HOMECOMING 2013 PROVES BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER

EU STUDENT ATHLETESLEAD THE PSAC INANNUAL MAKE-A-WISHFUND DRIVE

MAGAZINENOVEMBER 2013• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDSOF EDINBORO UNIVERSITY

EU STUDENTSMAKING ADIFFERENCE

e • editionThis electronic issue is not available in print

ENTERPRISING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTSTHRIVE AT EU SUMMER BUSINESS ACADEMY• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO:

Communications & MarketingEdinboro University210 Meadville StreetEdinboro, PA 16444

ph. 814-732-2193fx. 814-732-2342news@edinboro.edu

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

Dr. Julie E. Wollman

EXECUTIVE EDITOR AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT

Tina M. Mengine

EDITOR AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Jeff Hileman

DESIGNER AND DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Bill Berger

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kelly Cassella Marilyn GoellnerToni Malena John MitchellBob Shreve Brenda Tucci

One of the 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity education institution and employer and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation and disability in its activities, programs or employment practices as required by Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504, ADEA and the ADA.

NOVEMBER 2013

ON THE COVER:

Shaquan Walker, student representative to the Edinboro University Council of Trustees, shares a laugh between classes with fellow student Kathleen McCarthy at the Crawford Center. Read about Walker’s recent appointment by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett on page 2.

BELOW:

At right, Black Oracle, a sculpture by art professor Dietrich Wegner, on display in front of EU’s state-of-the-art Cooper Science Center.

dinboro University is strong and growing stronger. This might seem like an odd statement given recent news about the University’s significant financial challenges, the announcement of proposed reductions in our workforce and the elimination of some under-enrolled academic programs. I am most sincere, however, in stating that the pressing need to adapt to financial and demographic realities would weaken Edinboro University only if we fail to act. The University remains fundamentally strong, with a wide array of excellent liberal arts and pre-professional programs, an outstanding faculty and staff, and engaged students who are succeeding in preparing themselves for better lives. Simply put, the University faces a structural deficit of millions of dollars. Through a convergence of factors, our revenues have shrunk relative to costs, and we now spend more on fixed costs than we take in. We must face this reality directly and act decisively to reduce the University’s expenses and focus our investments in areas where we see opportunities for growth based on student interest and regional need. Doing so will increase Edinboro University’s strength and vitality today and for the future. One of the questions I’m asked most frequently in discussions about Edinboro’s budget is how we got into this position and, in fact, why so many other schools in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education are in the same position. The answer begins with our state appropriation, which once covered about two-thirds of our operating costs but now covers less than a quarter. The amount of money the PASSHE universities will receive from the state this year is the same as it was in 1997. Adjusted for inflation, it should have risen 42 percent in the past 16 years just to be flat. At the same time, our enrollment has dropped 18 percent since its peak in 2010, largely due to a demographic shift that affects colleges and universities throughout the Northeast. Fewer high school graduates here and in the wider region mean a smaller pool of potential college students. Fewer students mean fewer dollars from tuition and fees – about $850,000 less for every 100 students here at Edinboro, and our enrollment is down 1,544 since 2010. With fewer students, the reality is that we need fewer people in all of our employee groups. While we have been able to reduce the impact of cost-cutting, including saving our music majors, some painful cuts remain unavoidable. More than 80 percent of our budget goes to employee pay and benefits, and faculty account for nearly two-thirds of that. Our program mix is also due for updating to match new realities. This updating is something that occurs

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with some regularity in American higher education; if it did not, most colleges would still be offering and requiring Latin or Greek. We sometimes forget that some of our most popular and revered majors are relatively young. For example, the first university-based faculty position in teacher preparation was created shortly after the Civil War, the first journalism school in America was established in the 1900s, and the field of criminal justice became widely recognized in just the past 50 years. Financial pressures created by the lingering economic downturn and rising student debt have heightened concern among students and their parents about return on their investment in higher education. They’re worried about getting good-paying jobs, and many would prefer to keep their talents here in northwestern Pennsylvania. Edinboro University has a responsibility to the region and its own future to respond to this shift in student interest. We must prepare students to meet regional workforce needs. Our proposed investments in animation, forensic computing, water resource management, and other new or revised programs position us to not only respond but also lead in creating opportunities to expand the region’s economy. We are making these and other changes because we must, and because they make sense – for our students, the region and the future. Edinboro University is strong, and with your support it will grow stronger. It is an institution that has transformed itself many times in its remarkable 156-year history to become the Edinboro University we know today. I am confident that the necessary and sometimes difficult actions we are taking now will position it well to become the Edinboro University of tomorrow. I hope I can count on your support as we move forward. Share with friends and acquaintances that Edinboro is a great choice for undergraduate and graduate education. “Choose Excellence. Choose Edinboro.”

Dr. Julie E. Wollman, President

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EDINBORO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 1

WALKER VIEWS PARTICIPATION IN ACTIVITIES AS OPPORTUNITY. HIS MESSAGE TO FELLOW EU STUDENTS: “GET INVOLVED.”

the average college student to being very involved, and I see that as such an opportunity and it creates a real support system,” Walker said. “And I want to pass that message on to the kids here. Get involved. Everyone’s always saying, ‘You’re always moving, you’re always busy,’ and I’m having fun doing it. You get involved and it really helps everything else.” One of the University community’s most active students, Walker also serves the University as a Resident Assistant, Highland Ambassador and Student Government Association congressman. SGA President Andre Roberts was effusive in his praise of Walker. “I have known Shaquan Walker since he was a freshman here at Edinboro, and it has been wonderful to see him grow from a new student to a student trustee,” Roberts said. “Shaquan is one of our top student leaders at Edinboro. With Shaquan’s passion for student success, I believe he will be one of the best student trustees Edinboro has ever had.”

Prior to his appointment, Walker was already busily representing EU at important functions, including a July trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as part of a four-student delegation from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) to discuss educational and financial aid policy at the federal level. “The PA delegation, we took information regarding the FAFSA. The FAFSA reflects a cookie-cutter student, but there really isn’t that anymore. Everybody’s different,” said Walker. “We really focused on that, really doing more in-depth background checks on the FAFSA to see where our money is going to and how much we can really afford to contribute.” In addition to high-ranking policymakers, Walker spoke with students representing schools in Virginia, West Virginia and Idaho. He was excited to hear about the policies and programs that were and were not working at their respective campuses, adding, “It really was a learning experience. I felt like I could take some of the ideas they had that are working great at their universities and bring them back to Edinboro University.”

his is a really big turning point in my college career,” a concise Shaquan Walker said of his recent appointment by Pennsylvania Gov. Thomas Corbett to serve as student representative on the Edinboro University Council of Trustees. The junior year student, a native of Greenville, Pa.,who is double majoring in Sociology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Political Science, fills the vacancy created in May when student trustee Terry Darcangelo graduated. He will serve as the student representative on the COT, the University’s governing body, until his graduation from Edinboro or his term expires in August 2017. As a member of the COT, Walker maintains the same voting rights and responsibilities afforded to all council members. In addition, the student trustee may be called upon to represent the University at official functions such as commencement and convocation. In accepting the position, Walker said he looked forward to becoming a spokesperson for all University students. He is interested, in particular, in addressing enrollment issues as well as the overall academic and social success of the student body. “I would like to see if I can work to get enrollment up and keep kids here on this campus. I went from being

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SHAQUAN WALKER NAMED STUDENT TRUSTEE

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eld in June, the inaugural Xavier and Tina Williams Summer Business Academy brought young men and women from 19 high schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Washington, D.C., to the Edinboro University campus for five fun-filled, summer camp-like days of workshops, field trips and social events designed to introduce them to the field of business. The 24 students, ranging in grade level from 9-11, enjoyed immersive seminars focused on team building, business strategy and management, financial regulation, marketing and problem-solving, as well as financial planning for college. They also met with faculty from the EU School of Business and regional business leaders, and toured the Lord Corp., a diversified technology company located in Cambridge Springs, Pa.

“The highlight was probably seeing them give their business plan presentations and seeing it all come together,” said Dr. Scott Miller, Acting Dean of the School of Business. “Seeing these young minds that came in, many of them not knowing anything about business, and having them create a business concept, a business idea, and put it together into a workable business plan in such a short period of time. It was really great.” Miller is referring to the Academy’s culminating activity: the presentation of a business plan the students worked on throughout the camp. For the activity, the young scholars were put in groups and asked to create a hypothetical business and devise a plan for how to effectively build and market a product. They assumed

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roles within the company (President, Vice President of Marketing, Director of Finance, etc.) and presented their business plans to the group and a panel of judges, including Dr. Miller; John Onorato, Director of the Northwest Regional office of the Department of Community of Economic Development; and Edinboro faculty members Joseph Nwankpa and Melisa Zimmerman. Current Edinboro students worked alongside faculty and staff to facilitate the Academy, acting as “coaches” for the four- or five-student teams. “We had five of our upperclassmen – one was actually a recent graduate, he graduated in May – from various different majors, and those five were coaches. It was an educational role as well as a chaperone role,” Miller added.

At the conclusion of the Academy, each student was awarded a certificate of achievement and the judges handed out five awards: Best Presentation, Best Business Plan, Best Teamwork, Most Professional and Best Product Concept.

They then enjoyed an ice cream social. The Academy was such a success that many students were asking to return next summer. “They want us to do an advanced one; they want us to do a second level,” said Miller. “Have higher-level classes for students who’ve already been through the program, so that they can then add to what they’ve learned.” While an advanced Academy for returning students is unlikely at this time, Miller and the School of Business are already excitedly preparing for next year’s event with high hopes to make the Academy an annual summer camp for young entrepreneurs looking to get a head start in the tough but rewarding world of business.• • • • • • •

SUMMER BUSINESS ACADEMY PROVIDES EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO ENTERPRISING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Students from 19 high schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York

and Washington, D.C., attended EU’s inaugural

Summer Business Academy

The event’s removal from the Olympic program drove the younger Baumgartner to “put forth my best effort to try and spread the word of wrestling in a positive light” in his position at USA Wrestling. “I’ve grown up around wrestling at the Olympic

level, with watching my dad compete, and so it has a special place in my heart, and to see it taken away from the Olympics like that dug deep,” he continued. “There were some assignments that I was working on where I was really trying hard to make sure I did my best work so I could try and impact things as best I could.” A campus media all-star who has covered ’Boro athletics as a writer and later Sports Editor of the Spectator and currently serves as the General Manager of E-TV, Baumgartner saw his hard work rewarded on Sept. 8, when the IOC changed course on its February 2013 vote on 25 core sports that would make up the Olympic program, beginning with the 2020 games in Tokyo. Wrestling would be included after all. “My boss from USA Wrestling called me and thanked me again, and said I should be celebrating this as much as they are,” Baumgartner said of the decision. “It was pretty cool to be a part of that campaign and

see it succeed.”

hen the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reached a decision in early September to return wrestling to the Olympic program for the 2020 and 2024 games, the news was felt with particular verve by one Edinboro University student. Bryan Baumgartner spent his summer working toward that very goal as an intern at USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport of wrestling in the United States. “I worked on a couple of different social media campaigns with USA Wrestling,” Baumgartner explained. “And one of the really unique things I got to work on this summer was the Keep Olympic Wrestling movement.” According to the senior Journalism and Mass Communications major, “USA Wrestling went into full-on crisis management mode” when the organization learned wrestling, one of the original Olympic sports, would be removed from the games. Baumgartner has a personal connection to the sport: His father, Bruce Baumgartner, EU’s Director of Athletics, is a four-time Olympian and winner of four Olympic medals – two gold, earned at the 1984 games in Los Angeles and the 1992 games in Barcelona, Spain; one silver (Seoul, 1988); and one bronze (Atlanta, 1996).

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Bryan Baumgartner at USA Wrestling in Colorado Springs, Colorado

States Commission, and like the one he created for Edinboro’s President, they will be fired in a wood kiln. The third-year student is throwing the same forms for each of the mugs, but because of the wood firing each will be unique. Clay works fired in a wood kiln naturally get ash and raw fire on them, a process called “flashing.” The process leads to color variations – from white to red, brown and orange, depending on where the fire hits each pot – and a buildup of ash and ash strips, lending each object an even more distinct appearance. Sonney says he enjoys the “functional pottery” side of the ceramics field and is considering graduate school, likely following a year-long residency or studio tech position, after he completes his studies at Edinboro. His ambition is to be both a potter and a college-level ceramics teacher. “I would love to teach,” Sonney said. “With ceramics, it’s about keeping the art going. You teach it to new kids, who will teach it to more kids, and the art lives on.”

hen Fine Arts - Ceramics major Dylan Sonney was delivering mail to Reeder Hall this summer, he enjoyed joking with the office staff and would playfully ask for a sit-down with EU President Julie E. Wollman. He never expected that he would be asked by the President to craft gifts for the University to give the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. “I delivered the mail all summer, and Barb (Plunkett) in the president’s office, I got to know her, and she really liked my ceramic work. So every day, I’d go in and joke, ‘When can I meet the President?’ This went on for like a month and a half,” Sonney said. “One day, the President’s assistant was walking through, and she asked what I was doing at 1:30 the next day. She asked what my reason for wanting to meet with her was. Well, we’d done a wood firing, and it was the first wood firing we did in two and a half years.” While the wood-firing kiln had to be sealed before President Wollman had an opportunity to see it, Sonney reasoned that he could at least show her the fruits of his labor. “I said, if I’m going to meet her tomorrow, I’m going to give her one of my mugs and say thank you for your appreciation of the arts.”

Dr. Wollman has decorated Reeder Hall with a great deal of student and alumni art work, much of it ceramic and sculpture, a thing that did not escape Sonney’s notice during his daily visits to the building. The President liked the mug he gave her so much that the following day she asked him if he would be willing to make gifts for the Middle States accreditation team that visits the University every 10 years. At each visit, gifts are purchased for the Middle States members, but Dr. Wollman told Sonney she wanted to do things differently. According to Sonney, “She said that when she took her job here, she would always buy all of her Christmas presents and gifts for her family from art students, and she said she wanted to take that even further and give them (the Middle States team) art from an Edinboro student to represent the art program.” “I didn’t know that would happen,” he continued. “I just wanted to say thanks for supporting art.” Sonney is making 12 porcelain mugs for the Middle

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“WITH CERAMICS, IT’S ABOUT KEEPING THE ART GOING.”

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Romania. Our mission was to teach basic English language skills and American history to the Romanian officers and staff,” said Kimble. “We would be in a classroom setting five days a week and travel on the weekends to visit castles, the Black Sea and various Romanian cities. In return for our English lessons, our Romanian counterparts would have us participate in land navigation, survival skills, climbing and rappellingmountains. I would not trade this experience for anything.” Another group of cadets attended the Leader Development and Assessment Course at Fort Lewis,Washington. At LDAC, cadets perform to their best ability in a plethora of events to demonstrate their

select group of Edinboro University students experienced some once-in-a-lifetime moments this summer. For them, enrollment in the University’s Army ROTC program has provided unparalleled opportunities for learning, training and travel. Over a dozen cadets trained at various locations across the United States, and a few even traveled internationally. Three cadets – T.J. Rose, Zachary Barnes and Natalya Kimble – traveled to Romania for three weeks as members of the Cultural Understanding and Language Proficiency Program (CULP). “This summer I had a wonderful opportunity to be part of a team of 13 cadets and travel all over Romania and be stationed with the 21st Mountain Troops Battalion in Predeal,

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EDINBORO UNIVERSITY ROTC CADETS RETURN FROM A SUCCESSFUL SUMMER OF TRAINING

EU Once Again Named “Military Friendly”For the fourth consecutive year, Victory Media, Inc., a veteran-owned business and publisher of G.I. Jobs and the Guide to Military Friendly Schools, has named Edinboro University to its coveted “Military Friendly Schools” list.

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military skills. The course included events such as the Army Physical Fitness Test, land navigation, obstacle courses and field training exercises, in which cadets take turns running through military tactical scenarios. The students work with each other during specific training events, but in the end are ultimately competing for a top place on the national Order of Merit List. Cadets who attended this summer were Andrew Hall, Christian Smith, Kyle Sulecki, Jacob Crowe, Allison Smik, Tim Yu, Robert Jaeger, Leanne Berndt, Thanh Huynh and Sean Gwin. Gwin also attended the Nurse Summer Training Program at Fort Stewart, Georgia, immediately following LDAC. “NSTP provided me with real-world experiences that I had not seen in nursing school. This three-week paid internship was designed to introduce me to the role and responsibility of an Army Nurse Corps Officer,” he said. “I obtained one-on-one clinical experience allowing me to grow and develop my skills as a member of the U.S. Army healthcare team. I worked on a Family Care unit, exposing me not only to the soldiers, but to their families as well. I also had the opportunity to work in the operating room and emergency room. Some of the experiences I had are unbelievable.” A handful of cadets who went to LDAC also attended an additional program called Cadet Troop Leader Training (CTLT). This program is for cadets who are closer to graduating, and is usually an addition to their summer training before or after LDAC. CTLT is similar to an internship: Cadets are given a test run at an Army job they could be assigned to after graduating college and commissioning as an officer through ROTC. The cadets who attended this were able to practice and improve their leadership skills while shadowing an officer who works in a profession in which the cadet is interested. Commenting on CTLT, Smik explained, “I had the opportunity to work with an aviation unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State. I was able to experience many different things that a platoon leader might experience in an aviation unit. I also had the unique opportunity to fly in a CH-47 Chinook with

the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. I also experienced what it is like to fly in a simulated AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. I had the great opportunity to fly the simulated helicopter, fire simulated rockets and machine gun rounds, and get a feeling of what it is like to be a pilot in the United States Army.” Three cadets attended Air Assault and Airborne school this summer. Cadets who successfully complete one of these schools receive the corresponding Army badge to wear on their uniform. Completion is a distinguishingachievement – not all students who attend make it to graduation day. This summer, Cadet Jordan Wisniewski graduated from Air Assault School. The course is seemingly short (only 10 days), but it is extremely rigorous. Aircraft safety and rappelling from an aircraft are the primary learning points. The final event of the course is a timed, 12-mile foot-march, performed while carrying all of the cadet’s equipment. The cadets must pass each individual event in order to graduate. Those who make the grade receive the Air Assault Badge. Zachary Barnes and T.J. Rose completed Airborne school this summer. Upon successful completion of Airborne School, a cadet earns the Paratrooper’s Badge, called “Jump Wings.” Cadets spend three weeks training, taking a physical fitness test, flight safety and regulation training, and jump out of aircraft at 1,250 feet in the air. The Army ROTC program at Edinboro University provided all of these cadets with many challenging and rewarding experiences. Their success underscores the continued growth of the ROTC program as well as the successful founding of EU’s Veterans Success Center, which provides military veterans, current service members and their dependents with access to an affordable, high-quality education and comprehensive support services to meet the individualized and diverse needs of student veterans.• • • • • • •

Nursing ExcellenceEU Nursing program graduates have an impressive 96 percent National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rate.

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“Fat Jersey Blues,” a book of poetry by John Repp, professor of English, was named the winner of the 2013 Akron Poetry Prize. The book bested 385 entries to take the prestigious award. The Akron Poetry Prize is awarded annually by The University of Akron Press. The competition is open to all poets writing in English. The winning poet receives $1,500 and publication of his or her book. The final selection is made by a nationally prominent poet, with this year’s prize awarded by National Book Award nominee David Kirby.

Dr. David Hurd, professor of Geosciences and planetarium director, accepted an invitation from NASA to attend the launch of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) on Sept. 6 at Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. Hurd also was on hand at the public events leading up to the launch to help enlighten the public on the mission as well as share copies of his tactile book, “Getting a Feel for

Lunar Craters.” Authored by Hurd with support from NASA’s Lunar Science Institute, “Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters” is a primer on lunar cratering geared for blind and visually impaired students. He has also been invited to be on hand for the launch of NASA’s next Mars mission in early November.

A work by Rachael J. Burke, professor of art, was included in the 56th Chautauqua Annual Exhibition of Contemporary Art. Burke’s work, “Fragments,” was painted on layered canvas and Mylar. Janne Siren, director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, selected 22 artists for the juried national show, which was held in July in the Strohl Art Center at Chautauqua Institution. In addition, Professor Burke’s oil painting “Contemporary ruins: Broken” was included in the 77th National Midyear, displayed through Aug. 18 in the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.

Dennis Hickey, associate professor of history, traveled to Mumbai, India, this summer to participate in a 10-day seminar titled “21st Century Megacities and Villages.” The trip was administered through the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), a nonprofit, nongovernmental exchange organization that promotes international education. CIEE offers faculty development seminars for U.S.-based university professors and administrators. The courses were held at the Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research. Following the academic portion of his trip, which ran June 2-13, Hickey visited several historical sites across the country, including Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, site of the Taj Mahal.

Dr. Andrew Pushchak, program head for Educational Leadership, served on a distinguished panel for a discussion of issues related to early childhood education at the 11th annual Economic Research Institute of Erie conference on July 29. The theme of the conference, which was attended by more than 200 business, community and education leaders, was “Investing in Kids: Can Early Childhood Education Be an Economic Development Strategy?” Dr. Pushchak was chosen for the panel in recognition of his unique combination of qualifications and perspectives as an educational leadership professional who also has recent firsthand experience related to early learning as a parent. He and his wife, Laura, have three daughters and two sons whose ages range from 1 to 8.

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ans of “The Dead Files,” the Travel Channel’s paranormal investigation series, got a ’Boro-specific treat when Dr. Jim Roberts, chairman of the Department of Health and Physical Education, appeared as a featured expert on the show’s June 28 episode. “I have been told that I came across very intense,” Roberts said of his friends’ reaction to his appearance on the show. “My response to my friends has been, ‘It is a show about death, not an opportunity for me to try out my stand-up routine.’” On “The Dead Files,” Steve DiSchiavi, a former homicide detective, and Amy Allan, a physical medium, investigate unexplained paranormal phenomena from their two often-conflicting perspectives. The episode, titled “Lethal Waters,” concerned a shocking case of paranormal activity at the Riverside Inn, the historic

hotel and dinner theater located in Cambridge Springs, Pa. Dr. Roberts stepped in to help DiSchiavi get to the bottom of the potential dangers of the mineral spring water that brought thousands to Cambridge Springs in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Needless to say, revelers hoping to take advantage of the water’s purported health benefits were in for a rather rude awakening. “These people would go there for a fountain of youth or for a cure-all from this mineralized water and the question was raised, was this helpful or possibly harmful,” Roberts said. “I interviewed with him as a health expert regarding whether some of their theories could be true or not based on the water they were drinking.” While he had previously appeared on some local cable access television programs, this was Roberts’ first taste of the national TV limelight, and he

found he might have a flair for it. “Nothing like this has ever happened before,” he said of his experience on “The Dead Files” set. “The producers of the show were great to work with, and the anticipation of the show and wondering how much of the interview would be used was very exciting.” “It was fun to be a part of something like this, to experience it and see what it was like,” he continued. “It was really a great experience.”

JIM ROBERTS BRINGS SCIENCE TO THE SPOOKS ON “THE DEAD FILES”

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Dr. Jim Roberts’ appearance on the Travel Channel series “The Dead Files” profiled

paranormal activity at the historic Riverside Inn

ike the zombies and other creatures of the night that have played a major role in its cult resurgence, VHS refuses to die. Bolstered by an underground community of horror and rare film fans, VHS tapes, like vinyl records before them, have been making a slow crawl back into the mainstream as a collector’s item. One such collector is Edinboro student Dan Kinem, who along with EU graduate Levi Peretic, ’13, co-directed the documentary “Adjust Your Tracking,” about the thriving culture of VHS collecting. Making the film was a collaborative effort, combining the technical skills Peretic acquired as a film major and journalism student Kinem’s abilities as an ace interviewer. The pair edited more than 1,000 hours of footage into the finished 84-minute film, which toured theaters across the country this summer and fall. “My earliest memories were with VHS, and that’s really where I became a film fan, from watching movies on tape,” Kinem said. “It wasn’t until about three or four years ago that I got hardcore into collecting and at that point I didn’t know that other people were collecting tapes. I thought I might be one of the few people that were doing it. And then slowly I realized that other people had started collecting.”

Kinem saw an opportunity in being part of the larger VHS collectors’ community. “The idea for the movie came about when I realized that more people were taking VHS seriously, companies were popping up and releasing new movies on tape, the New York Times did an article about VHS,” he continued. “I was already in this collecting community, and I knew I could use that to my advantage and make a movie about it – that the time was right.” After he was introduced to Peretic by a mutual friend because of their shared interest in rare and classic films, the pair quickly decided to put their respective skills to good use and collaborate on “Adjust.” Production on the documentary was a grass-roots effort. To offset the cost of travel associated with driving

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Dan Kinem, left, and Levi Peretic

across the country to interview VHS collectors and film experts, the two started a Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign that raised nearly $4,000. “We had already done some of our interviews out of pocket but knew that to really get the full scope of the community we’d need to travel across the country,” Kinem said. “So I figured out how much it would cost – $3,000 just for the gas – and we put that out there, and the support was huge. Without that, we wouldn’t have been able to do as big of a movie as we wanted to.” Compared to many documentaries, which often spend years in production, the turnaround time on “Adjust” was brief, Kinem said. The documentary was completed in April 2013, roughly a year after the first interviews were committed to film. And much of the footage was shot during Kinem and Peretic’s marathon cross-country trip. “In 21 days we went around the entire country by car, with four people in a Honda Fit, which is really tiny,” he laughed. “But we got incredible stuff and met great people, so it was more than worth it.” Since its April 5 premiere at the Days of the Dead Festival in Los Angeles, “Adjust Your Tracking” has screened all over the country, garnering glowing reviews and major media attention, including an article on Time magazine’s website. “It’s insane,” Kinem said of the attention. “There’s been a lot of amazing support for the movie. I hope that it just continues. It’s been pretty crazy to see all of this buzz surrounding VHS and the movie specifically.It’s been amazing.”

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Dr. William G. Pettigrew Jr., ’70, Mars Area School District Superintendent, recently received the 2013 Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Award for Leadership in Public Education. He also was named 2013 Pennsylvania Rural Educator of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Rural & Small Schools.

Pettigrew, who is retiring this year, previously served as superintendent and assistant superintendent of Penncrest School District; an elementary principal at Shippensburg Area and Tussey Mountain school districts; and as an elementary teacher at Hempfield Area School District.

John Calderone, ’70, M’71, Ph.D., chief executive at Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles, has been named the recipient of the 4th Annual Healthcare Administrator Award, presented by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

Dr. Calderone also is a member of the Hospital Association of Southern California and has been voted Chair-Elect by the association’s executive committee.

Suzanne Simon Dietz, ’73, author and historian, was awarded the 2013 Silver Medal in Biography by the Military Writers Society of America for her book, “My True Course: Dutch Van Kirk Northumberland to Hiroshima.”Dietz is the historian for the Aero Club of Buffalo and the town of Porter, N.Y. She writes and researches for the Niagara Aerospace Museum, Niagara Falls, N.Y., and lectures on local history topics. She is married to her high school and college sweetheart, Raymond Dietz, ’73.

Kathy Pape, ’75, president of Pennsylvania American Water and a member of the Edinboro University Council of Trustees, was elected chair of the

board of directors of the Pennsylvania Business Council, a business association that works to make the Commonwealth more economically competitive. Pape is the fourth Chair and the first woman to lead PBC.

Pape currently resides in Mechanicsburg, Pa., with her husband, Robert.

Albert A. Puskaric, ’75, a resident of White Oak, Pa., earned designation as a National Board Certified Teacher and was the first in Pennsylvania to qualify in the area of manufacturing and engineering. He is now retired, having taught in Pittsburgh and McKeesport, as well as the Community College of Allegheny County.

Bob Villella, ’75, became Ellwood City borough manager in July.

Richard Bukoski, ’84, is the head of new programs in communications and media studies at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in central Pennsylvania. He previously worked in radio and television, using the name Rick Shepard since 1984, most recently as news director and copywriter at Forever Broadcasting in Johnstown, Pa.

Mary Anne Vandivort, ’87, was promoted to manager of Jordan-Newby Library Branch of the Norfolk (Va.) Public Library. She previously served as manager of the library’s Horace Downing Branch. Vandivort lives in Chesapeake, Va.

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Barbara Singer, M’89, was recognized by Worldwide Who’s Who for Excellence in Geriatric Care Management. She is a member on the Pennsylvania Council on Aging, the Erie Independent Council on Aging, Northwest Council on Aging, and the National Association of Professional Geriatrics Care Managers.

Edwin K. Morris, ’89, received the Thomas J. Froehlich Award from the School of Library and Information Science at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. The award is given to a recent graduate for demonstrating academic excellence and promise for leadership in the field of Information Architecture and Knowledge Management. Morris lives in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Mohammed Bhatti, M’91, was featured in Nomad, Islamabad, for his collection of paintings titled “Absurd Illusions.” His collection is a representation of social and political issues in Pakistan.

Mike Rader, ’91,was honored with a screening of his film “Man vs. Ultraman” at the 2013 Manhattan Film Festival. The film won the Vanguard Award for Best Experimental Film at the 2012 Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, and went on to receive the Honor of Merit at the 2012 Lucerne International Film Festival.

It has also screened at the famed Anthology Film Archives in New York City’s East Village.

The film led to a major show of Rader’s works at The Christopher Henry Gallery in Manhattan. The two-floor installation of works included a more-than-30-foot-long canvas in addition to original paintings and pieces from the film.

The interview Rader conducted last year with the New Filmmakers Series can be seen on their website at newfilmmakers.com. Rader and his wife, Sherry, live in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Douglas King, ’92, M’93, of the Special Education division at Erie 1 BOCES, was recognized as Supervisor of the Year by the School Administrators Association of New York State Region 12. King has been working with Erie 1 BOCES for three years, and has been working with students with disabilities for more than 20 years.

He lives in Amherst with his wife, Janine, and their four children.

Shane Murray, who earned his principal’s certification at EU in 1992, has been named superintendent of the Iroquois School District in Erie, Pa., following the completion of his tenure as superintendent of the Jamestown (Pa.) Area School District.

Justin Raymond, ’97, has been named the new principal at Apple Pie Ridge Elementary School in Gainesboro, Va. Raymond previously served as assistant principal at Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School in Ashburn, Va.

Ryan Richardson, ’99, was named principal of White Oaks Elementary School in Burke, Va., in July. He and his wife, Martha, have a son, Gavin.

Christopher Cuzzola, ’99, ’00, and Peter Kuvshinikov, ’08, have been added to the board of directors for the Technology Council of Northwest Pennsylvania.Cuzzola is the president of the Fortitude Group, Inc., where he leads the life science division, which works to provide the health care market with solutions associated with hospital-acquired conditions.Kuvshinikov is an assistant professor of manufacturing and engineering technology at EU and is founder of Tool and Die Productions. He is pursuing a doctoral degree in organizational learning and leadership at Gannon University and was recently sponsored by the European Union to present a paper on entrepreneurship in Poland.

Alexander Herring Sr., ’00, was appointed as administrator to Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12. Herring formerly served as interim director of school/community relations for the Orange County School District in North Carolina as well as principal of Strong Vincent High School in Erie, Pa. He served in the 18th Airborne Corps of the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Amy Pfender, ’00, was named principal of Boyce Middle School in Upper St. Clair, Pa.

She previously was assistant principal at Boyce and Fort Couch middle schools.

Mike Rader, ‘91, poses in front of his artwork wearing a ‘Boro T-shirt his grandfather Lewis Rader gave him his freshman year upon entering

Edinboro U as an art student in 1986

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Kathe Umlauf, ’05, whose specialty is sculpture, was named Alumni Artist of the Year by the Manheim Township High School Alumni Association in Lancaster, Pa. Honors for Umlauf’s work have included the Stimson Award for Sculpture, the Stewardson Award for Sculpture and the Sculpture Prize.

She lives in Cambridge Springs, Pa., and has pieces in many private and public collections throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Jason Kline, M’05, was named principal at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He previously served as assistant principal at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, N.C

Jessica (Reed) Regan, ’06, a home health care nurse for the Visiting Nurse Association of Erie County, Pa., for the last three years, was featured in a nursing profile in the Erie Times-News in May. She resides in Erie with her husband and daughter.

KC Kantz, ’07, was named sports director for WTAJ-TV in Altoona, Pa. Kantz, who began his career in sports broadcasting as weekend anchor with WSEE-TV in Erie, Pa., while still a student at EU, has been part of the WTAJ sports team since 2010.

Leah O’Malley, ’07, M’10, is a guidance counselor at Chartiers Valley High School in Bridgeville, Pa. She previously was a long-term substitute guidance counselor at schools in Mt. Lebanon and Peters Township, Pa., and at the Beattie Career Center in Allison Park, Pa.

Maggie Biebel, ’07, D.O., is serving as primary care physician at Saint Vincent East Harbor Primary Care in Erie, Pa. She is board-certified in family medicine and a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association and the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians.

Leanne Baker, ’07, M’09, who helped the Fighting Scots advance to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and later served as an assistant coach for the team, has been hired as head softball coach by Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. Baker spent the last three years as head coach at Southern Vermont College.

Shaun Hyman, ’08, a Fuquay-Varina, N.C., police officer, recently received his Intermediate Certificate from the N.C. Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Division Commission. Hyman has been employed with the FVPD since February 2011 and serves as a Police Officer II in the Patrol Division.

Ashlee Beckett, M’09, won a Keizai Koho Center Fellowship for 2013, sponsored by the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs in cooperation with the National Association of Japan-America Societies. The fellowship entitled her to spend several weeks in Japan this summer to learn about Japanese culture and society.

David Curry, ’10, was selected to receive the Residential Educator of the Year by the Coalition for Residential Education, a national award honoring teachers who are dedicated to students with economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Curry is a teacher at Milton Hershey School.

He resides in Hershey with his wife, Natalie, and their two children.

Caiden Feldmiller, ’13,released his first chapbook of poems in September. The manuscript, which the English-Writing program graduate

completed while enrolled in Thesis Seminar in Writing, was chosen by Saddle Road Press as the first book of its Forty-Three North Series. Feldmiller lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Julia Warren, and teaches ESL courses for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council as a Compass AmeriCorps member. Feldmiller’s book is available for purchase online from Amazon and Barnes

& Noble. Caiden Feldmiller, ’13, and Pig, Smoking, his first chapbook

of poems released by Saddle Road Press

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David Curry, ’10, left, receives his Residential

Educator of the Year award

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Share your news! Edinboro University Magazine is a great opportunity to keep up to date with your fellow Fighting Scots. Send news about your life and career milestones to news@edinboro.edu.

Edinboro University’s 2013 Homecoming celebration, dubbed “BoroPalooza,” was a runaway success. Famous speakers, a revitalized parade and new campus festival, alumni reunions and a big win over Lock Haven University in football drew record crowds to the ’Boro for the annual event. “We had high hopes for each of the new, exciting events we planned, and every single one of them exceeded our expectations. The enthusiasm from students, alumni and the community was unbelievable,” said Tina Mengine, Vice President for University Advancement. “In every way, this year’s Homecoming involved and celebrated our wonderful students and alumni as well as the greater Edinboro community. We could not have been happier with how it all turned out.” This year’s celebration was designed to better showcase the excellence found at the

University and exemplified by its students and alumni. The long and honored tradition of Homecoming was expanded into a three-day, event-filled festival that celebrated all that is special and unique about EU. The festivities kicked off on Thursday, Oct. 3, with the first-ever Homecoming keynote address, delivered by nationally acclaimed author and educator Erin Gruwell. Gruwell, who was portrayed by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank in the 2007 film “Freedom Writers,” spoke of the importance of education before a standing-room-only audience in Louis C. Cole Auditorium – Memorial Hall and signed copies of her book, “The Freedom Writers Diary.” Friday’s 22nd Annual Alumni & Friends Homecoming Golf Outing again drew EU

alums from across the country to Culbertson Hills Golf Resort for a day of sporting fun. Homecoming 2013 also saw the return of the Kilted Mile Run. Established in 1993, the Kilted Mile was a favorite for many years, and proved a huge success upon its return to the EU campus on its 20th anniversary. The Run preceded the Homecoming parade on Saturday. The parade, an annual community favorite, was bigger, brighter and more student-focused than ever before, and featured special appearances by the Mummers All-Star Band, Zem Zem Shriners and Edinboro University Alumni Marching Band. The parade was followed by one of the weekend’s new additions – the BoroPalooza On-Campus Festival. Beginning with a lunch for the community hosted by Edinboro University President Dr. Julie E. Wollman, the festival included music, children’s activities, demonstrating artists, student art club sales, hayrides, a trebuchet pumpkin launch and much more. As the festival concluded, attendees made their way to Sox Harrison Stadium for the Homecoming football game. Much like every other event of Homecoming 2013, the game was a rousing success, with the Edinboro Fighting Scots defeating the Lock Haven Bald Eagles 31-6. Never one to rest on its laurels, the University is already planning next year’s celebration, which is planned for Oct.2-4, 2014.

HOMECOMING 2013 PROVES BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!

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IN MEMORIAMAlumniWanda Rita Swiecki, ’36, Oct. 18, 2013James Stuart Ackelson Jr., ’42, July 4, 2013Frederick Large, ’54, Aug. 9, 2013Steve Musiek, ’58, Aug. 17, 2013Charles L. Carberry, ’61, May 26, 2013Beverly Jean (Johnson) Hart, ’61, June 20, 2013Lynda Holmes, ’63, July 13, 2013Dorothy A. (Kilbane) Taylor, ’64, June 9, 2013Esther (Carberry) Halmi, ’64, July 29, 2013Floyd N. Franke, ’65, March 5, 2013Chris Van Epps, ’67, June 4, 2013Brian Connolly, ’69, June 19, 2013James Mullaugh, ’70, Aug. 15, 2013Mary Lynn (Clover) Piper, ’70, Aug. 28, 2013Donald Kerber Jr., ’71, April 29, 2013Georgianne (Ridley) Burnett, ’71, June 4, 2013Ruth Christy, ’71, July 13, 2013Cynthia Horton Williams, ’72, July 10, 2013Pricilla (Coffaro) Carr, ’73, May 21, 2013Elinor A. (Diehl) Tyler, ’73, June 12, 2013Kathleen Ann (Maloney) Schupp, ’73, June 24, 2013Francis Mango-Thompson, ’73, Aug. 12, 2013Jeffrey Idzik, ’74, Jan. 25, 2013 Craig J. Fisher, ’74, May 2, 2013

Lynne Ann Olsovsky, ’74, May 27, 2013Susan Myers, ’76, ’88, July 30, 2013Erica (Dahlkemper) Baughman, ’78, May 24, 2013Jill (Patterson) Oakes, ’78, Aug. 28, 2013Harold Westry, ’80, May 9, 2013William F. Held, ’81, May 8, 2013Douglas J. Furno, ’88, May 16, 2013Stephanie Williams, ’93, July 5, 2013Myra Schneider, ’93, July 17, 2013Darlene Scavona, ’95, July 2, 2013Kevin Tucceri, ’98, July 20, 2013Patrick DiPaulo, ’98, Aug. 22, 2013Christine Walk, ’99, July 1, 2013Michelle Willey, ’00, Aug. 1, 2013Deborah Ann (Lewis) Harvey, ’01, May 24, 2013Frank B. Bartosek Jr., ’03, May 21, 2013Karol Tomszak, ’03, July 13, 2013

Former EmployeesRobert Adams, retired School of Business professor, May 29, 2013John Bausch, former security guard, July 12, 2013Dr. Jack E. Williams, retired Dean of Graduate Studies and Academic Administration, Oct. 15, 2013

ana Webb, ’09, M’11, turned a personal tragedy into a story of hope and support when she signed up for the Ride for Roswell, a fundraising bike ride held on June 22, benefiting the Buffalo, N.Y.-based Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Webb’s father, Scott, passed away on May 3 at age 52 from an aggressive form of lung cancer, and the cancer research and treatment center’s quality care

for her father inspired Webb to want to give back. Along with her aunt and grandfather, she tackled the

challenging Ride for Roswell head-on, completing the 62 1/2-mile bike ride, which starts and finishes on the North Campus of the University at Buffalo in Amherst, N.Y., and raising nearly $3,000 for the charity. Webb, who works as a vocational rehabilitation counselor in the greater Erie area, credits Edinboro with her ability to participate, citing her undergraduate education in Health and Physical Education as well as her four years on the University’s softball team as central to her dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle. During her ride, she wore a new EU cycling jersey created through a collaboration by alumni Dennis Packard and Paul Dean with help from Ray Fisher, manager of the Campus Bookstore.

DANA WEBB TURNS PERSONAL STRUGGLE INTO CHARITABLE ENDEAVOR

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Sporting her EU cycling jersey, Dana Webb, ‘09, M‘11, completed

the 62 1/2-mile Ride for Roswell benefiting the Roswell Park Cancer Institute

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ANY GIFT, ANY SIZE, CAN ADD UP TO SOMETHING BIG

Ways to give:You can make a one-time gift, set up a recurring gift or satisfy an existing pledge.

OnlineOur online giving site allows you to give to Edinboro in a safe and secure environment with easy-to-follow steps. You can use a credit or debit card, or enter your checking account information. www.edinboro.edu/donate

By PhoneCall 814-732-1296; please have your credit or debit card information ready.

By MailEdinboro University | 210 Meadville Street | Edinboro, PA 16444

Planned GivingInclude Edinboro University in your estate planning and receive significant tax and financial benefits. Visit our Planned Giving web pages for more information, or contact us at 814-732-2992.

Memorial GiftsHonor a family member, friend, classmate or faculty member with a gift in support of an area or program of importance to that person. You may also designate the gift unrestricted for use at the University’s discretion. Make this gift online, by mail or by phoning 814-732-1296 to arrange your University giving.

Thank you for supporting Edinboro University!

The Edinboro University Phonathon is an integral part of the University’s fundraising efforts. Our callers are energetic, outgoing students whose main goals are to promote the University and its activities; to build relationships; and to make a case for financial support to your alma mater. This terrific group of committed students takes to the phones five nights a week in an effort to raise participation in the Annual Fund. Gifts to the Annual Fund directly benefit each and every student by providing increased funding to scholarships, enhancing academic programs, funding student programs and activities throughout the year, and providing additional resources needed to maintain a high-caliber university. Student callers enjoy talking to alumni, especially when you share your campus stories and memories. Taking time to speak with an Edinboro student caller means you will hear updates about the University and have an opportunity to ask questions and pass along comments. You can also update your address, phone and e-mail information to ensure that you don’t miss out on receiving information from the University. The Phonathon callers learn firsthand how their education is impacted by the generous donations of thousands of alumni and friends by interacting with donors on a one-to-one basis. We hope you enjoy hearing from our student callers. The next time you receive a call from a student, we invite you to share your Edinboro University enthusiasm and experiences!

THE BEST JOBON CAMPUS!

EU student Phonathon callers from left, Devon Vaow, Brittany Calladine, Whitney Mulrain and Kristine Wagner

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Donkor recently completed a study into how immigrant workers in the live-in care industry in New York City organize their families while working jobs that keep them away from home. The initial conclusions of the project will be presented at the Mid-Atlantic Popular Culture Association’s (MAPACA) November conference.

“The analysis is already yielding interesting conclusions,” Donkor said of the study. “For example, when feminist scholars talk about women having a ‘double day,’ which womenare they referring to? Do women who

do live-in care giving have the ‘curse’ of the double day?” The professor has found that in many cases immigrants performing this sort of live-in remunerative labor do not have “double days.” Instead, they face a very different burden and are often forced to turn the entirety of their personal lives over to their employers, with whom they develop highly personal relationships, for a period of time. The result is a very uncommon domestic situation in which many send their children back to Ghana for care while they devote themselves to work. These workers make good money and save as much as possible so that they can leave their jobs after a few years to resume care for their own families and pursue different sources of income. Donkor’s second area of current research focuses on the Ghanaian immigrant community in Toronto. Canada has in place one of the world’s leading infrastructures with respect to multicultural policy; indeed, the Canadian federal government even has (continued on next page)

ssues of ethnicity, immigration, cultural identity and feminism long have been central to the research of Dr. Martha Donkor, associate professor in Edinboro University’s History, Anthropology and World Languages Department. “Very few mainstream Americans understand the immigrant experience because they’ve never been one,” Donkor said. “So unless you write about that experience, the image continues. As an academic, I think I owe it to myself and my community to challenge cultural misconceptions.” That drive has led to a life’s work of research on immigrants from the West African country of Ghana. Donkor hopes her work will shed light on the immigrant experience, particularly the experiences of immigrant women, from many angles. She is currently involved in two separate areas of research on Ghanaian immigrants – one near its conclusion, the other just starting.

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EU ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. MARTHA DONKOR BELIEVES VERY FEW MAINSTREAM AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE.

“AS AN ACADEMIC, I THINK I OWE IT TO MYSELF AND MY COMMUNITY TO CHALLENGE CULTURAL MISCONCEPTIONS.”• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Shoptalk, volume 6, a collection of interviews with prominent American and international artists, was published in May by the Department of Art. The 15 subjects were profiled by EU MFA students who explored multiple aspects of the artists’ careers and pursuits, ranging from the aesthetic and conceptual underpinnings of their work to technical aspects of their studio practice. The book was edited by Associate Professor Terry McKelvey, who directed students enrolled in the Graduate Seminar in Fine Arts course to interview visual artists in a diverse array of media and to produce articles based on their experience. Students identify and select relevant artists as subjects, research their work and careers, initiate contact with the artists, make travel and interview arrangements, and draft interview questions. Once they have interviewed their artist, they transcribe and edit the interview into a comprehensive article that includes art images, which often requires cooperation with the artists’ galleries. Shoptalk is published about every three years, as a seminar project in the MFA curriculum. Each volume is designed by advanced undergraduate students in the Art Department’s Graphic Design concentration. For the first time this past spring, Shoptalk was simultaneously published online, as well as in a limited print edition. Shoptalk, volume 6, and several earlier volumes of Shoptalk can be viewed using links on the Publications page of the Art Department website: art.edinboro.edu/resources/publications.dot.

MFA STUDENTS PRODUCE 6TH VOLUME OF SHOPTALK INTERVIEWS WITH ARTISTS

does it mean to create this kind of cultural identity or identities within a multicultural state? How does it help the community at the official level?” With Dr. Donkor on the case, these questions and so many more will be answered, giving Ghanaian immigrant communities the attention they need and deserve to be fully represented in our global society.

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CHALLENGING CULTURAL MISCONCEPTIONS (continued from page 17)

been described as an “instigator of multiculturalism” because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration. This makes it the perfect setting for Donkor’s investigation into how Ghanaian immigrants see themselves and their community in relation to a country with formalized multicultural practices. “I’m interested in three of the institutions that give the community its identity – the Ghanaian church, cultural associations and the Ghanaian press. I already started with the church. I have conducted over 20 interviews and intend to do more,” Donkor explained of the unfunded project. “My long-term goal is to publish a book about the Ghanaian immigrant community. This research is the beginning of that journey.” Having grown up in Ghana and later relocating to Canada to complete her master’s degree at the University of Guelph and Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, Donkor already has strong ties to the Ghanaian community in Toronto. Working within a feminist perspective, she is particularly interested in how the transition from the Ghanaian church to the churches in Canada has impacted the role of women in those churches. Canada has different accepted gender norms than Ghana, and Donkor is curious about the tensions created at the family and church levels as women assert themselves. “Once you cross international boundaries your national identity becomes your ethnic identity. But in Ghana, we don’t identify ourselves as Ghanaians,” Donkor explained. “We belong to specific ethnic groups and there are so many of them. So in Toronto you have so many cultural associations. We are establishing a presence. But what

Martha Donkor is Program Head of the Master of Arts in Social Science at EU, and former director

of the Women’s Studies Program

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EDINBORO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 19

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uarterback Cody Harris entered the 2013 season poised to put the finishing touches on an incredible legacy – for both Fighting Scots football and the Harris name. His brother, Trevor Harris, nearly owns the Edinboro record book as a quarterback, having broken every Edinboro passing and total offense record during his years as a Fighting Scot. Cody, the scrappy younger Harris with a reputation as a daredevil, holds a couple of records of his own. And, in one of the few stats where he isn’t already No. 2 to Trevor’s No. 1, the additional yardage needed to leap into second in career passing yardage was in reach. It was in reach, that is, until injury struck in the second game of the season, the home opener against Bloomsburg. Cody sat out games against Cal U and PSAC newcomer Seton Hill, Homecoming vs. Lock Haven, a loss to Erie County rival Gannon and an upset win over 22nd-ranked IUP on Oct. 19. Then, on Oct. 23, word came from head coach Scott Browning that Cody would miss the rest of the season.

Q Browning said EU will request a medical hardship waiver, which will allow Cody to play in 2014. Instead of wrapping up in less than a month, the Harris legacy appears likely to stretch into another year. Whatever the future holds, it certainly has been illustrious thus far. During his years as a Fighting Scot, Trevor Harris made an unforgettable impression. He broke every Edinboro passing and total offense record, and capped his career in 2009 by throwing for 630 yards in an 84-63 loss to West Liberty in the NCAA playoffs. When the time came to replace him, head coach Scott Browning and his staff looked back to where they’d found Trevor: Waldo, Ohio, and the household of Tom and Suzanne Harris, where Cody was wrapping up an outstanding high school career as successor to his brother as quarterback at Marion Pleasant High School. Undaunted by the likelihood that he would be compared to his older brother for another four years, Cody cast his lot with Edinboro on signing day in 2009.(continued on next page)

TIME OUT ON THE PLAY:INJURY DELAYS CODY HARRIS’ COMPLETION OF OUTSTANDING FAMILY LEGACY

as a Human Performance major, and Trevor maintained a better than 3.00 GPA as a Math major. They also are both very giving of their time. In January, they traveled together to the Dominican Republic for a week to assist in a mission trip led by former Edinboro Director of Athletics Jim McDonald. They, along with a number of other representatives of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, built homes for the villagers and worked with the children. “That was probably the biggest experience of my life,” Cody said. “It changed the way I look at things. The way (the people) live – it’s crazy to think that’s how they live.” Perhaps most importantly, the Harris brothers also share the support of their parents. Tom and Suzanne Harris, who also have two daughters, rarely missed a game. And those who sit up near the press box at Sox Harrison Stadium couldn’t miss hearing Suzanne Harris making noise with her clappers or a horn. As they’ve watched their two sons star on the gridiron at Edinboro, life has not always been easy for the Harrises. Suzanne Harris has been battling cancer for most of the time her sons have attended Edinboro, and she and her husband were involved in a serious motorcycle accident last summer that left both with numerous injuries. “It all goes back to our Christian faith,” Cody said regarding his parents’ devotion to following their sons and the difficulties in playing through everything his parents have endured. “They know what it’s like to be there. They sacrifice to make that possible.”

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TIME OUT (continued from page 19)

It soon became apparent that living in his brother’s shadow was never a problem. “It’s not really like that with Trevor and I,” Cody said, dispelling any notion of an unfriendly rivalry. “We’re best friends. It’s an honor to be his brother.” Between them, the Harris brothers have thrown for almost 19,000 yardsand accounted for 151 touchdowns through the air. The numbers compiled by Trevor Harris – now a member of the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts – will be hard to replicate, but Cody has done a fair job of challenging them. Cody ranks second in career completions (628), second in career attempts (953), third in career passing yardage (7,261), third in career total offense (7,404 yards) and is tied for third in career touchdown passes (55). He has even bettered Trevor in a couple of categories: His career completion percentage of 68.2 percent ranks first all-time at Edinboro, and a year ago he finished with nine touchdowns rushing, a record for a quarterback. Browning, who has had the pleasure of coaching both Harrises, can fully appreciate what Cody means to the team.

“Cody brings continuity. He brings consistency,” Browning said. “He’s developed into being a fine leader for us. He extends plays, is a tough kid, and very competitive. He’s a threat not only throwing, but running the ball.” The qualities that have made the Harris brothers excellent Fighting Scots don’t stop on the field.Both are outstanding students. Cody has a 3.82 GPA

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FOLLOWING HIS BROTHER’S ‘BORO LEGACY HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM FOR CODY.

“IT’S NOT REALLY LIKE THAT WITH TREVOR AND I,” HE SAID.

“WE’RE BEST FRIENDS. IT’S AN HONOR TO BE HIS BROTHER.”• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

The favorable comparisons between Cody Harris, left, and older brother Trevor go far beyond the turf at Sox Harrison Stadium

EDINBORO UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE 21

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dinboro University student athletes raised $9,424 in their annual fund drive benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most of any school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). In total, $42,100 in funds were raised by PSAC, the most in NCAA Division II, and the money will go to granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Coordinated by the Edinboro Student-Athlete Advisory Committee with assistance from Dr. Timothy Thompson’s Organizational Communication class, donations were collected at every home athletic event and through fundraising efforts like the fifth annual Student-Athlete Auction, volleyball and basketball tournaments and raffles. Dustin Thomas, the University’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, was thrilled with the results of this year’s fund drive, noting the growth he’s seen in his years as a student athlete on the cross country and track & field teams. “I think it’s great. My first year, we raised just under $2,000, and then you get to this year, just four years later, and we raised over $9,000,” Thomas said. “I think it’s great to see how the student athletes and the University can come together to raise money for a great cause.” Senior Speech and Hearing Sciences major Katie Kelly, a member of the Fighting Scots women’s swim team who is also on the Student-Athlete Advisory

E Committee, was proud that the fundraiser exceeded what many already thought was an outsized goal. “We set a goal at the beginning of the year that many people did not think that we could accomplish,” she said. “Edinboro raising the most money in the PSAC really shows how much hard work we put into this. We tried to do everything we could to make this year a success, and it definitely worked.” Sixteen schools in PSAC participated in the fundraising campaign as part of the ongoing philanthropic alliance between NCAA Division II and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Following Edinboro in money raised were Shippensburg University ($7,168) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania ($6,591). The collaborative effort between student athletics and communications students was so successful that it already has Thompson looking ahead to next year’s Wake-A-Wish fundraiser, with the professor adding, “This was a wonderful partnership, and we look forward to future team efforts.” Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner praised the students’ success, saying it reflected the “quality of people we have here on campus.” “I’m really proud of our student athletes coming through for these kids,” Baumgartner continued. “To work so hard to make a kid’s life a little better, giving of their personal time to help raise this money. I couldn’t be happier with our students.”• • • • • • •

EDINBORO UNIVERSITY LEADS PSAC IN ANNUAL MAKE-A-WISH FUND DRIVE

Members of EU’s athletic teams raised the most money of any school in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference during their annual fund drive benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

John HoranChairperson

Dennis FramptonVice Chairperson

John Pulice

Secretary

Barbara Chaffee

Dr. Raymond L. Dombrowski

Daniel Higham

Virginia McGarvey

Kathy L. Pape, J.D.

Harold Shields

Ronald Steele

Shaquan Walker

Frank BroganChancellor, ex officio

Mary Timashenka, ’80 & ’97President

Darrin Kinander, ’01Vice President

Scott Irlbacher, ’04 & ’06Secretary

David Niemira, ’08Treasurer

James Alexander, ’73

Cheryl Sedler Allen, ’73

Brian Arrowsmith, ’01

Dr. Michael J. Barnes, ’93

Paul M. Belosh, ’69

Susan Crandall, ’72 & ’94

Mark Eisert, ’98

Emily Lucarotti Evans, ’69 & ’74

Dr. Denise Finazzo Gaines, ’71, ’75, ’88

Mitchell Kallay, ’90

Joseph Mineo, ’73 & ’78Lifetime Member

Dr. Michael C. Palermo, ’93

Brian J. Payne, ’09 & ’10

Nicholas Radock, ’03

David Sheneman, ’64Lifetime Member

James R. Stevens, ’85

Daniel J. Walsh, ’08

M. Quinn Zahorchak, ’87

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORSCOUNCIL OF TRUSTEES

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NOVEMBER 2013 | VOLUME 25 | NO. 4www.edinboro.edu

Edinboro University Magazine is published in print twice a year, plus additional issues electronically. All issues past and present can be found at www.edinboromagazine.com