is in full swing, people have
gotten used to having the bees on the third floor balcony
and only notice them when they’re on their way to and
from classes.
“People are typically nervous,” Bessetti said of the bees.
Around the STC, you can find signs alerting people to the
hive and stating there’s nothing to fear.
The bees also got the attention of three of Bessetti’s
entomology classmates who were working on a project that
can affect bees. They thought the access to beeswax could
be beneficial to their project.
Seniors Gerald Bickel (geography), Jasmine Hobson
(environmental biology) and Mitchell Long (biology with
chemistry minor), were interested in a project on greater
wax moth larvae after Hobson read an article about them.
The greater wax moth larvae can be a pest to bees,
because they are interested in consuming beeswax.

The wax in a bee colony is similar to polyethylene, the
main ingredient in plastic shopping bags. The larvae like
eating polyethylene, and are able to digest it. According to
Bickel and Hobson, the idea is that the larvae will consume
the plastic (which is overflowing landfills), then be fed to
chickens, provided that harmful plastic byproducts don’t
remain in the larvae.
Essentially, humans could recycle by eating their own
trash, without negative side effects.
The students conducted an initial study on wax moth larvae last year and have submitted a $650 grant request for
funding to purchase additional wax moth larvae, enabling
them to complete their research.
“We had a colony (of wax moth larvae) collapse on us,”
Hobson said.
As for the bees, they are still on the third floor of the
STC. Bessetti will soon harvest some of the honey which
she shares with those who have supported her beekeeping
endeavors, but she will leave enough for the bees to survive
the winter.
When observers look at the bees, they shouldn’t be
alarmed by the number of dead bees on the balcony. It’s all
part of the bee’s life cycle, which varies from bee to bee.
“They live until they burn out their wings,” Bessetti said.
Bessetti said bees spend more than half of their life in the
hive until they begin making orientation flights with other
bees before going on solitary journeys to gather pollen.
Bessetti hopes to research the medicinal properties of
bees with her father, who works as a scientist for a biotech
company. It will be another chance for them to work
together.
Joseph Bessetti said there’s no better source of molecular
biology study than in a beehive. “It’s always going to be a
rich opportunity.”

“They’re typically found in hives not doing well,” Bessetti
said.

In order to separate the hive, Bessetti moves frames
of bees, eggs, nectar, pollen and the queen to the new
box to simulate a nature swarm and, in response, the
queenless bees raise a queen from the eggs left behind
and feed on the remaining food.
“They’re triggered by being queenless,” Bessetti said.

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CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

13

Teaching teachers

EXCELLENCE CONTINUES TO BE THE NORM
Clarion University’s legacy of preparing the brightest
educators to meet the demands of teaching began with
the school’s founding in 1867. The university has grown and
evolved, but training students to teach is and will continue
to be a priority.
“The faculty in the School of Education know and understand, at the deepest levels, the processes involved in and
the motivations behind student learning,” said Dr. Gwyneth
Price, director of the School of Education. “We have been
teaching solid instructional design and evidence-based
practices since our inception.”
The School of Education is committed to preparing new
teachers who are ready to tackle the challenges of today’s
elementary, middle level, secondary and special education
classrooms.
“We know that the students sitting in classrooms today
are not the same as they were 30, 20 or even 10 years
ago,” Price said. “There are 21st century skills they need to
acquire, differing societal pressures to manage, and an ever
increasing number of students with special needs that need
to be met. Complicated family structures, a need for a global
perspective, and ever-changing technologies drive us to
keep pace, developing new programs to prepare our future

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teachers to meet the challenges of today’s classrooms.”
Clarion’s faculty stay on the cutting edge by creating
certificates and specialized concentrations to make sure
Clarion education graduates are top in their field. The
programs focus not only on meeting the career and educational expectations of those who want to become teachers,
but also on helping those who want to become better, more
effective teachers once they enter the classroom.
Through master’s degree programs and four state-approved endorsements, Clarion continues to educate in-service teachers through courses that lead to master’s degrees,
fulfill Level II requirements and provide Act 48 professional
development.
Both state approved and nationally accredited, Clarion’s
programs include the fully online associate in early childhood education, the nationally recognized four-year degree
programs at all grade levels and in all content areas, and
the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with
teacher leadership concentration, the first program of its
kind in Pennsylvania.

SPECIAL EDUCATION
Clarion’s department of special education has been a
leader in the field for more than 54 years. This tradition

of evidence-based excellence and innovation continues
through the recent accreditation by the International
Dyslexia Association and the newly developed Master of
Science in Special Education with focus on applied behavior
management.
An increasing number of students are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and with other significant, complex
learning and behavioral challenges. Special education faculty responded by embedding the Competent Learner Model
and applied behavior analysis training into the curriculum
for undergraduate- and graduate-level degrees.
Clarion is the only university in Pennsylvania permitted
to provide, for college credit, the CLM curriculum, known
worldwide for its effectiveness, and it’s the only university
within a two-hour radius that offers courses in applied behavior analysis and allows its students to sit for certification.
Schools need multi-disciplinary teams to design and deliver evidence-based interventions. The curriculum focuses
on applied behavior analysis, which guides future educators

to develop effective teaching procedures while managing
maladaptive behaviors.

ONLINE CONVENIENCE
A teacher shortage that is occurring across the country
is currently hitting Pennsylvania, so there is a growth of
opportunities for employment and advancement in the field
of education, according to Price.
“We expect that this will bolster the already increasing
numbers of non-traditional students already working
full-time, but looking to take advantage of the stability and
benefits of a career in education. These students are looking
for the convenience and flexibility of online learning,” she
said. “Several of our programs are relatively unique in the
commonwealth, such as our fully online, nationally accredited associate in early childhood, our newly developed
master’s in special education. We must make these accessible to as diverse an audience as possible.”

Pennsylvania School Press Association named Aaron Fitzpatrick
(’08, M.Ed. ’10) of Freedom Area Senior High School as the 2018-19
state Journalism Teacher of the Year. Fitzpatrick advises the Freedom
High School Press student newspaper, the Shawnee yearbook, and
the Bulldog Beat broadcast program. Both the Freedom High School
Press and Shawnee have earned numerous regional, state and national
awards. Fitzpatrick is a nationally Certified Journalism Educator
through the Journalism Education Association, and also is a Google
Certified Educator.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
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We, the People
Nov. 6 was not just another election day for Sandra Trejos. She’s always paid attention
to the campaigns and candidates, but as an immigrant she wasn’t permitted to vote – until
this year: She is now an American citizen.
When Trejos came to the United States in 1992, it was as a student. She and her husband,
Gustavo Barboza, had been awarded fully funded scholarships through USAID to complete
their master’s degrees. Both born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica, the couple had
married the day before leaving for the U.S.
They planned to return to Costa Rica after they finished their master’s
programs at Oklahoma State University, but the school offered funding, a tuition waiver
and teaching assistantships if they would stay and complete their
doctorate degrees. They agreed.
The USAID funding, which brings citizens of developing countries to the United States to
be educated, required Trejos and Barboza to give back to their home country for two years
after their schooling was complete. They returned to Costa Rica in 1998. By then, they were
parents of daughters Sofia and Monica.
“We went back and worked at the University of Costa Rica. Both of us worked at an
economic research institute and taught classes,” Trejos said.
They decided to return to the United States for a year to help them pay off debt from
their PhDs. “Once we tested the water, we learned that professors can earn a nice living,”
Trejos said.
“We had meant to stay in Costa Rica, but it was hard financially,” she said. “We had
two babies who were American. We had to provide bilingual education, which was more
expensive in Costa Rica.”

They applied for an H1B visa, which ensures that an
applicant’s skills are so specialized or unique that they aren’t
taking jobs from American workers.

GREEN CARD
“(Securing a green card) allowed both of us and Eugenia
(the only of their children who wasn’t born in the United
States) to have permanent residence,” Trejos said. “It was a
big relief because we were not on visa. There was always the
concern it would be denied.”
Five years after receiving a green card, an immigrant can
apply for citizenship.
“Gustavo filled out the papers and submitted his application in 2015. I postponed,” Trejos said. Barboza’s citizenship
was granted nine months later, in 2016.
Applicants’ fingerprints and photo are recorded, and an
extensive background check is done. The next appointment
is an oral interview in language skills and civics. Trejos said
they received a booklet with 100 questions they had to be
able to answer.
“They ask 10 questions, and you can only miss four. When
you’ve answered six right, you’ve passed,” she said. “It’s
emotional. They ask you all kinds of integrity questions and
also if you are willing to be at arms for the United States. It’s
a new country that becomes your country.”
Trejos passed the test and was scheduled for the Aug. 24

naturalization ceremony, during which she would affirm her
citizenship. She was asked to be the speaker.
In her speech, she said to her fellow citizens, “When I see
your faces, I can only imagine the stories behind them, the
sacrifices, the struggles, the hard work and tough choices
made to deserve the privilege and the honor to become
citizens of this great country, a country of freedom and
liberty for all, the United States of America.

IMMIGRATION REFORM
Living as a legal immigrant in the United States, Trejos has
paid close attention to calls for immigration reform and to
conversations about undocumented immigrants.
Trejos agrees that immigration reform is necessary, but she
said having a heart for immigration and an understanding of
other cultures must be part of the conversation.
“We have stereotypes and stigmas about foreigners.
We cannot forget that behind the subject is a human face,”
she said. “We need to understand why. What is behind their
needs? Why would they put their family in such a dangerous
position?”
“The (undocumented) economic refugee comes for
economic reasons. I don’t justify, but I can understand that
because of economic conditions, they’re really trying to
get a better situation,” Trejos said. “Ethical behavior has to
prevail. As The Constitution of the United States says, ‘no
one is above the law.’”

U.S. Oath of Citizenship

The couple had added a third daughter, Eugenia, after returning to Costa Rica.

AMERICAN DREAM
Barboza was hired in an adjunct faculty position at Wabash State, and Trejos began
teaching at IUPUI. Barboza’s position was by contract, which was renewed to cover sabbaticals of other faculty. After three years, the contract ended. They went back to the
job market.
“That's when we first heard of Clarion,” Trejos said. The couple’s fourth daughter, Isabela,
had been born in June 2003, when she received a call offering a one-year position.
“I couldn’t fly or drive. I couldn’t interview because of the baby.”
When another opportunity arose in Clarion that December, Trejos interviewed for the
tenure-track position.
“They offered me the position the following week. We moved to Clarion in June 2004.”
Barboza taught at Mercyhurst for two years before another position opened at Clarion.

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“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely
renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any
foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom
or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;
•

that I will support and defend the Constitution and
laws of the United States of America against all
enemies, foreign and domestic;

•

that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

•

that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States
when required by the law;

•

that I will perform noncombatant service in the
Armed Forces of the United States when required
by the law;

•

that I will perform work of national importance under
civilian direction when required by the law;

•

and that I take this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help
me God.”

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CLARION UNIVERSITY’S
BEST-KEPT SECRET
SITS BEHIND
MEMORIAL
STADIUM.

“We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.”
~Tao saying

A Japanese anagama kiln, measuring 160 cubic feet, may
be hidden, but its bright flame reveals itself three times a
year when a group of ceramic artists convene to fire the kiln
and create unique pottery, touched and treated by the fire
and ash.
An anagama kiln has a firing chamber at one end of the kiln
and a flue at the other. While the fire originates in the firebox,
as it is fed, it spreads from the firebox to the entire kiln,
encompassing its contents.
Firing the kiln is a labor of love and time.
At the 69th firing of the kiln in August, Clarion University
assistant professor of art Gary “Greeny” Greenberg explained
the work that goes into firing the kiln and the ceramic pieces
it helps to create.
First is the loading of the kiln, which can’t be done until all
of the pieces are on site. The loading depends on the sizes,
number and types of pieces. Several individuals climb inside
the kiln, which will become a tight space as more pieces are
loaded within.
“People snake pieces in,” Greenberg said. “How you put
pieces in affects the flow of the shadow.”
In other words, those loading the kiln must be wary of
overloading or under loading, as both will affect the exposure
of the pots to the elements inside the kiln.
“We’re looking for odd interactions with glaze,” explained
Tom Belden of Casa Grande, Arizona. Belden is a retired
ceramics professor and gallery director from Central Arizona
College.

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"God said to the clay 'Beware,' and it was."
~Potter George Ohr
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"God made the first pot and it was man." ~Old Spanish saying

Not everyone prefers a glaze on their pottery.
Oil City potter and Clarion alumnus Frank Rodgers (’09)
likes to fire some of his pots without glazing them.
“Every clay body has its own inherent glaze to begin
with,” Rodgers said. “I don’t glaze a lot of my porcelain.”
Loading and arranging the pieces in the kiln can take
10-12 hours. At the August loading, there were the usual
mugs, teapots, urns, pots, plates and vases. Greenberg said
often the simplest piece has the best reaction in the kiln.
“Sometimes it’ll be a really simple thing, and when it
comes out it’s the very thing that makes everyone go, ‘Oh!’”
Greenberg said.
Once the kiln is loaded to everyone’s satisfaction,
participants start the fire and must continue stoking it for

the next 36 to 48 hours to bring the kiln to the right
temperature of 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rodgers said the fire is so hot that anyone who is
adding wood or stoking the flame can’t wear polyester, as
the temperature will melt their clothes off.
“I’ve caught on fire three times,” Rodgers said.
Greenberg said the process begins by burning two
2-by-4-foot pieces of wood in the kiln every 30 minutes,
then, by the end of the process, adding the same amount
every two minutes. At that point, the fire consumes the
wood as fast someone can throw it in. Greenberg estimates
that the process burns two-and-a-half cords of wood.
While the fire is burning, observers will see flames
shooting out of its chimney. It is the appearance of this
flame that determines the rhythm of stoking.

“Pottery for me is not a pursuit of glory, but a daily discipline of pursuing accuracy.”
~Potter Beatrice Wood

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Participants at Clarion’s August firing began on a Friday
evening and finished around noon Sunday. It’s those
in-between times that Greenberg loves. The participants eat
and trade horror stories (of which there are many) from the
times when the kiln wasn’t so kind to their creations.

Greenberg’s look also has been copied by a student who
dressed up as him for Halloween one year. The wig from that
costume now graces a skeleton – Skully Greenberg – that
hangs near the kiln. The skull was crafted by a chainsaw
artist who shared a studio with potters who participate in
university kiln firings.

“It’s one of the reasons I like doing this. People just sit and
talk,” Greenberg said.

In addition to Skully, the university’s kiln features other
interesting aspects. To the side of the kiln is a pottery
graveyard where thousands of ceramic shards have become
part of a growing installation of pieces that will never be
used for their intended purpose. Instead, they have a new
purpose of reminding the artists that some things don’t
work out as planned.

After the burning period, the participants go home and
wait for a week.
Greenberg said they could open it after a few days, but
the kiln is still too hot so it’s better to wait a week. Even
then, the back portion of the kiln is still uncomfortably hot,
he said.

His dad uses a coffee mug made of clay from his own
property.
"I think there is a distinct connection to our ancestors,"
Lowrey said.
Lowrey said that each ceramics piece is unique, because
you can never fully replicate what the kiln will do to the
glaze.

“Now I just clean out the studio every year,” Greenberg
said of the pile of pottery shards.

Potters must be patient, as it takes time to make the
creations and really learn the craft. George Tomkins of
Yuma, Arizona, said he’s still learning things about pottery
– and he’s retired. Tomkins was a ceramics professor and
gallery director at Arizona Western College.

The pile grew after the kiln was slightly over-fired at the
August firing. Greenberg said there was too much empty
space at the front of the kiln, which made for more heating
than usual.

“I’ve forgotten so much, everything’s new,” Tomkins
quipped.

Those are the types of learning experiences to which
Greenberg and Tomkins were referring. It’s also part of the
reason Greenberg enjoys his job.

The national ceramics conference, hosted by the National
Council on Education for the Ceramics Arts, was held in
Pittsburgh last year, and it drew 6,000 teachers, students
and artists, Greenberg said.

“I always liked teaching and I always liked clay. The two
just came together,” Greenberg said.
“I’ve got a lot of former students at these firings.”

Some people might be surprised to discover how many
locals are interested in ceramics in the Clarion area.
“It’s a pretty interesting cross-section of people,”
Greenberg said of the ceramics community.
Greenberg, himself, fits the mold of an artist, with long
hair and a long, handlebar mustache. He has a method for
keeping his mustache out of the crosshairs of the clay and
flames. Sometimes he takes a bandana and pulls it up over
his face “like an old train robber,” he said.

"Ceramics is love," Lowrey said. "It's more than just a cup."

Gary Greenberg

However, he said famous potter George Ohr had an even
bigger mustache and simply tied it behind his head while
engaging in his craft.

His current students are passionate about the art form.
At Clarion University’s spring Undergraduate and
Graduate Research Conference, Sierra Nicholes, Michael
Lowrey, DaJanae Drake, Zoe Stone, Richard Hasty, Eric
Jones and Markelle Swonger presented "National Council on
Education for the Ceramics Arts – Cross Currents: Clay and
Culture." There, they explained the significance of pottery in
today’s world.

“And I have exposed myself to art so that my work has something beyond just the
usual potter.” ~Potter Beatrice Wood

Cup and bowl by Michael Lowery

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Dan Mortland met Cheryl Stark while walking from the
library to Tippin Gym on his first day of classes at Clarion
University in 1969. They’ve been together ever since.
Between their two families, they are part of four
generations of proud Clarion alumni, beginning with
Clarion Normal School.
Dan graduated in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration; Cheryl graduated the same year with
a bachelor’s degree in secondary education (mathematics). After graduation, the newly married couple moved to
York, where Cheryl had secured a teaching position.
Dan sold industrial supplies for a year before moving to
a sales position with GTE Sylvania. After five years, he was
recruited to work for company that manufactures printed
circuit automation equipment. In 1990 Dan joined Kulicke
and Soffa Industries, beginning in sales management and
later holding director-level management positions. In his
career, Dan had the opportunity to work in many areas of
North America, Europe and Asia. He retired from K&S in
2006 to open the Fox Meadow Winery.
Cheryl remained in education for a while, but eventually
she migrated to the business world, specifically computer
education and training. Working with computer software
and implementation allowed her to work with education
for BOCES in New York state as they learned to use
computers in the 1980s. Her last 13 years before retirement
were as director of database management and project
implementation for a subsidiary of Merck Pharmaceutical.
Dan grew up in Montgomery County, Virginia, outside
of Washington, D.C., where his family owned a one-acre
lot they used for summer camping trips. After his family
stopped using the property, it was deeded to Dan.
Dan and wife Cheryl’s life geographically positioned
them enough of a distance from the property that they
were never able to use it. The only time it crossed their
minds was when the tax bill arrived in the mail each year.
Then living in Philadelphia, the Mortlands drove to
Virginia to tack up a “for sale” sign. Dan took the opportunity to show his wife places that were important to him as
a child.
“We came to Front Royal and saw that there were
wineries,” Cheryl said. “We were starting to think about
opening our own business after retirement, and we
thought maybe a winery is something we’d like to do.”

PLANTING THE SEED
On the vineyard’s website, the Mortlands tell the story of
how they came to open a winery in Virginia:

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“Sixteen years ago we visited the area, and fell in love
with northern Virginia. We visited some of the local wineries and realized that great wines can be crafted here. After
an exhausting search, we found the parcel of land which is
now known as Fox Meadow Vineyards. Fox Meadow was
once part of Freezeland Orchard, which was almost 100
years old. We could immediately see the potential of this
location. It had great possibilities. Once discovering the
site, we enlisted some of the finest professionals in the
region to consult with to develop Fox Meadow Vineyards.
We have now been crafting great wines using traditional
wine-making skills and processes for over a decade.”
Along with consulting professionals, the Mortlands have
attended wine-making seminars to learn the craft.
Son Bob manages the winery. They also employ professional winemaker Tom Payette, whose “understanding of
the subtleties of winemaking and his palate are far beyond
ours,” according to Cheryl.

The grapes determine what kinds of wine a vineyard
produces, and the climate and soil determine what kinds
of grapes grow well. They hired a vineyard consultant to
help them.
“Chardonnay is my favorite, and everywhere you go, it
grows well,” Cheryl said. “We wanted to grow merlot, but
it doesn’t grow well. Cabernet franc is the red grape that
grows best here. Dan wanted Riesling, our son wanted
Vidal.”
Fox Meadow Winery currently makes six white wines
(one sweet, three semi-dry and two dry) and nine red
wines (one sweet and eight dry).
The entire process of making and bottling the wine is
done on site.

ON THE VINE
Budbreak – when the buds that become leaves emerge
– is in April. In May, the vines get what looks like a tiny
grape cluster, and it becomes the flower. A hot, dry
summer is ideal weather for the grapes.
The grapes aren’t ready for picking until at least early
September. Veraison refers to the change in color of the
grapes. It’s difficult to see that change in white grapes.
“When we see things are ripening, we start testing
grapes,” Cheryl said. “We have a procedure to go into the
field and pull a berry off of the grape cluster. We try to get
some from different parts of the cluster – the south side
ripens quicker. We’ll have a baggie full of grape berries; we
crush that to get the juice, and we test for sugar and pH.
We want to get a balance between them.”
As grapes ripen, both the pH and sugar levels increase.
The Mortlands keep an eye on the grape, the health of the
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“When fermentation is done, the skins will be at the bottom, and the top will be bubbling. The entire contents of the
bins go into the grape press to separate the skins from the
wine,” Cheryl said. “The next day we pump it into barrels.”
Red wines age in the barrels from nine to 20 months.
After bottling, red wine sits for another six months before

Fox Meadow Winery offers it for sale.
“Winemaker Tom says if it’s a well made red wine, it will
be good for 10 years after the harvest,” Cheryl said. “We’re
tasting 2005 wines, and they’re still good.”
When storing wine, the bottles should be placed cork
down or on its side to keep the cork moist.

Everything looked fun when Lucy did it, especially
stomping grapes to make wine.
Tastingtable.com describes the several-thousand-year-old practice of stomping grapes to release
their juice as the “stick shift of the wine world: Sure, a
machine could easily do all the work, but that’s not
nearly as fun.”
The site calls the human foot the perfect natural
machine for crushing grapes: The pressure is gentle
enough that the seeds won’t break, releasing an
astringent taste into the wine. Nor will the wine have a
“foot” taste – human pathogens don’t survive in wine,
thanks to the balance of acid, sugar and alcohol.
Occasionally Fox Meadow Winery has a festival in
which visitors are invited to stomp grapes, just for fun.
The Mortlands discard the grapes afterward.
vine and the weather. When the grapes are ready, they
schedule a picking crew.

where sugar and acid levels are adjusted, if necessary, and
yeast is added.

“We pick into 25-pound picking lugs, which are yellow
plastic boxes. We put them in the field before the pickers
get there,” Cheryl said.

“Most white wine ferments in the tank. Chardonnay
ferments in a white oak barrel. The barrels hold 60 gallons,
but with Chardonnay, we put in 50 gallons, as the juice
bubbles as it ferments,” Cheryl said. “We test the alcohol
and sugar levels; the level of sugar determines when
fermenting is done. Most white wines ferment in the fall,
and we start bottling them in January.”

RED, WHITE, AND BLUE MOUNTAIN MIST
“With white grapes, we like to do cold pressing. We
store them overnight in the wine cellar with the air
conditioning on. Some wineries have a cold room, but we
do not. The next day, we put the grapes in the press and
squeeze the juice. We can get about two tons of grapes
into our press. With white grapes, we put in the whole
cluster.”
Each pressing cycle takes about two hours. The press
squeezes to a certain pressure, then it releases and tumbles the grapes, then squeezes and releases, then tumbles.
The pressure increases every time it squeezes.
Next, the juice is put into a tank, and chemicals to help
the juice are added. The juice sits overnight, a part of the
process called cold settling. During that time, solids settle
into the bottom, where they are extracted and dumped.
The juice is transferred to another tank the next day,

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Red grapes aren’t chilled after picking.
“We want them warm when we start processing them,”
Cheryl said.
The grapes go into a crusher/destemmer, then they are
placed into one-ton-capacity bins.
“They will ferment in the bins. That’s how you get the
red color – the skins are still there,” she said. “Twice a day,
we punch down. As fermentation happens, the skins rise
to the top and make a crust. The wine is underneath. We
use big, plastic shovels and push the skins into the juice.”
During this process, the sugar and yeast are added. If
the weather permits, the Mortlands move the bins outside
during the day to keep them warm.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, part of
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives,
dictates how wines are labeled. Most wines are named after
the grape if they are a single variety. Chardonnay must be
at least 75 percent chardonnay, for example. If no variety of

grape comprises more than 75 percent, it’s a blend and gets
a fanciful name, Cheryl said. One of the blends Fox Meadow
Winery produces is Blue Mountain Mist, a white blend
named for Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, visible from
the vineyard.

Wine
Terminology
Blend: When one or more grape varieties is used to produce
the wine.
Body: Body is a term used to describe the weight and feel
of wine. Full-bodied wines are normally high in alcohol.
2017 Wines of the South
• 2016 FMW Cabernet Franc – Best of Show, Gold Medal
• 2016 FMW Chambourcin – Gold Medal
• 2015 Le Renard Rouge – Silver Medal
• 2015 Reserve Cabernet Franc – Silver Medal
• 2016 Barrel fermented Chardonnay – Silver Medal
• 2016 Blue Mountain Mist – Silver Medal
2017 Virginia Governor’s Cup
• 2013 Reserve Merlot – Silver Medal
• 2013 Le Renard Rouge – Silver Medal
• 2014 Le Renard Rouge – Silver Medal
• 2015 Barrel fermented Chardonnay – Silver Medal
• 2014 Cabernet Franc – Bronze Medal
• 2014 Pinot Grigio – Bronze Medal
2017 Atlantic Seabord Wine Competition
• 2016 Pinot Gris – Best of Category, Gold Medal
• 2014 Le Renard Rouge – Gold Medal
• 2015 Cabernet Franc – Silver Medal
• 2013 Reserve Merlot – Silver Medal
• 2015 Syrah – Bronze Medal

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Bouquet: Different from perfume, this denotes a mature, or
maturing wine with secondary characteristics, other than
primary fruit scents.
Breathe: When you allow a wine to breathe, you are giving
it air, which improves the perfume and the texture of the
wine.
Complex: Complex is an important quality in a great wine.
Normally associated with aromatics, the term is used when
a myriad of scents or fragrances are found in a wine's
perfume.

Endnote: The sensation of flavors your palate experiences
long after you have already enjoyed and swallowed the
wine in your glass. The longer the endnote or finish, in most
cases, the better the wine.
Fleshy: Fleshy wines are full bodied, concentrated and
round or opulent textures.
Full-bodied: Full-bodied wines are most often high in
alcohol, glycerin and concentration.
Legs: The clear, viscous tears that run down the side of your
glass after swirling your wine. The tears or legs are formed
from the glycerin in the wine. This, along with color are the
first two things a taster notices in a wine.
Opulent: Opulent wines offer sensuous textures and
richness. This is highly desirable.

Crisp: Similar to bright. Fruit that is crisp is usually high in
acidity.

Sweet Wine: Sweet wines are red or white wines which have
varying degrees of residual sugar remaining.

Decanting: Decanting is the practice of pouring wine from
a bottle into a larger container. Decanting is done for two
reasons: Removal of sediment from older wines, or to allow
air into a young wine, allowing them to soften in texture and
display more aromatics.

Table Wine: Table wines do not denote quality, or a lack
thereof. It is a degree of measurement for all wines that
range from 11% to 14% alcohol.

Delicate: Light wines are delicate. This is not a quality to
seek in Bordeaux. It is better suited for some white wines
and Pinot Noir.

Vintage: The specific year in which the grapes were
harvested.

Source: www.thewinecellarinsider.com

Dry Wine: Dry wines are red or white wines in which all the
residual sugar has been fermented.
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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

VOLLEYBALL RETURNS TO NCAA TOURNEY
After a two-year absence from the NCAA
Tournament, the volleyball team returned to
the big dance in 2018, thanks to a combination
of veteran leadership and youthful exuberance.
Head coach Jennifer Herron’s squad earned
an at-large bid to the tournament by posting
one of the best records in the PSAC, and, in
the process, earning wins over some of the top
contenders in the NCAA Atlantic region.

Chrissy Cotton

The Golden Eagles boasted four all-conference selections at the end of the year, led
by D2CCA All-Region pick and 2018 PSAC
Defensive Player of the Year Chrissy Cotton.
The sophomore libero took over the position at
the start of the year and proceeded to post one
of the best seasons in program history, finishing
second for a single season in program history
with 802 digs. She ranked sixth in the nation in
digs by the end of the season with an average
of 6.47 digs per set.
Senior Olivia Olson also took home D2CCA
All-Region and All-PSAC honors and ranked
among the best blockers in the conference and
the country. The senior middle blocker had 141
total blocks, which ranked 15th in the nation at
the end of Clarion’s season, and also set career
highs in kills and kills per set.

For the second straight year, the Golden
Eagles had an outside hitter earn First Team
All-PSAC honors, with junior Julia Holden
finishing as one of the league’s top attackers.
She led the conference in total kills with 471
and ranked third with an average of 3.83 kills
per set. A three-time PSAC Southwest Athlete
of the Week, she was buoyed by senior setter
Leah Vensel, who earned also All-PSAC
honors and finished her career near the top of
the program list in career assists.
The Golden Eagles capped their regular
season by avenging a loss to California (PA)
earlier in the season, defeating the Vulcans
3-1 to cement a spot in the Atlantic Region
rankings. They then proceeded to upset the
fourth-seeded Shippensburg Raiders in the
tournament, winning a wild 3-2 decision in the
opening round.

Julia Holden

With a number of senior starters graduating,
the Golden Eagles will lean on their younger
players from 2018 to make leaps and bounds
heading into 2019.

Leah Vensel
Olivia Olson

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SPORTS ROUNDUP

SPORTS ROUNDUP

CLOHERTY INDUCTED INTO
PENNSYLVANIA SPORTS HALL OF FAME

The story of how Robert Cloherty – “Tick” to his friends –
came to Clarion University is not a typical one. Then again,
considering Cloherty’s storied life and career, it stands to
reason that the beginning of the story
would be unique as well.
After a stint in the United States
Marine Corps during which he served in
Japan from 1955 to 1958, the Swissvale
native wanted to be an electrician’s
apprentice. But with steel mills in the
area closing, Cloherty had time on his
hands in the summer of 1958. On a
sunny Saturday afternoon, he decided
to drive two friends to what was then
Clarion State Teachers College so that
they could take the entrance exam.
While his friends were taking the
exam, Cloherty sat outside on a bench.
Dr. Paul Gladstone Chandler, the president of the college at the time, walked
by and struck up a conversation with
him. He eventually convinced Cloherty
to take the entrance exam himself, walking him to the exam
room to join the rest of the group.
The following Monday, Cloherty received a phone call.
“They told me two things,” Cloherty said. “First, you’ve
passed the entrance exam. Second, we need you to report to
football camp as soon as possible.”
With a leave of absence from work, Cloherty reported to
training camp and began “the greatest four years of my life.”

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After his graduation, Cloherty earned a master’s degree in
guidance from Duquesne and spent time as a teacher and
football coach at Penn Hills high school. He went on to be
a manufacturer’s rep with his brother
from 1965 to 1970 and then spent more
than 20 years as the business manager
for Swissvale – later Woodland Hills –
School District.
Throughout it all, though, the love
of athletics never left Cloherty, and
he began working as a football and
basketball official. Doing so gave him a
new perspective and appreciation for
referees.
“You appreciate the game more
because you’re always watching,”
Cloherty said. “You saw which coaches
had discipline and which didn’t, and how
it related to their players.”
Perhaps the biggest difference
between coaching and officiating was
the level of investment required. Cloherty said that officiating
brings a level of separation from individual games that
coaches simply cannot have.
“You see the game in a different perspective,” Cloherty said.
“You went in, officiated the game, and you were done with it.
As a coach, it’s a 24/7 job from the beginning of the season to
the end.”

Cloherty was like many high school students throughout
history, which is to say he could not wait to get out. In his
time, students were more concerned with entering the
workforce than going to college, and in that regard, he was no
exception.

Cloherty left officiating after 35 years when he was named
the commissioner of the WPIAL Quad-A Football Officials
in 2000, then the classification for the largest high school
athletics programs. He assigned officials for 30 schools “from
Altoona to Mount Lebanon,” and also evaluated officials crews
on their performance. It was around this time that he also took
on the role of scoreboard operator at Heinz Field, doing so
from 2000 to 2012.

“Back then, college wasn’t the big thing,” Cloherty said. “No
one in my family had gone to college, and I had no inkling of
ever going myself. Everyone went to work in the steel mills.”

“The sense of community here never left me,” Cloherty said
of Clarion. “The brotherhood that I have made because of my
time at Clarion is very, very strong.”

During his senior year of high school, Cloherty received
letters from the Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears,
offering him professional football tryouts, so it should have
been no surprise that he immediately showed himself to be an
exceptional lineman for the Golden Eagles. Cloherty immediately earned the respect of teammates and competitors alike,
earning four straight All-PSAC honors on the offensive and
defensive lines. He served as the team captain in his senior
year before earning his Bachelor of Science in Secondary
Education in 1962.

The warmth and love that Cloherty feels for the Clarion
community is no better illustrated than in his work with the
Western chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, an
august institution that now bears his name. Cloherty served
as the president of the chapter for three decades from 1987 to
2016, overseeing the enshrinement of 407 inductees, including
72 that went on to the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

WINTER 2018
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Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
1.

Jim Alcorn (’68) - 2004 - Football Player

10.

Margaret “Gie” Parsons - 2011 - Basketball Coach

2.

Bob Bubb - 1988 - Wrestling Coach

11.

Alex Sandusky (’54) - 2008 - Football Player

3.

John Calipari (’82) - 2009 - Basketball Coach

4.

Robert “Tick” Cloherty (’62) - 1997 - Football Official

12.

Wade Schalles (’74) - 2008 - Wrestler

13.

Don Stemmerich (’53) - 1996 - Basketball Coach

5.

Joe DeGregorio - 2008 - Basketball Coach

14.

Art Tragesser (’69) - 2016 - Football Coach

6.

Dr. Jamie Wolf Jackel (’07) - 2017 - Diving

15.

Pete Vuckovich - 2003 - Baseball Player

7.

Al Jacks - 1979 - Football Coach

8.

Frank Lignelli (’50) - 1986 - Football Player

9.

Bill Miller - 1997 - Swimming Coach

(also enshrined in PA Sports HOF in 2018)

Clarion is well-represented in the Western chapter, with
16 Golden Eagles alumni earning induction between 1979
and today. That number ranks as more than any other
institution other than, perhaps, the University of Pittsburgh.
In addition, Clarion graduate Larry Richert (’81) emcees
the induction ceremony. Cloherty deserves a great deal of
credit for his championing of his alma mater, and in 2016 he
received the immense honor of having the entire chapter
renamed the Robert “Tick” Cloherty Western Chapter.
“These things run in cycles,” Cloherty said. “When you
combine the right players and the right coaches, you see
more and more deserving individuals pop up. Clarion has
had some exceptional coaches over the years, and they’ve
helped develop athletes that do special things.”
Hall of Fame inductions are no new matter to Cloherty. In
1993 he was inducted into the Clarion Sports Hall of Fame.
A year later he was named to the East Boros Chapter of the
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, in 1997 he went into the
Western chapter that bears his name today, and in 2017 he
was voted to the WPIAL Sports Hall of Fame.

(also enshrined in PA State HOF in 2008)

(also enshrined in PA State HOF in 2008)
16.

Reggie Wells - 2010- Basketball Player

However, perhaps the greatest sports-related honor he
received came earlier this year, when on Nov. 3, 2018, he
was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
He is just the third Clarion athlete to receive this honor,
joining Alex Sandusky (2010), a two-time NFL champion
as an offensive lineman on the Baltimore Colts, and Pete
Vuckovich (2008), the 1982 AL Cy Young award winner and
an 11-year veteran in Major League Baseball.
Friends and family gathered at the Woodlands Resort in
Wilkes Barre to celebrate Cloherty’s achievement. Perhaps
most poignantly, fraternity brothers from his very first days
at Clarion joined him 60 years later.
“I was in a fraternity, Alpha Gamma Phi, and there were
six members that came to the induction ceremony,” Cloherty said. “Bill F was the first person I met when I came to
Clarion, and we’re still friends. The number of people from
Clarion that have supported me is tremendous.”
With the number of lives he’s touched over the years,
it should be no shock that the bonds formed are not
easily broken.
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

35

SPORTS ROUNDUP
DEFENSE WAS STRENGTH FOR
2018 GOLDEN EAGLES FOOTBALL

INJURIES TEST ATHLETES’
PHYSICAL, MENTAL RESILIENCE

SPORTS ROUNDUP

In the 1993 movie “The Program,” there is a scene in which a college football coach asks a player in practice,
“Are you injured, or are you hurt?” When asked to clarify, he responds that “if you’re hurt you can still play, if you’re
injured, you can’t.”
While the movie itself is a sensationalized version of college athletics, student-athletes can still recognize a whiff of
truth in that moment. Aches, pains, bruises and other maladies that don’t rise to the level of serious injury come part and
parcel with the experience of competing in sports, and over time many athletes learn to live with what they regard as
inconveniences.
THAT’S WHAT HAKEIM MCKENZIE THOUGHT WAS GOING
ON DURING THE 2018 FOOTBALL SEASON OPENER.

ERIN BRIGGS NEVER SAW IT COMING.

Zack Morris

Under the direction of Head Coach Chris Weibel, the Clarion
football team started fast in their 2018 season, but injuries
reared their ugly head and eventually had their effect on the
remainder of the season.
Graduating just four seniors last season, the Golden Eagles
returned many of their starters. Quarterback Jeff Clemens
returned to the lineup to lead the offensive for Weibel. The
junior signal caller ended the year with over 1,500 yards
passing, while tossing six touchdowns. Running back Mylique
McGriff returned from a stellar rookie campaign and picked
up right where he left off, rushing for 639 yards and seven
touchdowns in just eight appearances while dealing with
injury issues of his own. A staple in the Golden Eagle passing
offense, the running back hauled in 16 catches for 166 yards.
A number of Golden Eagle receivers had breakout seasons,
led by junior Dana Jackson. A go-to receiver for Clemens
all season, Jackson caught 31 passes for 552 yards and four
touchdowns. Fellow receiver Marcus McCoy was equally
successful. A deep threat anytime he stepped on the field,
McCoy finished the year with 18 receptions for 322 yards and
three touchdowns.

The Golden Eagle defense proved to be the strength of
the team, finishing among the league and national leaders in
several categories and boasting four All-PSAC West selections. The Blue and Gold were second in the PSAC and sixth
in NCAA Division II with 18 interceptions in the regular season.
Defensive backs Sam Fareri and Dorian Johnson controlled
the skies all season long, recording four interceptions each.
Johnson finished the year eighth in the PSAC with 13 passes
defended on year.
In addition to the strong pass defense, Clarion also ranked
among the best against the run. The Golden Eagles ranked
fourth in the conference in total defense at 330.1 yards
allowed per game, while their 28 forced turnovers ranked
second in the league and eighth in the nation. Senior linebacker Layne Skundrich broke the 300-tackle mark for his career
at Clarion, becoming just the ninth player in program history
to reach the mark.
At season’s end, five Golden Eagles earned All-PSAC West
honors, including First Team defensive lineman Brandon
Vocco and Second Teamers Zack Morris (OL), Alec Heldreth
(DL), Layne Skundrich (LB) and Saif Khan (DL).

Playing at Highmark Stadium against Shippensburg,
against the backdrop of the Pittsburgh skyline, he thought
the pain in his shoulder was something that needed to be
overcome rather than examined.

In 2017, she had earned a starting spot on defense for
the Golden Eagle soccer team as a freshman, a rookie
surrounded by veterans on what turned out to be one of
the best years in program history.

“I had heard about dislocations, so I knew something
was wrong once I picked myself up off the field and
realized I couldn’t pick up my arm,” McKenzie said. “When
they told me it was a tear, I spent the first month in denial.
I was telling Mike (Chesterfield) ‘Nah, I’ll be back, I’m not
missing any time.’” McKenzie told his father the same
thing – that he had played through worse before and
would be back soon.

“I was really excited,” Briggs said. “I wasn’t reallyexpecting to play many minutes at all, but here I was, starting
every game. We were taking on tough teams, playing well,
and I was really optimistic about how it was going.”

But the weeks went on, and eventually McKenzie had
surgery to repair his shoulder. That was when the tiniest
sliver of doubt crept into his mind. The road back would
be long and difficult, and it was going to be paved with
the pain of rehabilitation.

Her sixth career start, though, proved to be her last of
the season.
In the waning minutes of the first half, Briggs cleared the
ball from her own end while a Slippery Rock player bore
down on her. Briggs was able to kick it out, but the follow
through on her opponent’s kick caught her square in the
leg, just as it was touching down on the ground.
“I didn’t know what had happened right away, so I tried
to just keep running,” Briggs said. “Once the adrenaline
wore off, I realized something serious happened.”

ERIN BRIGGS NEVER SAW IT COMING.

Brandon Vocco

Mylique McGriff

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Layne Skundrich

Alec Heldreth

Saif Kahn
Hakeim McKenzie

Erin Briggs

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

37

SPORTS ROUNDUP
Throughout her playing career, Briggs said she had
never suffered a significant injury – “never even a twisted
ankle” – and as such was not prepared to find out that she
had just broken both her tibia and fibula.
UNLIKE BRIGGS AND MCKENZIE,
MARISSA ROBERTSON HAD BEEN THERE BEFORE.

SPORTS ROUNDUP
Through more than three decades as an athletic trainer,
Jim Thornton has seen just about everything when it
comes to injuries. While the trauma to the body can be
devastating, it is the psychological damage that comes
with those injuries that often demands the most attention,
he said.

A promising three-sport athlete, Robertson suffered an
ACL tear in her left leg during her sophomore basketball
season at Centennial High School. A 15-year-old going
through her first major injury, she was devastated at the
thought of missing the opportunity to make an impression
on college volleyball and basketball coaches.

It’s natural to see injured athletes experience what is
commonly referred to as the stages of grief, starting with
denial and anger. This time around, Robertson said she
skipped right to stage two.
“I was on the ground, screaming and cussing,”
Robertson said. “You have no idea how mad I was. I
thought about all the progress I had made to that point, all
my hard work…how was I going to get that back?”

Jim Thornton

“One of the things we have always tried to incorporate
in our athletic training facility is making sure these athletes
understand they are still a part of the team,” Thornton
said. “Often these student-athletes feel ostracized because
they aren’t on the field or the court playing or participating in the activities they love. They see the rest of the
team moving on and getting ready for whatever comes
next, and it’s just natural to feel a sense of separation.”
Thornton says that every injury is unique, and, in fact,
every athlete’s reaction to injuries are unique as well.
Beyond the difference in physical circumstances, two
athletes with the same injury could be complete opposites
in how they react, how they rehabilitate and how they
move past what happened.
“We have many athletes that were big fish in small
ponds in high school,” Thornton said. “They come to a
college program, and if they get a serious injury, it becomes difficult for them to deal with the fact that they’re
no longer the big fish, that they might be limited.”

Marissa Robertson

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“I couldn’t have done it without them,” Briggs said.
“Coach Sean was so supportive and always made me feel so
included.”
The rehabilitation process started as soon as she was able
to progress from a wheelchair to crutches. A typical day
for Briggs started with an 8 a.m. class followed by a trip to
the training room for treatment with athletic trainer Kristen
Curreri. She spent roughly two hours per session as she took
the rehabilitation process slow and steady, starting with
simple exercises to keep her muscles active.
“Kristen kept telling me to take it day by day, every day,”
Briggs said. “You could see how the muscles deteriorated
over time, but she told me I couldn’t focus on what I was
losing – I had to focus on what I was gaining.”

After a long rehabilitation, she returned to the court and
eventually made her way to Clarion, where she played her
first two seasons of college volleyball with nary a scratch.
On the last day of spring workouts in 2017, though, her
world was turned upside down again.
“It was the very last game of doubles week, and I went
to hit, and when I came down on my right leg I felt it pop,”
Robertson said. “I knew right away what had happened.”

every class and helped her stay on top of her studies.

Briggs said that her coach and teammates went out
of their way to support her during the recovery process.
After breaking her leg in Slippery Rock, she was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital, and later to a hospital
in Pittsburgh for surgery the next day. Head coach Sean
Esterhuizen and a contingent of teammates showed up
around midnight to show their support and encouragement. When she was confined to a wheelchair for the
first two weeks of recovery, her teammates pushed her to

McKenzie tells a similar story about his teammates and
coaches. As Thornton alluded, one of the hardest parts of
coming back from injury is watching your teammates go
on without you, and McKenzie admits as much as he goes
through his recovery process.
“Standing out on the field, watching everyone run around
having a good time…it sucks, to be honest,” McKenzie said.
“Layne Skundrich and the rest of the linebacker corps, they
have been with me every step of the way, and my coaches
have been supportive, wanting me to get well and back on
the field.”
His rehabilitation started the week after his surgery, and it
was painful in its own way.
“The first week was the absolute worst,” McKenzie said.
“Honestly, the first part of rehabilitation was some of the
worst pain I’ve been through.” McKenzie said.
Over time the pain has begun to subside, and now McKenzie can see results.
For Robertson, working hard in rehabilitation isn’t just
a test of character, it’s the only way for an athlete to truly
come back.
The rehabilitation process for her ACL injury began several
weeks after the surgery, with an emphasis on keeping
muscles active before further deterioration could occur.
“You have to work on the flexibility of the leg and
straighten it out, or else you’re going to have a limp,” Robertson said. “The first step of rehab is getting the mobility in
the leg back.”

“I’ve seen people that don’t put the work into rehab and
they aren’t the same as they used to be, and it’s because
they didn’t put in the effort,” Robertson said. “I knew I
wanted to be better than I was before I got hurt, and I knew
there was only one way for that to happen.”
Thornton says that the recovery and rehabilitation process
is a test of character and discipline. It can be a tedious,
frustrating and painful time. Many times, it is the athlete’s
response that informs the result.
“Kids that come back from serious injuries show resolve,”
Thornton said. “They love the sport they play and are
committed individuals. People that rise above hardship are
people that we find are very successful in life as well. Regardless of what you do in life, there’s going to be hardship,
and for an athlete, injury is a major one.”
While McKenzie’s recovery is still in progress, it’s safe to
say that the other two have had happy endings.
In November 2017, Briggs’ protective boot came off, and
by the middle of March she was cleared to resume running.
By May she was able to kick a ball again, and in August
Briggs returned to the practice field as a full participant,
nearly a full year after the injury. And when the Golden
Eagles stepped on the pitch for the season opener against
Gannon, Briggs was back in the starting lineup, 11 months,
two broken bones and one metal rod since her last time on
the field.
“I was just so excited to be back I didn’t think about it,”
Briggs said. “I wasn’t worried about being hit or any sort of
contact. I was just so happy to be back on the field.”
Robertson went through yet another difficult rehabilitation in summer 2017 but was with her team every step of
the way. Despite the fact she couldn’t get on the court, she
took it upon herself to be a leader in her own way, firing up
the bench and keeping spirits high during matches.
“It was very important to me that I stay upbeat with the
team,” Robertson said. “I didn’t want anyone to see me
looking down, or lose their focus on the game. It became
my job to support the team any way I can.”
She returned to the practice floor late in the 2017-18
school year and was back in her regular spot in the lineup
the following season, helping lead the Golden Eagles to
the NCAA Tournament for the first time since her freshman
campaign in 2015. After her second major knee surgery,
breaking a two-year drought was a piece of cake.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

39

A look back…

ALUMNI NOTES Winter 2018
1976

Deborah (James MSLS ‘81)
Hendrickson is a school librarian
(teacher-librarian) for Allegany
County Public Schools, Westernport, Md. She was recently
reappointed to the Board of
Trustees of the Allegany County
Public Library System (Maryland)
and serves as treasurer. She
resides in Cumberland, Md., with
her husband, Gary. They have two
children, Lindsey and Alex.

1988

Gary and Dr. Sara (Hawkinson)
Sawtelle reside in Warren. Sara is
a science teacher for Forest Area
Schools, Tionesta.

1990

Jennifer (Maine) Sizemore is a
vice president of membership for
Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. She resides in
Murrysville with her son Jacob.

1997

Sean (M.Ed. ‘01) and Antoinette
(Parker ’00) McDonald reside
in Woodbridge, Va., with their
children: Seani, Nia and Sean
II. Antoinette is an elementary school principal for Prince
William County Schools. Sean is
an administrative coordinator of
classified employment for Prince
William County Schools.

1999
Submit your photos on Facebook
or Twitter with #Cuhistory

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Mark Watts is a principal for Saint
Mary Magdalene School, Columbus, Ohio. He resides in Columbus
with his wife, Nichole, and daughters: Claire, Abigail and Quinn.

2000

Ashleigh Jade Kozup is a
marketing director for urban
syndicated programming for
iHeart Radio Media, Sherman
Oaks, Calif. She resides in Santa Clarita, Calif.

2005

Cody Cope is manager of
talent acquisition for AccountStaff, Pittsburgh. He resides in
Pittsburgh with his daughter,
Kinsley.
William Hermann is chief
executive officer for Wilshire
Phoenix Capital, New York
City. He resides in New York
City.

2006

Carla (Brockway) Elder is a
licensed practical nurse for
Altoona VA Medical Center,
Altoona. She resides in Philipsburg with her husband, James,
and children: Ayden, Joseph
and Jacob.

2007

Milena Smith is a kindergarten teacher for Norfolk Public
Schools, Norfolk, Va. She
resides in Norfolk.
Dr. Inger Birgitta Sundell-Ranby received a Ph.D.
from Umea University, Sweden. She received a B.A.
and M.A. from Wayne State
University. Although retired,
Dr. Sundell-Ranby still produces scientific papers and has
contributed to many published
papers. She resides in Grosse
Pointe Park, Mich., and has a

son, Otto.

2009

Lindsay Grystar is employed
by Brunner, Pittsburgh. She
resides in Pittsburgh.
Stephanie (Desmond) Couillard resides in Pittsburgh with
her husband, Matthew.

2011

Michael and Danielle (DiPerna
’10) Bryan reside in Poland,
Ohio, with their daughter,
Aubrey. Michael is employed
with Dearing Compressors.

2013

Justine Shaffer studied the
ecology of steppe ecosystems
with a focus on the Pallas’ cat,
Przewalski’s horse and participatory conservation media in
Mongolia. She is a graduate
student in Miami University’s
Global Field Program, Oxford,
Ohio. Justine resides in
Laramie, Wyo.

2015

Madison Shobert is a systems administrator for Miller
Welding and Machine Company, Brookville. He resides in
Punxsutawney.
Tonya (Shaffer) Otto is a virtual learning/outreach/reference
librarian at Clarion University,
Clarion. She resides in DuBois
with her husband, Jacob.

2016

Lauren Bovard is a human
resource generalist for Graham
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

41

WE WANT TO

know about YOU!

And so do your Clarion classmates. It’s easy to share your latest personal milestones and
professional accomplishments in the pages of Clarion University Magazine. Just send us a note!
Visit www.clarion.edu/alumni-update

Sarah J. ('48 Harnish) Augustine,
Oct. 28, 2018

2017

1950s

Katie Hillman works in the office
of Pennsylvania State Senator Dan
Laughlin, where she is responsible for
constituent outreach and social media.
At Clarion, she majored in communication with a concentration in
journalism and was active in The
Clarion Call, Eagle Media, and as a
student writer in the Office of
Marketing and Communication.
She lives in Erie.

Janice (Weigel ’51) Boucher,
Aug. 21, 2018
Joyce (Kapp ’51) Lehman,
Sept. 16, 2018
Carl M. Servey (’52),
Sept. 27, 2018
Anna (Weaver ’54) Coulter,
Aug. 5, 2018
J. Kenneth Wyse (’56),
Sept. 14, 2018 (retired faculty)

2018

The 1978 cheerleading squad included: (back row, from left)
Crystal Marousis, Barb Chiapelli, Renee Carney, Linda Kruse,
Marilee Ruffo; (front row) Amber Leffingwell, Judy McHenry,
Rosalyn Finlayson and Vicci Kemmerer.

Elyse (Fenstermacher ’11, MS
’13) and Bill King (’11) were
married June 23 in Butler. The
couple met while students at
Clarion. Elyse is a speech-language pathologist, and
Bill teaches high school
English. In lieu of favors, the
newlyweds made a donation in
honor of their guests to
Clarion University.
Alumni who attended are:
(front row, from left)
Amy Slicker (’11), Rachel Skolny (’11), bride Elyse, Andrea (Porco ‘12) Kapp, Christopher “CJ” Reed (’15), groom Bill, Ross
Harter (’12), Maria (Filippelli ‘97) Householder, Carla (Kostelic ‘99) Forney, Jen (Sliper ‘00) Bechdel; (middle row) Sara
(Lapczynski ‘11) Stasik, Elaina Fenstermacher, Jessica (Coffield ‘10) McClellan, Carly Chamberlain (’15), Breanna (Griffith
‘11) Adams, Courtney Mottes (’12), Danielle Pugliese (’11), Samantha (Christian ’11) Smith, Matt McHugh, Molly Smathers
(’09), Andrew Naugle (’12), Stephen King (’14), Josh Garrett (’14); (back row) Michael Lynch (’10), Jarad McClellan (’11),
Robert Adams (’11), Benjamin Trodden (’11), Ryan Smith (’11), William Kelsey King (’78), Greg Hoover (’08, ’10), Kevin
Reed (’14), Jay Householder (’98).

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IN MEMORIAM
1940s

Packaging, Lancaster. She resides in
Lancaster.

Madeleine Richardson is an eighth
grade special education teacher for
McKeesport Area School District,
McKeesport. She resides in Pittsburgh.

MARRIAGES

Jacob Otto and
Tonya Shaffer ’15, M.S.L.S. ‘16,
May 26, 2018

Eileen (Hull ’56) McKean,
Oct. 23, 2018
Donald E. Holquist (’57),
Oct. 16, 2018

James M. Rarick (’72),
Oct. 7, 2018
Susan M. (Wynkoop ’73) Goss,
Oct. 16, 2018
Cara (Longaker ’74) Birge,
July 20, 2018
Raymond L. Puller (’75),
Oct. 3, 2018 (retired administrator)
Richard A. Reiter (’76),
Oct. 4, 2018
Roy M. Johnson (’79),
Sept. 5, 2018

1980s

Patricia K. (Thomas ’81) Morgan,
Oct. 19, 2018
Kevin A. Baird (’82),
Nov. 3, 2018

Diane E. (Walter ’58) Schrecengost,
Aug. 11, 2018

Laurie J. (Foringer ’83) Collett,
Oct. 15, 2018
Georgia K. (Alcorn ’85) Alberter,
May 19, 2018

Joan Susan (Alexander ’58) Smith,
Sept. 25, 2018

Matthew N. Moyer (’87),
Sept. 19, 2018

1960s

1990s

Norman B. Hulse (’64),
Oct. 24, 2018
Linda (Kean ’66) Beichner,
Sept. 6, 2018
Victor L. Ziegler (’69),
Aug. 16, 2018
Shirley L. (Wiant ’69) McWilliams,
Aug. 18, 2018

1970s

Mark R. Slotta (’70),
April 26, 2018

Anne Elisabeth Dargitz (’90),
Oct. 31, 2018
Lance Marshall (’92),
Jan. 6, 2018
John C. Traube (’93),
Feb. 4, 2018

2000s

Allison Alaine (Rilling ’00)
Crawford, Sept. 6, 2018

2010s

Dennis M. Lavery (’10),
June 24, 2018
Nathan Daniel Smith (’14),
Sept. 3, 2018

Friends

Terry P. Caesar,
Feb. 19, 2018 (retired faculty)
Emma Elaine Weatherby
April 13, 2018 (student)
Marilouise Michel,
Sept. 24, 2018 (faculty)
Patty H. Laswick,
Sept. 28, 2018 (retired faculty)
Dawn Kidney,
Aug. 3, 2018
Richard Grimm,
Aug. 9, 2018
Carlton A. Males,
Aug. 4, 2018 (retired staff)
David Humphrey,
Sept. 15, 2018
Dianne Phillips,
Sept. 22, 2018
Charles D. Klingensmith,
Oct. 12, 2018

Kathleen A. Eckley (’93),
Aug. 20, 2018

Jack Callen,
Oct. 19, 2018

Susan (Painter ’95) Snyder,
Sept. 28, 2018

Milburn L. Cooper,
Oct. 23, 2018 (retired staff)

Margo J. Wimer (’97),
Oct. 25, 2018

Louis Kraft,
Nov, 9, 2018

Robert H. Myers (’70),
June 1, 2018
Stanley H. Kukla (’70),
Sept. 18, 2018
CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

43

CLARION
CLARION
CLARION
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY

MYA

Mya Kate Hanlon, daughter of
Sean and
Carly (Shook ‘11) Hanlon,
born Jan. 18, 2018

CECILIA

RAEGAN

Raegan Carol Willison, daughter
of Kristoffer Willison (’96)
and Lacy Needham,
born Jan. 22, 2018

KNOX

AUGUST

August Joseph Heimerman, son
of Ambri (Alexander ‘10)
and Dane Heimerman,
born April 24, 2018

GRACE

LINNEA

Linnea Rey Morris, daughter of
Bob (’06) and
Ashton (Wright ’09) Morris,
born May 14, 2018

KARSYN

Our gift to baby Eagles of Clarion alumni is a dashing new bib!
To receive a bib, visit www.clarion.edu/babybib and complete the
online form. Once you receive your bib, take a picture of your
Eaglet putting the bib to use, and email a high-resolution photo to
us for inclusion in Clarion University Magazine.
Questions?
Call the Office of Alumni Engagement at 814-393-2572.

DELA

Dela Anne Bloom, daughter of
Hadley (Hammers ’08)
and Doug Bloom,
born Sept. 17, 2017

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ALIVIA

Alivia Marie Crum, daughter of
Ashlee (Noca ’06)
and Matthew Crum,
born Oct. 12, 2017

ARYA

Arya Jean Gilliland, daughter of
Amy (Denison ’11)
and Travis Gilliland,
born Jan. 4, 2018

Cecilia Lynette Dandoy,
daughter of Correy
and Justin Dandoy (’07),
born May 16, 2018

DOMINIC

Dominic Joseph Denton, son of
Brian and Christina
(Liverani ’09, MS ‘10) Denton,
born June 4, 2018

Knox Alexander Monrean, son
of Aubree and
Andrew (’07) Monrean,
born May 16, 2018

DAWSON

Dawson Randall Reed, son of
David (’09) and
Kayla (Rush ’09) Reed,
born July 17, 2018

Grace Kathryn Wagner,
daughter of Kathryn (DePree
’08) and Cory Wagner,
born May 18, 2018

ANDERSON

Anderson James Justice, son of
Ryan (‘13) and
Kaitlyn (Anderson ‘14) Justice,
born July 20, 2018

Karsyn James “KJ” Wintucki, son
of Erin (Stovich ’12, MEd ’15)
and Kyle Witucki (MS ‘13),
born May 20, 2018

WESTON

Weston Nash Allen, son of
Lucas (’11) and
Laura (Ferruchie ’08) Allen,
born July 24, 2018

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

45

BLAST FROM THE PAST
THE LEGEND RETURNS
In its heyday, Clarion’s chapter of the Phi Sigma
Epsilon fraternity was, to put it in slang terms,
da bomb.
According to brothers Larry McElwain ('62) and
Clarence Tabler ('64), Phi Sigs were leaders on
campus in the 1960s. Members were athletes,
scholars, musicians, and “regular guys.” Their frat
house, at the corner of South Street and Seventh
Avenue, complete with house band “The Count
and the Valiants,” was the place to be.
Phi Sig chapters across the country
were noted for having small, carbide
cannons which would be fired at football games when the chapters’ teams
scored. Clarion’s Phi Sigs decided to
go big with their own cannon.
One of their frat house landlords owned Clarion Drilling and
Blasting Company. Tabler directed
the construction. Machinists
fabricated a solid bar of steel into
a barrel, drilled into it and welded
a steel ball on the end. A small
hole toward one end held a fuse.
The brothers found some old wagon
wheels and used them for the cannon’s carriage. They tested the cannon
with varying amounts of gunpowder and
wadding, seeking the biggest boom.

In 2000, brothers Jerry Marterer ('67) and
Dale Richards ('64) ran into each other at
homecoming. They shared a desire to reunite
the fraternity and began planning reunions.
More and more brothers became involved, but
something was missing: the cannon.
Rumor had it that the cannon had been
dumped into the Clarion River, but they
followed up on leads, eventually finding the
original barrel in Franklin. McElwain
negotiated the purchase and took the barrel
to his Georgia home and workshop, where he
refinished the barrel and built a new
carriage. Wagon wheels bought from the
Amish completed the restoration. The cannon
made its second debut in the 2006
homecoming parade.
The restored cannon has become a focal
point of Phi Sig homecoming gatherings.
Although it isn’t fired at public events,
the cannon remains capable of the same
earth-shaking blast as 43 years prior. It rides,
along with its creators, in the parade every
fall. Brothers walk alongside, handing to
spectators red and silver Mardi Gras-style
beads that symbolize, as the Phi Sigs’ red and
white jackets did in the 60s, the unbreakable
bond of brotherhood.

They debuted the cannon in the 1963 football
season, celebrating touchdowns and field goals at
both home and away games with an earth-shaking
blast. The cannon became an integral part of game
day and remained so until the late 1960s when a
brother was injured in an accident while firing it. The
college banned the use of the cannon and ordered it
to be dismantled.
By the mid 1970s, Clarion’s Phi Sig chapter, too,
was dismantled.

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CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

47

COURAGEOUS

endeavors

A TUMULTUOUS TIME

FOR THE FIRST TIME
IN OVER A DECADE,

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITY RATES HAVE
INCREASED, EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018.
ONE- LIFE GIFT ANNUITY

Your Charitable Gift Annuity at Work
• You transfer cash or securities to Clarion University
Foundation, Inc.
Signora Hall-Watson (back), Priscilla Collins (left) and Dr. Carol Scott visit Clarion to watch
some Golden Eagles football and see what’s changed on campus.

In the tumultuous 1960s, racial tension was high. It was a
time that saw the Alabama governor try to block, with his
own body, two black students from registering for college;
marches for civil rights were common; legislation was
passed to equalize opportunities for African Americans; and
three civil rights leaders – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and
Martin Luther King Jr. – were assassinated.
During that time, at what was then Clarion State College,
three young black women enrolled as students, looking fear
in the eye and pursuing their own dreams.
Signora Hall-Watson (’64), Priscilla Collins (’68) and Dr.
Carol Scott (’68) were among the handful of African American students on campus. The three agree that although they
weren’t treated with active discrimination, it wasn’t the most
welcoming place.
“We weren’t expected to be here,” Scott said.
The black basketball players were more accepted on
campus, but one young man who lived off campus was shot
at through his living room window.

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Watson, Collins and Scott, though, were used to
navigating a world in which they were either the only black
person or were among very few black people.
“We were our own community,” Collins said.
“When we moved to Givan Hall, we had a third
roommate. She was white and was from outside of Erie,”
Scott said. The three women got along well. “The housemother asked her how she was getting along with us, but
she never asked us how we were getting along with her. I
found that interesting.”
The black students roomed together, studied together, ate
together. They focused on their education, which they said
was good.
“We didn’t have a chance to grow up as young ladies. We
were like grandparents. We didn’t even think about
drinking,” Scott said.
Watson graduated in 1964, and Collins and Scott
graduated in 1968, all with degrees in education.

• The foundation pays you or up to two
individuals income for life.
• The remaining balance passes on to the foundation at
the death of the last named beneficiary/annuitant.

Your Benefits
• You receive an immediate income tax deduction for a
portion of your gift.
• A portion of your income stream may be tax-free.

Larry W. Jamison ’87
Director of Planned Giving
814-393-1926
ljamison@cuf-inc.org

Age

Old Rate

NEW
Rate

70

5.1%

5.6%

75

5.8%

6.2%

80

6.8%

7.3%

85

7.8%

8.3%

90+

9.0%

9.5%

TWO- LIFE GIFT ANNUITY
Age

Old Rate

NEW
Rate

70 & 75 4.8%

5.2%

75 & 82 5.4%

5.8%

80 & 88 6.3%

6.8%

85 & 90 7.3%

8.0%

90 & 93 8.7%

9.3%

A copy of the latest financial report, registration filed by this organization, and a description of our programs and activities may be obtained by contacting us at: Clarion University Foundation, Inc., 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214, 814-393-1610. Clarion University Foundation, Inc. was formed
in Pennsylvania. If you are a resident of one of the following states, you may obtain financial information directly from the state agency: Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING
TOLL-FREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-435-7352 (800-HELP-FLA), OR VISITING www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Florida Registration #CH43617. Georgia: A full and fair description of our programs and our
financial statement summary is available upon request at our office and phone number indicated above. Maryland: For the cost of copies and postage, from the Office of the Secretary of State, State House, Annapolis, MD 21401. Mississippi: The official registration and financial information of Clarion University
Foundation, Inc. may be obtained from the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. Registration by the Secretary of State does not imply endorsement. Nevada: Contributions may be tax deductible pursuant to the provisions of sec. 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C.
§170(c). New Jersey: INFORMATION FILED WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL CONCERNING THIS CHARITABLE SOLICITATION AND THE PERCENTAGE OF CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED BY THE CHARITY DURING THE LAST REPORTING PERIOD THAT WERE DEDICATED TO THE CHARITABLE PURPOSE MAY
BE OBTAINED FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY BY CALLING 973-504-6215 AND IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT: http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/charfrm.htm. REGISTRATION WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT. New York: Upon request,
from the Attorney General Charities Bureau, 28 Liberty Street, New York, NY 10005. North Carolina: Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 1-919-814-5400. The license is not an endorsement by the state. Pennsylvania:
The official registration and financial information of Clarion University Foundation, Inc. may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Virginia: From the State Division of Consumer Affairs,
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services, PO Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: From the Secretary of State at 1-800-332-4483 or http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary
of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement. Wisconsin: A financial statement of the charitable organization disclosing assets, liabilities, fund balances, revenue and expenses for the preceding fiscal year will be provided to any person upon request. REGISTRATION
WITH A STATE AGENCY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE OR IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THAT STATE.

CLARION UNIVERSITY
MAGAZINE

49

NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 2
CLARION, PA

840 WOOD STREET
CLARION, PA 16214-1232
WWW.CLARION.EDU

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GOLF OUTING

WELCOME ALL CLARION
ALUMNI JAN. 21, 2019

MONDAY, JANUARY 21 PUNTA GORDA
RIVER CITY GRILL

COCKTAILS/DINNER 5:30 p.m. • 6:30 p.m.
131 W Marion Ave, Punta Gorda, FL 33950
Meet our new president, Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 PORT CHARLOTTE

KINGSWAY COUNTRY CLUB

LUNCH BUFFET
11:15 a.m.
$15
GOLF SCRAMBLE 12:30 p.m.
$45
DINNER BUFFET
6:30 p.m. $45
13625 SW Kingsway Cir, Lake Suzy, FL 34269
Music will be provided by Al Holland, former member of The Platters, and
David C. Johnson, current vocalist and guitarist with Aaron Neville Quintet.
Come join us for any or all of the events: lunch, golf or dinner.
Rooms will be available at a reduced rate at the Holiday Inn Express.
Ask for Clarion’s rate by January 17, 2019. 941-764-0056
Take I-75 exit 170; Go east; hotel is 1/10 of a mile on the right.

RSVP to attend by January 17, 2019 to:
Wayne Norris 888-327-0280 • Jack Bertani 941-627-0162
SPONSORED BY ALPHA GAMMA PHI