4.28.10 / Opinion
The time is finally here. As a tradition at The Clarion Call, I am now addressing readers with my final viewpoint as editor-in-chief. The time has come for me to move on from my position and pass on my responsibilities to an editor who will create her own legacy at The Clarion Call.
As I reflect on this past year as editor, I cannot believe how much has happened. As an editor, I have strived to provide readers with the latest and most interesting news. This often proved to be a daunting task and I would find myself along with fellow editors saying, “Nothing ever happens in Clarion.”
However, this is not true. So much has happened this year. From the stabbing in Eagle Commons and the closing of the Siler Center in the fall to the retirement of a president and the announcement of the failed attempt to toll I-80 this spring.
While we may not have had an abundance of crime and scandals to cover, we did cover what mattered. I am extremely proud of everyone who worked with The Clarion Call this year. It took the dedication of so many individuals to produce a weekly paper.
This past month, The Clarion Call has been accused of bigotry, hate and indecency for shedding light on a national issue that newspapers across the country were also addressing via articles, letters to the editor and political cartoons.
It was the mission of The Call to bring about a forum of discussion in regard to the issue.
As a Christian, I do not hate Catholics, nor any other religion for that matter. If Jewish rabbis were involved in a molestation scandal I would have had no issue running a similar cartoon.
I thank Dr. Rourke for completely missing the point of the cartoon and making me feel more confident than ever with my decision to run the cartoon that week by his outlandish statements against The Clarion Call.
It was this event that made me realize how much I’ve developed in my time at Clarion. Normally, I would have cared what Rourke thought, but thanks to my experiences at Clarion I’ve gained a new sense of self. These lessons didn’t come from the classroom, but from my involvement on campus
When I first came to Clarion, I never saw myself becoming the person I am today. In fact, being the editor-in-chief is ironic in that I almost repeated my senior year of high school due to some difficulty in my journalism class. My experiences at Clarion have taught me more in four years than any class ever could have.
I came to Clarion as a shy guy, with little confidence and little knowledge of what I wanted to get out of my college experience. However, I did know that the best way to get anywhere was to start getting involved with an organization within my major.
I worked with WCUB-TV news as a reporter, weather man and an anchor for two years. While I enjoyed working in these positions, I realized that the broadcasting field wasn’t the right field for me.
Just as I began doubting my interest in broadcasting, I met previous editor-in-chief, Lindsay Grystar.
Grystar convinced me to start working with The Call. It was this meeting that jump started my career at the newspaper.
I urge everyone at Clarion to become involved on campus. The more you experience, the more you learn about yourself. Whether you’re involved in a educational organization or a social organization, the experiences and different people you will meet will directly mold you into the person you are destined to be.
I’ve met my best friends in college by taking a risk and joining a fraternity. While extremely scary at first, if I would never have joined, I’d never have met the amount of people I have met through Phi Delta Theta, something I wish I would have done earlier in my college career. The fraternity has taught me that being able to appreciate different people from all different walks of life is a great quality to have while making my journey through life..
I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and individuals have very little control over the destiny of their life. The best thing to do is to embrace circumstances and move forward. You can’t be afraid to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. If you don’t challenge yourself, you’ll never know yourself.
As I leave Clarion after four years, I will never forget the people I’ve met who have shaped me to be the person I am today: the original stoop kids on Becht stoop, the gentlemen of Phi Delta Theta, the ladies of Gemmell, the Dietz Place crew, my friends at WCUB, former and current editors of The Clarion Call, my RA co-workers, the United crew and my ride or die friend Sue.
Thanks to everyone for four wonderful years and good luck to the future generations of golden eagles.
4.1.10 / News
CLARION, Pa., April1 – Student Senate officially voted March 1 to change the allocation policy for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs), which moved a selection of current RSOs into a new division called Recognized University Organizations (RUOs), which will officially take effect on July 1.
RUOs are organizations that serve a broad spectrum of students and are advised by administrators who are compensated by the university as it serves as part of their job description, according to Shawn Hoke, interim director of Campus Life. More »
3.25.10 / News
After eight years of service to the youth and Clarion community, the Clarion University Health Science Education Center will close its doors due to a cut in funding by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. More »
11.12.09 / Features, Photo Sets
Shawn Hoke, interim director of Campus Life at Clarion, before being shaved bald.
After a year of hard work, members of the Greek system finally got the reward they were looking for.
According to Shawn Hoke, interim director of Campus Life at Clarion, the challenge first started in the fall of 2008 when the average grade point average among the fraternities at Clarion was a 2.985. Hoke then announced that if they were able to bump their grade point average to a 3.0 he would shave his head. More »
10.29.09 / News
Clarion, Pa., Oct. 29 – Clarion Borough Police are investigating speed as the cause of an accident at the intersection of Main St. and Greenville Ave., in Clarion.
According to Police Chief Mark Hall, police were dispatched to the scene at 2:46 p.m. after a trailer owned by Mark Hudson Construction, out of Hermitage, rolled onto its side loosing the lift equipment it was hauling. Police say the truck was turning left off of Greenville Ave. onto Main St. when it lost control of its load.
There were no injuries reported, which came as a surprise to Hall who noted the heightened traffic, both vehicle and pedestrian, at that time of day.
The intersection was closed to traffic for approximately two hours while emergency crews cleaned the scene.
For a gallery of photos from the scene, read on: More »
9.24.09 / A&E
Poet Patricia Wesley shares some of her storeis and poetry with those in attendance. (Rebekah Alviani / The Clarion Call)
Clarion University kicked off the 2009- 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Speaker Series on Tuesday with a poetry reading from poet, Patricia Wesley. Wesley is the author of “Before The Palm Could Bloom: Poems of Africa,” “Becoming Ebony” and “The River is Rising.” She won the Crab Orchard Award in 2002 and the Victor E. Ward Foundation Crystal Award for Contribution to Liberian Literature. More »
9.17.09 / Opinion
Angela Kelly / Clarion Call
This past September 11th, I was presented with a unique opportunity. I was allowed to raise the same flag that flew on Clarion’s campus eight years prior.
As I raised the flag with a university police officer and discussed America with an officer in the U.S. military, I was overcome with patriotism.
I thought of those who were half-a-world away from me fighting to defend those stars and red and white stripes.
I thought of how Sept. 11, 2001 was the great tragedy of my generation, and how Pearl Harbor and The Alamo were tragedies to the the U.S. in the past.
Every time our nation has faced threats, the flag has been flown. The flag represents every man and woman whose life was suddenly changed when the time to protect the country came.
I urge everyone to take a moment to think of the times our nation was challenged and of those brave people who stepped up to defend it.
4.16.09 / Features
Dr. Mike Dunphy interacts with some of those in the audience in which he shared ways of becoming a great leader with.
Many motivational speakers come to Clarion University and present their views in unique ways: last night Dr. Mike Dunphy used his passion for martial arts as a means of encouraging motivation and leadership. More »
4.16.09 / Features
If anyone walked through Gemmell Student Complex yesterday, they may have noticed a small gathering of students sitting in rocking chairs. The Koinonia Christian Fellowship held its first annual Rock-A-Thon fundraiser. Starting at 10 a.m., members sponsored a variety of 'rock' events. Some of the events included painting pet rocks, Rock Band, a scavenger hunt and relaxation on rocking chairs. Koinonia asked participants for a small donation to benefit the organization. Those who stopped by had the possibility of winning a prize.
4.2.09 / Features
NAACP kicked off Black Arts Week on Monday March 30 in Hart Chapel with the Miss Brick House Competition. More »
4.2.09 / Features
Madame Justice Sandra Schultz Newman, the first woman elected to Pennsylvania's Supreme Court, confers with Victor Stabile, of Dilworth Paxson LLP, who moderated the Legal Symposium on March 26.
Nine women clothed in judges’ robes sit at a long, cafeteria-style table, perusing papers, jotting down notes and chatting with each other. More »
3.26.09 / Features
Elizabeth Garlick is currently representing Clarion University in The Harrisburg Internship Semester. One student from each of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools is able to participate in a hands-on government internship.
For some college students, the thought of graduation and entrance into the real world can be scary. Some even prolong their college career as long as possible. For Elizabeth Garlick, a junior history major, the real world has come in the form of a 15 week internship.
After reading a campus wide email regarding a unique opportunity for students with at least a 3.5 GPA and 45 credits Garlick became curious. After some investigating, she found that the program was offered through the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and gave the participant the opportunity to work within the government while earning 15 credits. More »
2.26.09 / Features
Coach Ken Carter made his way through the crowded audience, slapping hands with Sean Mainwaring and working to motivate the crowd. Clarion’s honored guest discussed the importance of education and motivation calling all students to become accountable and courteous.
Coach Ken Carter made his way through the crowded audience, slapping hands with Sean Mainwaring and working to motivate the crowd. Clarion’s honored guest discussed the importance of education and motivation calling all students to become accountable and courteous.”
The movie was a box office smash. The controversial coach inspired people everywhere and turned him into an instant celebrity. Last night, Coach Ken Carter wasn’t portrayed by actor Samuel L. Jackson. Instead he was in person delivering an important message to a packed audience at Clarion University’s Gemmell Multi-Purpose Room (MPR).
As a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Speaker Series, Carter delivered his presentation, “Average is Just Not Good Enough, PERIOD!” which was meant to inspire the audience to have accountability, integrity, teamwork and leadership while aiming to succeed. More »
1.29.09 / Features
Among roughly 300,000 peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C. were 13 Clarion students delivering their stance on abortion to the world. More »
1.22.09 / Features
After a semester of waiting and putting up with, in some cases, less than perfect living conditions, students were allowed to enter through the doors of Campus View and Valley View Suites to begin a “suite” style of college living. More »
Luke Hampton is the editor-in-chief of The Call.