MAY 2, 2014

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

VOL. 35, NO. 11

I N S

I D E

F a c ebook – Ca l T imes Newspape r Tw i t t e r – @Ca l T imes

IN THE

NEWS

OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

OPENING THE VAULT

Students returning to Cal U next year will notice a new store in town––it may be exactly what those looking to get their gam-ing x had ho ed or

Page 3

CAL TIMES

CALTIMES.ORG

BOTS IQ Page 6

FATE VERSUS COINCIDENCE

PITTSBURGH NEW WORKS FEST

Do you believe that you have control over your li e or do you eel like you re the star o some re- lanned tragedy ur o inion editor and a contributor

resent a heavy case or you to contem late the summer

Sta riter auren ri th shines a s otlight on a itts-burgh estival uni ue or shin-ing s otlights

Page 8

Page 5

Pages 11 & 12

S orts ditor ose egron and Sta riter att agy take a look back at Cal U s landmark baseball and so tball seasons

CAL U SOFTBALL & BASEBALL

Attorney Reginald A. Long Sr. ’81

California University of Pennsylvania marks 178th Commencement May 9 and 10Attorney Reginald A. Long Sr. ’81, a Hill District native, will address Cal U graduates

Cali ornia University o enn-sylvania will mark its 178th Commencement with se arate ceremonies or undergraduate and graduate students

Ceremonies or graduate stu-dents will be held at 7 m ay 9 in the Cal U Convocation Cen-ter aster s degree candidates will be vested in their academic hoods during the ceremony

Ceremonies or bachelor s and associate degree candidates will begin at 1 a m ay 1 also in the Convocation Center

nterim University resident eraldine ones will con er

the degrees and ersonally greet each graduate who walks across the stage raduates amilies and riends are welcome to at-tend

ore than 9 undergradu-ates and 8 graduate students will receive their degrees al-though not all will attend the ceremonies

n kee ing with Cal U s tradi-tion o inviting distinguished alumni to address the gradu-ates attorney eginald ong Sr Class o 1981 will s eak at both ceremonies s ecialist in the legal ractice areas o com-

mercial real estate cor orate nance oning and land use ong is a artner in the law rm

o ove and ong which has o ces in ewark and

hiladel hia a e reviously was em loyed

by -C a ortune ension und where he worked

in the ortgage and eal state De artment n that role he was instrumental in nancing and develo ing sho ing malls hotels retail entertainment com-

lexes and mixed-use ro ects including the all o merica in loomington inn

ong serves on the board o directors or the oundation or Cali ornia University o enn-sylvania and the Union eague o hiladel hia and on the board o trustees or the eo le or eo le Charter School nc

and amily Connections e also is a member o mega si

hi raternity nc native o ittsburgh s ill

District ong earned his bach-elor s degree in business ad-ministration at Cal U e holds an rom the ordham University raduate School o

usiness in ew ork and a

uris doctorate rom ew ork aw School e is a member o

the bar in ew ersey ew ork and ennsylvania

ong now lives in South r-ange with his wi e isa and their two sons

Both ceremonies can be viewed live online at wwwcalu edu or more in orma-tion about Cal U s s ring 1 Commencement visit wwwcalu edu

Big Event sparks Cal U into community service actionCal U students gave back

to the community during The Big vent starting at 8 a m

ril 7 The Big vent began at Texas

University in 198 when student leaders saw a need to give back to the community that had long su orted their university

Cal U s Student overnment ssociation and the Center or

Civic ngagement have been teaming u since 7 to lead students in their uest to lend a hel ing hand around Cali ornia Borough

The Big vent took lace at more than sites including Cali ornia ublic ibrary ota-ry ark the Cali ornia istori-cal Society head uarters and the United ethodist Church

olunteers also er ormed a variety o tasks or local resi-dents including window wash-ing ainting and general yard work

early student volun-teers rom more than organi-

ations registered to artici ate in this year s event

“To me this event was so s ecial because it was the rst moment that had the ama ing o ortunity to meet arrick last year S B ice resident Su y art said “ e was so

assonate about this event and giving back to the community en oy artici ating in this event because I love to volunteer and hel the community This year I had the leasure o working at two di erent sites raking weed-ing moving gravel and more

The big event is a wonder ul ex erience and I look orward to it every year

During this year s event students will be asking area residents to su ort the arrick

ackey emorial Scholarshi

photo: Lauren Griffith

PAGE 2 CAL TIMES MAY 2, 2014

TIMES STAFF

POLICY: The California TIMES

TIMES

CALTIMES CONTRIBUTORS:

SONYA MINNER

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO WROTE OR READ! HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!CALTIMES.ORG

CALTIMES@CALU.EDU724-938-4321

GENE AXTON...........................................................EDITOR IN CHIEFTAYLOR BROWN......................................................OPINION EDITORJOSE NEGRON..........................................................SPORTS EDITORJAMIE RIDER...............................................ENTERTAINMENT EDITORLAUREN GRIFFITH.......................................................STAFF WRITERMATT HAGY.................................................................STAFF WRITERDAN MADER...............................................................STAFF WRITERLAURA ZENO................................................WEBSITE COORDINATOR JEFF HELSEL..........................................DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS

145 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697 • 724-925-4000 • wccc.edu

An affirmative action, equal opportunity college.

• Transfer WCCC summer credits to your university and earn a degree faster• Avoid college debt with one of the lowest tuitions in the state• 200-online courses to fit your work and vacation schedules

Sessions starting May 19, June 9 & June 25

Cal U Police ReportsDispute in Hall COn April 21 at 10:30 p.m., it was reported to police that a verbal

dispute had occurred between students in Residence Hall C

Stolen Cal CardOn April 25 at 12:57 p.m., a student reported having their Cal

card stolen from the Fitness Center the previous day. Police are still investigating

Exposed for Exposing YourselfOn April 25 at 11:10 p.m., police received a report of a distur-

bance on the third oor of uesman Hall Building C . According to residents, “a black male was knocking on doors and pulling down his pants.”

Party’s OverOn April 26 at 7:20 p.m., police were called to break up a large

party on Park Street.

Damaged ElevatorOn April 27 at 9:21 a.m., it was reported to police that someone

in Building B had damaged the control panel of an elevator.

Up In SmokeOn April 27 at 7:06 p.m., it was reported that a student set paper

on re in Building B, activating the re alarm.

From the editorCal Times reader,This is my last issue of the Cal

Times. That was a hard sentence to write––I’ve grown fond of this publication and, during my two years as graduate assistant and editor in chief, I’ve helped to build something I’m very proud of. I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life, but I’m going to miss working with the staff of university employees who are above me and the sta of university students who work under me. I’m going to miss the mu ns from odeco. ost of all, I’m going to miss having a 12-page canvas to work with each week––which leads me to the one reason I would like to stick around.

Our award-winning publi-cation we’re award-winning now is getting some plastic surgery this summer. When you come back in the fall your cam-pus weekly will be a smaller, all-color 16-page paper. The

changes don’t stop at cosmetic though. The new format of the Cal Times is begging for you to be a part of it––the page increase provides the Times with more room to showcase student writers while the full-color pages are a designer ’s playground. I wholeheartedly encourage you to get involved with your student newspaper. It’s your voice on campus and in the California community. It’s your opportunity to publish your work and make yourself more marketable once you hit the job market. I joined the Cal Times while studying history. I returned while studying educa-tion. The sta of the Cal Times will welcome you and no matter your skill level they will help you along the path from concept to print.

The world is always changing and, although it may not seem like it, that includes California, Pa. The look of this publication is changing and, thanks to the people I’ve worked with over

the last two years, the better-looking Cal Times is going to have higher quality articles to match. To every student read-ing this, no matter your major: I hope those articles include some of your work. A nostalgic and sentimental side of me wants to be around to read it and edit it and place it, but I know I’m leav-ing the Cal Times in good hands.

Thank you Jeff. Thank you Pam. Thank you JR. Thank you Joy. Thank you Billy. Thank you girls in odeco and Ralph in Flatz and, most of all, thank you to my editorial staff and every single person who has ever given me an article to print. Whether it was fate or coincidence see pg. 8 you’ve contributed to something I’m extremely proud to have been a part of. Here’s to next year.

ene Axton

Cal Times graduate assistant and editor in chief

From Entertainment Editor Jamie RiderThere are many mile marks in

a person’s life. ost of them are noted by the passing of various birthdays. You get to drive when you’re 16, vote when you’re 18, and drink when you’re 21. If you want to really push it, you can even celebrate the weird age of 25 where you can rent a car.

When I rst started writing for the Cal Times I took assign-ments that required me to spend about 30 minutes in the o ce for meetings, and then the rest of the work I did on my own.

y relationship with the paper was very simple. Two years later and on the cusp of graduation so much has changed.

I have spent on average 10 or more hours a week in the o ce

with a group of exceptional people who have given worth to the time I’ve put in here. I was a orded opportunities that have made me a better writer, a better leader, and a better person.

This part of my life I con-sider a mile mark; a time where I became more con dent in my abilities as a student journalist and as a writer in general.

I want to thank the numerous people who have been apart of this staff or have had any involvement with the paper since I’ve started here. They have made my time here not just educational, but fun.

I have watched friends gradu-ate, move across the country and change their entire lives

over the last few years and I am so excited to nally be in that position myself. I don’t know where I’ll end up, but I do know that joining the sta of the Cal Times was one of the best deci-sions I made during my time here at California University of Pennsylvania.

Along with serving as an entertainment editor and work study with the Cal Times, Jamie has served on the executive board of the Society of Professional Jour-nalists – Cal U chapter. From everyone at the Cal Times, thank you for your time and your words!

WANTED: YOU

The Cal Times is in need of writers for the Fall 2014 semester!

Any major. Any standing. Any story.Make the Cal Times your

MAY 2, 2014 PAGE 3NEWS

Opening the vaultJosh Friend (left), Bill Dawson and their newly-acquired storefront.

photo: Gene Axton

Future tenants of California deal in treasures from the past____________________________

BY GENE AXTONeditor in chief

____________________________

California, Pa. residents searching for their Mexican cuisine x will have to travel a little further thanks to the closing of Madres Mexican, but starting Aug. 1 those who value video games, comics and everything nerdy just as much as they value the perfect bean burrito won’t have to look any further than the site of the for-mer restaurant. ame ault, a store specializing in games and consoles from Atari to box, will be the newest edition to California’s downtown when students return to classes later this year.

Bill Dawson opened the rst ame ault in his hometown

of Uniontown, Pa., in October 2010. Since then, 33 year-old Dawson has moved the store to a bigger location, padded his inventory and brought on a partner––22 year-old Josh Friend, a fellow Uniontown native. When the two began to consider a second location they didn’t have to look any further than California.

“We’ve been trying to get into a better spot and the town of California had an opening,” Dawson said. “Josh went down and found the building––it was right in the central location at Cal––and we thought that was a good move because of the population.”

The population of California can be a tricky thing for busi-nesses to deal with considering the college town loses a share of its money-paying customers when California University of Pennsylvania classes break for summer. Dawson assured me that they’ve taken this into ac-count.

“The money that we make over the busy seasons we’ll use to cover the off-seasons, and we’re going to be marketing to people in the surrounding communities. Obviously it’ll be a lower amount of volume but that’s something we’re prepared to deal with.”

The ame ault isn’t just moving into town to service college students though––they want it to be clear that every-one is welcome and they hope to foster a sense of community within their store with a focus on social events and excellent customer service. The ame

ault specializes in new and used hardware and software from every era of gaming, but the California location will put a heavier focus on comics, col-lectibles and card games than its Uniontown counterpart.

“We want to ll the void that everyone wants,” Dawson said. “If they’re not getting their comics we’ll get them. If there’s a certain type of toy, statue, col-lectible let us know, we’ll get into it.”

“We’re not going to tend to just the kids on campus,” Friend added. “We want every-body to know in the immediate

community that we will have, hopefully, midnight launches, tournaments stu that isn’t going to be exclusively for Cal U or people that live in California.” Dawson and Friend hope to draw customers from Brownsville, rindstone and other nearby towns to the Cali-fornia location.

Dawson and Friend estimate that they’ll hire around five

people for their new location. They’re planning to move two employees from their Union-town store to make the opening as uid as possible, but the rest of the positions will be sta ed by new hires.

If Dawson sees his current plan through, those new hires may be helping to open addi-tional ame ault locations in the future.

“We want to be everywhere,” he said. “The second store took us a couple years to get launched but hopefully we should be opening one every one-to-two years from here on out.”

For more information on California’s newest business, visit their Facebook page at Facebook.com ame ault.

photo: Gene AxtonGame Vault owners Josh Friend (pictured) and Bill Dawson hope to carry a variety of game, movie and television collectibles.

PAGE 4 MAY 2, 2014CAL TIMES

“Doctor Who”

This show has been around so long your parents have probably seen it, but that does not mean it should be dismissed. This BBC show has taken American pop culture by storm in recent years.

et ix has classic Doctor Who episodes, as well as the newer episodes that started in 2005. You can watch the evolution of the show from ts campy beginnings to its recently more dramatic themes.

Genre: Science Fiction Originally Released: 1964, 2005Starring: Christopher ccelston, David Tennant,

Matt Smith

photo courtesy: wikipedia

Making music in MonessenMonessen is raising its voice for the Third Annual Raise Your

Voice Music and Arts Festival, which will be held at Monessen City Park on Saturday, May 3, 2014 from noon until 7 p.m. The festival will feature local musicians Michael Christopher, Hey Compadre, Sarah Barger, Wind Waves, Fiveunder, regg Johnson, Chicos Del Muertos, Jonathan Bass and many more! There will be varying genres––something for everyone! There will also be food, vendors and crafters.

The entire area is encouraged to come to Monessen spend an afternoon in the park! Bring a Frisbee, some horseshoes, a blanket, or a picnic and enjoy the day! The festival is presented by the Raise Your Voice Campaign and Monessen Communities That Care, and is sponsored by Roscoe Sons of American egion, Douglas

ducation Center, The Counseling House, Dr. Mrs. Martin Du-das, Monessen Community Development Corp, Monessen Public

ibrary, reater Monessen Historical Society, Valley First Credit Union, From the Top Music Shop, La Eda’s and others and is sup-ported by the City of Monessen and the Cal U Music Department. Emcees will be Lil-D Da Prince and ate Sickels!

Visit our Facebook page (Raise Your Voice Campaign), website (http: www.raiseyourvoicemon.wix.com RYVC) or the festival event page on Facebook (3rd Annual Raise Your Voice Music and Arts Festival!) If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Matt Shorraw at sho5348@calu.edu, check out OrgSync or check out our website.

The following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, April 21, to Sunday April 27:

UNITED STATES

1. John Legend, “All of Me” (Columbia Records)2. Iggy Azalea, “Fancy” (Virgin EMI Records)3. Katy Perry, “Dark Horse” (Capitol Records)4. Jason Derulo, “Talk Dirty - feat. 2 Chainz” (Warner Bros. Records)5. Bastille, “Pompeii” (Virgin Records Ltd)6. Idina Menzel, “Let It Go” (Disney Enterprises, Inc.)7. DJ Snake & Lil Jon, “Turn Down for What” (Columbia Records)8. Coldplay, “Magic” (Parlophone UK)9. Aloe Blacc, “The Man” (XIX Recordings LLC/Interscope Records)10. Lorde, “Team” (Republic Records)

GLOBAL

1. Clean Bandit, “Rather Be feat. Jess Glynne” (Warner Music UK Limited)2. Katy Perry, “Dark Horse” (Capitol Records)3. Mr. Probz, “Waves - Robin Schulz Radio Edit” (Ultra / Sony Music Entertainment Netherlands B.V.)4. John Legend, “All of Me” (Columbia Records)5. Coldplay, “Magic” (Parlophone UK)6. Aloe Blacc, “The Man” (XIX Recordings LLC/Interscope Records)7. Calvin Harris, “Summer” (Columbia Records)8. Pharrell Williams, “Happy (from Despicable Me 2)” (Back Lot Mu-sic/Columbia Records)9. The Chainsmokers, “#SELFIE - Original Mix” (Dim Mak Inc.)10. Pitbull, “Timber” (RCA Records)

Top Spotify streamed songsin the country and globally

PAGE 5MAY 2, 2014 ENTERTAINMENT

145 Pavilion Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697 • 724-925-4000 • wccc.edu

An affirmative action, equal opportunity college.

• Transfer WCCC summer credits to your university and earn a degree faster• Avoid college debt with one of the lowest tuitions in the state• 200-online courses to fit your work and vacation schedules

Sessions starting May 19, June 9 & June 25

Pittsburgh New Works, celebrating theater in the city_______________________BY LAUREN GRIFFITH

_______________________

For anyone vaguely familiar with the area, it is no surprise that Pittsburgh is home to a thriving center of the arts. Film premieres, concerts and art festivals are just some of the events that take place in various corners of the city. However, the Pittsburgh New Works Festival is something a little di erent.

The New Works Festival has been around since 1990 and has since been gaining popularity among playwrights, production companies and patrons. The festival accepts submissions of plays 40 minutes or shorter that have never been performed be-fore. The plays then go through a series of hands and, if cho-sen, will nally end up being performed by volunteer actors on stage. The production com-panies––all based out of the Pittsburgh area––take a look at the plays and decide which one they wish to sponsor. The festival received upwards of 220 electronic play submissions be-fore this year’s April 6 deadline.

12 of the play submissions will be fully staged, with costumes, props, makeup and technical features. The other six will be staged readings. The Festival, which advertises almost exclu-sively online, is held at O the Wall Theatre in Carnegie.

Once the plays have been selected the actors are cast in the roles. For the purpose of the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, plays are limited to ve or six characters and auditions for the actors are held in mid-July.

The playwright has a limited influence on the out-come of their play because they don’t direct it. Each production company uses its own directors, and while the playwrights can sit in on rehearsals and give slight directions of clari cations, their contact is intended to be limited, so the end result may di er from the original submis-sion.

“Normally I write in bits and pieces, its start and stop. I can’t start writing until I know the first thing I want the audience to see and the last thing they see,” says F.J. Hart-land, a playwright who submit-ted to this year’s festival. “Until

I have those pictures in my head, I really can’t write. And then my rst draft is seeing if I can get from that rst picture to the second picture.” Hartland’s play, “Scattered,” had serious overtones about death and grieving, with several comedic lines thrown in about how a group of friends deal with it.

Because the judging process is subjective, it makes coming to a

nal consensus about each play di cult, added Hartland, who also on the festival’s board of directors. The process is based on a system of a total of 50 pos-sible points for each play.

Playwrights, including Hart-land, are noti ed of their accep-tance or denial to the festival in late June or early July. Hartland has had 13 of his plays in the Pittsburgh New Works Festival over the last 20 years. His plays have also been published in United Stages, Original Works and the Louisville, Kentucky Review.

“We have people that have been with us––travel with us everywhere we go—or as long as the festival has been around. Everybody waits for us every year and says, “Oh, it’s starting,

let’s go!” said Claire DeMarco, the president of the board of directors for the festival.

The festival o ers several dif-ferent options for purchasing tickets, and all performances are open to all ages. Tickets for individual shows are sold, but month long passes, which includes admission to all of the works included in the festival, are also available for purchase through their website.

Andy Coleman, the com-munications director for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, said that the most rewarding part of the festival is watching the plays nally take stage after all the preparation and practic-ing––especially for playwrights from out of town. Last year’s festival received submissions from London, Switzerland and Israel. The playwright from Is-rael’s one-act play was accepted to the festival and he traveled to Pittsburgh to see it performed.

Several of the members from the board of directors, including Coleman and DeMarco, started on the opposite end of the fes-tival as volunteers and actors.

“I was actually a patron and looked forward to the festival

every year,” DeMarco said. “I met one woman on the board [of directors], and said, ‘Do you ever need anybody to help with volunteers?’ She said, ‘Oh yes, we do.’ She was ready to transi-tion o of the board, and so the rest is history.”

Another part of the festival is the opening night celebration for each week. A local company supports the night out with finger foods and appetizers and a board member donates wine and beer. It’s a chance to get together and socialize after the plays.

“We would like to continue to see the festival… grow more and more each year,” DeMarco said. “Now that we are in Carn-egie—we had a very wonderful

rst year there—I would like to see it grow, see more people come, and maybe even create some new programs that would strengthen the festival.”

For more informa-tion about the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, check out their website at pittsburghnewworks.org.

photo courtesy: wikimedia commons

CAL TIMESPAGE 6 MAY 2, 2014

The dedication of the brand new Cal U arena by President Geraldine Jones begins the competition on Friday.

Grand Champions of the Bots IQ competition Plum Area Highschool won with their robot “Still N’ Shock”.

High school students of all ages and backgrounds came together last Friday and Saturday to see whose robot could withstand the test of the rink. Team members were vying for the coveted Grand Champion Award. Over 60 teams came to the Convocation Center to see if their had the talent to win it all. In addition to the Grand Champion award, 1st and 2nd place winners were declared as well as ad-ditional awards for coolest bot, best engineered bot, and best rookie team.

Photos by S.C. Spangler and Laura Zeno

The Ringgold High School team work on their robot “Simply Green” between rounds on the sec-ond day of competition.

It was a battle against time to get the robots ready for each bout. They were usually quite destroyed after each battle.

Students from Highland High School watch as their bot “Notorious B.O.T” takes on another bot in the Cal U arena.

Cal U’s Department of Applied Engineering and Technology assistant professor Jennifer Wilburn participates as a judge during competition at the Cal U arena.

PAGE 7MAY 2, 2014 CAL TIMES

WCAL members Steve Maggio, Cody Jennette, Ian Hat eld, Kaitlyn O’Toole present the check raised through the lock-in to Molly Vogel , the Development Coordinator for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation.

coming this fall . newer, better, smaller cal times.

does sizematter?really

PAGE 8 MAY 2, 2014OPINION

Twitter question of the week

@CalTimes Do you believe things happen in life by fate or chance? Why? #CalUOpinion

thinking! Follow @CalTimes on Twitter to see the question of the week and tweet us your thoughts

using the hashtag #CalUOpinion to

Tweet @CalTimes

Mysterious F. @MysteriousF007

@CalTimes Is it so hard to believe that, sometimes, coincidences can really happen? I think not.#CalUOpinion

Emily Geyer @Emily_Geyer93

@laurr_GRIFF

@CalTimes I think somethings just happen by coincidence and others we make happen forourselves. #CalUOpinion

@CalTimes I believe in both. Somethings are

given and the ones you make for yourself. #CalUOpinion

Life Happens: Fate vs. Chance _______________________ BY TAYLOR BROWN contributing editor

SONYA MINNER for The Cal Times

____________________________

Editor’s note: The Cal Times is provided as a service to the Cal U community––we exist to give you a voice and the best example of this is the Cal Times opinion section. If you agree or disagree with this or any other article then take the time to let us know, caltimes@calu.edu.

Everything Happens

For a Reason Sometimes when I lay in bed

at night I think about how small that I am in a universe that is so big. I think about what would happen if I didn’t exist before ultimately coming to the conclusion that if I didn’t exist, it wouldn’t matter because I wouldn’t know or miss any-thing.

Sometimes it’s hard to grasp the concept that your human existence is irrelevant to the world–– that with or without your minuscule or outrageous contributions to society, life would still go on and the world would continue to turn. Life is relative, but it has to mean something. We as people crave to feel a sense of purpose and that is where fate comes in.

A lot of people associate fate with religion and believe that to believe in fate you ultimately have to believe in some kind of God that knows what’s going to happen before you do, but I don’t think that’s quite right.

Although my father was re-ligious growing up and I was raised as a Methodist, eventu-ally common religious practices started zzling out of my home life and I gured out that a God I had been told to pray to before I went to sleep every night, I wasn’t so sure existed at all. I wouldn’t say that I lost my faith, but rather opened my mind to what I believed were more practical possibilities.

The decision to not believe in God doesn’t mean that my belief in fate is awed.

Fate, noun, the development of events beyond a person’s control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.

Supernatural, noun, that which is not subject to the laws of physics, or more gura-tively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature.

To believe in fate is to have faith in the future and your own decision-making––it’s hoping that you make the right choices to end up where you are meant to be, with who you are meant to be with and exploring di er-ent options along the way.

@CalTimes mixture of both. #CalUOpinion

D Bicky @DanBickerton

Do I believe that I would only

be happy doing one thing with my life? No. Do I believe there is something that I am meant to do and accomplish, if not for anyone else then for myself? Yes, I do. Do I believe that there is one person in this entire world that I am de ned to be with? No. Do I believe that there is a reason why people come in and out of my life? Yes, I do.

Fate is about where you end up and where you are meant to be, not the decisions you person-ally make to get there. In all hon-esty, fate might be some made up idea that serves as a cushion when tragedy strikes.

It might be the comfort found in telling yourself that every-thing happens for a reason. It might be the only way that some people fall asleep at night––how they rationalize and cope with all of the horrible things that happen in this world.

When you believe in fate, it means that you take things for face value and give yourself comfort in knowing that there are rational explanations for ir-rational acts even if we as people never gure out what they are. It’s about taking comfort in knowing that everything will work out like it’s supposed to. It’s having faith in a future you cannot see.

Just because I don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that I can’t believe in fate. Just because I don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that I can’t believe in ghosts, or the supernatural or magic. That’s what fate is to me, a form of magic that’s some-times dark and unreasonable.

Even if it is not the right or most common way to rational-ize all of the di erent things, good or bad that happen in life, it’s easier to sleep at night when you believe that everything hap-pens for a reason.

Creating YourOwn Destiny

Today’s society is one that relies on consolation and the idea that everything happens for a reason. We take comfort in the idea that when things are horrible there is a reason they are horrible. It’s easier for people to think that something bad happened to make room for something good.

I, however, disagree whole-heartedly.

I hate the saying “everything happens for a reason.” I took comfort in that saying for a long time. My mom used those words when I got rejected from my first choice for college in hopes of making me feel bet-ter. Whenever something bad happens, our rst instinct is to tell that person that everything happens for a reason as a form of comfort, as if we don’t know

what else to say.I think it’s a false statement,

though, and it’s merely o ering false hope and a false sense of security.

The idea that fate is control-ling our lives is something I’ve never agreed with. I don’t think bad things happen to make room for something better and I don’t think that someone is in control of the events of your life. I think the only person in control of what happens to you is you and everything else is just a coincidence.

I think the idea that things happen for a reason is just a source of comfort when things are bad, but I think it’s more comforting––and true––to ac-cept the idea that, sometimes, bad things just happen for no

reason. You may miss your bus going to work, or you may get a

at tire on your early commute. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to miss having a fatal accident or something equally horrible all because you were an hour late to work. It just means you’re an hour late to work.

I understand people’s need for comfort when times are tough, but I just don’t agree with it. If you want to believe that fate exists and someone out there, some higher power or whatever you believe, is in control of your future and has your life path laid out for you, that’s ne. I just don’t agree. We are the ones making the nal decisions in our lives. There’s nobody out there controlling the decisions we

make except ourselves. There may be things around you that are in uencing your decisions, but in the end you are the one making the nal choice.

Ultimately, you’re the one making the decisions in your life. You’re the one choosing the path you go on and when things divert you from this path they are mere coincidences. If you happen to be late to work one day and miss getting into an accident because of it, if you meet the love of your life because you happened to go to the grocery store at a certain time or if anything else in your life occurs because you were in the right place at the right time, those are all merely coincidental happenings in the string of hap-penings that make up your life.

@CalTimesit feels like luck plays a big part in whether your day will be good or bad. #CalUOpinion

Gene @anomalyone

PAGE 9MAY 2, 2014 ORGANIZATIONS

Summer Camp CounselorsCollege or graduate students needed to work

with elementary school children in an active summer camp in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. 9-10 per hour, exible hours, must have own

transportation. Between 2 and 4 ten-hour days per week, your choice. Email resume or letter of interest to jhroberts66@comcast.net

SOAK UP SOME KNOWLEDGE THIS SUMMER!California University of Pennsylvania’s Summer College makes it easy for you to earn extra credits or pick up that class you need. Courses offered from May to August include face-to-face classes and more than 100 online courses. Choose the ones that fit your summer schedule!

Visiting students are always welcome at Cal U’s Summer College. To apply online, visit www.calu.edu.

Registration is now open. Special Session classes will be held in May, June and July.

FIVE-WEEK SESSIONSJUNE 9 – JULY 12 and JULY 14 – AUGUST 16

TEN-WEEK SESSIONSJUNE 9 – AUGUST 16

For a complete listing of classes, visit www.calu.edu, or e-mail summer@calu.edu. For a printed copy of the schedule, call 724-938-5962.

SUMMER COURSES TO ADVANCE YOUR EDUCATION AND YOUR CAREER.

CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SUMMER COLLEGECA

The following are internship opportunities that are available:Political Journalist— PoliticsPA is accepting applications for Summer 2014. They’re looking for

interns interested in writing and politics. Interns will have the chance to gain journalism experience and a stronger understanding of Pennsylvania politics. Additionally, interns will have the opportu-nity to build a portfolio with published political writing. Intern duties include writing news stories, monitoring press releases and regional news outlets for relevant source material, covering political and government events and conducting other research, including taking transcripts. The internship is unpaid and requires a commitment of at least 15 hours per week. Applicants must have a working knowledge of Pennsylvania politics and strong writing skills as well as strong research skills.

Marketing and Administrative Internship— Hurricane Junior Golf Tour is looking for interns for Fall 2014. The internship is based in Jacksonville, Fla. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Applications for the Fall internship are due by June 1. The interns should be self-motivated, have strong communication skills and organizational skills, be working towards a bachelor’s degree and have strong customer service skills. HJGT prefers that interns have sales and marketing experience as well as an interest in golf. For more information about HJGT, visit their website at www.hjgt.org.

Hospice Internship— Amedisys Hospice of PA is searching for interns for Fall 2014. The work schedule is exible and the intern may work anywhere from ten to 40 hours. Interns have the oppor-tunity to provide companionship or respite to patients and families. Interns have the opportunity to visit patients, participate in activities of socialization with patients and participate in bereavement calls and or bereavement support groups. PTA interns can develop exercise programs for patients and residents. Interns can develop socialization projects for patients and residents. Applicants should have an interest in gerontology, health care, psychology and be a caring individual.

Personal Fitness Trainer Internship— One on One Fitness Consultants Inc. is searching for an intern for Summer 2014. This internship is geared toward putting your education into practice by immersing you in an environment that readies you to be a personal tness instructor. uali cations include: a GPA of 3.0 or higher, a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s university faculty, a cover letter, a resume with relevant experience and be in the nal semester of an exercise science related program.

To view these and all of our internship opportunities, create a pro le in InternLink at www.myin-terfase.com/cup/student. For more information, please visit the Internship Center webpage at www.calu.edu/internships or stop by the Internship Center, Eberly 230. For questions or comments, please call 724-938-1578 or email Tracie Beck at beck_t@calu.edu. The Internship Center will assist you in taking the steps toward gaining career experience.

The Internship CornerBY DEVEN L. BOURQUIN

CAL TIMES MAY 2, 2014PAGE 10

SPORTS MAY 2, 2014PAGE 11

photo: sports information

Senior Chuck Gasti has been a main contributor for the Cal U baseball team this year, hitting .303 this season and is now well known for his sliding catch that he made in a game against Mercyhurst University on April 12. The catch gained huge media attention from Fox Sports Live, Bleacher Report, and ESPN.

Cal U baseball team looks to build off of impressive season_______________________BY MATT HAGY

____________________________

Eight California University of Pennsylvania baseball seniors walked o of CONSOL Energy Park last Sunday for the nal time in their collegiate careers. Unfortunately for the seniors, there would be no nal playo run as the Vulcans were swept away by Seton Hill in a four-game weekend set to close out the regular season.

The Vulcans entered the nal weekend one game behind the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats for the final playoff spot. As

the Vulcans were being domi-nated by the rst place Gri ns, UPJ was well on their way to the playo s as they swept the Gannon Golden Knights in four games to lock up the nal playo spot in the PSAC. While the end result was not what the Vulcans wanted out of this great season, there were many things to take away from this 2014 campaign.

Sophomore Mick Fennell emerged as a team leader both offensively and defensively. Through the rst month of the season, Fennell scorched the PSAC in pitching by going 2-1 in his rst four starts, including two complete-game shutouts.

Fennell also established himself as the Vulcans leado man by batting .336. He also hit his rst home run as a Vulcan against IUP. Going into the future, Fen-nell looks to be the Vulcans pre-mier two-way player as he leads the Vulcans back to glory. One of the bright spots that the Vulcans had was the establishment of a young pitching sta that looks to be the core of the team going into the next season.

The Vulcans return all four of their main starting pitchers in Fennell Justin Taylor, Jack Dennis and Cory Craig. Junior GJ Senchak will also return and look to have a bounce back season after losing his season to

injury on the last day of March. The emergence of the young

arms also saw one of them turn in one of the best pitching performances Cal U has ever seen in its baseball history. On April 16, Jack Dennis pitched a no-hitter against the UPJ Moun-tain Cats which was the first no-hitter thrown by a Vulcans pitcher since March 2008. Den-nis faced just one batter over the minimum and was just one hit-by-pitch away from a perfect game. In that stretch, Dennis was coming off of a two-hit shutout against the Mercyhurst Lakers and ended up having a scoreless streak of 19.2 innings.

With all the great pitching per-formances turned in, the biggest headline of the Vulcans 2014 season came from the defensive side of the ball. On a picture perfect day in CONSOL Energy Park, the Vulcans were locked in a tight spot in the Top of the sixth inning. The Mercyhurst Lakers loaded the bases with two outs and looked to pos-sibly slice into the Vulcans 5-0 lead. On a 3-2 count, Laker hit-ter Ethan Cox lined a high foul ball down the rst base line that seemed to land foul in the visi-tor’s bullpen. As the ball came crashing down in foul territory, senior right elder Chuck Gasti had other ideas. Gasti went y-ing into foul territory from right field and made a spectacular sliding catch to end the inning and preserve the eventual 5-0 shutout win.

“I saw the ball right o the bat and I knew I was going to get to it,” Gasti said. “However I didn’t know how close it was going to be to the fence where the ball eventually was going to land. As I closed in I knew I was going to have a chance to get the ball and it worked out for the best in the end there.”

Fortunately for Gasti, CUTV was broadcasting both games of the doubleheader that day against Mercyhurst and had

footage of the catch to edit out and showcase on social media. With the help of some CUTV crew, the catch went viral on the internet starting on Twitter which eventually leading the play to be named the second best play of the day on FO Sports Lives’ daily countdown. The ap-pearance on FO Sports 1 was only the beginning for the catch. MLB network used the catch on its daily show “Intentional Talk” and also garnered stories from Bleacher Report and MLB Fan Cave’s Twitter page. “I’m very fortunate, I mean it is always been my dream to be on ESPN or something similar. While it did not make ESPN, I’m blessed to have seen it on Fox Sports 1 and MLB Network. There were a lot of people helping promote the play including the Cal U Athletic Department and CUTV. I would not have had the national publicity without everyone’s help.”

The unique thing about the catch was where Gasti ended up after catching the ball. Gasti had his left leg caught in the fence after the catch which at rst had him thinking back to an earlier injury in his career. “The only di erence between the catches was this was a fence and not concrete,” Gasti said. “Concrete always wins but there was enough gap in the fence to make the catch. I couldn’t exactly feel my leg to begin with but then I realized it was just stuck.”

The Vulcans nished the sea-son 25-22 with a 12-16 confer-ence record and missed the playo s for the rst time since 2001 with a fth place nish in the PSAC West. Despite the miss of the playo s, the Vulcans look ahead to bounce back next sea-son with head coach Mike Conte who earned his 500th career win against IUP in early April. Fans should be very excited to see this Vulcans baseball team next season as they look to take things to the next level.

Track & Field athletes impress at multiple weekend meets_______________________BY MATT HAGY

____________________________

Hundreds of high schools, colleges and professionals de-scend on historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia every year for the annual Penn Relays. With all the media coverage and pro-fessionals attending the event, the Penn Relays are the perfect opportunity for young athletes to showcase their skills in front of a national audience. Cal U sent two relay teams and a pair of runners to Philadelphia last weekend and came away with a decent showing.

When the Penn Relays began last Thursday the Vulcans had two runners set NCAA cham-pionship qualifying provisional times while running di erent

parts of the 5,000 meter run. Junior Aaron Dinzeo competed in the championship ight of the 5,000 meter race that included mostly Division I standouts––Dinzeo nished fth and set a new season best by crossing the line at 14 minutes, 4.49 seconds. Dinzeo improved his NCAA provisional qualifying time by over 21 seconds and now holds the fastest time in the PSAC in the event this season by nearly

ve seconds. Junior Abel Ro-binault nished in third place while running in the college

ight of the 5,000 meter race. He bested his personal record in the event by nearly 20 seconds after posting a time of 14:28.60.

The Vulcans 4x400 relay team set a season-best time the next day. The relay team that in-cluded freshman Savon Salter, freshman Francis Jajua, junior Morgan Huegel and freshman Joe Vedilago placed sixth in their

heat after posting a time of 3 minutes, 21.01 seconds, which eclipsed the previous best time by over two seconds.

On the women’s side, fresh-man Julie Friend shattered her own school record in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Friend broke the school record in the event for the third time this season while becoming the rst female runner in school history to record a sub-11 minute time. She placed 22nd overall in the championship ight after cross-ing the nish line in 10 minutes, 59.73 seconds, which eclipsed her previous best time by over six seconds. Friend now boasts the third-best time in the PSAC this spring.

The Vulcan women also had their 4x400 relay team compete last Friday. The relay team that included: The relay of senior Jordyn Reagan, junior Danae Burgwin, junior Allison Hall

and freshman Summer Hill nished with a time of 4:03.95

while running in a field of primarily NCAA Division I programs.

Along with the Penn Relays, several Vulcans also competed in the Paul Kaiser Classic in Shippensburg last Saturday. The competition was highlighted by junior Alex Zanella winning the 1,500 meters by over two seconds after crossing the nish line in 4 minutes, 41.97 seconds. Zanella also qualified for the league championships in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:20.48, placing 12th overall in a eld of 75 runners.

On the men’s side in Ship-pensburg, Senior Chris Avam-pato broke his own school re-cord in the hammer throw and registered a pair of top-five

nishes. Avampato placed sec-ond in the hammer throw with a heave of 50.30 meters (165-0.5

feet), which marked the first time in school history a thrower eclipsed the 50-meter mark. He previously set the school record in event last spring and set the school mark in the weight throw during the indoor season. Avampato also nished third in the discus throw with a person-al-best distance of 47.17 meters (154-9.25 feet). Sophomore Jay-len Jordan also quali ed for next week’s league championships in the long jump and set a personal record in the triple jump on Saturday. He posted a distance of 6.50 meters (21-4.0 feet) in the long jump and placed fth in the triple jump with a mark of 14.05 meters (46-1.25).

Both the men and women will be competing in the PSAC championships this weekend in Shippensburg. The Vulcans have qualified 24 individual male entries and 17 female en-tries for the championships.

PAGE 11MAY 2, 2014

may 2, 2014Page 12 SPORTSPage 11

photo: sports information

The California Unversity of Pennsylvania softball team finished the 2014 regular season with at least 30 victories for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Vulcans also finished the regular season with a perfect 23-0 conference record.

Cal U softball team finishes regular season with longest active NCAA Division II win streak_______________________by Jose NegroNsports editor

____________________________

When it comes to sports at California University of Penn-sylvania, winning has become synonymous with many of our different teams. A few teams at Cal U are carried long winning streaks this year, including the women’s soccer team and, this spring, the women’s softball team.

Going into the PSAC Tourna-ment, the softball team ended the regular season with a perfect 23-0 conference record for the first time since 1998 and a 30-4 record overall. The 30 victories for the team marks the fifth time in six years that they have been able to accomplish that feat. The team also finished the season with a 26 game winning streak that began on March 15 against West Virginia State University in a game during the Salem In-vitational in Salem, Va.

After opening the season with four losses in their first 11 games of the season, the Vulcans

settled down and tore through their PSAC schedule. One of the biggest reasons for the Vulcans success is the coaching and educating of head coach Rick Bertagnolli. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches As-sociation Hall of Fame, Bertag-nolli has always found a way to fire up the team each and every time they hit the field and espe-cially during this long streak.

“With our long winning streak, we really just listen to Coach Bertagnolli’s words be-fore each game,” sophomore pitcher Alex Sagl said. “That is to realize that everyone is gun-ning for us and what we have been doing is so great that we can’t take anyone lightly and we need to really continue to play the exact same every game.”

The pitching staff, including Sagl, fellow classmate Haley Bashada and freshman Kaity Davis, has been a key part of the Vulcans success this season. The three had a combined ERA of 1.91 on the season, with Bashada taking a reliever role while the two sophomores took the role as starters. Sagl, who finished the

season with a 19-2 record and a 1.49 ERA, in particular has learned a lot more about what goes into having success both individually as a pitcher and together as a team.

“Personally I have learned that focusing on every pitch and not dwelling on past in-nings or pitches is crucial to my performance,” Sagl said. “I have learned the support of your teammates and coaches on and off the field has been what has made me successful overall. Our team has great chemistry and everyone picks one another up. It is pretty rare to find a team as close as ours.”

While getting support from their tough pitching staff, the Vulcans have also had a lot of success on offense––specifically with the long ball. In their final game of the season against Slip-pery Rock University on Mon-day, the Vulcans hit a season high five home runs in the game, giving them a PSAC leading 42 homers on the year. The main contributor to the power attack against SRU was also one of three seniors honored on Senior

Day two days earlier. Senior Natalie Wideman tied a single game school record with eight RBI on the day and scored three runs while hitting two grand slams in the Vulcans 16-1 win.

“It was very encouraging to have some positive results against SRU,” Wideman said. “During batting practice, I had to spend some extra time on the tee after hittng live pitches thrown by Coach B because things felt a little off. After smoothing that out, I realized it was all about my mental ap-proach at the plate.”

Three others joined in with home runs, including the other two seniors, Stephani Ellis and Shelby Lia, and sophomore Natalya Smarra, who was also recently named the PSAC West hitter of the week.

“This game was especially important in order for us to get in playoff mode and I think it shows we are ready,” Wideman said. “As we went through the lineup, we all looked for pitches that were our pitches that we knew individually could be hit hard and it showed. We had

confidence and focused every pitch, regardless of the score.”

It’s no surprise that the Vul-cans received the No. 1 seed for the PSAC Tournament and are a favorite to go far in the NCAA Tournament. Their 26-game winning streak is the longest active streak in NCAA Division II and they remain the only team from the PSAC to be ranked in the NFCA top 25 poll, moving to No. 12.

The combination of veteran and young talent, consistency within the offense and pitch-ing staff and chemistry within the team has lead to a historic season for the Cal U softball team and a chance to go for an NCAA Division II National Championship.

“We know what we have on and off the field is something incredibly special and not many athletes have this experience so we are making the most of it,” Wideman said. “The best part is the fun we are having along the way.”