We’ve barely finished our escapade in Iraq, and they’re already beating the drums of war again, this time against Iran. Gotta keep our behemoth road monsters guzzling gas somehow!

Who can deny by now that we’re operating under a permanent war economy?

As it has been during the victories for the Golden Eagles (13-7
overall, 9-5 PSAC West) throughout the season, they used a balanced
scoring attack to come away with win No. 13 of the season.

After struggling the game before, freshman guard Winfield Willis led
five Clarion players in double figures with 20 points. He now has six
20-point games this season, and two in his past three games.

“It was a team win because we were all very even on the scoreboard, and
all chipped in the rebounding battle,” Willis said of his team’s
performance.

Senior forward Paul McQueen reached a milestone while recording his
fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
McQueen, who is in his fourth and final season here at Clarion, became
just the 11th known player in school history to record 600 rebounds
(607). He also finished 11 points shy of 1,000 in his career.

“I can’t wait for it to be over. It is a big feat, and I am happy I am
able to reach that, but once I’m able to get it, I’ll be able to clear
my mind and play better. That will help me and the team,” McQueen said.

Clarion Coach Ron Righter is also impressed with his fourth-year
player.

“Paul is a four-year warrior for us. He’s seen it all and is stepping
up his leadership,” Righter said of his senior forward.

Rounding out the Golden Eagle attack were junior guard Calvin Edwards
and senior forward Quintus “Bud” Teer with 16 apiece, while pulling
down eight and six boards respectively.

Sophomore forward Mike Kromka had a solid overall game with eight
points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Clarion trailed for only 15 seconds in the entire ballgame, 3-2, and
never again as McQueen connected on a jump shot to give them a 4-3 lead
57 seconds into the first half.

This started an 18-6 run that they used to help lead 44-36 at the half.

Edinboro cut the lead to five on five different occasions, but Clarion
was able to shut the door each time.

The Fighting Scots scratched and clawed their way to within five with
53 seconds to play.

Clarion knocked down six straight from the charity stripe to seal the
victory.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Clarion.

In Clarion’s pivotal game against Slippery Rock University, McQueen
scored career point No. 1,000 en route to a 88-75 victory.

McQueen’s 17 points made him one of six Golden Eagles in double
figures.

Willis led all Clarion players with 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

Clarion (14-7, 10-5), will take on Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Kovalchick Center in Indiana.

Tip off is at 7:30 p.m.

Janet Broniecki (left) and Mackenzie Maner (right) practice lines outside of the auditions for “What Use Are Flowers?” (Brittany Harger / The Clarion Call)

Newcomer to the directing scene, Sierra Therman junior, held auditions for Lorraine Hansberry’s play “What Use Are Flowers?” on Monday, Jan 30.
“I’m not used to saying I’m the director,” Therman said.
Having been acting for six years, the last three of which she was a part of Clarion’s “Vagina Monologues,” Therman chose Hansberry’s “What Use Are Flowers?” from her book of plays titled “Les Blancs” because it is “my favorite play ever,” Therman said.
“I picked it because no one knows this play,” Therman said.
While Hansberry is most famous for her play “A Raisin in the Sun,” “What Use Are Flowers?” is one of many plays that were never produced in Hansberry’s lifetime, having died at age 35. Dr. Brian Roberts, from the English department, a judge in the auditions, was pleased with Therman’s selection.
“I believe that it’s a great idea to do a play by Lorraine Hansberry,” Roberts said. “She was one of the great 20th century American playwrights.”
“A hermit decides to live out in the forest because of his disgust  in mankind. When he comes out years later he runs into these kids who are pre-lingual and uncivilized,” Therman said, describes the play.
It is important to Therman that the audience be introduced to a new side of literature, she said.
“I’m trying to bring a different aspect of literature, a different aspect of black theater,” Therman said.
Roberts is also excited to bring something different to Clarion. “ It shows a new side to Clarion University and to theater,” Roberts said. He is proud of Therman for pursuing a “multi-cultural cast.” “Our students are very talented,” he said.
Therman wants the play “to provoke thought,” she said, “and explore different parts of literature.” She hopes that the audience is able to make sense of the play as well.
“My concern is that people understand what the play is about,” Therman said.
Another main concern with directing the play, Therman said she feels, is that enough is conveyed to make the audience feel moved in some way.
“I’ll take the good with the bad,” Therman said. “As long as you give me a reaction.”
Despite these concerns, Therman is confident about how “What Use Are Flowers?” will be received.
“I’ve gotten tons of support from my friends and family,” Therman said. “I feel like it’s going to have a huge turnout.”
“What Use Are Flowers?” will be performed in Marwick-Boyd’s Little Theater on March 22.

Feb. 1: To the delight of writers and editors everywhere on Feb. 1, 1884 the Oxford Dictionary made its debut.
Contrary to popular belief the Oxford Dictionary was not associated with Oxford University in England when it was created.

Started as a project by the London Philological Society, work on the Oxford Dictionary started in June 1857. The editors and authors worked at a feverish rate to compile words that were in dictionaries of the day and those words that were not. Words not included in dictionaries before Oxford were those that were considered to be obsolete. Dictionaries before the Oxford also left a gray area between synonyms.

After almost 30 years of work, the first Oxford dictionary was published. Originally titled A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles; Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by the Philological Society, the book was 352 pages and contained the words from “A-Ant” It sold a paltry 4,000 copies. The title the Oxford English Dictionary was adopted in 1928.

Feb. 2: In 1887, people turn their eyes to the small town of Punxsutawney in hopes of feeling an early spring as they celebrate the first Ground Hog Day.
A tradition started by the people of German descent in the central parts of Pennsylvania in the 1700s, Ground Hog Day, is a take on the European tradition of using a badger to determine the weather after the seasonal change in the Celtic calendar. The tradition states that if the animal sees its shadow there will be six more weeks of winter, and if it does not see its shadow, an early spring is in store.

Every year around 40,000 people converge on Punxsutawney and celebrate as they have since the day’s inception. While Punxsutawney and its most famous resident Punxsutawney Phil are considered the original, there are many other celebrations around the state of Pennsylvania as well as the country. Some other notables include: Buckeye Chuck of Marion, Ohio, and Susquehanna Sherman in Mount Wolf, Pa.

Feb. 3: Feb. 3, 1959 is widely regarded as “The Day the Music Died,” after musicians Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson aka “The Big Bopper” perish in a fatal plane crash in a field around Clear Lake, Iowa.

While the official report listed poor weather and pilot error as the cause of the crash, some skeptics do not believe this story. In 2007, Richardson’s family exhumed the body of the late singer and had an autopsy performed under the belief that a recently discovered .22 caliber pistol that belonged to Holly caused the crash and Richardson had not been killed on impact but had lived and tried to find help.

Fans of the musicians have mourned their loss and refer to Feb. 3, as the “Day the Music Died” in reference to the Don McLean song “American Pie”

Feb. 4: Walt Disney’s reputation skyrockets on Feb. 4, 1938, as he releases the much anticipated “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” to audiences across the United States.

Although the movie had premiered almost a month prior (Dec. 21, 1937), fans flocked to theaters to view Disney’s first feature length animated film.

The film was a smash hit, and Walt Disney was presented with an Academy Honorary Award, where he and his staff were presented with a full size Oscar statuette accompanied by seven “dwarf” sized ones. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” also has the distinct honor of being one of two animated films to be listed on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest films of all time. The other animated film on the list is Disney’s “Fantasia.”

Among changes to the Clarion University dining experience is an extension of Gemmell food court’s hours to 10 p.m. Caitlin McGill / The Clarion Call

Chartwells previously offered the roundtable forum in the years 2001 and 2005. In 2001, the roundtable brought the students the food court area in Gemmell Student Complex, and in 2005 the panel prompted the plans for Eagle Commons.
There were 488 students, 26 campus administrators and five student senators interviewed during the recent three-day roundtable.

“We did this to get a nice cross-section of the people on campus. We wanted to see what we could do, short-term, now, mid-term, in-between semesters, and long-term, further down the road,” said Jeff Gauger, director of food services for Chartwell’s Inc.

Gauger said that they interviewed the student senators because they wanted to get a sense of leadership in Clarion’s student body and to see what the leaders had heard from students about dining options.

Some short-term changes Chartwells made included keeping Gemmell open a little longer. The service window is now open until 10 p.m., and Starbucks on campus is open earlier on weekends. They also went back to a 19-day menu cycle in Eagle Commons. There is now a toaster at the library, and a spice rack in Eagle Commons as well. It’s reported that they have gotten a lot of good feedback about these changes.

There was also a gluten-free renovation added to Eagle Commons due to an increase in students with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease of the small intestine.

“We’re always trying to bring in new stuff and try new things,” said Gauger.

10. Pinata

Pinatas combine the joy of senseless violence and the sweet reward of candy. However, this by no means you have to restrict your pinata stuffings to candy. Feel free to jam pack that bad boy with other goodies, ranging from school supplies like pens and pencils to bits of bacon to nacho cheese. For those more macabre minded, fake blood can be added in for that extra something special.

9. Sporting Event

For those more athletically minded, a sporting event could be just the ticket to make a birthday celebration memorable. You can gather up some of your friends family and coworkers and plan yourselves an enjoyable evening taking in a competition of sporting prowess.

8. Fight tournament

Sometimes, the best way to celebrate a birthday, more than watching a competition, is to be in the competition, like fighting your friends. Anything from boxing to sumo suit wrestling to a grand battle of pillow fight mastery can be an option on that most special of days. Some of them might even lose willingly, a fact you can take advantage of to beat your friends.

7. Ice cream Party

While slightly sophomoric, the idea of an ice cream party can bring people together. Baring the lactose-intolerant and the questionably sane, everyone enjoys a good bowl of ice cream, frozen custard or frozen yogurt. A festival of frozen goodies can be just the thing to make a birthday awesome.

6. Go out

This one’s simple. Get a group of people and go out somewhere. Clarion has a variety of fine eating establishments, ranging from Shick’s to Daddy’s to Bob’s Sub Shop, to Applebees and Cozumel. Or, you could hit one of the bars, like The Toby Hill or The Loomis for some evening libation.
5. Culture night

A trip to an exotic and far away land would always be welcome at a birthday. However, in this economy and with travel rates the way they are, that might cost a pretty penny, so instead, bring a foreign land home and have your own homage to the culture of a distant land in your own home or office. Make foods associated with the place you want to go, decorate accordingly, and have a go at it. Play some native music for a nice sense of ambience. All of this can be achieved without any jet lag. However, for those feeling deprived of that little treasure, simply don’t sleep for a good 24 hours and enjoy the sensation.

4. Cute animal festival

Chances are, unless you’re a total sociopath with no feelings on anything, you find some kind of living thing to be cute in some sense. The idea behind this one is get as many of these things as you can in one place at one time and just go nuts with it. Pet stores are easy and cost-efficient places to go to make this particular festival a reality. Just remember to wash your hands afterward. You never know where the animals have actually been.

3. Theme party

Bring back memories of ages past with a childhood themed party. I personally prefer a good Star Wars shindig, complete with plenty of robots, laser guns, light sabers and galactic conspiracy. Other amazing options for fun themes include Voltron, Power Rangers, Godzilla, Transformers, Disney Princess, Medieval, Obscure Cult Classics, Vampires, Sports, Looney Toons, Arson, Pee Wee Herman or many others.

2. Disaster survival scenario

Enough people are paranoid about disasters and enough people claim to have zombie survival tactics, why not make sure you’re as prepared as you think you are by setting up a birthday zombie survival. Zombies not your bag? Try wilderness disaster, tornado, flood, bear attack, or any other of a wide variety of possible scenarios.

1. Birthday Caligula

It’s your birthday, set it up so you can make other people do whatever you want to do for your birthday. Make them bring you snacks like cookies, marshmallow treats and other assorted treats. Another suggestion is to make them perform inpromptu kabuki-style theater performances for you to take in. Heck, you can even appoint a beloved pet to be your general and direct any tactical maneuvers. Watch the mayhem your pet directs and revel in the glory. Be careful not to let the power go to your head, otherwise you run the risk of alienating friends, family and coworkers.

The financial aid office offers a number of student scholarships to help balance out the cost of the experience.
According to the Clarion University website, about 700 Clarion University students were given scholarships in the past year. The university website also goes on to describe the various kinds of scholarships available, such as athletic scholarships and annual scholarships.

A common misconception about the scholarships is that they only apply to incoming freshman. However, this is not the case. There are a number of scholarships that current students can apply for.

For instance, the Minnie D. Croyle Scholarships are awarded to and renewable for any sophomore, junior or senior at Clarion University. In addition to scholarships that are not applied to specific majors, students can also find numerous scholarships available to specific majors. Clarion University students who are majoring in any area of arts and science may want to look into the Nancy Shaw McKee Scholarship, which is also awarded to current students.

Of course, incoming freshman also have their fair share of available scholarships. The Lori Ann Aaron Memorial Scholarship was set up to help high school students who plan on attending Clarion University and have a 3.0 or above GPA.

In addition to the various scholarships available for students, there are also a number of different scholarships awarded to athletes. The Burns and Burns Golf Scholarship is awarded each year to a hardworking and dedicated member of the golf team, while the “Dare to Dream” Scholarship targets the Clarion University football players.

Students can look at any one of these scholarships mentioned as well as even more by visiting the Clarion University website and searching under “Student Scholarships.”

While college may be pricey, the experience is priceless. For this reason, it is important to be aware of the scholarships available to students.

Dédé has been responsible for running the program the entire 16 years Clarion University has celebrated the MLK Holiday.
“I love that there are no seats left here tonight,” Dédé said.
More than 200 students, faculty and community members gathered in the MPR for the event.

Clarion students performed musical, poetry, mime and drill presentations during the celebration.
Students from the Mid-Atlantic Youth Services program, located in Emlenton, Pa., also attended the event, sharing poetry inspired by Dr. King as he related to their circumstances and willingness to do better in their lives.

Author, Fox News commentator and former I.T. professional with the Department of Homeland Security, Ron Miller, was the keynote speaker for the event.
“I look forward to hearing your words of wisdom and inspiration,” said Tracy Becker, executive director of the Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry, as she welcomed everyone to the event.
Miller spoke to the audience about Dr. King’s dream, using war as a metaphor for society today.

“Let there be no doubt that he [Dr. King] was a warrior,” Miller said.
Miller referred to the struggles of the black community as a “battlefield” telling the audience what the community needs to do in order to grow.
Miller cited three E’s as “the keys to ascendency in an opportunistic society—education, economic literacy and entrepreneurship.”

Miller shared statistics with the audience from a report called “The Power of the African-American Consumer” from The Neilson Company.
The report listed statistics about the buying power of the black community. He related this information to Dr. King by saying that African-Americans should keep moving forward, and one of the ways to do so is by knowing the potential wealth of the community.

“It’s virtue that allows you to care for those who cannot care for themselves,” Miller said.
The program was sponsored by: Clarion University Student Chapter of NAACP, Clarion University African American Caucus, Clarion University Office of Minority Student Services, Clarion University Center for Academic Achievement, Clarion University Foundation, Clarion University Office of the Provost, Clarion University Office of Vice President for Finance and Administration, Clarion Area Chamber of Labor and Industry and the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.

The people living there are not surprisingly different, and their culture and stories have so much to offer, and intrigued my interest to learn more about foreign places.

I am a freshman at this university and am majoring in Communications concentrating on journalism. I moved with my family from Switzerland to central Pennsylvania in August 2007 and started out as a freshman in High School.

I grew up in a family where I was privileged and given the opportunity to travel to a few places such as Italy, Greek islands, Austria, France and Germany. Traveling to these foreign countries and seeing something different other than the place called home, opened up my mind on how important traveling can be.

Just like any college student, I plan on visiting quite a few more places someday, and hopefully gaining life experiences from it. The importance for every student to visit, learn from and explore different cultures it is often neglected.

In every Clarion Call issue I will design my column for the reader to gain something new from international affairs, whether its foreign traditions, foods, fashion, religion or just everyday life.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 7-3 lead, but Edinboro went on a 44-14 run to end the half, triggered by turnovers and mental mistakes that have haunted Clarion all season.

Clarion totaled 21 turnovers in the first half, with only 15 shot attempts.

Standout freshman Hannah Heeter was shut out in the first half due to
foul trouble, but she did collect three rebounds and three assists.

“Not having Hannah in there really killed our rotation, and we couldn’t recover from that,” said Head Coach Gie Parsons.

Heeter and the rest of the Golden Eagles played with more effiency in the second half, developing a better transition game, and got to the basket more.

However, Clarion still had turnover issues, committing 10 in the second half, and totaling the game with 31 turnovers.

Heeter also scored 12 points in the second half, recording her ninth straight game with double digit points, but saw her five straight games with a double-double come to an end, as she finished the game with those 12 second half points, four rebounds, and three assists.

“We didn’t say anything in particular to Hannah at halftime,” said Parsons. “Hannah knows how much we need her out there.”

Mackenzie Clark finished the game with seven points and seven rebounds, and Courtney Healey added seven points and two rebounds.

On a positive note, Heeter earned PSAC West Freshman of the Week for the fourth consecutive week.

Heeter earned the award after averaging 17 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game last week while shooting 71.4 percent (15-of-21) from the field.

Heeter is looking to become the first Clarion women’s player to average a double-double for the season since 2004 and become only the 14th in school history to achieve the feat.

Heeter is averaging 10.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on the season.

Since Jan. 1, Heeter has averaged 13.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in nine games while shooting 64.4 percent (58-of-90).

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Clarion women defeated Slippery Rock University 73-50.

With the victory, the women push their record to 6-13 (4-10 in conference).

The loss drops Slippery Rock to 5-14 (2-13 in the conference).
Leading the way for Clarion was Heeter who went 9-of-14 from the field for 20 points and 15 rebounds.

Emma Fickel scored 10 points in the game and Nicole Miloser and Lauren Savulchak added 10 points apiece.

Clarion will take the court again on Saturday, Feb. 4, against Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Tip off scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the Kovalchick Center in Indiana.

The Eagles were led by junior Kayla Shull with her win in the 100-yard
freestyle with a time of 55.03, and also finishing second in the 50
free with a time of 24.72.

Shull is ranked No. 4 in Division II in the 100 backstroke and recorded
the top time in this event out of all the female swimmers in the PSAC.

Coach Mark VanDyke saw Shull’s performance and said it was “very
strong.”

Shull was on the verge on adding on to her first place finishes but
lost two other races by a .10 of a second.

To add on to Shull’s first-place finishes, the Eagles also had six-
second place finishes at the end of the meet.

Juniors Megan Oberlander and Rachel Tano finished second in their heats along with senior Megan Burrows and freshmen Emilee Gysegem.
The final two second place medals came from the 200 free relay team and the 400 medley team.

The 400 medley team of Courtney Bogue, Rachel Tano, Samantha VanDyke,
and Tyler Ness swam a time of 4:05.87.

The 200 free relay team of Shull, Gysegem, Burrows, and Anna McNurlen
swam a time of 1:40.99.

Overall Duquesne took down the Eagles by a final score of 140-65.
This was Clarion University’s first dual meet loss of the year dropping their record to 6-1 while Duquesne raised their record to 6-6.
The Eagles have two more meets before the PSACs begin on Thursday Feb. 16 and then the NCAAs on Wednesday March 14.

They will once again travel to the city to take on the University of Pittsburgh Saturday, Feb. 4.

Clarion will then travel to Youngstown State University on Sunday, Feb
5.

Clarion, which has the most PSAC Championships out of all the
competitors, will be looking to stop a five-year trend of finishing
behind West Chester University in second place.

However, Coach VanDyke is not looking ahead to the PSACs or NCAAs quite
yet.

VanDyke has a couple of team goals he would still like to accomplish
before PSACs and before the NCAAs.

“We always want to be in the top two for both the men and women. We are
hoping to get a few more swimmers qualified for PSAC’s this weekend at
Pitt,” he said.

Clarion faculty also encouraged students to send provided postcards to the governor with their input on how the freeze and potential budget cuts would affect their education. Corbett is requesting that over $222 million in state spending be frozen.
This includes $21 million (5 percent) of PASSHE’s spending. Dr. Andy Lingwall of the Communication department is adamant about raising awareness in students.

“This could be really bad on students,” Lingwall said. “Most of us don’t come from wealthy families. Parents are taking out loans. Students and families are stretched to the max.”
Lingwall stated that while he would be affected by the cuts, those suffering the most would be the students.
“I would be teaching larger classes with more frustrated students,” Lingwall said.

Lingwall reported that approximately 400 postcards addressing the freeze were filled out to be sent to the governor. That’s 10 percent of Clarion University’s students.
“We have a small number who are aware and concerned,” Lingwall said.
He urges students to take an interest in what will impact them. “Ignorance is not bliss here, students,” Lingwall said. “They really do look at these postcards.”

When asked what his own postcard to the governor would say, Lingwall replied,
“My postcard would read, ‘Gov. Corbett, please remember the working families. The educated middle class is what makes this country run. It’s what makes it great.’”

While Lingwall is opposed to Gov. Corbett’s call to freeze spending, he does not feel that the governor is wrong in all aspects.
“I think he’s doing a great job,” Lingwall said. “There are just some things we can’t take anymore money from.
He should have taxed the shale industry, or made a state-wide tax. We do a lot with what we’ve got, but if we have to suffer in terms of education and social service plans, that’s kind of lopsided.”

Recognizing that students are already in a compromising position with their schooling at this point, Lingwall does assure students that the Clarion University faculty is here to support them.
“We will get through this together,” Lingwall said.

“Things are going to get better and you’re going to get that degree all the same.”
“Campus Action Week” continues through Friday, Feb. 3. To make sure the governor hears what you have to say, go to pastudentsvoice.org, or visit the Facebook page.

The forum was held as part of an overall review of the Financial Aid Office and Division of Finance and Administration, which includes Student Accounts and University Police. Although financial aid seemed to dominate the conversation, students also had other concerns, such as incorrect and insufficient signage in parking lots around campus.

Madeline Robinson, a Clarion freshman, spoke about an incident in which she received approximately 15 tickets on her vehicle over the span of five days while she was away at a tennis tournament. She said she had unknowingly parked in the wrong section of an unmarked combined-use parking lot. Her tickets were taken away after she explained her situation to University Police, but she wanted to make others aware of the issue.

“It’s a problem for a lot of people,” she said.

Another part of the review includes a survey, which was sent to students through their Clarion email accounts.
The survey asks students to rate their experiences with the Financial Aid Office, Student Accounts, University Police and Parking Services, and includes a section for students to write in their own comments about each office.

Pfannestiel reported a large immediate response to the survey, about 300 people, which could explain the relatively low turnout at the open forum. He urged students to continue to complete the survey. Another email will be sent as a reminder to complete the survey before it closes on Friday, Feb. 10.

Pfannestiel is responsible for gathering student responses as well as interviewing employees working in various offices “in order for them to self-assess their strengths and weaknesses.”

Once the information is collected, a review committee will evaluate and assess each office and make recommendations for improvement. The findings of this review will be published in a report that is expected on May 1.

Pfannestiel said there was a combination of forces this year that made the financial aid experience unpleasant for many people, but admitted that is not an excuse for poor customer service.
“I certainly understand the students’ and parents’ dissatisfaction, and can assure everyone that the university takes their concerns very seriously, and will work hard to resolve these issues.”

He hopes that through combined efforts of many, improvements will be made.
“Although it will take some time, I am confident that the process will be better for students and parents this coming year.”

The team put in a solid performance in one of the earliest mass
competitions of the season that featured such rival schools as Edinboro, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and California University of Pennsylvania.

Atop the weekend’s list of Clarion performers sat Alexis Carter, a
senior sprinter from Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh.

Carter set the school record in 400-meter dash by logging a time of
58.33 seconds.

That time was good enough to land her the No. 10 spot in the day’s
competition.

Carter, who competes in both indoor and outdoor track, shattered the
previous Clarion record by shaving off an entire second from the former
time.

According to Head Coach D.J. Bevevino, Carter should be considered one
of the fastest runners ever to compete for Clarion University.

“She’s probably our second fastest 400-meter runner ever,” Bevevino
said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. “There’s no question in my
mind she’ll break the outdoor record, as well.”

Sarah Loughner, a sophomore jumper out of Penn-Trafford High School in
Pittsburgh, placed the highest rank among the team in her respective
competition, the high jump.

With a bound of five feet and one inch, Loughner took ninth place
amongst the day’s high jump competitors.

Ciara Shorts, a junior distance runner, ran the mile in a time of
5:20:97, fast enough to place her 18th.

However, Shorts rebounded in her second race of the day, the 3,000-
meter run, by securing a time of 10:37:61. Shorts qualified for the
PSAC’s with her 3,000-meter time.

Coach Bevevino singled out the junior Shorts as the hardest performer
over the course of the weekend’s competitions.

“She ran hard,” Bevevino said. “She started off by running the mile
and finished by running a hard 3,000.”

Kim Hanslovan, a senior thrower, qualified for the PSAC in two separate
categories; shot-put and weight throw.

For Hanslovan, her PSAC qualification on Saturday only adds to a long
list of achievements she’s garnered over her years at Clarion.

In 2010, Hanslovan won the title of PSAC Javelin champion, only the
11th student in Clarion history to achieve such a feat.

Also in 2010, she earned a spot as Division II All-American, and
finished in an impressive second place at the NCAA Division II
Championship Meet.

The team is still enjoying the arrival of such integral young
performers as Allyson Cress, a sophomore thrower out of Knoch High
School.

During her time at Knoch, Cress secured the school records in both
shot-put and discus.

Cress recovered from an injury over the off-season, and hopes to
contribute in multiple ways this year.

Council members Jason Noto and Dr. Brenda Sanders Dédé and Mayor Andrea Estadt left the meeting and their positions after the renewal of the borough manager Nancy Freenock’s contract was voted down with a vote of 3-2.

Attention was brought to the meeting after a video of what transpired was posted on Trubluclarion’s YouTube channel.
Council held a special meeting on Jan. 6 to fill the open council positions, including the open mayoral seat and a position that was left vacant in December by council member Sue Leonard after her victory in November’s election for county auditor.
At the 10 a.m. Saturday special meeting, Noto, Sanders Dédé and Mayor Estadt all rescinded their resignations.

Many submitted applications for the three origiinally open council seats and mayoral seat.
However, the council only replaced one position. A committee was formed to review all of the prospective council candidates. A meeting to review all of the applicant’s qualifications was set for Jan. 17.
On that Tuesday evening meeting, eight candidates were interviewed.

At this interview meeting, the media was prevented from attending. A reporter from The Clarion News was prevented from sitting in on the interviews.
This is a violation of Pennsylvania’s open meeting law that requires organizations’ elected appointment interviews and discussions be open to the public.
The meeting was also not made aware to the public, which also violates the state’s Sunshine Act, which requires these meetings to be open and advertised to the public ahead of time.

Legal counsel for the Borough Council, John Marshall, wasn’t present at the Jan. 17 meeting but agreed that the meeting should have been open to the public.
In result of the meeting violating the Sunshine Act, the discussions and appointment of a council member are now considered null and void.
At the Clarion Borough Council website, the only minutes available for the 2012 year are those from Jan. 3 and reorganizational meetings.

The agendas for the Jan. 3 meeting, along with those of the Jan. 7 and 18, are available on the site.
The agenda for the Feb. 1 meeting is also available. Videos of the Clarion Borough Council meetings are also available on the YouTube channel, Trubluclarion. The video of the Jan. 3 meeting that included the heated debate and resignations has reached more than 12,000 views.

- Editor’s note: There was a council meeting scheduled as this issue of The Clarion Call went to press.

-Sincerely Future Traveler

Well Future Traveler, it’s been an unusual and difficult transition.

Amsterdam and America are two completely different worlds and are next to impossible to compare. For one, relearning how to drive a car was something I never imagined myself doing.

Probably one of the best things about Amsterdam was riding a bicycle. It’s one of the best comforts in the world knowing you don’t have to exercise because you know half of your day will consist of riding a bike.

I haven’t been inside a car since the end of August, let alone driving one. So getting behind the wheel of my car was a shaky and jerky transition that left my mom holding on to the cars safety handle for dear life.

Another unusual transition is going from Dutch lectures to American lectures. I need to retrain myself to be used to having class every day and not having 15 minute breaks during lectures.

Most courses in Amsterdam, regardless of the lecture’s length, will always break halfway through so students can use the toilet or get coffee.

Here, I’m finding it difficult to sit for 45 minutes and not anticipate a break. Classroom etiquette is different as well. Here you’d never get away with texting during class or even calling your professor by his or her first name.

There are those occasional professors, but they are far and few inbetween. Granted, my Dutch cellphone fell into a canal before October, but none of my lecture’s seemed to care if your phone was out and being used. And the lecture’s preferred to be called by their first names.

The last transition worth mentioning is the time difference. From either side of the globe, it’s hard to comprehend there is a six-hour difference.

While in Amsterdam, I’d start my day while everyone in America would still be sleeping. Now, when I wake up here in America, my European friends’ day is half way over, and I’m just getting started. I’m still also pretty jet lagged, but it’s slowly getting better as I re-acclimate myself into America.

So Future Traveler, the transition so far has been difficult, but it was worth the experience.
If you’re truly serious about studying overseas, it’s possible and anyone can do it. Just stop by the International Office in Ralston Hall B8 for more information.

“Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don’t forget your booties ’cause it’s cooooold out there today!”

La Niña is really overstaying her welcome.

Four years ago, the New England Patriots were on the brink of making
history by becoming the second NFL team to complete a perfect season
along with the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

All they needed to do was win one more game, but standing in their way
of a 19-0 record and a Super Bowl title was the New York Giants.

Super Bowl XLII turned out to be one of the most exhilarating Super
Bowl games in NFL history.

In the end, New York came out on top thanks to the memorable final
drive by Eli Manning and the Giants’ offense.

Trailing 14-10, running out of time and hope, Eli Manning made the play
of the game by avoiding the Patriots’ rush and throwing up a pass to
David Tyree, who made an incredible catch against his helmet, keeping
the winning drive alive.

The Giants eventually scored a touchdown with a 13-yard pass from
Manning to Plaxico Burress, and the upset was complete.

Now the New England Patriots look to get some payback from the New York
Giants at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis this Sunday.

I can only hope that this Super Bowl rematch is as exciting as the
last.

The Giants defeated the Patriots 24-20 in week 9 at Gillette Stadium
and they weren’t even playing their best football.

The Giants were also missing wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and starting
running back Ahmad Bradshaw.

Although the Giants were 9-7 just making the playoffs with a win over
the Dallas Cowboys, they have been quite impressive in the playoffs
knocking off the No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers and the second seeded San
Francisco 49ers.

They seemed to catch fire at just the right time.

Manning is having arguably the best season of his career and even passed Johnny Unitas and his brother Peyton for the most fourth quarter
touchdown passes in a single season by throwing 15 of them.

Manning seems like he has been on a mission this season to prove that
he is an elite quarterback in the league, and winning this Super Bowl
will help solidify that.

The Giants proved that they are a Super Bowl team with their impressive
run in the playoffs, and that is why I am picking them to defeat the
New England Patriots this Sunday.

I think they have more momentum going into this game, and I believe
they have the better all around team.

The game is going to come down to which defense can contain the
opposing offensive better.

The Giants’ defensive needs to be physical with the Patriot receivers
off the line, and they can’t give Tom Brady all day to throw the ball.

The Giants also have the advantage of the high ankle sprain injury to
Rob Gronkowski.

He plays a large role in the Patriots’ offense, and even though he is
likely to play, he will not be 100 percent.

I predict it will be a close and hard fought game with the Giants
winning 24-21 on a final drive led by Manning.

John Owens-

The New England Patriots have become a dynasty this past decade. Bill
Belichick and Tom Brady will be remembered forever in NFL history for
the coach-quarterback tandem that captured four Super Bowls together
after this Sunday.

Why, you may ask, will the Patriots win a fourth Super Bowl in 11
years?

Because, that’s what they do; they win.

The storyline for this game has been the re-match between Eli Manning
and Tom Brady, the Giants and Patriots, Tom Coughlin and Belichick.
However, since the Giants won the last time around, the Patriots have
been chomping at the bit for another chance to avenge the loss and
prove themselves on the big stage.

How great are the New England Patriots?

Well, maybe we ought to judge them based on their consistency. Nine of
the 12 seasons Belichick has been their coach they have been in the
playoffs; Brady has been a consistent big game winner, and the offense
has always been potent.

Are the Patriots chomping at the bit?

Of course they are, the Giants stole their perfection, took away their
opportunity at going undefeated all because of one play by Manning and
Giants wide receiver David Tyree that altered the course of history.

That’s perfect bulletin board material for the New England locker room.

So, how is that the Patriot’s will avenge their previous misfortune?

They same way they would avenge anything else, by winning and winning
big.

The Pats averaged a touchdown more per game this season than the Giants
and defensively, even though New England struggled early on, their
playoff performance has been comparable to the Giants thus far.

Is it possible that the Giants will score that extra touchdown this
time around to come away with another upset win over the Patriots?

It’s about as possible as it is that we will have lunar colony in eight
years. People fail to recognize who the Giants are up against, a
defensive genius, Belichick.

Although Coughlin deserves respect, as he has been a successful coach
in the past, he certainly is no Belichick. Belichick runs a tighter
ship than anyone in the NFL, bar none.

He sat rookie running back Stevan Ridley in the AFC Championship
because of his fumbles in the previous games and he never lets his team
fall in the hands of a media trap.

Belichick knows how to do one thing: Win.

And people, who dislike Belichick, dislike him for that one reason, he
wins, he wins often and he wins big.

Speaking of winning big, that is exactly what the New England Patriots
are going to do this Sunday.

Remember, in Super Bowl XLII when these teams last met in the playoffs,
the Giants got lucky, and this time around, it won’t be about luck,
it’ll be about Belichick and Brady, two masterminds of the NFL’s modern
era, getting revenge.

And, if revenge is a plate best served cold, New England is happy that
Indianapolis is the home of the Super Bowl this Sunday.

While we worry about our own economic crisis, the Eurozone is having a much worse debt crisis that threatens to bring down the currency shared by much of the European Union.

Paul Krugman has some slides up about it from a talk he’s giving in Paris soon. Well worth checking out.

Mitt Romney has won the Florida Republican primary by a handy margin, after spending $17 million on an all-out blitzkrieg of negative ads against his main opponent, bloated gasbag and serial adulterer Newt Gingrich. Even though there are still 46 primaries to go, the conventional wisdom is that Romney has pretty much clinched the nomination by now. …Which everybody knew all along, since the candidate who spends the most almost always wins.

Oh, and if you think it’s unfair to depict Mitt Romney Rmoney with cash bulging from his Brooks Brothers suit, I’ll just point out that he started it.

Prof. Jamie Phillips, president of the Clarion APSCUF, addresses supporters at a rally held last March in protest of cuts to the PASSHE budget.

On Jan. 4, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett called for a freeze on state spending, citing revenues that fell short of estimates in last year’s budget. Corbett’s proposal requests that over $222 million in state spending be halted immediately, including $21 million from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

That $21 million amounts to five percent of PASSHE’s budget, and combined with last year’s 18 percent budget cut members of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) are crying foul.

To protest the proposed cuts, APSCUF will host ‘Campus Action Week’ from Monday, Jan. 30 to Friday, Feb. 3. The main event of the week will be ‘Campus Information Day’ on Tuesday, Jan. 31. Clarion faculty will host information tables from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Eagle Commons and Carlson Library.

The Call will cover the demonstrations throughout the week. Readers can keep track of our coverage at www.clarioncallnews.com/tag/campusactionweek.

• My name is Asten and with a name like that, it is pretty hard for me to “hide” on Google. Haha

• I researched grad schools for an entire year and a half before finding the perfect online program with Clarion University
• I’m currently seeking a Master’s degree in Mass Media Arts and Journalism with an emphasis in PR
• After working in a lot of different fields in the media arts, I now have THE BEST job in the world working in social media/PR for a brand that I have always loved
• I married my high school sweetheart and we have two dogs that we adore ( our “furry sons”)

Here they are - aren’t they handsome little guys?

• In my free time (which is not too often), I enjoy cooking, reading, exercising, and spending time with my family and friends.
• On my bucket list – I’ve always wanted to see Greece and Australia. Maybe someday!

This semester, you can find me on Clarion University’s Virtual Campus Facebook Page and on Twitter too!
Now that I’ve told you all about myself – I want to hear from you! Feel free to post your comments below.

Also, if you have any story ideas you’d like me to discuss in my blog, feel free to weigh in!

Thanks, guys!

Asten

President Obama delivers his 2011 State of the Union address. (White House photo / Pete Souza)

WATCH IT LIVE:

[1:08 a.m.]

Call cartoonist Mike Ramsey’s take on the speech can be found here.

[10:38 p.m.]

Nearly an hour and a half later, the speech is over. The takeaway, according to the pundits on cable, is the tax reform message being in stark contrast to the policies being advocated by the Republican candidates. Conservative critics on Twitter and elsewhere are calling Obama’s proposals “class warfare,” arguing instead (and as always) for further reductions in the tax rates for the wealthy and corporations and reforming Social Security and Medicare. Critics to Obama’s left are wishing for a more aggressive jobs program and crying foul at the President’s support of shale gas drilling.

Stay tuned on Twitter for some RTs from around the web, plus a special State of the Union cartoon from Call cartoonist Mike Ramsey.

Post-speech link roundup:
In State of the Union, Obama warns economic disparity threatens middle class (Washinton Post)
State of the Union: Fact-checking the President (ABC News)
Why are Herman Cain, Occupy movement rebutting State of the Union? (Christian Science Monitor)
Full text of Obama’s speech

[8:57 p.m.]

The SOTU begins now. Check out our live commentary on Twitter (to the right) and stay tuned for a post-speech wrap-up after!

[5:34 p.m.]

President Barack Obama will deliver his third State of the Union address tonight at 9 p.m. Election-year State of the Union speeches traditionally kick off an incumbent president’s campaign, laying out the agenda they will run on for the campaign season. Obama is expected to focus on reforming the tax code that often results in the wealthiest Americans paying a lower overall tax rate than average wage-earners. This comes on the heels of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney releasing tax returns showing that he paid an effective federal tax rate of 13.9% on his $21.6 million income in 2010.

Some info and opinions to chew on ahead of the President’s address:
Ahead of State of the Union, rating Obama’s past promises (Tom Curry, NBC Politics)
The State of the Union 2012 — We’ve seen this movie before (Marc Rotterdam, FoxNews.com Opinion)
The State of the Union Drinking Game* (Jason Linkins, Huffington Post)
*Disclaimer: For those of you under 21, we must insist that you play this game with wholesome 2% milk.

Commencement took place on December 17 at 1 p.m., but my voyage to Clarion started on Friday at noon. After five hours in the car and a milkshake stop we arrived at our hotel, and the first thing I saw was the Clarion Call newspaper in the lobby.

Clarion, PA is a great town and while I loved earning my master’s degree online, I probably would have enjoyed attending classes on campus as well. On Saturday morning after breakfast, I got ready for graduation and it was hard to believe I was already done! On the way to robing I stopped in the bookstore for some Clarion University gear. Sadly, the bookstore didn’t have my size in my favorite sweatshirt, but luckily I can order one online!

This is the cute sweatshirt I was talking about!

Before I knew it, I was putting on my cap and gown to get ready to line up and then I met a classmate! We had taken multiple classes together and it was great to meet her in person! We were together for the ceremony and it was so nice to have a friend.

The commencement speaker was Teri McDowell, also a Virtual Campus student that earned her BS in Liberal Studies with a Library Science concentration. She delivered a wonderful and inspiring speech. She completed her program with a 4.0 and is beginning her master’s degree next semester (online too) with the intentions of earning her Ph. D. one day!

Teri McDowell

The ceremony was wonderful and was followed by a lovely reception. I had the opportunity to meet one of my professors, other faculty that I communicated with regularly and I also got to meet President Whitney.

President Whitney and I

From left to right: Ms. Fleisher, Dr. Lingwall, me and Dr. Action

After graduation I enjoyed a lovely tour of the campus. I particularly enjoyed passing by the library that so kindly mailed me books quite a few times during the past 18 months.

The Library!

The best part about graduation was that I didn’t feel out of place. Even though I earned my degree online, I was greeted by friendly faces and felt like I belonged.

Dr. Lingwall and I

Overall, I had a great weekend. I am glad I earned my master’s degree from such a wonderful school. I am confident I will be back to Clarion as an alumni for Homecoming and other events for years to come. I am proud to be a Virtual Golden Eagle!

“Not on OUR Campus” discussion panel assembles the faces and voices of Clarion’s athletics and law enforcement. From left: moderator Susan Turell, Dave Katis, Mark Aaron, Anthony Moore, Jimmy McGee and Glen Reid. Catilin McGill / The Clarion Call

CLARION, Pa. – “We do our due diligence,” Clarion University Athletics Director Dave Katis said to a crowd of dozens of Clarion students, faculty, administrators and community members Dec. 7 at Hart Chapel.

They gathered to hear Clarion’s sports administrators answer a burning question: could a scandal similar to the one striking Penn State happen here?

The panel discussion, titled “Not on OUR Campus,” was held in response to the scandal of alleged sexual abuse of minors by Penn State assistant coach

Jerry Sandusky, and the subsequent cover-up by the administration.

The discussion was open to the public, and was sponsored by Clarion University Women and Gender Studies Program, Clarion V-Day Project and PASSAGES, Inc.

On the discussion panel were Katis, District Attorney Mark Aaron, Student Senator and athlete Andrew Moore, Coordinator of Health Promotions Jimmy McGee and
Chief of Clarion University Police Glen Reid. Associate Provost Susan Turell moderated.

“We want to be transparent,” Katis said. “Have we had violations here at the university? Absolutely. Have we reported them to the NCAA? Absolutely. Could we
have gotten away with not reporting them? Absolutely, but that’s not the type of athletic department we run here at Clarion.”

Aaron, an alumnus of Penn State’s now scandaled high school football camp, said he was in disbelief when he heard the first news reports, but couldn’t help
looking at it from a legal standpoint.

Upon reading the grand jury’s report on the case, Aaron said he couldn’t believe the administrators involved, even Joe Paterno, could have plausible
deniability.

“That is, in my mind, really not possible,” he said.

Moore said he could not imagine a cover-up happening at Clarion.

“It almost seems as if it can be a common sense kind of thing,” Moore said.

Moore is a secondary education in social studies major, as well as a football player for the Clarion Eagles.

“If you’re in a classroom, and the classroom catches on fire, are you going to tell a professor, or are you going to call 911?” Moore said.

McGee said he was confused as to why administrators failed to follow up on their reports through the chain of command at Penn State’s athletic department.

“It’s almost like it got lost, and it’s unreasonable,” he said.

Reid said the difference in atmosphere between Clarion and Penn State makes it much less likely for a large-scale cover-up to occur here.

“Penn State is a very large institution… as opposed to here, where we have more of a family situation… where we know each other,” Reid said.

Katis said the proactive hiring approach Clarion takes is the best deterrent.

“We are Googling coaches, calling high schools, doing background checks and doing everything we possibly can,” he said, “because the more that we can find out,
the better.”