Send in a resume to caltimes@calu.edu.

If you have any questions email us your questions.

What was it like coming to America to play softball?

It was a big change leaving my family & friends at home but I always knew I wanted the experience of going away to play softball in the states so I was ready for it.

How much different is it playing at the Cal than playing for the Canadian Junior National Team?

Wearing each uniform is an absolute honor but representing your own country is a feeling you can never put into words. Both opportunities and teams have taught me very different valuable lessons.

What was it like to get the opportunity to travel to South Africa with the Canadian National Team this past fall?

Incredible!! South Africa is not only a gorgeous place but I was playing a sport I love with teammates, who I enjoy spending time with.

How hard was it to adjust to college play or national level play?

There’s always adjustments with new coaches and different teammates. Add on having to time manage all the classes, clinical hours, homework, practice and workouts made it even more of a challenge.

What was the hardest thing to learn at the college level?

I think just the adjustments of being away and balancing everything was one of the hardest things to learn.

What was it like getting your first hit in college?

Same game, bigger stage but of course a little sigh of relief once I reached first base safely.

How do you stay “in the game” during the off-season?

You have to know what motivates you to get better and do better. Sometimes, getting “out of the game” makes you better. You need to get away in order to realize how much you miss it and appreciate it.

What originally got you into softball?

I was always at the baseball field watching my two older brothers playing & I told my parents that I could do it too!

How many years have you softball?

I’ve been playing since I was about 5 so about 15 years.

What is one interesting fact that not everyone would know about you?

My family Doctor predicted I would be 5’10 when I was done growing. I’m currently 5’3.

Where are you from and where did you go to high school?

I’m from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I went to Streetsville Secondary.

What do you plan on doing after college?

Not 100% sure yet. I have a lot of different passions. I love health and fitness and hope to stay in that field.

What is your favorite tv show?

Modern Family

Who are your favorite sports teams?

Team Canada Hockey

What is your favorite food?

Peanut butter!!! And chicken. (Not together!)

What is your favorite movie?

Too many to list!

Do you have a favorite quote?

“You live and you learn.”

The 22nd ranked California University of Pennsylvania Vulcan softball team lost two games and were eliminated from the PSAC Tournament early last week. The Vulcans dropped a 4-3 decision to Indian University of Pennsylvania and then they dropped a 3-2 decision to Shippensburg. The Vulcans are now 32-8 on the season and 12-2 in the PSAC. The Vulcans did earn the right to host the NCAA Atlantic Region 2 Tournament and will play Lock Haven today at 3:30 p.m.

In the loss to IUP, sophomore second basemen Natalie Wideman led the way with three hits, batting in two runs and scoring once. One of Wideman’s three hits was her second home run of the season and her career. Freshman shortstop Breanna Morris and freshman right fielder Shelby Heyd were the only other two Vulcans to collect a hit, with Morris scoring once. Freshman center fielder Katie Natter also scored once for the Vulcans.

On the defensive side, sophomore first basemen Shelby Lia led the way with eight putouts, followed by senior catcher Alyson Johnson with four putouts. Morris added three, while senior left fielder Kristen McKenzie and Heyd added two each. Senior third basemen Jillian Russell and Wideman added one putout each. Wideman and Russell led the way with three assists each, while Morris, Lia, and sophomore pitcher Hope Spancake added two, one and one, respectively. Spancake picked up the loss after pitching four innings and giving up three earned runs on five hits. Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Schilling finished off the game giving up only one hit in three innings pitched.

Against Shippensburg, Russell led the way with two hits, followed by Wideman who added one hit and scored once. Sophomore center fielder Stephani Ellis added one hit with two runs batted in. Morris, A. Johnson and freshman designated hitter Madison Yanek all picked up one hit, with Yanek’s hit being scored by pinch runner Natter.

Lia led the defensive side of the diamond, with nine putouts, followed by A. Johnson who added five. Ellis added three putouts, while Wideman, McKenzie and Heyd added two, one and one, respectively. A.Johnson led with five assists, followed by Morris and Wideman with three and one, respectively. Spancake picked up the loss with three earned runs in six innings pitched. Schilling pitched the last inning for the Vulcans and picked up two strikeouts against the three batters she faced.

After being selected to host the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament the Vulcans have an uphill climb to try to win a national championship. They begin that climb today against Lock Haven at Liley Field at 3:30 p.m. If the Vulcans should win they will move on to take on the winner of the West Virginia Wesleyan verse Bloomsburg match up, tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. If they loss they will take on the loser of the same match tomorrow at 1 p.m.

As many of you out there know, I am a senior and will be graduating in a week, so I would like to take the time to thank you all. I especially want to thank everyone who has pushed me to become better at what I do.

The past two years that I have been writing for the Cal Times have been the best two years of my life. In large part, I think because it feels good to know that you are bringing news, sports or entertainment to people that wanted to read it. I especially enjoyed hearing from everyone how they loved the sports section this year and the get to know your Vulcans section, sorry I couldn’t do more athletes.

There were times this year, where I may have been stressed out over school, but knowing that people wanted to read the sports section or the paper in general got me through. It wasn’t easy laying out 10 to 12 pages of the paper every week this year. But I made sure to get it done for the California University of Pennsylvania community, and I tried my best to make it something everyone would enjoy.

One piece of advice I would like to offer for everyone, if you are scared of something go out and grab it by the horns, you may fail at first but if you keep trying you will succeed. For me I never used to like to read or write, but now it is something I enjoy, because I went out and faced my fears. This also applies too if there is something that you want to do, go out and do that as well.

Also, I am going to take/give advice from last year’s sports editor “Don’t be afraid to go out and meet new people,” said Alix Kunkle.

This is definitely something I will agree with, you never know who you will meet out there and where those connections could lead. For all you know, the person you meet today at an event could offer you a job in the future or give you information that could lead to a job.

I would like to give a special thanks to all of my sports friends, there are way to many of you to name everyone. I thank you for having made my time as sports editor a great deal of fun and I hope that we can all remain good friends.  I also, want to thank all of the coaches and Matt Kifer (sports information director), who always said thank you for coming out and taking pictures, it really makes you feel welcome and shows that you are very appreciative of the media being there.

Last bit of advice, don’t fall behind in your classes, you are here first and foremost to get an education. So have fun Cal U, but don’t get into too much trouble and definitely stay out of jail. Lastly, thank you everyone who read my articles and gave me feedback.

Peace out Cal U, it has been a fun four years here.

According to a recent university budget report, as of June 30, 2011, California University of Pennsylvania had $177 million in liabilities, an increase of $22 million from the previous year.

The “Annual Statement of University Policies, Priorities and Resources” shows that the total liabilities included items such as workers compensation and retirement benefits, but approximately $90 million worth were related to bonds, mortgages, and loans.

Large portions of the debt which the university has taken on are due to construction costs of the new Convocation Center, parking garage, and other campus “improvements” costing more than originally planned.

Past reporting by the Cal Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette state that during construction of the convocation center, the original plans were changed so that the center could have additional features such as a removable floor, wave-cam system, and expanded conference facilities, even though budgets have been decreasing.

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) has also been forced into funding a large portion of the center due to cost overruns and limited donations.  The Post-Gazette reported that the university set a $6-million fund-raising goal for the Convocation Center, but had only raised $3,000.

In March of this year, it was made public that PASSHE was auditing Cal U after unspecified allegations were made. There is very little information that has been made public as to why the university is being audited, or when the final report will be released.

In response to budget issues, the university cut funding for all departments on campus by 25% this past year. The 2010-2011 fiscal year saw drastic changes to the universities finances, with increased revenues in some areas, while new debts and losses of funding occurred in others.

The university brought in approximately $141 million through tuition, state and federal funding, as well as other sources including gifts and returns on investments. This represents about $8 million more in revenues than the previous fiscal year, but the total of university expenses amounted to $145 million. According to the university Statement of Revenues, Expenses, and Changes in Net Assets, the total loss to the university was $4.3 million

In total, the operating expenses of the university were $10 million higher than in the 2009-2010 FY (fiscal year). Breaking down the figures, the four largest areas of expense consisted of: Instructional costs of $45 million, followed by institutional support at $29 million, student services accounted for $18 million, with “auxiliary enterprises” totaling $14 million.

Dr. Michael Slavin, the head of Cal U’s faculty union, is on the APSCUF state Meet and Discuss Team, and is allowed access to university budget reports. He believes that the expense figures show where the university’s priorities lie.

“Only $45 million was spent on instruction…not even half the money that this university uses in their budget is used for what this university is for,” Dr. Slavin said.

Of the 14 state system schools, Cal U has the highest tuition and fees, coming in at $8,312 that each student must pay; nearly $200 more than the two other schools that break the $8,000 mark. For graduate students, the cost is $9,749, which is almost $400 more than the next closest school.

Although Cal U may be the most expensive of the Pennsylvania public universities, the school maintains the highest student to faculty ratio, coming in at 26:1, with the next closest school being Millersville at 23:1, according to the 2012 AAUP Salary Survey provided by APSCUF. A state report puts the average Cal U class size at 30 students, which is also the highest of the state schools.

In terms of how Cal U pays faculty for each full-time student, the university has the least being spent per student, $2,967, than the rest of the 13 state schools.

“I say the priorities are spending money outside of academics…,”Dr. Slavin said. “… on the values added things, on the entrepreneurial things. Not on the education of our students, and I think this is wrong.”

Recently, in an attempt to find savings, the university announced that nine non-union personnel will be furloughed, effective after the current academic year ends in June.

In addition, according to the Observer-Reporter, the school is now facing a lawsuit from Leonard Colelli, dean of the Eberly College of Science and Technology, who claims that he is being terminated due to budget cuts, despite his contract still being in effect through 2013. The lawsuit was filed on April 4 and is still pending.

Cal U Budget Report-Draft

On Wednesday, April 25, students filled the performance center to hear what Pay it Forward means to the founder of the Pay it Forward foundation founder Charley Johnson. The event, which was put on by Student Government, was meant to inspire students to “pay it forward.”

Johnson was a former business owner who walked away from the corporate world to begin his foundation that spans across the globe. At age 20, Johnson saw the movie Pay It Forward for the first time.

“Showed I didn’t need permission to make someone smile, to make someone feel better,” said Johnson.

The movie inspired him. He says the concept is as simple as doing something for someone and asking nothing in return.

“Remember what it was like to be a kid… to be nice just to be nice. All those things you were taught as kids, I want that back,” said Johnson.

With all of the problems in the world, Johnson said, “we didn’t get to this world overnight… we got her over decades of making little decisions.”  He points out that “those little tiny conflicts lead to war.”

Johnson said, “you want a better future of everything you do to be better, you need to do better… we need the core of humanity to shift.”

Big things, like going to Africa or donating thousands of dollars, will only get so far according to Johnson. He feels that the “Pay it Forward” movement is the answer to all the world’s problems. He says people need to do something physical about all of the problems. One way to do this is to great a physical reminder. This is why Johnson’s foundation hands out “Pay It Forward” bracelets every time he speaks. The idea is to wear the bracelet as a reminder. Then when you pay it forward, you give the bracelet to the person you helped. This helps the make sure “the chain doesn’t break.”

Another issue that Johnson believes is contributing to the lack of caring is the way that the human connection has vanished. He told the students in the crowd, “I’m begging you to bring the human connection back into this (digital) world.”

Instead of staring at smart phones, Johnson says something as simple as smiling at a stranger or making eye contact can change a person’s day.

As Johnson was wrapping up his presentation to students, he said he hoped to influence the lives of the students so they could help others. He said he would be disappointed if only one student took to heart what he said. This is because the movement is not about one person caring, it is about the whole world coming together and caring about one another.

The Cal U Inline Hockey team are the 2-Time Western Pennsylvania CRHL champions. On April 5, Cal finished off RMU with a 2-1 series win, for their second consecutive championship in only 2 seasons as a team.

Cal took Game 1 with an 8-6 win over RMU.  RMU fought back in Game 2 and showed they came to play with an 8-3 win over Cal. Playing the same team in the finals as they did last year, Cal knew what it would take to beat RMU.

During Game 3, Cal came out determined and took a early 2-0 lead with two goals from defense man Dan Grubic. At the end of the first Cal led RMU 2-1. RMU tied up the game with an early goal in the second. With 1:00 to go in the second, goals by forwards Tim Nadik and Lee Stark gave Cal a 4-2 lead, going into the final period. The start of the third period started in RMU’s favor, when a goal by Cal defense man Tyler Ragaller was disallowed due to an interference call. RMU responded with two quick goals and took the lead in the game 4-5 with 12:00 to go in the third. Late in the third, Cal scored on a power-play goal from Dan Grubic with 5:00 tying the game. Cal then took control of the game scoring three straight, one from forward Dave Constance and two from Denny Angle to win the game 8-5.

As back to back champions, the Cal U Inline Hockey team  is looking to continue its winning streak. Tryouts for next season are being scheduled for early next semester for all incoming players and current students. To stay updated on the team, they currently have facebook page welcoming anyone interested in joining the club.

It is a word that every athlete fears when they hear it out loud: concussion. A concussion is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that disrupts the way the cells in the brain normally work.

Even though the majority of people will recover fully after they receive a concussion, the signs and symptoms of this injury may last from several minutes, several months, or even longer. Some long-term problems associated with a concussion can affect one’s thinking, memory, learning, language, and emotions.

Although the majority of concussions that are repeat injuries are unknown in general, health risks are more likely among those who have had multiple concussions in the past. A repeat concussion that occurs before the brain recovers from the first can slow recovery or increase the likelihood of having long-term problems.

When a young athlete enters high school, he or she has that invincible feeling when they start a sport for their school. These young athletes feel nothing can stop them or derail their ultimate goal of being the best at their sport. Because of this, risks are taken and sometimes those risks can lead to the abrupt end of their dream of making it to the top.

Sometimes the mindset of being the best will add huge pressure on the young athlete and it will force them to make irresponsible decisions. Concussions have not just become a topic on major sports media outlets like ESPN or the NFL network; it is something being monitored in high schools across the nation. Coaches are being informed and educated on how to deal with concussions.

Athletic trainers do their best to properly treat an athlete when they receive a concussion. In a random poll in a California University of Pennsylvania English class, seven out of 22 people said they have had a concussion in their lifetime. This is a number that needs to be controlled in the teen and post-teen age group. The teenage brain is still in a state of development when they start their sport in high school. One blow to the head can permanently do damage to their brain and change the course of their lives and their learning process in the classroom.

Most of the time concussions are done by accident and there is nothing that the athlete can do about it, like a high fastball that flies out of the pitchers hand wrong and smacks the batter in the head. Other times it just takes discipline from the athlete to learn how to play the sport right, for example, not leading with your head to tackle someone. Actions such as leading with your helmet have come under fire in the NFL. Helmet to helmet hits have dealt the most concussions in the NFL more than any other hit to the head. This can even lead to spinal cord damage, which is almost always an instant career ending injury. Hits like that can be easily avoided by properly training the player to tackle correctly and keep the head up.

Here at California University of Pennsylvania, the athletic training facilities in Hamer Hall are some if not the best among all of the rest of the Pennsylvania state related schools. Not to mention a team of top notch certified athletic trainers, graduate assistants, and also student trainers who are here to provide the best care for Vulcan athletes. I chose to come to Cal U to major in athletic training because I could tell that this staff knows what they are doing and they are easy to work with in addition to  the top notch facilities. If a concussion arises, the steps will be taken to protect the athlete and make sure they are 100% before returning to action.

It truly takes three components to prevent and handle concussions: the trainer, the coach and the athlete. The trainer must know the proper ways to handle the athlete’s concussion. Detect the symptoms right away, inform the athlete of the recovery period and make sure the athlete is 100% before returning to action.

The coach’s responsibilities include: removing the athlete immediately from the event when the symptoms arise and teaching his/hers athletes the proper techniques and discipline to avoid concussing themselves and others.

Finally most responsibility falls on the athlete. The athlete is the one getting hit after hit laid on them. They must know when it is time to leave the game, even if it means removing themselves from the sport they love. Cooperation and patience are also something the athlete needs to show with the two other aspects of this “triangle” between the coach and the trainer. The athlete could potentially lose his/her season with a concussion and they must deal with that if the concussion is that bad. Would the athlete rather lose a season, or their life?