Brought to you by The Keystone Newspaper

...Rewinding to the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters and fast forwarding to the future...

The Keystone would like to dedicateThe Rewind

to Professor Randy Schaeffer who passed away in October 2014.

We wish everyone who graduated in Fall & Spring the best of luck!

The Keystone Newspaper

Lead Editor: Emily Moore

Copy and Content Editors: Olivia Harne, Josh Herring, Andie Heydt,

Emily Leayman and Nova Sienkiewicz

Layout and Design:Emily Moore and Cambrea Roy

Keystone Advisor:Dr. Michael Downing

Keystone

K

What happened to college yearbooks? Have they been exiled permanently to the dust bin of history, a victim of the continuous status updates of the Digital Age? Are we only going to encounter them behind some pane of glass, a dusty, nostalgic curiosity of a bygone era?

Have yearbooks truly gone the way of the dinosaur and the dodo?

The staff at The Keystone News believes there is a place for yearbooks in the Digital Age, and that’s why we are bringing you a Digital Yearbook, dubbed The Keystone Rewind.

This inaugural edition opens with an event that shook the campus, the passing of Professor Randy Schaeffer, to whom the issue is dedicated. Professor Schaeffer taught at KU for 35 years and influenced many lives. In 2013, he received KU’s Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberger Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. He will be missed.

From there, we travel to Stratton where our edi-tor-in-chief, Emily Leayman, interviewed Dr. Carlos Vargas, who stepped into the role of acting president this past year, where he made student recruitment and retention centerpieces of his administration. As you well know, much has changed in the past few months for the Vargases. We now know that Dr. Vargas and his wife Pam will be departing KU for Southeast Missouri State. We wish them the best of luck.

From there we remember how Phi Sigma Pi won a fellowship award, how KU Presents! brought us Big Bad Voo-doo Daddy, and how a contingent of KU faithful traveled to Canton, Ohio for Andre Reed’s induction in to the NFL Hall of Fame.

We remember how Allies held its first parade, SGB promoted student voting, Chance the Rapper entertained students and Piper Kerman packed Schaeffer.

We remember how Jackie Lithgow continues to improve, the KU Jazz Ensemble released a CD, Brain Bug magazine published its inaugural issue, and the Black Student Union held a “die-in” in protest of Ferguson.

We remember how the search for a new president evolved, how gender-neutral bathrooms made their debut at KU, and how KU’s 12th president, Dr. Ken-neth Hawkinson, arrived on campus and was greeted warmly.

We hope you enjoy The Keystone Rewind!

A preview of The Rewind from our adviser

- Dr. D

On reviving the yearbook

This project began last fall when The Keystone staff was discussing long-term publishing strategies. In addition to our online and print publications, we thought—based on our current resources—we had a pretty good shot at reviving the yearbook at KU. As you’ll recall, KU’s long-time yearbook, The Keystonia, had made the decision a couple of years ago to re-in-vent itself as a magazine, an understandable decision in light of the fact that traditional, print yearbooks have, indeed, become impractical.

We believe college yearbooks remain important for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they serve as historical records, they offer publishing opportu-nities to students, and they contain memories that people will treasure for years to come.

We had zero budget, but—as any Keystone News staff member can tell you—our mottos is “work smarter, not harder.” So we thought we could do the first annual Keystone Rewind as a sort of “greatest hits” of the academic year, drawing on stories that students had written for publication in The Keystone News.

That is what you have before you.It wasn’t without drama, however. Staff turnover

from fall to spring created numerous workflow issues, which led to the emergence of Emily Moore, The Keystone’s graphic designer, as the lead editor of the project. She stepped up, I provided guidance, and other members of the staff, including Olivia Harne, Josh Herring, Andie Heydt, Emily Leayman, Nova Sienkiewicz, and Cambrea Roy came together to edit and complete the project.

We learned a lot this year and plan to develop a more efficient workflow model so that we can contin-ue to build the product year after year. For example, although we talked about gathering photos from various student groups, it didn’t happen. Next year, however, we want to include them. Tell your student groups to be prepared for this opportunity. We will put out a call for photos in the fall.

We also would like to invite students from all ma-jors to participate. We envision a proper yearbook

committee, under the direction of The Keystone, which would be charged with producing the book just as our current group publishes the online and print editions of the newspaper.

In the future, we envision articles written specifical-ly for the yearbook: Reminiscence pieces and synop-ses that update our readers on how particular stories may have turned out. Short, creative work would also be welcome.

Collaboration between existing publications would be encouraged. For example, the yearbook might include a few of the best poems from Shoofly or some of the excellent illustrations from Essence (should they wish to share). Reminiscence pieces, mentioned above, could come from Keystonia. Electronic media students could produce a brief “year in rewind” video that could be linked to YouTube. At that point, we would begin to really leverage the benefits of the new digital format.

We hope you enjoy the revived version of the KU yearbook, The Keystone Rewind. My personal thanks to all of the students who worked hard to make it happen.

-Dr. Michael Downing Adviser to The Keystone Newspaper and The Keystone Rewind

KU former associate professor of mathematics dies at 64

Professor Randy Schaeffer passed away on Oct. 22, 2014 at 64-years -old.

According to a KU press release, Schaeffer was an associate professor of mathematics who taught both undergraduate and graduate level classes and supervised student teach-ers since 1980. In 2013, he received KU’s Arthur and Isabel Wiesenberg-er Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Schaeffer also gave much more to the university. “He served as Chair of the University Curriculum Committee, Chair of the General Education Com-mittee, the Advisor for the mathemat-ics honor society Kappa Mu Epsilon, President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics (EPCTM), immediate past Co-Editor of the Pennsylvania Council of Teach-ers of Mathematics (PCTM) Magazine, and former President and current Trea-surer of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Mathematics Association (PASSHEMA),” according to a KU press release.

Professor Schaeffer also helped re-vise the university’s general education curriculum and oversaw new general education requirements. He was on KU’s Sesquicentennial Committee and served on the Alumni Board.

In 1972, Schaeffer graduated Summa Cum Laude from Kutztown University.

Condolences can be sent to Randy’s partner, KU Professor Emeritus Bill Bateman, at 611 N. 5th St., Reading, Pa., 19601. The family encourages donations to the Randy Schaeffer Math

By Julia Grimaldi

Associate Professor Randy Schaeffer Photo courtesy of University Relations

Scholarship Fund, set up through the Kutztown University Foundation. Do-nations to this fund can be made at

http://www.kutztownUfoundation.org, or mailed to the KU Foundation, P.O. Box 151, Kutztown, Pa. 19530.

The viewing and memorial service took place on Oct. 27 in Schaeffer Au-ditorium, the viewing from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and the memorial service from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. At 2:30 on the same day, the burial took place at Charles Evans Cemetery in Reading, Pa.

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While the KU Council of Trustees searches for a permanent president for the university, Dr. Carlos Var-gas-Aburto, acting president, has many goals for improving academ-ics.

“I believe that we need to work on enhancing the student learning experience,” he said.

To do so, Vargas is looking at all areas of the university: faculty, staff, coach and student perspectives.

He believes student recruitment and retention is a critical part of this, since enrollment decreased in the past few years. One action he has taken was meeting with de-partment chairs across campus to discuss retention.

Many chairs expressed concerns of offering enough required classes for students. Vargas said that times when classes are held might cause conflict, since several required classes may run at the same time for a student. In addition, some departments may not have enough faculty.

Because Vargas does not want students to face obstacles to receiv-ing their degrees, he will consider how the number of faculty affects students. Another topic he wants to discuss more is curriculum inno-vation. He will continue conversa-tions with department chairs this year.

Vargas said that appointing vice president of Enrollment Manage-ment Kimberly Scranage is working well to recruit students and the new

marketing cam-paign that started in the spring is being well-received.

KU pride is an-other one of his focuses. On move-in day, Vargas went to develop a sense of pride among new and returning stu-dents by completing the ALS ice bucket challenge. Many stu-dents came to thank him for doing the challenge.

“I think the stu-dents had pride, something I want to promote this year.”

The KU Council of Trustees recently began a nationwide search for a permanent president. Ac-cording to Matt Santos, director of University Relations, a new presi-dent will likely be appointed for the 2015-16 academic year.

Vargas told The Keystone in a recent interview that he plans on applying for the unfilled president position.

Vargas became acting president in July after Dr. F. Javier Cevallos, the former president, accepted a new job at Framingham State Univer-sity in Massachusetts. Before this position, Vargas served as provost and vice president for Academic and Student Affairs. If he does not obtain the permanent position, he plans on returning to his old posi-

tion. He said he and his wife Pam “love this place and prefer not to go anywhere.”

Vargas grew up in Mexico, at-tending the National University in Mexico City and obtaining a bach-elor’s in physics. At the University of Michigan, he earned master’s de-grees in physics and aerospace sci-ence along with a Ph.D. in physics. Previously he taught science labs at KU before dedicating himself to the provost and vice president position.

Even as president, he hopes the students will see him “as a real person.” On weekends, the campus community can find Vargas playing soccer with faculty, staff and some-times students.

“[Faculty and staff] have the ability to push me aside…without retribution,” he said, laughing.

Dr. Vargas emphasizes academic experience and KU prideBy Emily Leayman

Dr. Vargas in his officePhoto by Lindsey Borgman

SEPTEMBER

3-actor Charlie Chaplin

By Patrick Dietrich

Phi Sigma Pi’s KU chapter wins national award

Top (left to right): Patrick Dietrich, Courtney Laub, Jessica Morrow Bottom (left to right): Ashley Craw-ford, Stephen CristianoPhoto courtesy of Patrick Dietrich

Kutztown University’s chapter of Phi Sigma Pi National Hon-or Fraternity, Epsilon Alpha, was recognized for their fellow-ship at the National Convention.

The Claude A. Phillips Excellence in Fellowship Award, which is named after one of the fraternity’s founders, is given out once a year. The winning chapter must demonstrate out-standing fellowship through events held during the 2013-14 school year. The event that won the Epsilon Alpha award was a PostSecret-style event. PostSecret is a community project that people anonymously send their secrets to, which are then posted online.

Amelia Herbst, the Building a Better Brotherhood committee chair, was in charge of the event. “I never could have thought that ideas that came so naturally could not only work so well, but be recognized on a national level”, Herbst said. “It shows that no matter what happens or what issues our brothers go through, we all have the ability to help each other when in need and push our differences aside. We are not only upholding one of our ideals beyond what the national level expects, but we are adding a positive influence to the Kutztown community.”

The atmosphere as the brothers realized their event had won a national award was astounding. “It was electric. We knew when the event was being described prior to announcing the winner that it was our event”, said Jess Morrow, the alternate delegate for the chapter. “I was so excited that whatever was happening in the audience mattered less than what was hap-pening at our table.”

Epsilon Alpha had won this award the previous year for a bonfire event. Students write names they had been called and labels they were given on a piece of paper and threw it into the fire.

Herbst graduated this past semester, but she holds high hopes for the chapter. “Epsilon Alpha has done incredible things and I can see them upholding this standard. Our brothers are capable of anything they put their minds to.”

The National Convention was held from July 31-Aug. 3 in Atlanta.

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KU Presents! hosts Big Bad Voodoo DaddyBy Joshua Herring

The team at KU Presents! has lined up a performing artist series featuring illustrious and talented artists from various cultural cor-ners of the performing arts.

The 2014-2015 season opening event, on Sept. 17, will feature the electrifying swing jazz band called Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

At 7:30 p.m. that Wednesday night, the band will take the stage with a style and sound never be-fore hosted at the Schaeffer Audi-torium: a cool jazz style flare and the notoriously relentless music of the swing jazz era. “With BBVD, you get the zoot suits, swinging cool music, and an overall experi-ence – not just a concert,” says KU Presents! Director Robin Zarems-ki.

The contemporary jazz-rock band has recorded ten albums, sold over two million copies, and has been acclaimed all over the

country for their dynamic revival of the original hipster culture. Zaremski says, “KU Presents! wanted to start the season with an energetic and fun artist and there was no better choice than BBVD. They are a true party band for those who like to dance and get in the mood of a unique era.”

Students may be unfamiliar to the beatnik music of the 1940’s, but according to Zaremski, the university has “an obligation to the students to make their expe-rience more culturally enriching and enlightening.” In addition, she points out that, “From the recent remake of the Great Gatsby to the popularity of Speakeasies and vintage style clothing, I have seen students more than ever embrace the look and feel of this earlier time period.”

With songs like “You, Me, and the Bottle Makes Three” and

“Digga Digga Do” led by vocalist Scottie Morris, Zaremski says, “A BBVD show is for any student who not only loves music, but who also loves an exhilarating experience.”

Before the per-formance, there will be a “Welcome Back” swing dance party hosted on the Schaeffer deck at 6 p.m. The KU Jazz

Ensemble will be there to get your feet moving and swing dance les-sons will be available at 6:15 p.m.

Then, at 6:30 p.m., ACE will be hosting a student-only swing dance competition. There will be three prizes. $75 will be awarded to the first couple, $50 for the second and $25 for the third. Tickets for the BBVD show will be provided for all of the participat-ing and winning couples. Snacks will also be provided. All students are welcome and vintage attire is encouraged.

According to Zaremski, those who come to the pre-performance swing party might also see a sneak peak performance by the Reading Theatre Project and a surprise duet with BBVD lead singer Scot-tie Morris.

Other approaching shows this fall for the KU Presents! perform-ing artist series include a George Gershwin tribute performed by the Reading Pops Orchestra and piano soloist Clipper Erickson on Oct. 6, the GRAMMY award winning banjo duo Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn on Oct. 28, and A Very Brass Christmas performed by Canadian Brass on Dec. 3. Details for all and future spring performances can be found on the KU Presents! website.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy www. soaugusta.org

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KU contingent travels to Canton for Andre Reed induction

By Emily Leayman

On Aug. 1, after the first day of the 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, Matt Santos typed out a detailed account of the unfolding events all from memory.

His blog, KU in Canton, on the university website, documents the time he spent covering KU’s own Andre Reed being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“I took no notes,” he said. “It was writing that was not work. It was so much fun and so interesting to me that it just flowed.”

Since Santos started working at KU in 1992, Reed was one of the most talked-about names in ath-letics at the university. Reed, who played for KU from 1981 to 1984 and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1985, was one of seven inductees in 2014. According to Santos, Reed has been eligible for nine years and has been a finalist several times.

Santos, the director of University Relations and an avid pro football fan, would have probably gone any-way if he did not cover it for work. Despite distractions from nearby Hall of Famers, he was able to cover the experience for Kutztown.

Reed’s induction speech easily gave Kutztown that recognition. Reed put Kutztown on the map by mentioning it on the national stage, and Santos was glad to be a part of that. His other personal highlight was the Gold Jacket Dinner, with its plethora of Hall of Famers from as early as the 1940s.

Santos did not get to talk to Reed, who was booked for the whole event. The closest he got was at the press conference, where a few dozen cameras and reporters sur-rounded Reed. Santos has already encountered him plenty of times when Reed showed up to Kutztown football games.

He recalls one time when he was working at a home football game that Reed showed up to:

“I was doing a public address and I turned to my left and he was standing in the press box next to me.”

Andre Reed giving a speech at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induc-tion.

Santos hopes for KU to get more interpersonal time with Reed by bringing him back to campus during Homecoming. Santos said there have been preliminary talks. The university is currently follow-ing up with his agent. The univer-sity, Council of Trustees and a few local politicians hope to honor him in some way.

KU has had its fair share of play-ers entering professional athletics. The closest news of this scale for Santos was when he went to the NFL draft at Madison Square Gar-den, where KU football player John Mobley was a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos.

According to Santos’s blog, Reed is the only Pennsylvania State

Athletic Conference player to earn a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I think it’s exciting for those of us who are fans of pro football, who have been around Kutztown for a long time, and I think even our current students and the younger generation to know that Kutztown has produced a football hall of fam-er,” Santos said. “It’s pretty unique. Of the 25,000 plus men who have played professional football there [are] only 287 in the Hall of Fame.”

Other KU representatives attend-ed the induction too. Among those were Greg Bamberger, athletics director; Dave Johnson, assistant director of University Relations; acting President Dr. Carlos Vargas and his wife; Tracey Thompson, director of the KU foundation and several KU trustees includ-ing Guido Pichini. Santos said he saw a group of former and current professors and at least one current student.

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Andre Reed giving a speech at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

www.fansided.com

The KU community makes an appearance at the Hall of Fame inductions.Photo courtesy of University Relations

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OCTOBER

-The Bride of Frankenstein, 1935

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Allies of KU to hold first annual pride paradeBy Ellyn Kershner

In honor of National Coming Out Day, Allies of KU will hold their first annual pride parade. The parade will be held on the university’s campus on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 11 a.m.

Allies is a gay-straight alliance orga-nization that supports equality for the GLBTQ community. The organization promotes activism through various cam-pus events. Allies has existed on campus in some form since the 1990s and has made great strides ever since.

The parade is part of a celebration for National Coming Out Day on Saturday, Oct. 11. The purpose of this day is to create awareness of GLBTQ rights. Members of this community are encouraged to “come out” on this day and celebrate their identi-ties.

Shannon Peitzer, chair of Allies Equality Network, organized the parade which will include many other student organizations.

Peitzer is a dual major studying psychol-ogy and professional writing. Some clubs

participating in the parade include the Quidditch Club, Communication Club, So-cial Welfare Club, Anthropology Club, Tau Beta Sigma, FMLA, and KU’s local Oxfam and NAACP chapters.

The parade will begin at College Hill Memorial Grove and continue west on Main Street in Kutztown. It will end on campus by the MacFarland Student Union Building.

Nykolai Blichar, president of Allies at Kutztown, commented on the upcoming event, “…the 1st annual pride parade is a great way to spread both the pride of the

queer community, but also the pride of everyone at KU as a whole. All of the groups involved have put a lot of effort into this event and we hope that it brings not just KU pride, but also pride for being who we are and what we do to better ourselves.”

Students promote the Allies club at KU’s Student Involvement Fair. Photo by Lindsey Borgman

Allies logoPhoto courtesy of Allies of Kutztown University

SGB president Joe Scorbia plans the boundaries of another voting district.Photo courtesy of Mike Regensburger

SGB promotes student voting By Emily Leayman

to SGB so they can provide one or two buses to the polling location. Scoboria said that he attended AP-SCUF meetings to ask for its support, and he said the union has been “very supportive of our efforts.”

SGB worked with the university last year to provide vans to the polling location, but this year, Scoboria wants buses in anticipation of a larger voter turnout. One bus would leave from south campus and the oth-er from the SUB. He believes students care about the upcoming governor’s election because higher educa-tion is one of its top issues.

“Students at Kutztown University and the other 13 state schools have a very close tie with this governor election,” said Scoboria. “I feel like students need to become engaged; they need to research both can-didates who are running for governor, and find the issues that are important to them. Higher education is very important to all of us.”

He estimates that over 200 students have registered to vote from the National Voter Registration Day event SGB coordinated with the Office of Student Involvement a few weeks ago. While the deadline for voter registration ended on Oct. 6, students can still submit absentee ballots by Oct. 28. Both Pennsylvania and out-of-state students can either change their voter registration addresses to Kutztown and vote in this precinct or request an absentee ballot from home.

The Berks County commissioners changed the third precinct polling location from Keystone Hall to the Maxatawny Township Building in August 2013.

Joe Scoboria, SGB president, not only wants to get students registered to vote but wants them to follow up by participating in Election Day. Like last year’s elections, however, voting for many students remains miles away from campus.

SGB will lead an approximately three mile walk to the voting location, the Maxataw-ny Township Building on 127 Quarry Road off Route 222. Students living on campus, on Kutztown Road near the Airport Diner and at the Edge vote at the township building, which lies on the edge of Maxatawny’s third precinct. Scoboria will dedicate most of the day helping students to the building with help from other SGB members.

The walk will include different student media recording videos and taking pictures to raise awareness about the location not being easily accessible by students. Kutztown University Radio will be posting up-to-date statuses on Facebook and groups like Electronic Media ma-jors and The Keystone will join the walk.

“The biggest concern I’m really trying to [ad-dress] is safety,” said Scoboria.

Scoboria met with Paul Quinn, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties, to discuss student transportation to the polls. APSCUF is donating

- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939

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Professional writing student releases first book of poetry

By Dawn Heinbach

KU student, Catherine J. Mahony, was the featured poet at the Oct. 2 meeting of Berks Bards, which takes place monthly at Goggle-Works, Reading, Pa. Mahony’s work brings the hopeful message of recovery from addic-tion by telling her own story, from her time as a home-less heroin addict, to a psychiatric ward inpatient, to a college graduate with many accom-plishments and a fulfilled life. Ma-hony has shared her story at local recovery facilities like the Caron Foundation, White Deer Run and Berks County Prison.

Her first chapbook, “Prior Re-straints,” was released on the same night. The book is a brutally honest compilation of poems that reflect on her experiences during her ad-diction and mental illness. While it took five years for Mahony to build sufficient confidence and skill in her writing before seeking publica-tion, the poems themselves did not take long to write since they adhere to a specific theme.

Her goal with the book is to give a voice to those who are struggling with addiction or mental illness.

“I hope that through reopening my wounds, I can assist others in

healing their own,” Mahony said.Her future plans include a full-

length memoir, of which part one is already completed. The theme

is similar to the chapbook but the longer length allows for a deeper probe of the 12-year-old Mahony’s loss of her mother, her father’s alcoholism and motherhood, which she attri-butes to saving her life.

Mahony is especially sensitive to the rise in heroin deaths in Berks and surrounding counties.

“What I would say to young people today who are considering experimenting with drugs or who are already in the throes of addiction is that your life is a precious gift and you are all here for a very specific reason,” she said. “I guaran-tee that reason is not to fall victim to an addiction that can only end in three ways: becoming institutionalized, becoming incarcerated or the ultimate sacrifice, dying.”

The strength of the opiate and the various substanc-es with which the drug is combined

significantly inflates the danger of trying it even once.

“The potency of the drug which is being distributed today increases the chance of overdose and death exponentially,” Mahony said. “That first line or shot could very well be your last.”

Mahony is available for speaking engagements and offers a thera-peutic writing program to prison inmates and patients in treatment facilities.

Photo of Catherine J. Mahony Photo by Dawn Heinbach

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NOVEMBER

- Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, 1973 12

Chance The Rapper sells out showBy Daniel Makauskas & Patrick Dietrich

Verge Campus Tour brought Chance The Rapper to KU on Oct. 18 for the first big-name-artist-concert in five years. The sold-out crowd filled Schaeffer Auditorium with excitement.

“I was excited about him com-ing and the fact that KU is finally getting larger named artists to come,” said student Thad Picklo.

After opening acts “Young & Sick” and “Sweater Beats” warmed up the crowd, nothing could settle the students except for the man they came to see.

Chance took the stage to a chorus of cheers and opened with one of his lesser-known songs,

“Pusha Man.” This upbeat anthem set the tone for an evening that included brand new snapbacks being thrown into the crowd, backstage passes being distribut-ed freely, and one bold student at-tempting to climb onto the stage.

Chance slowed down the pace of his set list and decided to experiment by playing a brand

new song. He didn’t reveal the title, but Chance noted how he enjoyed “trying out new songs on people between the ages of 18 and 21” because he believes they give the most honest opinions.

Chance took a moment before the new song to present the chorus on the projection screen to the audience, which read, “I believe that if I fly, I’ll probably end up somewhere in paradise.” He re-vealed that this song and many others will be featured on his

upcoming project.A number of students felt that

Chance The Rapper wasn’t what they had been hoping for.

“I honestly wasn’t excited for the concert at all,” said student, Jess Morrow. “It’s not a genre I listen to and I had never heard

of him before, and I know quite a few people who felt the same way.”

Student Chelsea Beaver shared similar feelings.

“I never heard of him until he came to Kutztown,” she said.

The concert was the main event of the Verge Campus Tour, which visited more than 20 colleges and universities across the U.S. This was another reason that some students felt the Homecoming show “didn’t feel special,” as one anonymous student said.

The last concert KU hosted was Jack’s Mannequin in April 2010. Student Government Board hopes to continue bringing artists to KU.

Chance at KU Photo by Mike LaFrance

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Highway trek to polls raises voting awarenessBy Emily Leayman

One hour. Four and a half miles. Afternoon highway traffic. Manure-covered highway shoulders. These were the conditions of the Student Government Board-led walk to the District 3 polling location, where on-campus students were to vote.

SGB President Joe Scobo-ria, who organized the walk and bus transportation to the Maxatawny Township Building, led the way beside Ken Mash, the Association of Pennsylvania State Col-lege and University Faculties president.

The walk started at Key-stone Hall, then continued on to Main Street and Route 222 north. Students carried signs that protested the loca-tion of the polls. Along the way, many cars and tractor trailers honked to show their support. Only one driver yelled at the group for block-ing Quarry Road.

As cars honked, fresh-man political science major Sierra Lynch led the group’s cheers. Lynch participated in the walk to raise political awareness and prove to the Berks County Commission-ers (and other politicians) that students are interested in voting.

Freshman communication studies major Maria Sunick added, “I want people to see [that] as college students we will do all that it takes to let our voices be heard.”

Lynch and Sunick are both SGB representatives and were part of the initiative to get students to the polls.

Lauren Gutowski, a fresh-man business major, said, “I’m here today to make a difference for the college campus and have my opinion [be] heard.”

The Berks County Comis-sioners changed the pollings location in August 2013. Originally located at Key-stone Hall, the location was changed because of low student voting participation and difficult parking for Kutztown residents.

SGB painted on a large sign: “If you can walk to the liquor store, you can walk to the poll.” Scoboria is hopeful that the commissioners will consider reversing their de-cision. The students’ concern was that the Wine and Spirits Store was a little less than a mile from campus but the polling location was almost five miles away. Scoboria calculated the distances on MapQuest.

APSCUF members, includ-

ing KU chapter President Paul Quinn, drove alongside the walkers and acted as buf-fers between the group and highway traffic.

Several faculty members contributed money for the buses that ran all day from campus to the polls, accord-ing to Mash. APSCUF as-sisted with voter registration in October and handed out non-partisan voting infor-mation. APSCUF is working on all 14 Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education college campuses to get stu-dents to vote.

“Faculty care about stu-dents and their right to vote,” said Mash. “We see this as an act of voter repression.”

Scoboria was optimistic about voter turnout during the targeted times of the free hour and after early evening classes.

As the walkers arrived at the township building, they witnessed several student voters just leaving the booths.

Before the group left for campus, Lisa Schnell, an-other voter and wife of KU geography professor Steve Schnell, stopped to tell them, “I have never been prouder of Kutztown students.”

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SGB President Joe Scoboria (left) and APSCUF President Ken Mash, lead the march to the polls. Photo by Emily Leayman

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Piper Kerman packs Schaeffer AuditoriumBy Nova Sienkiewicz

Piper Kerman, the inspiration behind the hit original Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” visited KU Thursday, Oct. 23. A full hour before her speech, the bestselling author and memoirist attracted a crowd outside Schaeffer Auditorium. The event easily filled the 800-seat theatre with students and citizens alike. After seats were filled, many students chose to stand.

Piper Kerman graduated from Smith College. She was over-whelmed by her post-graduation life and soon entered a romantic relationship with a narcotics dealer that forever changed her life. What began as a naïve, whirlwind adven-ture then plummeted to end at an airport in Belgium. There, Kerman found herself searching for a lost suitcase stuffed with drug mon-ey. Ten years later, after a decade of putting her life back in order, she was sentenced to 15 months at Danbury Correctional Facility, Conn.

Kerman shares her story to offer a humanizing look at the people who have become hidden away from society. She hopes that by writing about her experience be-hind bars, people will “come away with a different idea about who is imprisoned in this country.” Some of them are mothers, all of them have a story and have people on the outside who miss and care about them.

Kerman asks the audience to take a better look at public defense reform and prison treatment of

juvenile delinquents. Today, about 2.4 million people in the U.S. are prisoners. The U.S. has the largest prison population in the entire world. Kerman believes that if everyone, regardless of economic standing, received quality attorney representation there would be less conviction’s and shorter sentences.

In her speech, Kerman shared a story of a prison warden who is also a Netflix fan. The warden loves the show because these pop-ular characters, like Crazy Eyes or Pennsatucky, reminded her of her own inmates. Kerman told fans of the show, “If you feel passionate-ly about any of those characters [you must also] remember those characters are grounded in reality, ‘Orange is the New Black’ is not just entertainment, it’s reality.”

Kerman’s speech was followed by a fifteen-minute Q-and-A and book signing. Her memoir “Or-ange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison” is currently available at the KU Bookstore for $16.

Piper Kerman with ACE members Photo by Lindsey Borgman

- Actress Taylor Schilling from Orange Is the New Black

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His progress is slow but sure. According to Pray for Jackie, a blog established by Jackie Lith-gow’s family, the Bloomsburg University student has come a long way from the medically induced coma he was initially placed in. He is “consistently hungry when he wakes up and his swallowing function improves with each day.” He has made great strides towards normalcy, even in something as simple as recognizing the color of a pen and doing basic multiplication problems. He is also learning cell phone skills and participating in physical therapy.

Lithgow was left in a medically induced coma with a significant portion of his skull removed after a February frat house brawl in-volving former KU football players Angel Cruz and Justin Wieder. KU students Eric Condron and Jake Wygant were also initially thought to be involved in the altercation, but have since been cleared of any wrongdoing. Eight months later, the Lithgow family uses their blog to provide updates on his continu-ing recovery.

“The blog has been an amazing source of therapy for my mom and the community,” said Lind-say Lithgow, Jackie’s sister, while discussing how big of an impact public support has had on her family. The Lithgow family has received multiple forms of support, through comments on websites to a gofundme page to raise money.

Jackie has even received atten-

tion from the Phil-adelphia Flyers, his favorite hockey team, who held a special meeting with the Lithgow family at the Wells Fargo Center.

“The local com-munity papers and websites, plus cam-pus articles, have all helped tremendously in the awareness of his situation,” Lindsay said.

Jackie’s story has seen a recent surge in attention due to the fact that Cruz, the former player who threw the punch that injured Lithgow, pled guilty to simple assault on Monday, Nov. 10. As reported by BloomUToday, District Attorney Tom Leipold has vowed to seek the maximum punishment in Cruz’s plea.

According to FindLaw.com, a simple assault charge in Pennsylva-nia lacks the evidence of an “ex-treme indifference to human life” that an aggravated assault charge carries. In that lack of evidence for an aggravated assault charge, Cruz escaped a possible 10-20 years in prison.

According to BloomUToday, Cruz told Judge Gary Norton that “things got out of hand” the night of the brawl. On that night Cruz posted a tweet, which has since

been deleted, which read, “Every-body dies someday.”

Another former KU football player, Justin Wieder, is at home awaiting trial on simple assault charges after posting $100,000 cash bail. According to The Sentinel, witnesses say Wieder started the brawl and injured Donald Hoover, by kicking him in the head. Lind-say expressed the “bittersweet” feeling her family has about Cruz’s guilty plea.

“Even if it ended up not being as long of a sentence as I would have hoped for in this case, I think it is the best possible outcome. It was a senseless act of violence that should never have happened and I hope this is the last time it does. The closure this brings of that horrific night is beyond words and it is such a relief to close the door on that chapter. Now we can truly

Bloomsburg student makes progressBy Nick Carson

Jackie Lithgow Photo courtesy of The Sentinel

17

focus on moving forward,” Lindsay said.

“At one point we were told that he may wake up and not remember our names or who we were,” she said. “That he could easily disappear into a different personality than the Jackie we knew before. Now, he has run through hell and back and somehow has managed to keep his sense of humor, sarcastic remarks that only a sister and friends could love, plus a new laughter that is so contagious that you can’t help but smile next to him.”

The family has often described the eight months since the February brawl as a marathon, due to the fact that Jackie’s long recovery is more of a marathon than a sprint.

Lindsay also said that she is proud of Jackie and her entire family for never letting negativity win in such a terrible situation.

“It’s so hard to see your little brother struggle to do everyday tasks that we all take for grant-ed, and in moments like that it’s very hard to stay true to a positive outlook on everything, but in the end it has absolutely helped hold us together,” Lindsay said.

She also pointed out that it has been a struggle to balance the posi-tivity with the grieving of losing her brother as the person he was before his injuries, but she said it is for Jackie that she learned to love the

“little happy triumphs more than wallowing in the surprise sinkholes of recovery.”

The entire Lithgow family remain positive that despite the long mara-thon, Jackie will return to as normal of a life as possible.

“He’ll go back to college one day, he’ll fall in love, he’ll have a family and he’ll be a part of the world like everyone else. It’s just going to take him a little longer to get there,” Lindsay said.

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19

DECEMBER

-It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946

Oct. 22, marked the sev-en-year birthday of an honor-able canine on the KU campus. She is a charming, sweet and hard-working black Labrador retriever named Peru.

Her owner, Genevieve Smith, spoils her loyal pooch with a rotating menu of home-cooked food each week and knew she had to go above-and-beyond to celebrate Peru’s seven lucky years. The birthday agenda con-sisted of an internet-instructed doggie massage and bacon-laced peanut butter dog treats fresh from Smith’s oven.

Peru was destined to impact the life of her future human. She was born at a specialized school in California, where her litter was ti-tled the “P” generation. Her broth-ers and sisters perhaps reeiving names like Penelope or Pogo. For over two years, her breeders metic-ulously trained her litter, choosing only those who excelled at testing without error.

To prepare for Peru, Smith spent a full month of learning “working” commands. Now, the duo has been inseparable after nearly five years of meaningful companionship.

The pair receives warm smiles from peers wherever they venture on campus. Peru is not quite a Golden Bear in color or species, but she definitely qualifies as a univer-sity mascot in her own right. She cautiously guides her loving master with her keen sense of smell and introduces her to new territory.

Smith’s confidence assures Peru that she is in control, and Peru dutifully navigates through entryways, or the flow of students.

Smith doesn’t fault anyone who gets the urge to pat Peru’s sweet head or rub her silky ears; clearly Peru is magnetic, but when she is “in harness”, it is in Smith’s best interest to be the only one who physically interacts with the 40 lb. retriever.

While obtaining an education de-gree at KU, Smith becme enthralled with computer science after taking a general class. She especially loves the technological world of coding for web-design, and she recently became a peer tutor on the subject. This is how we met for the first time, at Rohrbach Library.

Smith and Peru drew me in, initially because of the seeming-ly impossible situation. A young student, who has never known life

with even the slightest sense of vision, was excelling in computing at our university. My bewilderment drove me to meet with her again, so I could soak up the amazement that is Genevieve Smith.

By Alicia Ceccarelli

Opinion: Featured student: Genevieve Smith and her guide dog, Peru

Genevieve Smith and her guide dog, Peru Photo by Jayaruwan Gunathilake

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We chatted at a table in the Fireside Lounge, and she received my curios-ity graciously. I questioned how she is able to adapt to the world around her despite lacking a crucial survival sense. She does rely especially on her hearing to travel, and trains herself to listen closely, like for Peru’s jingling collar when she is playing off-leash, but debunks that it is hypersensitive as a result. In fact, she admits she is just as likely to zone out in deep thought as anyone else, and her friends tease her for it. However, she did swear her discerning palette could recognize the difference between bottled and fountain water. She took me up on the challenge of a taste-test to prove her claims.

“I’ll even let you blindfold me,” she joked.

Smith credits technology for en-abling her with freedom in mobility and quality of life. The software pro-gram Job Access with Speech (JAWS) speaks information on her laptop. Additionally, she has a BrailleNote keyboard that she uses for term pa-pers. The newest update to the iPhone narrates her messages and content on her web browser.

For Smith, independence means “being able to do what you want or need without having help from peo-ple.” Smith could not wait to branch out from her small town in Kansas and experience a new and exciting world. Once she completes her Mas-ter’s in computer science, she dreams of taking Peru somewhere they can both enjoy the warming sun on their faces year round.

Spending time with Smith has illuminated life’s meaning with new perspective and greater depth. What makes her remarkable is not that she manages to cook bacon and bake birthday treats without assistance, but because she does so as emphatically as a Food Network personality.

It is a refreshing revelation of true courage, independent will, trust and most of all, gratitude. She is the bea-con of limitless potential within us all, allowing nothing to prevent her from experiencing the fullness of life.

- Toto from The Wizard of Oz

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KU Jazz Ensemble releases new CDBy Joshua Herring

The KU Jazz Ensemble I has recently released a new CD entitled “Old Guys Surrender the Jukebox.” These fresh recordings feature the innovative work of KU’s own tal-ented, young musicians and direc-tion from Kevin Kjos, professor of music and director of jazz studies.

Released on Friday, Nov. 7, this jazz record encompasses the ev-er-changing nature of the genre. All songs and arrangements were recorded at the KU Recording Studio in Old Main on Dec. 9, 2013 and May 10, 2014. Studio Record-er Katsu Naito of Avatar Studios mixed and mastered the tracks.

The title emerges from one of the songs on the CD, in which English Department Chair Dr. Andrew Vogel narrates an excerpt of poetry written by Michael Perry.

“Jazz is constantly evolving,” says Kjos, “the title serves as a double meaning, representing the emer-gence of new sounds as well as indicating one of the tracks com-posed by Geoff Keezer.”

Progressive standards influence many of the recordings in this CD. Kjos often says to his students, “let’s be current.”

“One of the reasons jazz is so challenging is because it’s a moving target,” said Kjos.

Throughout the year, students among the Jazz Ensemble create and perform various arrangements. With “Old Guys Surrender the Jukebox,” they were able to pick and choose their best and most inventive creations to be recorded.

The compos-ing, arranging and recording process is the ultimate edu-cational tool, according to Kjos. Not only are students able to be a part of a profession-al experience, but the older students often offer knowledge to the younger students, perpetuating creative jazz music here at KU.

The CD includes seven songs, all distinct and sonically ambitious. Most were recorded semi-live, with musicians separated for easier mixing and mastering. However, two songs, “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Aboard the Karlynn,” were record-ed live and create a special sound, seemingly replicative of concert style.

“When people think of jazz, they usually think of the traditional swing sounds of Glen Miller,” said Kjos. The songs in this CD attempt to move beyond this, but also, they are surprisingly lengthy. Because of this, the CD has a brilliant story-like quality, employing and translating sensations of wittiness, beauty, mystery, passion and sensi-bility.

To hear these new jazz recordings or find more information about musicians and composers, a copy of the CD can be found at the KU

bookstore or obtained by contact-ing Kjos at kjos@kutztown.edu. All proceeds go to the department of music and jazz studies.

“Old Guys Surrender the Juke-box” was produced by Kevin Kjos and Carver Scott Lee. Communi-cation design students Amanda Vasko and John Woodward created the album artwork.

Cover art of “Old Guys Surrender the Jukebox” Photo by Joshua Herring

22

KU students put talents to work in new children’s magazineBy Brenna Everdale

Jesse Warner, Olivia Knowles and Cody Myers present Brain Bug MagazinePhoto by Brenna Everdale

“Brain Bug” magazine was creat-ed by KU students Olivia Knowles, Cody Myers and Jesse Warner. Their goal is to make an educa-tional and humorous magazine for children ages seven through 14 and to have content that will also appeal to adults. The comics include references and parodies for the older crowd, while children can appreciate the goofy jokes, puns and “gross” humor. The magazine includes articles, comics and fun facts. Each issue will come with stickers, buttons, postcards or other items.

“Over the summer, me and Jesse were in the car going to a job, and we were talking about how cool it would be to start a ‘Nick Magazine-type thing’— because kids don’t read magazines anymore,” said Knowles, a fine arts major. “We were bouncing ideas back and forth all day and then we were like— let’s just do it,” she said.

A recurring theme of the mag-azine is the team’s nostalgia for physical media. The team be-lieves that today’s children spend too much time online. All of the images in the full-color magazine are either hand-drawn illustrations or photos taken with a dispos-able camera, giving the project a charming, retro aesthetic.

Much of the content encourages

kids to embrace physical media, such as a postcard that children can send to friends and an article on how to send a letter in the mail.

“The magazine itself doesn’t have any references to technolo-gy. It’s kind of like our childhood magazines, but the content is still relevant to their childhood,” said Warner, a public relations and

communications major.The team also wanted to create

something that did not offend anyone and wasn’t marketed to any particular group. They purpose-ly chose a gender-neutral color scheme and included characters with a variety of body types. They also tried to avoid ethnocentrism. Each issue will include the comic “Culture Vultures,” which is de-voted to this goal. “Culture Vul-tures” is a crew that goes to other planets and experiences other cultures. The whole thing is just a big allegory for experiencing and

dealing with different cultures in real life,” said Myers, the creator of the comic.

Currently, the team is spending money out of their own pockets to get their product released, but they are working regularly with a con-sultant from the Kutztown Small Business Development Center in order to develop a business plan.

“We have a good team be-cause Cody is a business and marketing major and knows how to manage money, I make a lot of art and Jesse knows how to talk to peo-ple…so we work together really well,” said Knowles.

The Brain Bug team is open to submissions from anyone who would like to contribute. The 30-page first issue will debut at “Christmas in Kutztown” on Dec. 6 inside the Kutztown

train station. The table will have a do-it-yourself button station so that patrons can make their own buttons, as well as a box of free memorabilia.

The magazine will also be dis-tributed nationwide. As of Nov. 15, you can now pre-order the first issue for $10 online via brain-bugmag.com or the Brain Bug Facebook page. The group is also working with a few small business-es in Kutztown, including Firefly Bookstore on Main Street, where they plan to have copies of the magazine sold. 23

The Black Student Union hosted a “Die-In” on Friday, Dec. 5 at the intersection of Main Street and College Boule-vard. Participants protested the recent events in Ferguson by laying in the middle of the street while the intersection was closed off to traffic.Photos by Lindsey Borgman

24

SGB to designate smoking areas on campusBy Julianne Fama

Students have voiced opinions about the issue of smoking on KU’s campus and, as a result, the Student Government Board is in the process of designating smoking areas to help accommodate everyone.

SGB was waiting to publish their plans until they had definite smok-ing areas in mind for each building. Since the idea is so new to the cam-pus, the board will start by putting signs up over winter breakto set their plan into motion.

SGB Representative Rachel Mullen has been working on this project for a year. Ever since it came to her attention that smoking on campus is a significant issue, she aimed to make KU a better place for everyone.

Senior Greg Adler, a nonsmoker, said, “We should absolutely have designated smoking areas. Random smoking outside buildings com-

pletely ruins the campus. You can’t walk through a doorway without smelling it.”

Mullen said the plan is to have two signs at Old Main, two at Schaeffer, two at Sharadin and one sign for the remaining aca-demic buildings. The only issue SGB is facing right now is that some buildings, like the SUB, are undergoing construction, which will change the smoking loca-tions.

There is no word on what the plan of action is for the south side of campus yet. Around the dorms, there has always been the rule that smokers must be stand-ing 25 feet away from the build-ings. With the change happening

on the north side, KU ould start to enforce the 25 foot rule at other dorms.

The board has been discussing a long-term goal of building an area on campus for smokers to have their own space. There are still not enough funds for this to happen.

SGB has been trying to keep both parties happy with future plans.

When asked about the new smoking areas, sophomore Peter Snyder (a smoker), said, “I wouldn’t really mind. I like walking around with a smoke and I don’t know how they could really enforce that, but if that was the case I wouldn’t care.”

In regards to enforcement at these locations, it will take

time for students to get use to these changes.

Assistant Vice President for Facilities Jeff Grimm, who has been working with Mullen, is now in charge of the changes that are happening around campus. Mullen has finished all of the research and planning within her power and has left the rest of the work in the hands of the administration.

KU has hopes that these newly designated areas will help control litter from the cigarette butts while also providing students with a safer and cleaner environment.

Mullen said, “I want to find a happy medium and not diminish the beauty of the campus.”

Anti-smoking advocates advertise the dangers of smoking on KU grounds.Photo by Julianne Fama

- Actress Lauren Bacall

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26

Kutztown University holds fall 2014 commencementPhotos by Dr. Michael Downing

27

- Seven Year Itch, 1955

28

JANUARY

Stroke victim graduates just one semester later than plannedBy Samantha Biastre

In January 2014, KU student Jennifer Sommers began the process of physi-cal, occupational and speech therapy. A few days into her winter break, she suffered a stroke from the most un-likely cause, her prescription birth control pills.

Originally, having left early from her job at a local day care, Sommers thought that she had the flu. She made it home and to her bathroom before her boyfriend, An-drew Miller, found her hours later. He had grown con-cerned after failing to reach her by phone and text.

Miller didn’t wait to call an ambulance. He rushed Som-mers to the nearest hospital. At first, doctors diagnosed her with a drug overdose, but then a CT scan revealed multiple clots in a cerebral vein. The clots blocked blood that was supposed to be flowing out of the brain and had caused dangerous swelling, called an ischemic stroke.

The family demanded more from the doctors since Sommers was in such a dire state. She was flown on a medical helicopter to the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadel-phia. There she was imme-

diately put into surgery, where a hair-thin cath-eter was inserted into her leg and threaded up to the blocked vein to break up the clots.

After spending 10 days in the hospital, Sommers was able to go back home where her therapy continued un-der the direction of her older brother, Michael.

When the stroke happened, Sommers had completed all of her necessary elementary education course work and just needed to stu-dent teach before she could graduate in spring of 2014.

Delayed only one semester later, Sommers completed her student teaching in the Bangor Area School District close to her hometown of Stroudsburg. She graduated in fall of 2014.

What helped Sommers push through her long road of recovery was her want “to make a difference in other people’s lives.” She said, “I wanted my life to finally go back to normal and the only way I thought that would happen is if I could finish school.”

After months of different therapies, Sommers said, “It

feels outstanding to finally be done with school. After a lot of hard work, I finally reached my goal. I feel like I can overcome anything if I overcame this past year.”

Sommers is currently working as a preschool teacher at Amazing Place LLC in Stroudsburg, Pa. She is searching for special education positions for the upcoming school year.

Sommers hopes that peo-ple can take away from her story the dangers of birth control pills and their side effects.

She states, “Life is not always easy, but if you work hard you can accomplish everything. Never give up!”

Jennifer Sommers recovers in the hospital, escorted by her twin brother Tim.Photo courtesy of Jennifer Sommers

29

Dining hall renovations continueBy Brianne Valentine

KU began campus-wide renovations to the dining halls this past summer, 2014. The full plan includes updating the Cub Café in the McFarland Student Union Building, the Academic Forum and South Dining Hall.

According to Amanda Fretz, assistant director for Housing, Residence Life and Dining Services, the renovations will con-clude in fall 2016.

The newly renovated Bear’s Den in the McFarland Student Union Building in-cludes additional seating for students and faculty members. Starbucks was introduced in the Bear’s Den this past summer, 2014 for the first phase.

The next project is the Cub Café, which is also in the McFarland Student Union. The Café will expand to include more seating options and be an all-you-can-eat place for students and faculty.

“It will be like a mini South Dining Hall,” says assistant director Amanda Fretz.

Two of the current entrances into the MSU lead into the Bear’s Den and the seating area outside of the Cub Café. After the restorations take place, the latter entrance will open up directly into the Cub Café. This was the reason for the new pathway outside of the McFarland Student Union Building that was recently put in.

Chick-fil-A will no longer be in the Cub Café after this renovation. It will be moving to the Academic Forum to replace The American Grill. After this change, the AF will no longer accept a meal plan at any of the vendors in fall 2016. This will become strictly a retail location, according to Fretz.

The final step includes the South Dining Hall. In the future, to enter, students and faculty will use a meal swipe. They will be able to get any food within South Dining Hall.

After the renovations, South Dining Hall are complete, South will be open 24 hours a day, which students are very excited about.

Student Jackie Reese said, “I’m glad that South will be open 24 hours a day. It’ll be a nice place for students to study late at night and not bother their roommates. And being able to get food late-night is always a plus.”

In fall 2016, the meal plan will change to un-limited dining, according to Fretz. This means that there will be no more time frames for meals and no set amount of meals per day.

Plans for South Dining Hall are underway. Photo by Jayaruwan Gunathilake

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Baseball outfielder Martinez named preseason All-AmericanBy Jeff Smyth

In May 2014, the Golden Bears took home their seventh Penn-sylvania Athletic Conference Championship in program history. The Bears accomplished this with a score of 1-0. The lone RBI was provided by the number three hitter and first team All-PSAC East choice, Brandon Martinez. In early January, Martinez added to his resume when he earned his second straight preseason All-America honors.

The deciding championship RBI capped off a remarkable season for the center-fielder, a season that consisted of a .392 batting average, which was the fifth-best output in the PSAC. On the base-paths, Martinez was 35-for-36 on stolen base attempts, setting a new record for steals in a season. Defensively, the two-time all-region star held

a perfect fielding percentage with 102 putouts.

Martinez also earned prestigious academic awards, including CoSI-DA Academic All-America First Team honors. He is the first KU baseball player to earn the honor, as he also was named to the PSAC Top 10.

The preseason accolades did not stop there for the defend-ing champs. Junior pitcher Matt Swarmer was mentioned as one of the “Players to Watch” by the Col-legiate Baseball newspaper. Soph-omore transfer Ben Eppley was dubbed as one of the “Newcomers to Watch”.

Swarmer provided his pitching duties out of the closers role for the bulk of the 2014 season. Swarm-er appeared in 23 games during his sophomore season, posting a team-leading 10 saves in 37 in-nings. Starting in two games for the Bears, Swarmer collectively finished the season with a 2.19 ERA with a 3-2 record with 38 strikeouts.

Eppely, a sophomore transfer from Frederick Community Col-lege, hit .346 during his freshmen year in 46 games. He tallied seven doubles and one triple, while also scoring 34 runs and driving in 21.

Behind this nucleus, along with a significant amount of returning starters, the Golden Bears look to capture a second-straight PSAC Championship. KU opens up their 2015 campaign down in Hamp-ton, Va. on Feb. 26 for the Builder Invitational. The Bears start off the weekend tournament against the College of St. Joseph.

A full preview for the 2015 base-ball season will be available in the Feb. 12 edition of The Keystone.

Brandon Martinez www.kubears.com 31

-Pride of the Yankees, 1942

FEBRUARY

- Casablanca, 1942 32

Upperclassman permitted to live in traditional dorms starting fall 2015By Samantha Biastre

Starting in fall of 2015, upperclassmen will be al-lowed to live in traditional dorms on campus once again. For the past several semesters, beginning with the spring semester of 2013, upperclassmen were no longer allowed to live in traditional dorms. Now, Housing and Residence Life is transitioning back to the living situations that were in effect two years ago.

Since there are only a specific number of beds in each hall, Housing wanted to keep just freshmen in tradi-tional halls. During these two years of freshman-only housing, Housing has created focus groups and con-ducted surveys with returning students to get feedback about living in traditional dorms.

According to Apryle Carney, associate director of Housing and Residence Life, the feedback received from students was largely positive about living in the traditional dorms. Carney went on to state that is was because of this positive feedback that Housing decided to go back to allowing upperclassmen to live in tradi-tional housing.

When it comes time for room selection in February 2015, all of the dorms will be open for selection. This will include currently closed Johnson Hall and current-ly under construction Berks Hall. During the fall 2015 semester, Berks will be used as a specialty dorm for either honors or science students.

The room selection process for any upperclassmen that wants to live in traditional dorms will be the same as it always has been. The only prerequisite is that the student must first apply for the housing process with a $75 deposit, which should have been paid by Dec. 12.

Any student who missed the December deadline can make the deposit during the first week of classes in January 2015. From January 14 through February 6, 2015 students can log onto the Myhousing website (http://myhousing.kutztown.edu) to enter and confirm roommate requests. Students will then be notified from Feb. 9-10 of the room selection appointment start time.

Based on their appointment times, students can select their housing from Feb. 11-20. Any student that

does not participate successfully in the room selection, or does not have an assigned group, can then select a room from Feb. 23-27.

Carney also stated that she hopes to have infor-mation sessions during the first week of spring 2015 classes. These sessions would be similar to the infor-mation session held in Dixon Hall last December. Any student who has any questions about the room selec-tion process, the $75 payment process or anything else that would be related to the housing selection process is welcome to join.

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Presidential search progressesBy Emily Leayman

The search for KU’s next pres-ident is progressing. There have been five finalist interviews con-ducted in the past couple of weeks. A decision is expected to be an-nounced during, or not long after, the spring semester, according to Kenn Marshall, media relations manager for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

The next step, he says, is for the search committee to select two final candidates for the Council of Trustees. The search committee is made up of 15 people representing various constituents of the univer-sity, from students to faculty to the Council of Trustees.

Once the council approves them, it will submit the canidates’ names to the PASSHE Chancellor’s Office. The Board of Governors will then conduct interviews with the two finalists and will make a deci-sion – with input from the search committee – within seven to 10 days. The new president’s start date would depend on their availability.

Rarely do presidents start in the middle of the semester, but Mar-shall said it has happened before. That said, is most likely that he or she will start after the semester ends, around June 1, or at the start of a new fiscal year, around July 1.

Current candidates include Dr. Carol Bresnahan, Kenneth Haw-kinson, Lori Quigley, James Con-neely and Lorrie Clemo. The five were selected by the search com-mittee after a national search con-ducted by Florida-based Green-

wood/Asher & Associates, Inc.According to Marshall, PASSHE

keeps a list of executive search firms that universities may choose from depending on their needs and interests. The costs associated with the search are mostly sup-ported by PASSHE funds through the Board of Governors.

Acting president Dr. Carlos Var-gas-Aburto– former provost and vice president for academic stu-dent affairs for over 11 years– said that he intended to apply in August 2014. He later was not revealed to be a finalist, but it is also unclear if he was ever officially a candidate. The university has kept all infor-mation about all candidates, except the five finalists, confidential. The search committee interviewed 25 candidates in early December, ac-cording to one of the search com-mittee’s members Joe Scoboria.

“Since the search is intended to be confidential, the only candi-dates that can be acknowledged are the five who were scheduled for on-campus interviews,” said Marshall of Vargas’s consideration in the search process.

According to the Board of Governors policy 1983-13-A, the acting president is allowed to apply but not participate or comment on the search process.

The search committee has en-forced their confidentiality, as is outlined in the Board of Gover-nors policy. Dr. Paul Quinn, the representative for the Association

of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties on the com-mittee, spoke out in December saying the search was “biased,” according to a WFMZ article. Jack Wabby, the search committee chair, then removed Quinn from the committee, citing the Board of Governors policy.

According to the presidential search advertisement on the KU website, candidates should have experience as a faculty mem-ber and with senior leadership in higher education, while also understanding the diverse campus and contract negotiations. Other qualifications include planning, budgeting, financial management, faculty and staff development and ability to raise funds.

Former KU president, F. Javier Cevallos, was PASSHE’s first His-panic president, and diversity has since played an important role in the search process. According to an email sent by Wabby to the cam-pus in December, the search firm “contacted more than 600 sources, prospects and candidates regarding the presidency at Kutztown, in-cluding approximately 18.4 percent who are classified as minority and 33.5 percent who are women.”

“Diversity is important to our process and is reflected in the diversity of our search committee,” said Wabby in the email.

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Divisions change, game remains the same for KU transferBy Cordell Long

It has long been the dream of many athletes to play Division I sports, although they may not fully anticipate the lifestyle it embodies. This has been the case for newly transferred KU sophomore, How-ard Sellars, a moderately touted basketball recruit who began his college journey with a full scholar-ship to Division I St.Peter’s Univer-sity in Jersey City, N.J.

“I always dreamed of playing Di-vision I basketball, and I was there with the opportunity. You couldn’t convince me otherwise,” Sellars said.

However, the 2013-2014 season didn’t go as well as he would have hoped. With coaching changes and an adjustment to the point guard

position, the struggles increased. The Peacocks finished the season 14-17, reaching the Mid Atlantic Athletic Conference quarterfinals before bowing out.

Sellars did not feel like he was utilized during the season, and although Jersey City matched the kid’s personality, he needed a new opportunity. Throughout spring 2014, he sought out a university that could help him mature and develop into a great student athlete.

Sellers received a call from his childhood recreation coach and KU’s assistant coach, Richard Hicks. It was then Sellers was on his way to a program he said, “known for winning.”

“Coach Hicks is such an encour-aging and consistent presence in my life,” said Sellars. “He said that he would make sure if I worked hard enough, it wouldn’t matter what level I played, but how well I did within the system.”

KU’s head basket-ball coach Bernie Driscoll has been pleased with Sellars’ confidence earlier in the season. He said, “Howard is finding his niche in our offense, and it’s paying off.”

Over the first six games of the season, he is averaging 10.8 points and 51 percent from the field. In the most recent win against Wilm-ington, he scored 17 points for the second consecutive game.

It was not only the athletics that attracted Sellars. KU presented itself as a university that puts in much effort to help students suc-ceed.

“There is an area of support and care at KU that I have not seen at many of the schools I’ve visited, including my previous school, St. Peter’s,” he said. “I have less focused attention on me, which gives me a better opportunity to grow on and off the court.”

Sellars believes that he has left those Division I dreams in the past, focusing on his goals of reaching the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. “I know this team can be successful. I know that I can make it profes-sionally from where I’m at. Stephen Dennis did it, and I plan on follow-ing the path he laid here,” he said, referring to the former Golden Bear who entered the NBA.

As the season pushes on, Sellars works hard with the team, practic-ing and preparing for a long, chal-lenge-filled season. He has no plans of downgrading his expectations. “I couldn’t be more excited. This sea-son I’ll be on the floor, and I’ll be giving it my all. I want to help bring the PSAC championship to KU.”

Howard Sellers www.kubears.com35

KU senior talks Hollywood internship experienceBy Haley Bianco

KU student Haley Bianco poses at an E! News Grammy rehearsal.Photo courtesy of Haley Bianco

The KU electronic media pro-gram offers a unique internship experience for seniors during their last semester. Before their final semester, students complete all re-quired course credits, leaving them with only a 12-credit internship. As an electronic media senior current-ly on my internship, I feel that the KU community should know how excellent this program is for aspir-ing broadcast, production, TV and film professionals.

In Dec. 2014, I found out that I had been selected as one of two interns in the country to work as a production intern at NBC Univer-sal’s E! News located in Los Ange-les. Since the onset of my college career in 2011, this has been my goal and I was able to accomplish it by taking advantage of what KU had to offer.

One thing that made me stand out as an applicant was that I was available to work 32 hours a week or more. This is possible because the electronic media program offers a 12-credit internship, essentially equaling a full-time position. KU’s approach differs from other schools because the majority of their stu-

dents can only intern two or three days a week between their class schedules.

The NBC Universal ap-plication process involved completing a lengthy video interview online in Octo-ber and then waiting until mid-December for a reply. I got a call on Thursday during finals week and had an on-the-spot interview over the phone. The next day I found out I had been accepted and

needed to start Jan. 5, 2015. This gave me about three weeks to move across the country and get settled for my dream job.

I realized I had a chance to ac-tually get this internship in March 2014 when I attended the National Broadcasting Society convention in Los Angeles with my NBS chapter from KU. At this event I networked with a producer from E! News. We kept in touch throughout the year over email, and I felt comfortable asking for help. He barely knew me, but he was someone on the inside to tell the hiring manager that I was eager and passionate about the position. For this reason, I feel that networking is very practical and extremely important.

As a current student, I encour-age you to get involved and attend conferences that your clubs ar-range. Even though KU is a small state school, it doesn’t mean we are limited.

Being an intern at a Los Angeles TV network has allowed me to experience many events that are not available in the local Pennsylvania

area. Some of my experiences so far at E! include helping out with various segment shoots, such as “Who Wore It Better” and a health/beauty segment with celebrity chef Candice Kumai.

My responsibilities include set-ting up celebrity guests’ dressing rooms as well as helping hosts. I have been working with well-known people such as Giuliana Rancic, Catt Sadler, Jason Kennedy, Ali Fedotowksy, Terrence Jenkins, Harry Connick Jr., The Bachelor’s Chris Soules, Keith Urban, Gabri-elle Union, Victoria Justice, Snooki and JWoww, and Ryan Seacrest.

My internship happens to be during the height of the Holly-wood awards season; I attended Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson’s pre-Grammy rehearsal at The Bev-erly Hilton where I helped out with the shoot and the interview follow-ing their performance.

Overall, I am learning a lot about the entertainment industry as well as the real world. I believe this experience will open many doors for my future.

36

Male cheerleader breaks stereotypes

Tony Williams Photo courtesy of University Relations

Sophomore Tony Williams was never one to care what others thought about him. This year, Williams added his name to the small number of African-American male students who ever cheered for KU, according to KU’s head cheerleading coach, Crystal Swift.

Williams was born and raised in East Stroudsburg, Pa., which in most cases can be considered a diverse area. “I never really looked at race as an issue,” said Williams. He often surrounded himself around people of various races.

Different from many of his male friends, Williams developed an interest in cheerlead-ing.

“I hope I can influence many more black males to tryout,” said Williams. “There are a lot of African-Americans that have cheered their whole life because that’s what they love to do, but then they go to college and quit because they feel a little discouraged since they are the minority.”

His love for cheerleading came with a lot of criticism from his peers. Still, Williams overcame this and followed his true passion. He decided to continue not only his academ-ic career, but also his athletics.

“My advice for the African-American population would be to dismiss the negative things that people have to say about you,” said Williams. The young athlete hopes he can influence the African-American students at KU as well as the overall male population.

“By trying out and making the team, I really hope that I have made a positive influ-ence for other males who may have second guessed trying out for the team,” said Wil-liams.

KU’s head cheerleading coach Crystal Swift said, “Tony is an outstanding cheerleader

showing leadership and dedi-cation. He is always a plea-sure to be around and to work with.”

Junior Brandi Henderson, who is also a member of KU’s cheerleading team, is thankful to call Wil-liams her teammate and friend.

“Tony is a good cheerleader and an even better person. I am proud of him and all that he has accomplished to become Kutztown’s first African-American male cheerleader. I hope his accomplishment has encouraged other blacks to continue to follow their dreams and do what they love,” said Hender-son.

David Peterson, a sophomore at KU, also feels that what Williams did is a huge accom-plishment and should be acknowledged for it. “We often overlook accomplishments like this, but being that he is African-American and male, Williams could have simply just given up. But he seemed determined to suc-ceed,” said Peterson.

“I believe that regardless of what people may think about my gender or skin color, I will continue to do what I consider to be enjoyable to me. After all, I wouldn’t be ‘my-self ’ if I allowed other people to control my happiness,” said Williams.

By Lance S. Deane Jr.

37

38The Wizard of Oz, 1939

MARCH

Administrator leads during inclement weatherBy David Kriz

The beginning of a spring semester at KU typically brings challenges of inclement weather—as the stu-dent body is keen to understand. What might not be so well understood is the process by which adminis-trative decisions are made regarding university opera-tions during such weather.

The key individual involved in these decisions is Jerry Silberman, vice president for Administration & Finance and the chair of the Emergency Management Team at KU. Silberman makes recommendations to the president during severe weather; he is a deciding factor for the school’s cancellations and other preven-tative measures.

He described his role, saying, “When there is a pending weather situation overnight, I work with our facilities team to monitor the weather forecast, the conditions of the campus and the potential impact on the university community, in an effort to come to a decision shortly after 5 a.m.”

Such timely decisions can only be made with the consideration all people involved in the daily function of the university. With respect to this perspective, Silberman said, “We have to consider on-campus residents and commuters—including faculty and staff who provide services.”

He also emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent instruction for the student body with min-imal interruptions to the academic calendar.

However, the decisions are not without their crit-icisms—as Silberman recognizes. “There are times that we remain open when our students, faculty and staff may not feel comfortable travelling.” With that in mind, he encourages individuals to make choices that they are most comfortable with, and to inform their instructors or supervisors if they decide against commuting.

“Safety is always a primary consideration. For a variety of reasons, safety of our students, faculty and staff is always foremost when making these decisions.”

Silberman described the precautions that are taken when the university remains open. “We ensure that walkways and entrances for the physically disabled are accessible. At the same time, we have staff clearing primary roadways and parking lots to get them ready for opening.”

Silberman believes that the KU’s snow and ice management plan has made significant progress in recent years. He identified two major factors for this as “better traffic monitoring technology” and constant updates from Internet sources.

Silberman looks to see this progress continue. “We’ll continue to review our snow and ice management plan, and hopefully weather forecasts will get a bit more accurate.”

- The Wizard of Oz

39

40

New tuition model will raise in-state prices

By George Fladeland

The average in-state KU student will be paying more per credit hour, according to a new model presented by Interim President Dr. Vargas and other administrators to the Student Government Board on Feb. 3. The new model will only affect students paying in-state tuition.

Currently, the price for a student taking 12 credits is $284, whereas a student who takes 18 credits pays $189. According to the new model, students who take 12 credits will see a 10 percent decrease in their tuition per credit (now $264). However, if a student consistently takes 12 credits, they will most likely graduate in five years. Ultimately, a student who stays at KU for five years will be paying more than if they took at least 15 credits per semester in four years.

The majority of in-state students take 15 credit hours per semester. According to the new model, they will see an increase of 13 percent in their tuition. The reason for the new credit model is due to the lack of state funds and KU’s largest deficit in school history.

“In the past, we’ve had some pretty healthy support from the state… That situation is no longer the case,” said Vice President of Ad-ministration and Finance Jerry Silberman.

Next year, KU will have a deficit of an esti-mated $12 million. To attack the deficit, the university has come up with three strategies: gaining $4 million from raising tuition, $4 million from budget cuts and $4 million in changes to the way the university handles their budgets.

Silberman feels confident in this financial strategy. “We have run these numbers based on different enrollment scenarios and they don’t change much… with a 1-2 percent drop in enrollment, the numbers are still well above the $4 million range we want to be in.”

Since the 2009-10 academic year, KU has made $18 million in budget cuts.

“We are almost running out of ideas, We can’t cut any further without hurting the quality of your education,” Silberman said. Although this is not the final version of the per credit model, KU’s in-state students should expect to see a rise in their tuition per credit hour.

Opinion: Addition of gender-neutral bathrooms signifies progress

Recently it has been brought to my attention that campus organiza-tions including the Allies Equality Network, the Student Government Board and the Academic Affairs Committee, are collaborating to in-troduce gender-neutral bathrooms to select on campus buildings. Two new gender-neutral bathrooms will be at the McFarland Student Union Building towards the end of the Spring 2015 semester, and within the next few months, the one-per-son restrooms in Lytle, Rickenbach and deFrancesco will also become gender-neutral.

As a student at KU who not only has friends who do not identify as either male or female, but who also opposes the idea of publicly assigned gender roles, I think this is a great idea. This proposal will pro-mote an inclusive and open-mind-ed environment in which everyone’s comfort levels, beliefs and identities are respected.

Initially, my female friends and I were concerned that the plan would require women to share bathrooms with men. However, because this plan will only affect the single-stalled restrooms, wom-en’s privacy and safety will not be compromised.

Personally, I feel as though the university setting is one in which ideas and beliefs are to be fostered, discussed, respected and potentially transformed. Something as com-monplace as a bathroom can make all the difference in how people in-

terpret what should and should not be discussed based on the message it conveys. In a world consistently becoming more aware of identity politics, as well as other prevalent social issues, this implementation will help promote discussion and tolerance of marginalized gender groups.

These changes have also brought to my attention the fact that there already have been gender-neutral bathrooms installed in various locations throughout the university; these changes are simply adding to their number.

Schaeffer Auditorium, the Shara-din Arts Building, and the Facilities Building on south campus already have gender-neutral bathrooms.

The fact that there are a growing number of gender-neutral bath-rooms being positioned in locations that students will see on their day-to-day routines is fantastic.

However, I feel that a necessary step further would be to have them installed in the dorms and at South Dining Hall. These are areas that are much more frequently visited by students.

But since the current plans simply involve a change of signage, enact-

ing these changes on a larger scale, which would include the dormito-ries and South Dining Hall, may in-volve higher costs, as well as safety concerns. If disposing of women’s restrooms is proposed, I would strongly oppose further changes.

Instead, I would ideally like to see the addition of single-stalled gender-neutral bathrooms to these locations. I am aware that this will require more funding, but if there are only gender-neutral bathrooms in the most public buildings on campus, we have to question how much of this is really benefitting the students rather than simply giving us a progressive reputation.

There is currently an information pamphlet as well as a map on the gender-neutral bathroom locations in the works to raise awareness of this project. I’m glad to say I’m attending a school with student groups that are interested in under-standing and accepting the mul-tifaceted and diverse needs of the student body.

By Matthew Tomlinson

Single-stalled bathrooms in the MSU Photo by Brenna Everdale

41

APRILAPRIL

- Citizen Kane, 1941

42

Volleyball’s Stringer gets a slice of Italy this summerBy Alex Vigilante

When KU junior Audrey Stringer got a call asking to play volleyball in Italy, she was in. On behalf of AIST (American International Sports Teams) she will represent the U.S. and take the journey across the pond to compete.

Stringer will leave for Italy on May 23 and stay until June 3, a two-week tour through Italy. She will head to Rome, Florence, Montecatini, San Marino, Bellagio, Milan and Lake Como. During her stay, she will be paired with other PSAC volleyball players and will compete against in-ternational teams as well as teams from Italy.

The US team will play five matches and compete in a tournament during their two-week tour, but there will also be free time for athletes to explore the cities.

Gannon coach Matt Darling will be the head coach for the U.S. team. Stringer was on his list of must haves as he hand selected his team from PSAC athletes to represent the U.S. and play for AIST.

“My coach at Kutztown men-tioned that I might have the op-portunity to go to Europe to play

volleyball, but I didn’t know for what or where, and when I got the invite to Italy, instantly I thought it would be cool to go there.”

This is a big step for Stringer, who has competed in the Division 2 level for the past three years. Over-seas, she will be playing with more experienced players, which will add to her own skill set.

“I’m a little nervous to go play over there, but I am looking for-ward to getting better before my senior season.”

The invitation to play overseas

comes only five years after she did not even know if she wanted to play volleyball. At first, Stringer was more interested in soccer and the conflicting seasons made it hard for

her to choose. “I owe it all to Coach

Paulsen in high school. He was the one who con-vinced me to tryout, and I’m glad I did. I fell in love with the game and I can’t thank him enough for pushing me to be the best I can be.”

While at KU, Stringer was named the MVP for the volleyball team in 2013 and is a 3X All-PSAC athlete. In her freshman year she start-ed 24 games and led the team in kills, cementing her spot as one of the best young talents in the PSAC.

Stringer and a catalyst of returning starters look to return to form next year to win a PSAC crown. www.kubears.com

43

ACT brings theatre backBy Elizabeth Crews

Actors Creating Theatre, or ACT, is one of the last theatrical organizations at KU. Their chosen production for this spring is a stage version of the iconic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Great Gatsby.” The show dates are scheduled for April 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium.

Drew Boardman, the president of ACT as well as the director of the show, debated how strictly he would stick to the 1920s time period. He decided to make it a bit more contemporary with a musical twist.

He said, “I really wanted to bring this classic to life and make it more relatable for our audience. We added some contemporary music, altered to a 1920s sound that the audience will recognize. We hope that they will have a better connec-tion to the show.”

Auditions were held last semester in order to get a jumpstart on the production, since ACT’s usual time slot for productions is the week before finals. “The Great Gatsby” is actually scheduled a month earlier than usual, so each cast member had to put in arduous work and effort in order to submerge them-selves into their roles.

According to Kristan Pagliei, who will play Daisy Buchanan, the show requires a great deal of emo-tional connection to the characters, and the actors have been impres-sive in every rehearsal. They con-tinue to rise to each new challenge

that comes their way as the show dates rapidly approach.

Pagliei said, “It’s been hard trying to understand Daisy. She’s in a terrible place and I have to be there with her. But she’s taught me so much, not just about the novel, but about myself and my relation-ships with other people. She’s the most rewarding character I’ve ever played.”

The production initially strug-gled to make progress, but when the theatre program was cut, the members of ACT rallied together and committed themselves to bringing drama back to campus.

While discussing the subject, Boardman said, “So many people on campus have a passion for the stage and we can’t just let it die. It would rob so many students of the opportunity to express them-selves through these characters and the ACT members could not let that happen.”

Boardman has wished to direct “The Great Gatsby” for several years. “It was difficult to pull this together, especially when we were trying to book Schaeffer. It seems so surreal that opening night is only weeks away. It truly is a dream come true for the actors, the stage crew and me. The continuation of theatre means everything to us and I’m proud that we are able to bring a little piece of it back to campus.”

ACT meets every Monday at 7 p.m. in Schaeffer Auditorium room

114. The club is open to faculty, staff and students. According to Boardman, it is never too late to join, especially when someone has the same amount of passion for the stage as the members of ACT do.

Tickets are $5 with a student ID and $10 for non-students at the SUB information desk. They are also available online at tinyurl.com/GatsbyKU.

Kristan Pagliei poses as Daisy Buchanan.

Photo by Josh Warner

44

Food Advisory Board helps students get involved and gain perspectiveBy Natalie Risser

Once a month the Food Advi-sory Board meets in Viewpoints (upstairs and to the right in South Dining Hall) to discuss issues and suggestions for the dining venues across campus. Each residence hall has represen-tatives who take criticism and feed-back to the meeting and present it to the managers of each dining location. This criticism is often gathered through Hall Council or FAB bulletin boards, although any student can attend the meeting and bring up issues concerning their experiences. FAB’s mission statement is “To provide an opportunity for students to become involved with their cam-pus dining program. To create an environment whereby the students and management can meet and discuss current dining issues, and provide the best possible nutrition-

al food service program that offers a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle for the members of the campus com-munity.” After representing Beck Hall for just two meetings, FAB’s goals and intentions became far clearer to me than portrayed by this motto. The managers of each dining area show dedication in immediately resolv-ing issues and sincerity in improv-ing the dining experience. Unfortunately, the meetings are only once a month, but the man-agers insist that most issues can be solved right after they happen. There is generally a supervisor at each eating location that is there to solve any problems that may arise. By attending and participating in FAB, I have made realizations about food and the importance of it. Being a part of the food com-munity causes you to actively think about your food intake and output. As a university and as individuals, it is important to be aware of this as it impacts our own wellbeing through our bodies and our envi-ronment. In addition to food, FAB is concerned with managing waste. A step toward maintaining this awareness with students is done through an event called “Weigh your Waste”, where volunteers weigh the food after dinner in the Southside Cafe, which is upstairs at South Dining Hall. Over 250 pounds of food was thrown out from that one meal, at that one

location. Although this does bring aware-ness to the issue, it by no means solves it. Many of these waste issues come down to an individual level where students are careless or un-educated about their impact. Food not only connects us to friends when we’re all hanging out in the dining hall, but it leaves a footprint in our bodies and on our world. Some of most important steps to achieving a positive impact versus a negative one start with FAB. The next meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 at Viewpoints.

FAB poster Photo by Natalie Risser

45

- Actress Senta Berge

KU introduces 12th president: Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson

Members of the campus from stu-dents to administrators to faculty welcomed the 12th KU president, Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson, on March 17 in the McFarland Student Union Building.

The selection resulted from a unanimous decision by the Penn-sylvania State System of Higher Education Board of

Governors, according to a press release. Hawkinson will assume the position on July 1. Acting president Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto will leave the position on June 30 to become president at Southeast Missouri State University.

In attendance were Hawkinson’s wife, Ann Marie, Jack Wabby, KU Council of Trustees and Presiden-tial Search Committee chair, Guido Pichini, Board of Governors chair and KU Council of Trustees mem-ber, PASSHE Chancellor Frank Brogan and Student Government Board President Joe Scoboria.

While introducing Hawkinson at the forum, Wabby said that there were an “excellent” variety of can-didates.

“We are fortunate to have selected a candidate of such high caliber,” he said.

Wabby introduced Hawkinson, who then gave an overview of his goals for the university and how intention to begin talking with campus members from the start.

“Beginning on July 1, I’ll spend the subsequent months meeting and speaking with many members

of the KU university communi-ty…Together we will build on the firm foundation… that so many students, faculty, administrators, legislative leaders and other stake-holders have built over the many years of KU’s history. Together we will identify the challenges before us and then, together, we will get things done.”

Scoboria, also a search committee member, spoke briefly and present-ed Hawkinson with a gift basket from KU students.

“In this time of transition and change, not only at Kutztown Uni-versity, but across our State System, we’ve entrusted Dr. Hawkinson to lead us for the years to come,” said Scoboria.

Hawkinson thanked him, he said, “I look forward to working with the student government and all of the students in the coming years.”

The introduction ceremony ended with the KU Marching Unit performing the alma mater, and attendees had the opportunity to meet Hawkinson afterward.

Hawkinson is currently the provost of Western Illinois Univer-sity, according to a press release. He held that position since 2012, while also serving the university as associate provost, vice president for budget planning and personnel, and a professor. For three years, he was an infantry officer and public affairs officer in the U.S. Army.

Dr. Paul Quinn, president of the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties,

who has been vocal about the flaws in the presidential search process, is looking forward to working with the new president. Hawkinson himself was a faculty union leader at Western Illinois.

“It’s a new era. It’s a transition. I think transition is good,” Quinn said. “The union is going to work with this guy to make the university better.”

Quinn was the faculty union’s representative for the search com-mittee, but he was removed for breaking the search’s confidential-ity policy created by the Board of Governors.

Matthew Kuna, a student that attended the announcement, said, “I think we had excellent candi-dates come forward. I hope that Dr. Hawkinson will bring his many diverse experiences to…KU, and from those experiences, he will be able to make positive changes.”

SGB Vice President Tessa Patton is graduating before Hawkinson starts, but she is confident that her fellow SGB representatives will do everything they can to work with Hawkinson.

“I think he comes from a really good background and will really understand what the students are going through,” she said.

By Emily Leayman

46

Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson and his wife Ann Marie pose with KU cheerleaders.Photo by Jayaruwan Gunathilake

Dr. Kenneth Hawkinson speaks on March 17 in the SUB.Photo by Jayaruwan Gunathilake

47

THE END!

Thank you to everyone who contributed

to The Keystone; your hard work has

documented a year worth remembering.

-The Keystone Executive Board

Editor-in-chief: Emily Leayman

Managing Editor: Andie Heydt

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