Author Archives: admin

Ask The Administration

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What needs to be done in order to set up and prepare for the graduation ceremony?

Commencement Preparation really begins the week following commencement. There is a group of about 25 people that are called together by the Provost to discuss what went well and what didn’t. We then meet a couple of times throughout the year to prepare for the upcoming ceremony. The physical preparation begins in March. The grounds crew begins to edge and mulch all beds throughout campus. Seeding bare spots and repairing edges damaged by snow removal also takes place weather permitting through March and April. Some painting is usually performed in April and early May to handrails and bollards. The Monday before commencement we begin to move the portable bleachers to the quad. This usually involves around 8 people. On Tuesday, we continue moving the bleachers and we also begin setting up Memorial gym for the ceremonies. The gym is used for Baccalaureate as well as a rain location for commencement. We try to set up the indoor location to mimic the outdoor location as much as possible. On Wednesday, the bleacher moving is completed as well as final touches to the gym set up. Thursday and Friday are spent gathering all of the important items necessary for the respective ceremonies as well as final outdoor preparations such as preening of shrubbery beds and cleaning of light posts and benches.  Chairs are placed on Oller lawn, weather permitting on Friday afternoon. On Saturday morning the entire Facilities staff arrives at 6:00 am to make final preparations.  The stage is set, diplomas and hoods are picked up and taken to the stage, a final sweep of the campus is made to pick up any debris. There is a lot of effort put into this day and every person on our staff knows the importance of this day. We realize that this day is one of the most important days in the lives of the graduates as well as their families and we try to make an impression on them that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
The following week is spent putting everything back where it belongs and getting the campus ready for the summer events.
Jeff Meadows, Grounds Supervisor

How is the academic calendar changing for the 2012/2013 school year, and what are the reasons for these changes?

The academic calendars are usually set up 5 years in advance.  So for the 2011-12 calendar, we changed only the fall semester to accommodate the new initiative to have a full-class freshmen inbound program.  The decision to start on a Thursday helped bring students over the weekend to orient themselves before the inbound experience and then start classes that following Thursday.
Another consideration was the increasing press every couple of years where we were against the holiday season which left some folks leaving just before Christmas Eve.  This has been problematic for increasing travel costs for faculty and students who travel outside of Pennsylvania. 
A bonus for us is that the grades come in two days earlier so we can post grades earlier rather than later.  With the press against the holiday, we sometimes could not post at all until the New Year as our policy is to post grades once all are entered.  The 2012-13 has already been approved with the same set up as this year.  The 2013-14 is currently being vetted.
For me, I personally believe that it takes 3 years for things to shake out and settle down.  After 2013-14, we will reassess if this has been a good thing or a bad thing but so far, all I have heard is good.  I am now drafting the next 5 years until 2019!
Athena Frederick, Registrar

Evaluating Professors: why the system isn’t working and what can be done

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If it has not happened already, pretty soon your inbox will be flooded with requests for you to evaluate your professors. The compulsory practice of assessing your teachers may not seem like a worthwhile time expenditure as the semester nears completion and finals approach. However, the procedure is taken very seriously among the faculty at Juniata and could have a large impact on the future of your favorite professor. Therefore, students’ laze-faire attitude toward the evaluations just does not seem fair.
A professor’s effectiveness in the classroom is weighed more heavily than at other schools. At larger Universities, professional development and research is emphasized to a higher degree. Professors also get evaluated on the extracurricular services they provide to the college, such as a faculty advisor to a club.
However, Juniata emphasizes classroom performance when assessing potential job or promotion candidates. Those annoying professor evaluations are taken under strong consideration when judging a professor’s classroom performance.
There are several flaws to the method of giving students this responsibility. One is that students do not consider the evaluations to be as important as they are to the faculty. When the night before your final exam comes along and you have a blank study guide sitting in front of you, it is hard not to perceive the evaluation as just another form of procrastination, one much less fun than Pinterest.
This nonchalant attitude to the evaluations is evidenced by the fact that just 55 percent of evaluations were returned in the 2010-11 school year. Even students who do take the evaluations do not often put forth the kind of consideration warranted considering the influence their responses hold. 
The fact that the evaluations are optional is another mistreatment of the process. “When do people choose to speak out? It is usually when they’re not happy and they want to express their frustration,” Communication Professor Sarah Worley said. Therefore, students who have negative input are more likely to provide feedback than those who are satisfied with their course and professor. As a result, the data of that course and professor is skewed.
Another issue is that professors are there to challenge students and eventually assign a grade, which does not match up with the concept of having those students deliver a response to their experience. If a professor taught with the mindset of only pleasing his or her students for a positive evaluation, that professor would be less likely to challenge the students or hold them accountable for not meeting a course’s standards. This is the equivalent of letting the inmates run the asylum.
Obviously, Juniata students exhibit relatively less destructive behavior than the average inmate. But the theory that professors are teaching to their course evaluations is not unheard of. The concept of grade inflation is one that has become a hot topic in higher education recently as the mean grade point average has steadily risen. According to a study done at Duke University, in the 1991-92 academic year, the mean grade point average of private colleges in America was 3.09. That average rose to 3.16 the following year, 3.24 the next year and 3.30 during the final year of the study in the 2006-07 academic year.
The trend of grade inflation could have a number of explanations. One could be that the practice of student-driven professor evaluations has an impact on the grade inflation phenomena. Professors may be more likely to receive better evaluations if they give out better grades or assign less work to appease their students. Therefore, the practice of evaluating professors is supposed to improve the quality of our education, but may actually be detracting from it.
As a result, it would seem as though putting so much emphasis in professor evaluations taken by students indicates a flaw in the system. On the other hand, it is much easier to realize a computer is broken than it is to fix one. Likewise, it is easy to criticize the professor evaluation system, but it is much more difficult to find a solution to its shortcomings.
Getting rid of student-driven professor evaluations altogether is not a valid option. There has to be some form of evaluation or else professors would not be accountable for the effectiveness of their teaching. Students do have some credibility in assessing their professors because they spend more time with them than any Juniata colleague or external observer can.
The solution to the problem lies in reducing the heavy emphasis of the students’ evaluations and reassigning more responsibility to the colleagues of the professor. Other faculty members are better equipped to assess professors than students because they have experience in the teaching profession and are unbiased—unlike students who tend to associate better grades and less work with a more enjoyable learning experience. Professors already evaluate other professors, but the emphasis should be on these evaluations rather than those done by the students.
To solve the issue of disinterested student evaluators, Juniata needs to revert back to an older practice. The college has been making the move toward using more technology, such as incorporating iPads into the curriculum. However, the advanced technologies of pencil and paper are more appropriate in this situation.
Before 2003, professor evaluations were done in class on scantron sheets so that all students would participate. This resulted in an almost perfect return rate and students had time in class to give thoughtful comments.
Ultimately, there may be no perfect way to evaluate a professor’s performance in the classroom. However, the current system is not maximizing the school’s potential for evaluating professors. Such a vital aspect of what makes Juniata, Juniata – the professor’s ability to impact their students – should have a better system of evaluation.

Top five JC athletes of the 2011-2012 season

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Whether it is the star of the team or a role player, the beginning of the season sees everyone aiming for their best season yet. However, as the season progresses, certain athletes separate themselves, performing at perhaps the highest levels of their careers. 
Hundreds of athletes took to the fields and courts at Juniata College during 2011-2012. Here are
the top five athletes from this school year:

1. Ashton Bankos, Guard, Women’s Basketball. A four-year starter at point guard for the Eagles, Bankos saved her best campaign for last.  She received countless accolades including Landmark Conference and All-Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year.  Bankos was also named Honorable Mention All-America by D3hoops.com.  Not recruited to be a scorer, Bankos collected her 1000th career point in a 66-45 win at the University of Scranton. “For (Ashton) to evolve into such a
dynamic offensive player was pretty cool to watch,” said head coach Danny Young-Uhrich. As a point guard, Bankos was
a stat-sheet stuffer, averaging 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.  She was also proficient on the defensive side, collecting 2.7 steals per contest. “I could not have asked for any better way to end my basketball career here at Juniata,” said Bankos. 

2. Libby Morrison, Libero, Women’s Volleyball. Following a stellar junior year, Morrison posted one of the best years in the program’s recent history. The senior libero was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and made the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s second team All-America. Morrison paced the Eagles defense, averaging 6.4 digs per set. However, her greatest strength may have been raising the level of her teammates, four of whom made an All-Landmark team. “One of my goals for the season was to make every girl around me play their best,” said Morrison. A mid-year transfer her sophomore year, Morrison made the most of her two years at Juniata, finishing eighth on the career digs leader board with 1,322. 

3. Ben Wolff, Middle, Men’s Volleyball. The Division III national leader in hitting percentage (.515) has been the key behind his squad’s dominant season. Averaging 2.59 kills per set, the senior has been instrumental in the team’s middle-based offense. “(Ben) truly believes he is the best player when he steps on the court.  He is going to do anything and everything to prove that,” said head coach Kevin Moore. For a team that has seen players have to switch positions due to injury, Wolff’s consistency has been a staple. “On game day, we know what we are going to get from Ben. From a coaching standpoint, we know the other team is going to plan to try and stop him. We know that Ben is still going to overcome that challenge,” said Moore. Wolff has been key on defense, tallying 116 blocks and serving 13 aces in the regular season.

4. Dan Sekulski, Guard, Men’s Basketball. On a team without a superstar, Sekulski was the best all-around player for a squad that produced the most wins in JC history. An athletic shooting guard, Sekulski averaged 12.0 points per game while pulling in 4.1 rebounds and just under two steals per game. The senior’s best contest of the season came at home against Catholic University when he had 17 points, three assists, three steals and two blocks.  Even more importantly, Sekulski’s effort helped knock the Cardinals out of the playoff picture. “I knew that I had to play my ‘A’ game for us to win,” said Sekulski.  A quiet leader, who let his game do the talking, Sekulski was often depended on to make vital plays. “Dan was always making a big play in a close game, whether it was getting a steal or making a key shot,” said junior forward Nate Higgins. Sekulski finishes his time at Juniata as fourth on the career steals list with 140. 

5. Ceth Parker, Men’s Track & Field. In his final season running at Juniata, Parker is producing his best performances yet. After a solid freshman year, Parker endured two lack-luster campaigns before learning he was anemic. After getting the proper medical treatment in the offseason, he has been able to return to form. Parker has twice been named Landmark Conference Player of the Week and set the College’s 5000 meter record this year during the Jim Taylor Invitational at Susquehanna University. “I knew that I owed people in the conference some things this year,” said Parker. While running just under two seconds off the schools 1500 meter record, Parker has his sights set high. “My coach and I are beginning to even look ahead and about possibly shooting for nationals this year,” said Parker.

Honorable Mentions: Ben Mersky-Baseball, Alex Raymond-Men’s Basketball, Kate McDonald-Women’s Basketball, Nate Alter-Men’s Cross Country, Katrina Woods-Women’s Cross Country, Meghan McGlone-Field Hockey, Jason Marquis and Kevin Gorman-Football, Luke Waddell-Men’s Soccer, Alicia Snyder-Women’s Soccer, Rachel Smith-Softball, Justin Wisniewski and Elliot Perow-Men’s Tennis, Heather Waring and Hilary Walsh-Women’s Tennis, Jack Iosue-Men’s Track & Field, Angela Shaffer-Women’s Track & Field, Joe Bortak-Men’s Volleyball, Kelsey Fuller-Women’s Volleyball.

JC best of the best

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During the hot, humid days of August 2011, the fall athletics teams of Juniata College geared up for their season. Fast-forward eight months and those teams along with the winter sports have long since finished their seasons. Meanwhile the spring sports of Juniata wind down their season’s as they make their last push for a playoff berth. 
With almost all the schedules in the books, it is time to look back and see what teams had spectacular years. Here are the top five athletic teams from the 2011-2012 academic year:

1. Women’s Basketball. This undersized, but aggressive squad produced one of the most spectacular years in program history.
The Landmark Conference regular season champs tallied 17 consecutive wins at one point and finished with a record of 26-3. After finishing as the conference tournament runner-ups, the Eagles earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and wound up hosting the first two rounds.
Playing without a true center all season, the Eagles used their athleticism to wear teams down. “We always had five scorers on the court…we went hard every time, whether it was a game on in practice,” said head coach Danny Young-Uhrich.
When it came to playing defense, the Eagles were tenacious. Using a ball-hawking man-to-man defense and full-court zone press, they held teams to 55.4 points and 11.3 steals per game.
“We had an ability to win.We were a very smart team when we needed to be.  One of the most important things was that we never gave up,” said senior guard
Ashton Bankos. 

2. Women’s Volleyball. Under first-year head coach, Heather Pavlik, the Eagles continued their winning ways, going 27-8 overall while posting a 7-0 Landmark Conference record.
Maximum effort and dedication to volleyball enabled the team to achieve many of their goals.
“We gave 100% percent every day in practice. We left everything else outside of the gym and focused on just volleyball,” said senior libero Libby Morrison.
Even though the squad fell short of their goal of winning a national championship, they went down swinging against Eastern in the Mid-Atlantic Regional.
“The final match that we lost was one of the most competitive matches we ever played in, probably one of the most competitive matches a Juniata team has ever been in,” said Morrison. 

3. Men’s Volleyball. One of Juniata’s premier athletic programs churned out another great season.
The Eagles went 27-9 during the regular season, including 8-0 in the newly formed Continental Volleyball Conference East-Division. The team’s regular play gained them a bye and number 1 seed in the conference tournament.
However, the season was not all smooth sailing. The squad has had to deal with a few injuries to key members. “We have had young players step given the opportunities that they had.
“We have had players be pretty flexible as far as playing different positions,” said head coach Kevin Moore. After a terrific regular season, the squad’s CVC championship hopes ended with a CVC tournament semifinal loss to UC Santa
Cruz, 3-2.

4. Men’s Basketball. This year’s squad finished the season with an overall record of 19-10, capturing the most wins in program history.
The Eagles fell just short of qualifying for the NCAA tournament, losing the Landmark Conference Championship 78-70 in a hostile environment at the University of Scranton.
However, in the first round, the boys travelled to bitter rival Susquehanna and knocked the Crusaders off at home with a 77-58 victory.
“Going down to Susquehanna and beating them there was an awesome experience,” said junior forward Nate Higgins. Without a star
player on the roster, the squad routinely relied on a balanced attack.
“We did not have one superstar; it was all a team effort. We
had multiple guys who could do well,” said senior guard
Dan Sekulski. 
5. Field Hockey. One of Juniata’s most successful sports teams in recent years, field hockey took a minor step back this year.
The squad did, however, have a winning season, posting and overall record of 11-9. After losing in the Landmark Conference semifinals, the team went on to the ECAC playoffs, advancing to the semifinals with a close 1-0 victory over Ramapo College. Even though the squad did not reach its goal of making the conference championship, the team with 11 seniors produced memories.
“I was really proud of the senior class. It was a class that had the ability to make it through four years. They were a committed group who stuck it out,” said head coach Caroline Gillich. 

NCAA hopes end for men’s volleyball

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Unfortunately, all good things really must come to an end. The men’s volleyball team’s hope of winning the Division III NCAA Championship came to a close with their loss to UC Santa Cruz in the Continental Volleyball Conference Tournament. However, the end has been postponed with a postseason berth in the ECAC Division III South
Region Tournament.
The men fell to UC Santa Cruz in a heartbreaking five set match in the tournament semifinals. Although the team has lost their opportunity to compete for the ultimate prize, they are still able to reflect on the season in a
positive light.
“All in all I believe we have had a pretty successful year. It has not been perfect, but we did not expect it to be. We are happy with the progress we have made as a group,” said sophomore defensive specialist Ben Krouse.
“It has been a great first season for me. I have learned a lot and drastically improved as a player both physically and mentally. It has just been cool to experience that growth not only individually, but as a team,” said outside hitter freshman Paul Kuhn.
In addition to personal goals and reflection, there were team goals as well. They accomplished some and fell short of others, but they knew it would be important to stick together through the good and bad times. That attitude made it easier to strive for those goals as the season progressed.
“We set a lot of small goals throughout the season. One of the main ones was to get better every day that we step foot in the gym. I think we did a good job of that throughout the year,” said junior setter Rob Strauss.
“The goal is always to win a championship. We have other goals in place that we think will help us achieve that, but the big long term goal is definitely to win the championship,” said senior middle blocker Ben Wolff.
Unfortunately, the team was not able to achieve the goal of winning the championship this year. Yet, the success of their season cannot be based solely on that; they had many other accomplishments that cannot be measured by wins and losses.
“Honestly one of our biggest accomplishments is just how we banded together as one. There were no cliques or anything like that on the team. We were just one cohesive unit which helped us on the court,” said Krouse. Other players agree there are still many reasons to hold their heads high.
“We have had some pretty good accomplishments. One thing for us to be proud of is that we had four guys make All East Division. We are really proud of them. Another accomplishment is how we have been able to play through some tough spots. Rather than folding when the pressure is turned up, we have done a good job of staying poised and executing,” said Strauss.
The team’s ability to stay poised came largely from their four seniors: John Almquist, Ben, Wolff, Brian Jaron and Mike Kraft. The team relied heavily on them throughout the year and they all displayed great leadership throughout. While the returning players are optimistic about the future, they will greatly miss the seniors from this year’s squad.
“I have only played with those guys for a year so I am not ready to see them go yet. I have learned so much from them both on and off the court. It will definitely be different without them around, but that is just the nature of the beast I guess,” said Kuhn.
“It is going to be weird walking into the locker room and not seeing them in there anymore. They have been around for my whole career so it will be a lot different. They will definitely be missed by all of us,” said Strauss.
Although saying goodbye to graduating seniors is tough, the remaining players see next season’s promise. They return some very experienced players and, if history repeats itself, they will bring in another solid recruiting class. Next year could be the year that the team returns to the top.
“I think we should be pretty good again next year. We just have to carry over the chemistry and work ethic we have built this year,” said Krouse. Seniors too, express this sentiment.
“I just want them to know that they can accomplish anything they want to. I know how hard we have worked this year and if that continues they will be an even better team next year. I support them 100 percent,” said Wolff.
The good news is that the season is not be over. While the team’s NCAA chances have ended, they will continue postseason as the no. 1 seed in the ECAC South Region Tournament. They will face no. 4 seed Elmira College on April 21.

Eagle’s athletics Big 5: And the award goes to…

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May 12 seems like it is just around the corner for graduating seniors. While that means Convocation and Commencement for all graduates, for those who wore the Blue and Gold this year, it also means the 16th Athletic
Awards Night.
On April 29th, Juniata athletes and coaches will recap all of the great successes the Eagles had this past year and the night will be highlighted by the presentation of the Big 5 Awards.
Each year, five outstanding seniors receive one of these prestigious awards.
The awards are given to those seniors who soared at the highest levels both on and off the field.
The five awards given are the Stanford Mickle Award, the John E. Blood Award, the Charles Bargerstock Award, the Carolyn Stambaugh Award and the William R. Smaltz Award.
The Stanford Mickle Award will be presented to a senior male athlete who has made the greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics. This is Juniata’s most historic award and was first given out
in 1947.
The John E. Blood Award is given to a senior student athlete who has earned the highest grade point average combined with significant achievement. This is the second most historic award and has been around since 1976.
The Charles Bargerstock Award will be presented to a senior female athlete who has made the greatest contribution to Juniata Athletics. This honor was first awarded
in 1977.
The Carolyn Stambaugh Award is given to a senior athlete who best exemplifies the qualities of winning attitude, self-confidence, concern for others, and enthusiasm for life. This award originated
in 1987.
The William R. Smaltz Award will be presented to a senior student athlete who has demonstrated hard work and perseverance in his or her endeavors. This is the newest award as it originated in 1996.
Together these awards form the Big 5 Awards and are widely considered to be the most prestigious athletic honors that Juniata has
to offer.
All of the awards are named after former athletes, coaches, or supporters of Juniata
College athletics.
“The awards are recognition for four years of achievement here” said Juniata’s Sports Information Director Pete Lefresne.
“Some of these awards are geared toward on the field or on the court types of achievements. Others reflect broader things such as academic achievement, community service achievement, and
citizenship achievement.”
These awards are voted on by the Juniata coaches to determine which athletes will be honored. “Each coach nominates someone from their team and then we hold a secret ballot to vote on the awards,” said Lefresne.
“Some of the coaches knew the individuals who the awards are named after. They know what these people stood for and exemplified, and they look for seniors who possess the same qualities,” Lefresne said.
Not only is it very hard to win one of these prestigious awards, but it is very hard for the coaches to select the winners. “In the five years I’ve been here, it has been one of the most difficult years to choose the winners,”
said Lefresne.
Juniata athletes too, understand the prestige that each award carries as only a select few will be fortunate enough to win.
“It would be pretty amazing and quite the honor to get selected for one of the Big 5 awards,” said senior basketball player
Dan Sekulski.
“I know these awards go to some of the best student athletes on campus who perform well in the classroom as well. There have been some great student athletes that have received these awards in previous years which shows that it is a special award.”
Sekulski feels that one individual has separated herself and is very deserving of an award.
“If there is one person I think is a potential winner and a deserving candidate it is Woman’s Basketball player Ashton Bankos. She is going to go down as one of the greatest players to play in the woman’s program” said Sekulski.
Bankos understands the honor and history behind each award. “These awards are something that I have been hearing about ever since freshman year. The people who have won these awards in the past were Juniata greats. I would be so honored to receive this award and be grouped with all the past recipients,” said Bankos.
Bankos also feels that Sekulski and a few other peers are potential winners for the award.
“There are many people that could be in the running to receiving these awards. I do believe that Ceth Parker, Dan Sekulski, Ben Wolff, and Libby Morrison would all be likely candidates for these awards. There are also others that could receive this award. Our senior class has many athletes who are deserving of these awards”
said Bankos.
The senior class currently has three All-American athletes in Ashton Bankos, Libby Morrison, and Meghan McGlone, whom all should be considered as viable candidates to receive an award.
While, only five seniors will be chosen to receive an award, but all athletes should be proud of everything that they have accomplished over their careers.

Spring sports look back, and forward, on current seasons

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As the year at Juniata nears an end, students prepare for finals, seniors ready themselves for their next step and the Juniata sports teams reflect on their performances this season.

Tennis
The tennis teams have been under the direction of a new coach this season, yet despite many challenges and adjustments, the teams have found some success.
“Conference wise it has been a rough start to our season, but we have won every non-conference match, which is a positive,” said sophomore tennis player,
Emma Dahmus.
The men’s tennis team recently brought their winning percentage back to .500 after posting a record of 7-7 since beginning play this spring. The team has an overall record of 8-11 during the 2011-12 season, while the girl’s tennis team is just 2-8 this spring and holds an overall record of 6-9 this year.
“I know that our team’s main goal was to make playoffs, and with it seeming like every team is beating the other, there are no definite powerhouses in the conference so everyone still has a fair chance at making the playoffs,” said Dahmus.
Regardless of where the team is ranked, the members stay focused and excited as they make a push for a strong finish to the season.
“Hopefully our excitement can get filtered into the rest of our conference matches so that we can have a solid chance at making the play-offs. Although we lost our first two conference matches, there is still hope for the play-offs.  No one likes to lose, but I know that the team will keep pushing in order to try and reach our goal for play-offs,” said Dahmus.

Softball
The softball team has had a very good season in comparison to previous years. The team holds a current record of 9-16 this season, marking an incredible improvement from their previous season where the team went 3-27.
“We are definitely on our way to completing our goals this season because we are coming together and working as a whole. We’re picking each other up when we need too,” said pitcher,
Kelsea Decker.
The team’s improvement has come from continued focus on plate discipline and position changes preformed in the off-season. The team hopes to continue playing well and improving as the season comes to a close.
“We’re improving our overall game and getting over the obstacles that we have encountered this season,” said Decker

Volleyball
The men’s volleyball team lost to Santa Cruz On Apr. 14, crushing their chances at a national championship this year. Despite the hope of achieving a title this season, there have been many positives to take away. “We have gone 27-10 thus far this season. We have had a lot of success as a team and many individuals have had success so far,” said senior volleyball player John Almquist. 
Losing to Santa Cruz has made achieving a national championship unachievable, but the team watched many young players set groundwork for what should be long successful careers at Juniata.

Baseball
The team has experienced a very challenging season. Many injuries and errors have lead to a disappointing season for the team
this year.
“I would say we have not met our goals as a team. Our conference record is not very good or what we expected,” said sophomore baseball player
Brad Medellin.
The team currently holds a record of 10-19 with only two victories coming from their ten conference games. They finished 16-21 during the 2011 season and players hope to have a similar ending result this year.
“We are just looking to come together and end the season on a high note,” said Medellin.

Lights, camera, action, McCool

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Lights. Camera. Action. New highlight tapes turn Juniata athletes into movie stars thanks to the hard work of the Sports Information office.
The office is run by Director Pete Lefrense and assistant Caley McCool. They are in charge of the athletic website and statistics for all of the sports teams. Another thing that they do is make videos of the teams in action and to promote games that are coming up.
“The focus has always been event recaps. Caley has done a fantastic job of trying to find new ways of using some of the material that she shoots,” Lefresne said. “I think she is definitely interested in using the videos that she shoots to try and generate more interest into our teams.”
Several teams have had videos made of them. These include recaps from games, best plays of the season, and videos that were created to promote upcoming games.
Sophomore Joe Sforza participated in one of the promotional videos that were created. It was used to promote the home opener for the baseball team.
“It was pretty cool to make. We wanted to try to get people out for the game, that’s the reason why we made the video” Sforza said.”
Sophomore Dan Gray was also a part of the making of the video. He also had a couple of lines and action shots during it.
“I think we tried to have fun more than anything else. We joked around and had a good time. The video was pretty cool and it ended up being a lot better than I expected. It definitely worked. Quite a few people showed up,” said Gray.
Most of the videos are a recap from a game or meet. They also have featured a “top plays of the fall season.”
Junior Noah Walstrom is a member of the football team. He watched the video and enjoyed seeing the team make the cut.
“I thought it was a really good idea. It was nice to see that our team was on there quite a few times. It was also pretty nice to see that we were the number one clip of the video. The fact that our game winning field goal was number one made me feel pretty good and know that we are appreciated,” said Walstrom.
Freshman Nick Weit is a member of the men’s soccer team. He had one of his own goals make the top ten cut.
“I really haven’t seen this on other campuses that I was looking into going to,” Weit said. “This is cool to show to recruits. They get to see how our athletics goes along with our academic reputation.” Not only does Sports Information make videos for recaps and top ten lists, but they do other videos as well. They also made a video for the football team about their favorite highlights from this past season.
“It was awesome to watch the video at our end of the year banquet. We all watched it and it brought back memories from the season. It was nice for them to put it on the website and give us access to it whenever we want to watch it. It helps a lot with recruiting because whenever a recruit comes in to see the campus we can also show them the video to see how we play,” said Walstrom.
To see any of these videos, visit the athletic website. The videos will be on each specific sport page.

Volleyball recruiting

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Part of the excitement of collegiate athletics is the fact that every year coaches add new, young talent to their rosters. For the men’s and women’s volleyball teams, new recruits bring talent and help fill voids left by
graduating players.
One of the problems with recruiting, however, is that you do not always get the players you were pursuing. Yet both teams were able to get some of their top choices for the 2012-2013 effort.
“We were pretty successful. There were a couple of positions where we were a little light and we needed some help and we definitely got some good people in those positions,” said women’s head coach Heather Pavlik ’95. The men’s team too, has incoming freshmen who they hope will fill holes in various positions.
“I feel that we have a great class coming in. This incoming class is really going to address needs from the graduating seniors and also give us increased depth to help build the program and the raise the level of competition in the practice gym,” said men’s head coach Kevin Moore ’02.
Part of what an incoming class does is, along with more experienced returning players, help fill voids left by graduation seniors. Both teams are losing key players this May.
The women’s team will be losing middle blocker Amanda Schmidt and libero Libby Morrison.
The men’s team is losing middle blocker Ben Wolff, setter John Almquist, libero Mike Kraft and opposite Brian Jaron.
“You look at the contributions throughout the careers of Wolff, Kraft, Almquist and Jaron, and it’s impossible to say they are going to be replaced. However, we hope that with their departure their experienced guys returning will be able to step up and fill some of the holes that are vacated,” said Moore.
Pavlik also believes her seniors are irreplaceable, but someone always steps in to fill their shoes.
“Every year, and I think just about every year somebody leaves and you wonder how you are going to replace them. I don’t think you ever really replace them, other people grow in other positions and you make up the difference of what is missing,” said Pavlik. “Maybe you have a young player who comes in and is fabulous right away but usually there is a learning curve they have to go through.”
Each class is different than the year before because coaches are attempting to fill holes or strengthen other positions.
“I think each class is a little unique and different because you are recruiting for specific holes. The freshman class this year filled some holes in the middle and the pins. The incoming class next fall is more of a defensive oriented class and a setting class due to Almquist’s and Kraft’s graduation,” said Moore.
For the women, the focus is also on setting, yet they’re brining in more sizable offensive
weapons too.
“It’s a deep class and I think we got a little bit of size in it that maybe we didn’t have. We have some big strong players coming in and think that will help and we obviously filled the setter hole,”
said Pavlik.
“But we got some depth at every positions and they are different than the players we have so the bring something new and different to the table.”
For the women’s team, the biggest hole they needed to fill was at the setter position due to their previous setter’s transfer. They currently do not have a setter on their roster, so a freshman will most likely have to take on that role.
“We have two setters coming in right now and I’m real happy with both, totally different styles between the two, so it gives us a little bit of everything,” said Pavlik.
In addition to anticipated starters, fans, players and coaches alike wonder if freshmen will see the court their rookie season.
“I think some of them will be able to fight to get into the mix, but there certainly is a learning curve there and I think the biggest thing for us because we don’t have anytime here on campus before we actually have to start season, usually the biggest challenge is strength and endurance,” said Pavlik.
Moore has a slightly different attitude toward freshmen and playing time.
“I hope it is their expectation that they will get a chance to play. The last couple years we have had major contributions from first year players,” said Moore.
“This past year Paul Kuhn, Joe Bortak and Eric McCarthy have all extensive minuets this year. I fully anticipate that next fall there are going to be one or two freshman that are going to find themselves fighting for court time.”
While multiple recruits have fully committed at this point, coaches are still waiting to hear from a couple of players, but hope to have everything settled in the near future.
“Our goal for next year is between the six to eight range. We could be a couple above or one or two below that, but I hope within the next two or three weeks we will have everything finalized and will know what we are looking at for the fall,” said Moore.

Evolution of film leaves aside style, individuality

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“This is the end/Beautiful friend. This is the end/ My only friend,
the end.”
Jim Morrison’s voice is floating up to me through my office as I pen what you are reading: my final column for “The Juniatian”. The three years I dedicated to the film column allowed me to plumb the darkest depths of cinema, like James Cameron, when he explored the Mariana Trench. During the descent, my doe-eyed optimism about the industry corroded into cynicism and then pessimism, before regenerating into an informed faith on my ascent.
You, dear reader, have been my Dante in this journey, and since we have traveled through the bitterness and into the sweet (as Doctor Van Helsing would say), we have reached our final destination. Now, I am going to look upon the images, sounds and knowledge I acquired, and distill it into a truth that if I could, would serve to my younger with lemon. A Movie Sour, if you may. Lend me your hand once more, and let’s
look back.
One of the first truths that struck me is that the interaction between audiences and the artists (in this case, creative personnel and performers), mirrors that of our political climate. Politics, particularly in the franchises, are polarized. On one hand, the majority of audiences for these blockbusters series that are at least twenty years old are conservative. They want the same film resupplied, with different names and designs, but the same framework. This creates a problem as the true visionaries are ignored in favor of those individuals who are capable of carbon copying a film, which requires no artistic background or skill. A clear example of this lies within the second to last “Star Trek” film, ‘Nemesis.’
The creative team (which included a few of the high billed actors) decided to offer a thoughtful examination into concepts such as free will, identity and race. And, to add the emotional punch, they decided to have a beloved character sacrifice themself, in what is one of the best death scenes in the franchise, in my opinion. While I initially railed against it (I was mad about the death, as my initial review said), I’ve come to embrace the decision, and only feel frustration for the franchise skipping to a reboot of the previous series, instead of following up on a plotline that was deliberately left open.
Yet, fans decry the film, often listing it in association with some of the legitimately lousy entries in the franchise, because the film dared to be different. It was not a rehashed revenge plot stemming from or against the captain of a starship: this film dared to think, instead of cater to fan demands.
But, they caused the film to perform abysmally, and cause the aforementioned reboot and the franchise to go into suspended animation, like Captain America after his final battle with the original Baron Zemo. If there is any doubt towards this causal relationship, look up the synopses of the succeeding film: it is a revenge plot.
While I would like to believe that this is clear-cut evidence supporting the claim Grant Morrison posed in his annotations for Arkham Asylum – that audiences love seeing classical myths retold – I believe it is a lack of imagination among the conservative fans and viewers.
As the argument above illustrates, there are several problems connected to the relationship between box office receipts and fans. One is that the films that succeed at the box office are often household name titles or franchises, whether it’s “Halloween” or the latest James Bond film. The truth is, the industry is run by bankers; the concern is not artistry, but rather, profit.
Box office success does not always presuppose artistry, and artistry does not often presuppose billion dollar grosses, either. However, in the continuous outpour of anthracite, there are a few diamonds to be found. While auteur theory is as valid as that of the flat earth, a new breed of directors is starting to arise: one that can color in the lines set by the studio – provided they do not interfere, like the Weinsteins are prone to, almost always to the detriment of the film – but, color beautifully.
Christopher Nolan, Joss Whedon, and J.J. Abrams are three of these directors who understand how to retain the required elements of a series, but make artistically and critically satisfying films. With each successful film, the director gains more creative control. Do you think Nolan would have been able to make “Inception” if he had not made “The Dark Knight?” Or, Joss Whedon make “The Avengers,” if he had not written “Toy Story” and assisted with the production of most of
Marvel’s blockbusters?
The linkage between these directors is that through comic book cinema, they can acquire more resources and backing to ensure that their original ideas are rendered through the studio, and not their own pockets and equipment. I guarantee “Super 8” would not have been made if “Star Trek” and “Cloverfield” had not
been successful.
If there is a message to take away, it is that the industry is starting to produce more films worth merit through the audiences participation in this artistic democracy: admission to a theater is as valid and informative as a ballot cast during an election. Audiences tend to underplay or forget just how much power they wield: if we demand films that are make with the craftsmanship of Fincher and dialogue of Tom Stoppard, they will be supplied.
All it takes is a bad opening weekend to ruin a film; conversely, all it takes is a steady stream of positive word-of-mouth to turn an independent film into a box office success (“The Artist,” anyone?)
So, I write my final installment with this message of hope for future of film: don’t let the professional critics and films of Michael Bay sour your perspective on the industry: have hope, because for every film Michael Bay makes – contributing nothing but misogyny, bigotry, and jingoism – there are five undiscovered Frank Darabont’s and five French films
like “Breathless.”
Good night and good luck.