Senior Priscilla Jennings won both the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs. She ran a time of 2:18.56 in the 800 to edge Shippensburg’s Abigail Huber. Jennings won the 1500 by nearly three seconds with a time of 4:41.40.  Freshman Elicia Anderson placed ninth in both events.

Priscilla Jennings eyes down the finish line in one of her two events which she participated in on Saturday. Jennings placed first in both the 800 meter and 1,500 meter runs. Photo by Barry Walton.

“Priscilla is in fantastic shape and I am glad that she won both of her races,” Distance Coach Andy Young said.

Junior Rachel Hull won the 5,000-meter run (18:52.03). It was a personal record time for her.  Junior Brittany Zuver finished four seconds behind, which was good enough for second place.

Michelle Frayne also had a personal record in the long jump during the heptathlon. She also placed second in both the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 15.20 and the javelin with a mark of 37.44 meters. She was the only Marauder to place in three events.

Jennings, Hull and Frayne’s strong performances were even more impressive given the conditions on Sunday.  The Marauders faced wind gusts of up to 40 mph.

“All three have been working very hard this spring semester to improve and I’m glad to see these strong performances in what was challenging wind,” Young said.

The men’s team also had a few standouts. Four members of the 1500-meter team finished in the top eight. James McBride paced the Marauders with a time of 4:08.04 for a second-place finish. Joshua Foulds placed behind him in third with a time of 4:08.75. Zach Kelchner and Jim Boyer captured sixth and seventh, respectively.

Three Marauders also excelled in the long jump. Freshman Jorrell Nugent placed fifth with a leap of 6.45 meters. Junior Stephen Boyd took sixth with a mark of 6.43 meters. Junior Brendon Thomas’ jump of 6.40 meters put him in seventh place.  The three were within .05 meters and showed that they have stepped up their game.

“Our male long jumpers have really come a long way despite being young in the sport,” Young said.

The Marauders had the extra motivation with this being a home meet, but they have set their sights for the future.

“The PSAC East challenge meet is not our focus for the year, but it certainly was nice to have a home competition and we definitely wanted to see our athletes succeed,” Young said.  “So I would say that there was some added pressure because of the home venue but I also think our athletes realized that we are really trying to get ready for the PSAC Championships in May also here at Millersville.”

Next for the Marauders is the Bucknell Outdoor Classic.  The three-day event starts April 10 in Lewisburg, Pa. The team expects similar results, and more.

Young expects Frayne, who is already nationally ranked in the Heptathlon to improve her mark so that her national standing is higher which would help her get selected for the NCAA meet.  Jennings should also win the 800 and 1500-meter again to qualify for the NCAA meet.  Zuver will also run the steeplechase.

“I think she is poised to make some noise on the National level,” Young said.
On the men’s side, Young expects Thomas to establish himself as one of the top decathletes in the PSAC.

Junior Jim Boyer will be going for an NCAA mark in the steeplechase. He currently has the top mark in the PSAC.

They also hope senior Adam Kravatz can get back to the pole vaulting form he had during the indoor season when he was one of the top vaulter in the PSAC.

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Millersville managed to squeeze in all four games during a wet weekend and headed into the new week with a record of 16-15, including 5-7 in conference play.  The team currently sits at fifth place in the PSAC East with just six more conference games scheduled to finish out the regular season.

The Marauders traveled to Shippensburg on Friday and dropped both of their games by scores of 6-3 and 9-1.  Freshman Jason Long got the start in the first game for Millersville and quieted the Red Raiders’ bats for the most part in the first three innings leaving the teams tied at one a piece.

However, Shippensburg began to take control in the bottom of the fourth after becoming acclimated with Long’s pitching.

The Red Raiders tallied two runs in the fourth and, after Millersville responded with one of their own to stay within one, Shippensburg’s Tyler Reddick put the game out of reach with a three-run blast.  The home run put Shippensburg up 6-2, and Millersville could muster only one run in the top of the seventh and finished with a 6-3 loss.

In the second game the Marauders did not fare any better.  Millersville managed a run in the first inning, but none the rest of the way, as Shippensburg piled in the runs en route to a 9-1 win.

Millersville was set to avenge their losses the following day at home, but inclement whether in the area forced the Marauders to wait until Sunday because the game was postponed.

Millersville's catcher junior Miles Gallagher lays down a tag during a play at the plate in the seventh inning to help preserve a win over Shippensburg on Sunday. Photo by: Christian Shuts.

Junior Forrest Mengle pitched yet another gem in the first game.  Mengle pitched all seven innings surrendering eight hits and only one run as he improved his record to 5-1 on the season to go with a 2.15 era.

Seniors Andy Dochterman and Scott Slembecker each drove in runs in the bottom of the sixth to provide Mengle with a small lead heading in to the top half of the seventh.  After surrendering two hits, Shippensburg hit another single to left field but after a perfect relay Millersville gunned the runner out at home as Mengle got the last out to earn the win.

Sophomore Derek Kline made his third career start on the mound in the second game and pitched a fantastic game of his own.  Kline surrendered two unearned runs and only one hit.  Kline earned the win after five and a half innings as the game was called midway through the sixth before the Marauders took to the plate due to the severe thunderstorms that blew through Lancaster county.

Taking back both games were huge for Millersville as they start to eye a playoff spot as the season continues to wind down. “It was very important for us to get those two wins from Shippensburg,” said senior Lance Miller.  “Without [the wins] we would be way behind Kutztown and they’re smoking everybody right now.”   Millersville is currently in fifth place in the PSAC East, and only the top four teams make the postseason.

“We’re still taking it one game at a time, we just have to keep doing the little things, that’s what postseason teams do,” Miller said.

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Millersville University was privileged enough to host Dr. Eddie Henderson, a well known and brilliant trumpet player who currently resides in New York City. Dr. Henderson’s reputation preceded him and he did not disappoint his audience. He and the MU Jazz Ensemble did an excellent job and gave a top notch performance.

Marc Campolongo, who played the trumpet, felt that Dr. Henderson was not only an amazing trumpet player, but a genuinely nice person as well.

“I had the opportunity to talk with Eddie at rehearsals the day before and he even let me play his horns,” said Campolongo. “After the concert he came out for food with the group and talked to us. It was a great experience and I hope that Millersville continues to bring in amazing jazz artists.”

Eddie Henderson is a jazz legend and the MU jazz had the oppurtunity to play alongside him. Photo by Christian Shuts.

Daniel Meeker, who was featured on the trombone, could not have agreed more. He was honored to be on stage with someone as talented and well-established as Dr. Henderso and he was more than happy to accompany him on his instrument of expertise.

“I picked the trombone because it has a very unique sound. Also, when I was younger, seeing the slide of the trombone move around quickly really pulled my interest,” said Meeker.

Though all involved with the performance were more than willing to praise Dr. Eddie Henderson for his musical abilities and personal humility, perhaps the most ready to shower him with compliments was guitarist Ben Young.

“I’d like everyone to know that not only is Eddie Henderson a jazz legend, having played with people like Herbie Hancock and Art Blakey, but more importantly he is a warm, gracious, compassionate human being,” said Young. “It’s meant a lot to me, being afforded the opportunity to work with him and even just hang out with the guy. His character and manner of conduct are models for what we all should aspire to be.”

Dr. Henderson’s charisma could be felt in every song and it was obvious that everyone accompanying him on stage had a great time doing so.

“The show went extremely well last night. It had to be one of the best concerts I’ve been involved in during my time in college,” said Josh Martin, who played the bass.

The concert had a very easy-going feeling to it; even the names of the songs performed exuded an air of playfulness. With titles like “On Green Dolphin Street”, “The Jeep is Jumpin’” and “Take It Light”, the concert helped the audience to forget its worries.
“When the song is uptempo and everyone is locked in the groove, playing jazz is really fun,” said Kelli Siegfried, who played the saxophone.

Siegfried felt the concert went very well considering they did not have an ample amount of time to practice for the show. The MU Jazz Ensemble had just given a performance the week before with Pete McGuinness. Siegfried, who enjoyed performing with both musicians, thought Henderson was an especially good improviser who was able to connect with his audience.

Jazz is one of those styles of music that demands appreciation, whether someone likes the genre or not.

“I really enjoy the grooves and the overall expressive feel of the style. You can have fun sticking to the music form or go off on a tangent and explore, making your own musical statement. Plus jazz is just pure fun for me,” said Campolongo.

Young feels that the term is a loaded one and is simply a label that has little meaning.

“I tend to feel that ‘jazz’ is more of a philosophy of art, one that leads towards freedom and honest self-expression. I love jazz, but ultimately, what I do is an amalgamation of everything that I’m into, whether it’s rock, blues, R&B/soul, jazz, classical – everything,” said Young. “And if that’s what people think of as ,jazz, then that’s cool with me, because it’s all music, and it’s all valid,”

Whatever you want to call it, the music played by Dr. Henderson and the MU Jazz Ensemble was anything but ordinary and nothing but amazing.

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Jerry Broneic, interfraternity council president and secretary chair in Lambda Chi Alpha, has been involved with this issue and has personally talked with the Student Affairs Office to resolve the issue.

According to Senior Broneic, some time ago unidentified individuals used the basement of the Armstrong House inappropriately, leaving behind ash (from either a fire or a grill) and used cans. The incident started an investigation by the University.

Prior to the incident, the zoning laws were either neglected, unknown or not enforced.

After the investigation, there were limits placed on the use of the Armstrong House in accordance with the zoning laws—laws which limit the number of individuals allowed per floor to seven—rendering it useless to Greeks.

“We, [the Student Affairs Office and I], talked about a couple of possibilities such as rezoning or possibly moving to another house,” Broneic stated.  “But no such decisions have been made and we are still trying to work out a solution.”

“Because of age and deterioration of the house,” began sophomore Stefanie Kulczyckyj, the president of panhellenic council. “Only seven people are allowed to be in the Greek House at any one time. This is not beneficial to the Greek community because we are not able to have any type of meeting where more than seven people are expected to attend.

The Armstrong House is being repaired after it was misused by unidentified individuals. Photo by Carla Anderson.

“Currently, the issue of the Greek House has been looked upon after the Greek community wrote letters, and hopefully in the near future we will have an official Greek House again,” said Kulczyckyj.

The Greeks have sent letters to Dr. Aminta Hawkins Breaux, vice president for student affairs, asking her to help find a solution to the current situation with the Armstrong House, reported Dwight Horsey, interim Assistant to the vice president for student affairs.

Angela Simmons, director of student programs and Marsha McQuate, assistant director of student programs, have been involved with investigating the issue and have reported to Horsey that, upon Weidinger’s inspection, the house was found to not be zoned for large gatherings.

His report stated that “the reality is, these old houses were never designed or intended to be used for large public gatherings. Those types of events should have been held in…buildings which have the space, life safety and fire safety systems, the proper means of egress for large crowds, and the structural integrity to handle large crowds.”

With five fraternities and six sororities on campus, a designated “Greek house,” which is currently located in the Armstrong House on Frederick Street, seems a necessity.

However, MU’s houses are zoned for a maximum seven individuals per floor, and having Halloween parties and “large gatherings”—which could be anything from mundane meeting to a study group—are not just ordinance issues but are also “life safety issue,” according to Weidinger’s report.

“I have spoken to some members of the Greek organizations and am working with Marsha and Angela to find some other suitable location for them to use,” said Horsey. “That’s where we are with things.”

The Armstrong House will continue to be the Greek House.

The Student Affairs Office has not mentioned when, if or where the move would occur.

Kulczyckyj feels that it is only fair, in light of the community service that both the IFC and PHC provide, that the University provides a Greek house; or allow the Greeks to, possibly through Habitat for Humanity, build their own dwelling place.

“Even though the Greek community is only 2 percent of Millersville University’s campus community, we are always helping out and giving back to Millersville and the Lancaster community,” said Kulczyckyj.

“It gives me pride to know that my chapter and all the sororities and fraternities on campus are reaching out and giving back, and helping whenever and wherever they can.”

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All of the proceeds from the battle of the bands went to the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation. This organization is devoted to helping underprivileged youth in Lancaster by providing moral support and helping to build character.

Each of the bands played about three songs, most of which were originals with a few cover songs thrown in the mix.

Cinder Hill placed first and won a gift bag with music supplies and gift cards. Native Maze and Bailey Park placed second and third respectively; their prize was the return of their $20 entry fee. However, both of the bands immediately decided to donate the money to the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation.

The Little Ivory Blues Band, Ivan Swangren, and Ramble all received honorary mention.

The Battle of the Bands was orchestrated by the Millersville University chapter of the foundation as a way to raise money for the Power in Numbers campaign. A total of over $1,300 was raised from the event.

“I thought it was great,” said Cristen Curran, a junior and president of the Children Deserve a Chance chapter at MU. “The most important part about it was that we had really good support from the people who came.”

The Power in Numbers campaign has been started by the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation to raise $500,000 for a developmental center in Lancaster. There are 50 small fundraising teams and each team is to raise $10,000.

So far, the foundation has raised $71,000 for the center. Hopes for the center include academic tutoring, art and computer classes, life skills coaching and athletic and wellness programs, according the foundation’s website.

As an organization devoted to helping the city youth, the foundation wants the children that they interact with gain a sense of self-worth, accountability and pride in their community.

The Children Deserve a Chance Foundation was founded by Jordan Steffy after he read an article in the paper about a boy at his high school who needed brain surgery. Steffy and his family decided they needed to help him and raised enough money so that the boy could get the surgery. A few months later, the boy showed up at Steffy’s door a changed person.

In 2004, Steffy decided that he needed to help people on a larger scale. By 2007, the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation officially became the non-profit organization it is today.

Family to Steffy, Curran also became involved with the organization with their family members. She started up the chapter at MU this semester, which now has 20 members.

Steffy was present at the Battle of the Bands.

“I think they did an unbelievable job,” said Steffy. “A lot of credit goes to Cristen and her team for pulling something off like that.”
According to Curran, the MU chapter is focused on helping out with the Power in Numbers campaign for this year; more goals for the chapter will come.

The coming developmental center is one of four beneficiaries. The foundation contributes to the Epilepsy Foundation, motivational speakers for schools in Lancaster and three scholarships a year.
Overall, the Battle of the Bands was a successful venture for the foundation’s MU chapter. Junior Sarah Billings, vice president of the MU chapter, said that the Battle of the Bands “turned out to be a great event.”  Billings became involved with the foundation before it was established at MU.

“I feel like we have a responsibility in the community,” said Billings.
If you are interested in helping with the Children Deserve a Chance Foundation, the MU chapter has been meeting in the Student Memorial Center at 9 p.m. every other Wednesday. To find out more information on the foundation or to contact the organization, visit www.childrendeserveachance.com.

“We just want to raise awareness for what we’re trying to do and how important it is,” said Curran. “Our biggest goal of the campaign besides raising money is raising awareness.”

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These were just a few of the signs being displayed last Thursday, March 19, outside of the SMC, to protest Bill Ayers visit to Millersville University, where he gave a speech on Urban education.

The crowd of around 30 students and local residents was fully formed at around 6 p.m.; a smaller group of protesters than expected.  Erik Golden, senior believed the lack of participation was, “ridiculous, it shows how little students at Millersville care about anything because if they cared about anything there would be more than 30 people here.”

Despite the low number of protestors, the message that they provided was almost universal throughout the crowd: Bill Ayers was presenting at their school and something had to be done about it.

The majority of the protestors had negative views on Bill Ayer appearing at Millersville.  Ryan Barrick, sophomore, and president of College Democrats stated that, “Bill Ayers is an unrepentant domestic terrorist. He does not keep with the ideals of Millersville University. His past of being a domestic terrorist is not what we want of future educators of America. Is it irresponsible for the university to bring him here.”

Barrick wasn’t the only current student outside the SMC voicing his opinion. Students from  Students for a Democratic Society and College Republicans joined him.

Members of Students for a Democratic Society protest in order to protect the value of free speech. Photo by Carla Anderson.

“I don’t believe the Ayer’s invitation was appropriate. He shouldn’t be speaking at a public campus because of his radical past” Steve Sweder, sophomore and the secretary of College Republicans stated.

Members of Students for a Democratic Society, an organization the Ayers himself was associated with, were the only group to come out in support of the Ayer’s Speech. “I believe in education, I know this is controversial, so is the war. Bill has grown up, gotten an education and that’s what we are all here for,” said SDS member Ashley Bagdonas, junior.

The even also stirred up concern with alumni and caused them to standing with signs of anger across from Gordinier where the lecture was taking place.

Former MU graduate Danel De Leon traveled back onto campus to protest and express his disappointment in the University.

“The fact that they invited this psycho who believes in violence as an appropriate response is ridiculous,” De Leon said. “In my opinion you negate your right to free speech when you become a domestic terrorist or the right to be paid to speak non the less.”

Alumni Jen McHenery also stood along the sidewalk holding a sign with a group of her friends. She was motivated to protest because of the idea of free speech.

She argued that Millersville was advocating free speech for a man who himself couldn’t listen and respect other people’s points of views.

“I just felt like there were a lot of people who were more qualified to talk about urban education than someone who promotes violence against someone who has a different view point than his.” McHenery said. “We don’t want someone to come here who doesn’t want to listen to other peoples view points. As an alumni I will not give a penny to Millersville in the future.”

The negative view of Ayers visit to campus was also shared by members of the community of Millersville.

“Ayers shouldn’t be collecting $300,000 to spout out a political system” Bill Humpf, 57, said as he handed out flyers on Ayers’s participation in the Days of Rage riot in Chicago, bomb planting and other acts of terrorism on U.S. soil.

“This is not right, he’s a terrorist” Polly Ariano, a local mother exclaimed. “There are hundreds of people that have his education he doesn’t have to come to our small town!” Ariano said her reason to protest Ayers’s speech was because, “someone has to make him aware that what he did was not right, it’s not American.”

Ariano felt that the protestor’s purpose was to give the students of Millersville another point of view other than the “free speech” reasoning they had been hearing.

“The students need to see people saying this is wrong. This is not freedom of speech. He should not be paid to speak. Hitler had a great mind too but they would not have paid him to speak.” Ariano said.

The general consensus among the community members was that having Ayers speak in their community was an embarrassment.

“I have always been proud of this school. I always bragged about how great this school is and how lucky I am to have it in my community. This explodes that in my face. I am ashamed,” said Scott Parmer a Millersville citizen.

As the sun went down and the night grew colder, the crowd began to die down, without any need for police to step in.

The crowd was peaceful aside from a small mob that was formed and a debate was formed over whether or not Ayers visit to campus was appropriate and whether or not we have the right to say whether or not he repented for his actions.

Ariano argued that he was not sorry for his past actions and that he made that clear after when he said “he wished he would have done more” just after the attacks on 9/11. The debate ended as quickly as it began as neither party was willing to consider the others points.

The protestors were nonviolent, and shared their opinions with anyone willing to take the time to listen.  “Stand up for what is right even if you stand alone,” Ariano stressed as she departed the Millersville campus.

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This is a good opportunity for Millersville University students to experience something different in Lancaster. Third Friday is much less popular than First Friday, which is the art gallery version of Third Friday. Students can walk around Downtown Lancaster and be a part of local artistry.

First Friday showcases local artists and galleries and appears to be the better choice for those wanting a little more variety. While Third Friday is maybe a little nicer if you are looking to sit down and relax in one place.

Though Third Friday gets less recognition than First Friday, this is not to say that those who participate on music Friday are any less talented than the artists featured on First Friday.

Joe Hamilton, Charles Munch, and Nick Desabastian entertain their listeners at the Prince Street Cafe downtown Lancaster. Joe Hamimlton and the Young Bucks played beautiful melodies. Audience enjoyed good music while sipping coffee and relaxing with friends and family. Photo by Gordon Beecroft.

“I personally like First Friday better because I perform at Muffin Street Cafe and it seems to have a bigger crowd on First Fridays instead of music Fridays,” said Matt Douglass. “But it is a great place to check local artists out, both on music and First Fridays.”

Music Friday features bands that play both original music and covers. A local band, called Skyfeather, performed at Chestnut Hill Café on Chestnut St. and played covers from Tom Petty and the Beatles. The band included acoustic guitars and a plethora of percussion instruments.

Elliot Fisk, who is actually not a local artist, but a celebrated guitarist from Boston, performed at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music on Prince St. He gave a concert based on the Twilight series.

Rachel’s Café and Creperie featured Amanda Well’s on guitar and Prince St. Café held a live performance by Joe Hillman and the Young Bucks.

Anyone interested in supporting local music can join in every Third Friday of the month. No month is the same and new and emerging artists are featured each time.

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Head Coach Scott Vandegrift is in his 25th season with the team. He is encouraged by this team’s potential and depth.

Leading the way for the Marauders is senior Darryn DeShong. After struggling in the fall, Vandegrift fully expects DeShong to rebound and lead the team. DeShong finished in 11th place after shooting nine over par in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships in the fall. After playing in North Carolina during spring break, he has worked his way towards getting back in the flow of the game.

Vandegrift knows that, while it does not show on the scoreboard, DeShong’s leadership is a crucial part of this team.

“We really need him to excel for this team to go,” Vandegrift said.
This will be crucial as Millersville has a plethora of freshmen. Brian Cooper was the only one of those freshmen to crack the starting lineup in the fall. He finished in 16th at 15 over par in the PSAC Championships.

However, freshmen in the starting five may not be a rarity this spring. Vandegrift wants them to focus on the present, rather than looking to what their future contributions could be. He has gone as far as to say that this group of freshmen compare to the ones he had in 2003, the year Millersville went to NCAA Nationals. Freshmen Chris Orlando, Shane Henry and Matthew Dudas will look to have similar success.

The freshmen golfers have also made strides to succeed in the classroom. According to Vandegrift, the freshmen grade point average was the highest it has ever been in the fall and it was the first time it ever exceeded the upperclassmen in his 25 years at Millersville.

Members of the Millersville men's golf team take a swing on the driving range. Photo by: David Lu.

“It’s a reflection of the direction of our athletic department,” Vandegrift said.

The competition from the young guys is expected to push the upperclassmen to be better, and vice versa. Junior Ben Rowe, a transfer who is from Lancaster County, has made a smooth transition to the club. Vandegrift has high expectations for Rowe, and feels he and DeShong could be a dangerous 1-2 punch. Along with juniors Nick Magenta and Brian Olinger, Vandegrift has a deep team in which many people may end up contributing by the end of the season. Whoever is hot at the time will end up making the starting lineup.

“Our best scorers can come from anywhere in the lineup,” Vandegrift said.

The goal of this team is to qualify for NCAA Regionals in West Virginia. Vandegrift also thinks they have a good chance of reaching Nationals. This would be the perfect way for the seniors to go out with a bang.

“I think that would be a great way to end my college career,” DeShong said.

But before that, the Marauders have four tournaments, including two consecutive to start the season. They begin with the Camp LeJeune Invitational, which runs from March 26-29. Vandegrift said this is the most competitive tournament the Marauders will see other than Regionals. He hopes to finish at least in the top-16 of the 30-team field.

Directly following this will be the Goldey Beacom Invitational on March 30-31. This is a tournament in which Millersville has never finished lower than second place.

In the meantime, the Marauders continue to work on all of the technical areas of their game in preparation for their spring schedule. The first competition they will face this spring is each other as they try to make the starting lineup. But the Marauders still support and encourage each other in practice to play their best golf.

Vandegrift may have some tough decisions to make regarding who plays and who does not, but, having too much talent is a problem that he would be happy to have.

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Cramoy is originally from Connecticut until his family recently moved to New York. He and his brother, Jeremiah, are part of the Josh Cramoy Band. They have been around since 2000 and have always loved singing and playing music since they were very young. Cramoy performed solo for us at the Club de ‘Ville on Friday, and captured the interest of many. His passion for music shines through when he sings and it draws the audience into his lyrics.

“My favorite track is ‘What I Got Medley’ because it’s the Fresh Prince of Bel Air song and pretty much everyone knows it. I like to get the crowd involved in the music,” Cramoy said. He asked the audience to sing along and his performance was an enjoyable one even if you didn’t know the words to the songs. Cramoy writes his own music and listeners can relate to his lyrics. “I’m inspired by real life experiences, relationships and different perspectives. I like to look outside the box as well and write about a variety of things,” he said. Cramoy has one CD out, an acoustic EP, a full-length album and he is working on his second album right now.

Josh Cramoy's passionate singing touches the crowd. He entertained his audience with music as well as humor. Photo by: Christian Shuts.

Cramoy is currently on his college tour and he said they tour from February to May. He enjoys getting to travel, go around to different universities and perform at various venues. Cramoy has opened for many reputable musicians like Gavin DeGraw, OAR, and Eve 6. They have performed at the World Cup Bobsled Championships and the Alpine National Championships as well.

Cramoy listens to every type of music. He listens to anything from Tool and Rage Against the Machine, to Matchbox Twenty, The Beatles and Dispatch. He attempts to vary his own music and it ranges from Rock, Folk, Country, Hard Rock to Pop Rock, Soft Rock, Acoustic to Jazz Rock. When Cramoy performs, he not only sings to entertain the crowd, but it is clear that he enjoys being on stage.

Cramoy towards the end of his performance took a break by joking around with the crowd and conversing with them. He was a very friendly and funny guy who was more than glad to talk to anyone who approached him after the show. He ended with Britney Spears’ “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and the crowd joined in.

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His appearance was in light of the recent economic stimulus package and how it will affect the students of the University.

The event was held in the Bolger Conference Room and was by RSVP only. Cavanaugh did two sessions, one for faculty, and one for students.

The student seminar had low attendance only filling half of the room.

Nonetheless, Cavanaugh was thankful for those few students who were interested in the financial status of their school.

The Chancellor spoke about the economic situation and how the money will be distributed, what kind of stake Millersville University will receive, and how that will affect the school’s students.

Cavanaugh estimated that 81.5 percent of the money for education would go to kindergarten through high school and the remaining 18.5 percent would be divided among the 14 state schools. The money for state schools will be in the form of grants and loans.

A $1.9 billion burst to financial aid to help some 1.4 million students go to school, and a $100 addition to Pell Grants, which will help some 7 million families with college.

Sophomore John Loomis attended the event and felt that the government is taking steps in the right direction.

“They [government] are taking their time appropriating funds, which is a good thing, as not every school needs as much as the next. Also, the large portion of government funding for education is going towards the first two levels of education, I think around 80 percent, this is also a good move because it is our (U.S.’s) primary and secondary schools that are not excelling. Test scores show this. The Obama administration says it sees investment in education as investment in the future, I just hope they come through on their promises,” said Cavanaugh.

Many students shared Cavanaugh’s sentiment, showing a bit of hesitation to approve of any spending unless it is sure to be beneficial.

The Chancellor not only touched on the financial issues but also on ways PASSHE could grow and be known internationally. Cavanaugh aspires to “go beyond the confines of the campus and enrich the experience”. He spoke of “blended classes”, in which the Internet is used to connect two classes in different countries to share the learning experience.

The Chancellor closed the seminar with a question and answer session. Cavanaugh never showed uncertainty and answered the questions with almost rehearsed fluency.  Many questions were variations on, “How will the stimulus help me”? One student asked for Cavanaugh’s opinion on Bill Ayer’s visit to Millersville. The Chancellor showed no opinion either way and treaded lightly to avoid controversy.

“He’s a very skilled speaker, but he danced around some issues,” said senior Erik Golden.

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