Cal U teams up with state schools for Haiti relief

By Shelby McAdams - for the Cal Times

The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is taking the lead with providing relief to earthquake ravaged Haiti.

California University of Pennsylvania has teamed up with the 13 other state-owned universities within the PASSHE system, along with Gannon University and Mercyhurst College, to help rebuild a school in Haiti.

PASSHE Chancellor John C. Cavenaugh feels strongly about reaching out to victims and having the university system come together in doing all they can to provide support and aid.

“We will work with the various relief agencies that are involved in the recovery effort,” Cavenaugh said. “Several of our universities have done outreach efforts in Haiti in the past. Each of our universities at this office will work to do whatever we can to assist in this situation.”

A relief fund for the victims of the earthquake was developed through PASSHE schools and in collaboration with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). All schools collected donations at men’s and women’s basketball games from all 15 universities between Jan. 27 and Feb. 3.

All monies raised during the basketball games were donated to the American Red Cross.

In addition to collecting donations at the Commonwealth’s basketball games, Cavenaugh wanted to alert student organizations at the schools to donate to this one specific cause.

Cal U President Angelo Armenti sent a letter to the Cal U community encouraging them to support to the state-wide effort.

“The outpouring of donations across the world has been impressive and quite moving,” Armenti said. “I applaud those of you who have already responded with tremendous generosity to the immediate needs of the Haitian people.”

Armenti said PASSHE is looking beyond the immediate needs of aid and support to the Haitian people and are looking to a time when the rebuilding of Haiti will begin.

“These citizens, many of whom lived in great poverty before the earthquake, will be faced with the arduous task of re-establishing an economic and educational infrastructure,” Armenti said.

“Therefore, PASSHE will concentrate its efforts on collecting donations for rebuilding a school in Haiti,” Armenti said.

State universities Cheyney and Kutztown are coordinating the system-wide relief efforts.

“As faculty and students return to classes [at PASSHE] institutions, students look forward to commencing their studies and contributing to the relief effort for Haiti,” said Cheyney University President Michelle Howard-Vital.

With over 117,000 students and 454,000 alumni, the state system believes that the universities are capable of raising sufficient funds and holding adequate food and clothing drives, among other activities, for the relief effort, Howard-Vital said.

“Chancellor Cavenaugh and the PASSHE university presidents will work together to help coordinate the activities of the student government organizations and other groups on campuses who want to assist the residents in Haiti with needed funds and supplies,” Howard-Vital said.

Members of the Cal U community who wish to donate to this effort should make checks payable to “Foundation for Cal U,” and write “Haiti Relief Effort” in the memo section of the check. Checks may be mailed to “Foundation for Cal U,” P.O. 668, California, Pa. 15419.

All donations made through the Cal U Foundation will be forwarded to PASSHE. Donations can also be made online at http://www.calu.edu/giving/give-online/haiti/index.jsp.

Cal residents speak out at Borough Council meeting

By Marc Stempka – News Editor

A “cabal” is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “a small group of secret plotters, as against a government or person in authority.” Some California borough residents believe four California council members meet the definition of a cabal.

The newly elected and reelected members of the borough council were sworn into office Jan. 4 at the borough’s reorganization meeting. Shortly after the swearing in ceremonies, the council made major changes, leading to the demotion and firing of four borough residents and employees.

Police Chief Rick Encapera was demoted to a patrol officer, with officer Tracey Vitale being named Officer in Charge. Keith Melenyzer, borough solicitor for 26 years, was replaced by attorney Ernest DeHaas. Code enforcement and zoning officer Bruce Large was fired, with the borough’s contracted engineering firm, Fayette Engineering Co. Inc., taking over the duties of that office. Also, street commissioner Pat Vitchoff was fired, with Fayette Engineering handling the supervisory aspects of the borough’s street department.

All personnel changes passed by 4-3 votes with Shelia Chambers, Shelly Roberts and newly elected council members Donna Bridges and Gerald “Galvie” Gardner casting yes votes. The no votes were cast by Jon Bittner, Anthony Mariscotti and newly elected council member Patsy Alfano.

The demotion and firings sparked a wave of emotion throughout the borough. Petitions were circulated with the intent of reinstating those who had been terminated. In addition, community members were vowing to show up in large numbers at the first regularly scheduled council meeting of 2010 to show their disapproval of the borough council’s actions.

At the Jan. 14 council meeting, approximately 100 people packed the council chambers and the adjacent breezeway. The majority of those in attendance wore lime-green index cards to show their opposition to the personnel changes made by council.

The public comment session was heated, as resident after resident spoke out against the changes which were made. Many residents held signs, one sign even asking for the resignations of the four council members who voted to make the personnel changes.

At the beginning of the public comment session, resident Darlene Betty Walters presented Mayor Casey Durdines with petitions asking for the reinstatement of those who were demoted or let go.

“These won’t be listened to anyway,” Walters said. “You are all on edge.”

A number of residents spoke out against the actions of some council members, claiming Bridges, Chambers, Gardner and Roberts developed a plan to work together regardless of what the borough residents say in meetings.

Resident Cathy Urban questioned how two of the newest council members, Bridges and Gardner, were confident in voting for the personnel changes only 20 minutes after being sworn into office.

“There are a lot of things going on right now,” Gardner said.

Residents retorted, yelling back at council, asking them to tell what the issues are which are going on.

“I won’t discuss personnel issues in a public form,” Bridges said.

“How were you involved in personnel [issues] before being elected to council?” Mariscotti said.

Urban pressed for an explanation to the demotion and firing votes. Chambers then said she would not discuss personnel issues in a public session.

Near the end of the public comment session, Mariscotti made a motion to reinstate and rehire the four individuals who were let go during the reorganization meeting. Bittner seconded the motion.

The motion led to an eruption of applause from the audience and a standing ovation.

Alfano then asked for a compromise as part of the motion. He asked for “a 90-day cooling off period” where the four men would be reinstated but then evaluated throughout on their job performance to determine whether or not they should remain borough employees.

“If nothing changes [in those 90 days], I’ll vote to terminate them,” Alfano said.

“I have no problem talking to these departments and evaluating them,” Bittner said.

Durdines then wanted to “go on the record” in support of what was proposed by Mariscotti, Bittner and Alfano and the reinstatement of the four individuals.

The motion to reinstate the individuals failed 4-3, with Bridges, Chambers, Gardner and Roberts voting no, and Alfano, Bittner and Mariscotti voting yes.

“These people say they listen to the people,” Bittner said in response to the council majority who voted no to the motion. “But what people do they listen to?”

“This whole year is going to be a 4-3 vote,” someone yelled from the crowd.

After the meeting, Mariscotti said he’d bring up the motion to reinstate the individuals “every day, every chance I get.”

Mariscotti believes it’s important to take care of borough residents before bringing in outside people to do their jobs.

“It appears they were let go legally,” Mariscotti said. “First of all they are borough residents. They are four people who reside in the borough and who pay taxes in the borough. My feeling is you have to take care of your own first.”

Durdines commended the audience for asking the types of questions they did during the council meeting.

“The citizens asked a lot of great questions [tonight] and those are questions I’d like answers too also,” Durdines said. “[The council members] say they have reasons [for voting how they did] – but why not share that with everybody else?

“It’s disappointing also,” Durdines said. “You see people who have worked so hard for things – especially [Rick] Encapera – and very rarely does someone get a thank you for their hard work and instead he gets a slap in the face.

“That’s tough. Not just for him, but obviously for the community, the department and for me personally. Everything should have been discussed with the rest of us. I don’t know how anyone could deny that,” Durdines said.

Chambers said she welcomed the community to attend council meetings and be more vocal.

“[These decisions] were not considered lightly,” Chambers said. “No one ever comes to our meetings. I wish they would come back every time.

“I do love hearing democracy in action. I don’t have a problem with that. Eventually we are hoping to present to the public here that we exercised our fiscal responsibilities,” Chambers said.

The Jan. 14 meeting was continued to Jan. 20. At that meeting Chambers explained the council will only meet in executive session.

“We will come in and we will go straight into executive session,” Chambers said. “It’s all about personnel, period. That’s all I can tell you. I can tell you nothing. I’m not going to let myself be open to a lawsuit by discussing personnel.”

Bah! Humbug! Scrooge carols his way to Cal U of PA

By Jessica Zombek – For the Cal Times

Calling all scrooges: Cal U of Pa is sending out a little Christmas spirit with the Theater Department’s presentation of A Christmas Carol. The Christmas classic will be presented on December 10-12th at 8 p.m. with matinees on December 12th and 13th at 2 p.m.

Audiences can be excited about the special effects and elaborate detail Dr. Slavin, the cast and crew have put in since October. Being the second year the theater department has presented this show, Cal U students are excited for what is to come.

“I’m excited to see all the ghost scenes and the special effects that comes with those scenes,” Junior, Shanna Hynes said.

After two years of the show being presented, what can change?

“There are all kinds of special effects, but if I tell you they won’t be surprised now will they?” Dr. Slavin said.

Audiences can look forward to seeing the four ghosts that visit Ebeneezer Scrooge on Christmas Eve just seven years after his business partner and best friend, Jacob Marley’s, death.

Scrooge’s loveless present and bleak future turns his “Ba Humbug” attitude around as the four ghosts: Christmas Past, Present and Chirstmas Yet to Come, guide him through life. The audience can look forward to all of the familiar characters of the story: Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and Fezziwig, which are always a crowd favorite. Cal U students are also looking forward to seeing their friends and family in the presentation.

“I do know a lot of the performers and my roommates are in it too, so seeing them act on stage is always fun and exciting,” Hynes said.

A Christmas Carol will be performed in Steele Hall beginning December 10th at 8 p.m. running through December 13th with matinees on the 12th and 13th at 2 p.m.

‘The Slant’ rocks Cal U with four-year anniversary show

By Dan John – for the Cal Times

Jozarts studios on the corner of Second and Wood Street in town was rocking when Pittsburgh based indie, psychedelic, folk band The Slant performed live there on Friday December 4. This performance marks the band’s four anniversary since they played their first show together as a band at music café . The Slant played a 14-song set; including songs from their new album released in April entitled The Makings of this House.

The band officially has 4 members, Lead singer and a senior here at Cal, Mark Zedonek, Lead guitarist Andre Costello, Brad Austin on bass and keyboard, and Zack Dow who is usually on drums. There was however, a fifth person on stage with the band on Friday, Adam Dow, the younger brother of drummer Zach Dow, played the keyboard and various other instruments for their performance.

“When they recorded the new album, there wasn’t a lot of stuff they could play with just 4 people” said Adam Dow. “There is so much going on in the songs because they use a variety of different instruments which makes a collective mix of sound”.

The band uses many different instruments to derive their unique sound including among others, the mandolin, the harmonica, the keyboard, the banjo, and the tambourine. With all of these instruments incorporated into their songs, the band needs a fifth person to help them play live. The addition of Adam to the line-up isn’t official, but his contribution is much appreciated.

We don’t want to limit ourselves to the recording, we always kind of need Adam for live stuff” said Brad Austin who usually just plays bass. “For instance, when we perform the song “The Plate and the Spoon” live; we need Adam to play the banjo live while Zach is drumming. The fifth person on stage really adds a whole new dimension”.

All of the members of the band play more than one instrument in both live shows and when recording. Andre Costello usually plays bass but he too, like the rest of the band switches and plays different instruments between songs at live shows.

“It proves to be worthwhile to many different instruments, Instead of using the conventional drum, bass, and guitar standard rock band set up” Costello said. “We want to get as far away from the standard rock band set up as possible, without sounding too obscure”.

Zack Dow, who is usually the drummer, is a music major who can play many different instruments including among others, the harmonica, the keyboard, the mandolin, and the banjo.

“Why do what every other band has done 100 times? You could just be a band who copies, or you could do it a different way” Zack Dow said. “We take our individual personal tastes in music and blend together”.

The best way to describe the sound of The Slant is the heaviest folk music that anyone could ever hear. Despite being labeled as primarily an Indie/Folk band, pieces of blues, rockabilly, psychedelic, and straight up rock n roll can easily be heard in their music.

“I guess if you would have to lists all of the genres that we cover in our music we would be a progressive, experimental, psychedelic, blues, muddy Americana, indie, folk rock band” said bass player Brad Austin.

Lead singer Mark Zebonek who is a graduating senior here at Cal, takes pride in having an original and distinct sound.

“We’re always looking to evolve our sound” Zebonek said. “We never want to sound like another band, we may like the sound of another band that influenced us, but we want our own individual sound”.

The band’s new album The Makings of this House has already been released. Certain tracks from new album, among other songs, can be heard on their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/theslant or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theslantmusic.

Et tu, Aune? Cal U professor goes from teaching college English to running marathons

By Stephanie Mellinger – for the Cal Times

Dr. Mark Aune is an assistant professor in the English department. He has been teaching at California University of Pennsylvania for three years. Before teaching at Cal, Dr. Aune was an assistant professor at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. He earned his undergraduate degree in English at Michigan State University, and his master’s degree at New York University. Dr. Aune also joined the Peace Corps for two years and taught English in Poland. For his doctorate, Dr. Aune attended Wayne State University, where he studied Shakespeare and Renaissance literature. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to jazz music and running.

SM: How did you become interested in running?

MA: “I started running while I was in graduate school. I felt I was spending too much time thinking, reading, and writing, and needed to do something physical. Because I was a graduate student and didn’t have very much money, running was perfect. All I needed was a pair of shoes and some space.

SM: Has running inspired you in a spiritual way?

MA: “There is a spiritual aspect to running. It can be quite contemplative to go off and run for a few hours. One has to pay attention to nature, to the road, to the things going on around. I can also use my time running to think about problems and generate new ideas.”

SM: Has this affected you overall well-being?

MA: “I am fairly healthy, low blood pressure, all that sort of thing. I have also become much more aware of my body, what I eat, and how I sleep. As a result, I think I tend to eat and sleep better than I did before I ran.”

SM: Have you ever run in any marathons?

MA: “I’ve done about a dozen marathons in the past eight years and one 50K (30 mile) race.”

SM: What you say your average speed is?

MA: “My racing speed is around 7 mph, but I train at a slower pace.”

SM: What is your endurance?

MA: “I am not sure about this one. I have run for nearly seven hours at one time, but typically my longest training run is three hours.”

SM: What advice can you give people who want to start running or exercising but are too lazy to do so?

MA: “Running is difficult to pick up. It is very hard to motivate yourself for the first couple years. But eventually it becomes a habit that one really can’t do without. For the lazy person who does want to start, I recommend setting out a reasonable plan and keep track of your progress. It is the best way to stay on track and give yourself a sense of accomplishment.”

SM: Are you planning to run in any marathons this upcoming year?

MA: “I am signed up to do the Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World in January. It consists of a half-marathon on one day and a full marathon the next. I also plan to run the Pittsburgh marathon, which is sometime in May.”

Penguins auction raises money for Cal U scholarship fund

By Lyle Dunn - for the Cal Times

Going once, going twice, sold! That, is the very phrase you hear at any auction taking place. On a related note, California University has made an approach to raise funding proceeds to the General Scholarship fund auction on the Pittsburgh Penguins website.

“As state funding for higher education declines, public universities must pay more attention to fundraising than ever before,” said President Angelo Armenti Jr. “At Cal U, student scholarships continue to be our greatest need.”

The University has established with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization sometime after the team had won the Stanley cup last June. President Armenti Jr. has met with Penguins president, David Morehouse in forming the partnership.

“The Penguins’ auction will go to the general scholarship fund here at Cal.” said Craig Butzine, Cal U’s director of marketing. “The goal, overall, is to give the proceeds to set up a Pittsburgh Penguin endowed scholarship.”

There have been some listings for internship opportunities available, in which students have the honor, from the Penguins organization during both semesters. It is also a good opportunity for those who happen to be fans of the team.

“What their [Pittsburgh Penguins] goal was that to reach more young fans and keep that fan base going and our goal was to expand our ‘brand’ of Cal U with the Pittsburgh penguins fan base as well as look for internships and scholarships.” Butzine said. “So this auction is one of those phases of our overall objectives.”

Hockey fans, in both demographics, can log onto the Penguins’ website can bid on three authentic jerseys, signed by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury; three hockey sticks, signed by the same three players; and a Game Night Experience on Dec. 27, when the Pens play against the Toronto Maple Leafs at home.

The Game Night package includes the following: four Igloo seats for the game, one stick autographed by Crosby, a chance to watch the Penguins warm up from the penalty box, riding the zamboni after the first period, and tours of the Mellon Arena press box and the Penguins radio booth during the game. This is an once-in-a-lifetime experience for any Penguins fans that would not want to miss out on such an opportunity.

“Some of our greatest needs for us are internship opportunities and scholarships.” Butzine said “We’ve actually had interns placed there with the penguins and now this scholarship auction is how can we take our fan base, which is our alumni and students, and tie that with the Pittsburgh penguins fan base which is obviously large and includes our very own alumni and students but on a much broader sense as well.

If we did an online auction on their site and linked it to our site, and told our alumni and students about it, that would be able to link both of our fan bases together to have a really good auction and have a really good opportunity to raise scholarship money for our students.”

The newfound partnership that’s been established between the university and the Penguins has gotten some attention from the intended target fan base here at Cal U. However, some students are uncertain about the auction while others believe that it is a great opportunity since the holiday season is actually around the corner.

“It’s no doubt that those things are really cool.” said sophomore student Austin Good. “But given the circumstances that the Igloo seats are the highest bid, its better if we would go to student rush and obtain tickets there since it is only $20.”

Students may think that this auction may not be such a bad idea after all. However, there are some downsides for the auction based on student opinion “It almost makes me feel like I’m buying a piece of hockey equipment.” said Ian Weager, a sophomore at Cal. “No doubt those items are pretty cool.” Good said. “If it were a raffle, it would definitely gain my attention if the auction didn’t cost so much.”

The auction proceeds would go to the General Scholarship fund bearing the Penguins name and supported by the Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania.

In the end, as Mr. Butzine has said “Our students will be the real winners.” The auction ends on Dec. 11 at 5:00 p.m.

Cal U’s New Website

By Carol Mannix - Staff Writer

A project that has been in the works since the summer, the launch of the new university website, is scheduled to coincide with the beginning of the spring 2010 semester. This will affect students because not only will they have to learn the ropes of the new site, but their campus e-mails will also be changed.

“The public launch of the new site is scheduled for Jan. 18,” Angela Burrows, vice president for university relations, said.

There are many changes that will only be revealed along with the unveiling of the new website that the university is keeping under wraps, but perhaps the most notable change will be the inclusion of the use of sites like Flickr, Twitter and YouTube.

“We’re pulling social networking sites into the different pages to the make content more engaging,” Pam DelVerne, director of new media services said.

The new site will also be more aesthetically pleasing and will have a simpler navigation system, a virtual tour and an extensive use of video.

“It’s very colorful and it will match the marketing materials a lot nicer,” DelVerne said. “There will be consistency in branding. I think the content is also organized better so I would hope it’s easier to find things. “

There are three main groups working on the new site, but there is also quite a bit of student involvement on this massive undertaking.

“We knew it was going to be a big project and I thought the students could benefit so I offered their help and they were able to do it,” DelVerne said. “We have five students working out of the MAC lab and 90 percent of our time is spent on that.”

Additionally, students who use their campus e-mail for any personal mediums, such as mailing lists or to log into sites like Facebook or Twitter, will need to make sure they change their settings because the cup.edu domain will no longer be viable, although Burrows did say the old domain will continue to run parallel with the new one until May 2010.

Students will also need to make appropriate changes to their resumes and cover letters so they can be contacted at the correct address.

“As a matter of fact, it wouldn’t hurt to start changing the emails now,” Delverne said. “We’ve been trying to get into the habit of sending things to calu.edu. You log into a lot of things, with all the social networking sites out there now and even the staff has to be reminded. Even for newsletters you subscribe to or magazines, you definitely have to start doing that now.”

Students make a change with new Cal U Activism Group

By Carol Mannix – Staff Writer

Students now have a new way to express themselves and raise awareness on issues they care about with the formation of a new activist group on campus.

“The Activism Group is a group of highly motivated students who are looking to make a change on campus and the community,” Ashley Brown, the group’s working president, said. “The group is not limited to certain issues, but wants to act as an umbrella to cover a wide array of issues such as equal pay, domestic violence and the environment.”

During their second meeting, the group discussed possible names as well as logos, but focused mainly on getting students involved and active on causes that matter to them.

“I joined the group because it’s comprised of individuals who care,” Vincent Capuano, a senior at Cal U said.

“It is inspiring and motivational to be in a room with a group of people who feel the same way about particular issues in our society,” he said. “Also, it is great meeting a group of people who are willing to take action with the aim of improving our world.”

During the first meeting, the group discussed racism, bullying, gender issues, Darfur, health care, LGBT issues, stratification, and sexual harassment as possibilities to be addressed.

“I wanted to help start this activism group because I believe there are many issues that are occurring not just on our campus, but also in our region, state and nation, that more students need to be educated and made aware of, so that they can act upon them and hopefully make some kind of difference,” Colleen Schmidt, a senior at Cal U said. “I want to encourage students to get involved and inspire them to become true activists.”

In addition to promoting education of issues and raising awareness on campus, the group will focus on their possible slogan of, “Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.” Members hope other students will take notice of the group’s efforts and realize that activism is an important part of their lives.

“I feel activism is important because without it, there never would have been changes made or advancement,” Schmidt said. “If people just sat around and did nothing about the issues that affect them, then we would not have the luxuries and rights we have today, for example, gaining the right to vote.”

The group is also a place for students who want to be involved with activism, but never knew where to begin. Members are encouraging students to work with them on campus, but also off campus, as student activism in both environments is vital.

“Activism isn’t any more important on our campus than it is anywhere else in the world,” Capuano said. “I just happen to be here so this is where I am going to start helping.”

The Activism Club’s next meeting will be on Dec. 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Multicultural Affairs Office located in on the ground floor of Carter Hall.

California bucks the Broncos, 42-13

By Alix Kunkle - Sports Editor

For the third straight year, California played the first playoff game of the year at home and for the third consecutive year, the Vulcans outplayed their first opponent.

Behind five rushing touchdowns, the California Vulcans defeated the Fayetteville State Broncos, 42-13, and moved on to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. They will take on the Shippensburg Red Raiders at Seth Grove Stadium on Saturday.

After managing just 141 rushing yards against Shippensburg in their previous game, the Vulcans rebounded by posting 197 yards on the ground against a Fayetteville State team that gave up an average of 118.5 yards on the ground per game.

Windell Brown led the team with 79 yards, but Freddie Bacco highlighted the running game with 59 yards and three touchdowns. Shawn Johnson added two touchdowns on six yards to give the Vulcans an early lead.

After throwing for over 300 yards last week, Josh Portis threw for 196 yards and one touchdown, completing 13 of his 21 pass attempts. A.J. Jackson led all Vulcan receivers with eight catches for 111 yards and a score, breaking Marcel Pestano’s record for most catches in a season with 80. Jackson currently has 82 this year. Chedrick Cherry had two catches for 47 yards. Chet Welc, Blake Williamson, Josh Gumbert, and Tony Battaglini all added receptions for the team. Battaglini’s reception was the first of his career.

Defensively, the Vulcans continued to stuff opposing defenses’ pass and rush attacks. Fayetteville State managed just 217 yards of total offense, with 141 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter. The Broncos managed just 81 rushing yards. 30 of those yards were earned in the final two plays of the game. Broncos quarterback Benjamin Williams managed to complete just 12 of his 27 passes for 136 yards, throwing for one touchdown and two interceptions by Terrence Johnson and Shawn Anderson.

Eight different Vulcans recorded a tackle for a loss in the win over the Broncos, highlighted by Thomas Mulabah and Brandon Livesey’s 1.5 TFL each. Livesey, Dontey Brown and Matt McClellan led the Vulcans with six tackles each. Brown added 0.5 TFL. The Vulcans also sacked Williams four times, with Terrence Hemsley, Gabe Hernandez, Ryan Keebler, and Thomas Mulabah recording sacks during the game. The four sacks were the most for the Vulcans since the 44-7 win over Slippery Rock on Oct. 24.

With the win, the Vulcans will travel to Shippensburg to face the Red Raiders, who received a first round bye in the NCAA playoffs.

Two weeks ago, the Red Raiders defeated the Vulcans, 42-35. Shippensburg posted 195 rushing yards on California, the highest total allowed by the Vulcans all year. Shippensburg also used the aerial attack to defeat the Vulcans, with Chase DeFebbo catching two touchdown passes and Chad DiFebbo throwing for 294 yards. Since 2002, California is 0-6 when allowing more than 40 points in a game.

The second-round match up with Shippensburg University is at 12 p.m. at Seth Grove Stadium in Shippensburg, Pa.

Prime House Subs Opens

By Ryann Farquhar - for the Cal Times

Less than a year ago it was just a small part of the pool hall. Today, this same area houses the newest eatery on campus. Prime House Subs, located on the second floor of California University of Pennsylvania’s Natali Student Center, is more than just a sandwich shop.

Prime House Subs features sandwiches, subs, grab-and-go sushi, vegetarian options and breakfast sandwiches and omelets.

“Everything can be customized to your own taste,” said William Cowherd, Director of Communications for AVI at Cal U. “In a partnership with the university, AVI is committed to using fresh ingredients, whole grains, and sauces made from scratch.”

Fresh is a key focus for Prime House Subs. Chef Beth Samol bakes the breads for Prime House in an on-campus bakery and the grab-and-go sushi is prepared by a sushi chef in an area designed so anyone can watch.

In addition to the sushi, one menu item that is getting a lot of attention is the falafel. “I sold a lot of falafel,” said AVI employee Dorrie Geletei. Originating in the Middle East, falafel is a vegetarian favorite made from a combination of ground chickpeas and spices shaped to the size of a meatball, lightly fried in canola oil, and served with a yogurt sauce.

“The falafel is a great choice for vegetarians,” said senior Matthew Humphrey. The falafel, along with the vegetarian sushi, now gives students more meat-free dining alternatives.

For the carnivores on campus, Prime House Subs really shines. Their signature sub, the Prime House Club, is a combination of turkey, smoked ham, cheddar cheese, sugar cured bacon and sun-dried tomato cream cheese housed on a fresh baked roll that can be toasted or taken as is.

Another sandwich not to be overlooked is the Prime Rib Dip. Sliced to order, this sandwich is made with real prime rib and served with a side of French aus jus for dipping.

For breakfast, try a cup of hot organic coffee with an omelet or breakfast sandwich. The omelets can be filled with any combination of fresh meats and vegetables. Breakfast sandwiches come on a choice of bagel, muffin or croissant and can be topped with bacon, sausage or cheese.

In keeping with the fresh theme, organic iced teas and bottled organic Tazo teas and juices are the featured beverages of the food stop.

Adding to the charm of the warm brick interior are little touches like the chalkboard announcing Prime House’s menu and the authentic butcher paper used to wrap the custom subs.

“Its nice to have another option on campus,” Humphrey said.

Prime House Subs is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Guests have the option of using cash, shop dollars, or a meal plan equivalency. As of yet, credit cards are not accepted.

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