Day care facility close a 'bummer'

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

For Markia Moses, the distress of losing what she considers a quality daycare center through the closure of Point Park University's Children's School is only trumped by her inability to find another suitable facility Downtown.

She laments the fact that the school was extremely helpful in helping her son who was born prematurely, stating "the teachers helped him so much with his vocabulary [and] his social skills, […], so I just really think it's a bummer that they're closing it."

Moses spoke for many parents of children caught in the middle of Point Park's growth and its abandonment of programs, like the Children's School, that are being closed down to allow the university to use space and focus on its educational programs and rapid growth. The Children's School, instituted in the 1960s, has already stopped accepting new students and will permanently close the program next June.

Dating back to the founding of the university itself, the Children's School remains one of only three accredited early childhood education programs located Downtown. The school also has a rating of three out of four stars given by the Keystone STARS program.

The school is located on the third and fourth floors of Thayer Hall and offers programs for children from infants to preschoolers. Since the announcement of its closure, the school has ended a few of its programs. This past summer, the school ended its summer camp program for children ages six through 12 and also ended their kindergarten program.

Marketing and Communications Director Mary Ellen Solomon says the school is expected to "phase out operations" by June 30, 2011. In preparation for the close, the university is offering the service of transition coordinators to help parents find other childcare programs Downtown. The staff of the Children's School also has the option of using the provided transition coordinators to find new places of employment.

Markia Moses of Greentree City said she has been looking for new programs "on my own, but I will take them up on their offer" to find a new daycare program for her son who is currently enrolled in the school's early preschool program.

Parents that currently have children enrolled plan to find a new program located Downtown.

"I will find something Downtown for the convenience," said Lindsey Buckner, 26, of Pittsburgh. "I haven't looked yet. I'm [probably] going to […] wait a month or two before they actually close."

Buckner currently has a daughter enrolled in the older toddlers program at the school and also believes that her child is part of an excellent program.

Jennifer and Al of Pittsburgh, who requested their last name be withheld, believe that Point Park's children's program is the best in the city and are disappointed to see it close.

"We believe it to be one of the best, or the best childcare center Downtown and definitely one of the better centers in Pittsburgh," Jennifer said. "We've been extremely happy here. The quality of the childcare is excellent, the staff is excellent [and] the work-study students are dedicated. We're very disappointed with the university's decision."

Al had his older daughter enrolled in the past and suggested to Jennifer that they enroll their younger children in the school. The couple currently has two children enrolled in the Children's School, one in preschool and another in the toddler program.

"A lot of the staff that's here now was here when my older daughter went to the school and she's now fifteen, and they're still here" Al said. "That speaks a lot for the quality of the program because people stayed…. it's dedication, and their philosophy here is unmatched by any place else in the city."

The family also believes that the decision is a poor one, not only the for staff of the children's school, but for the student workers as well.

"It's a disservice to the students because I understand they can use it as work study and [possibly] get credit for classes and where else can you get the experience of working with children this age for their education purposes," Al said.

He adds that the university says the students can go off campus to get the same experience, but coming from a former student's view point, he says "it just seems much more difficult to have to go off campus when it's right in house."

"Everybody, in my opinion, seems to lose by this decision," Al said. No student workers or regular staff members were available for interviews, but parents agree that it is not fair to any parties concerned that the school is closing.

Finals week, RHA late night breakfast

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Hannah Frye encouraged students to trade in their stacks of papers and flashcards for piles of warm pancakes and waffles at this year's Late Night Breakfast.

Frye and the rest of Residential Hall Association (RHA) has invited students to take a break from studying and attended the Late Night Breakfast to enjoy free breakfast food and time with friends before finals.

"It is a great opportunity for students to take a break from papers, projects and flashcards before the craziness of finals week begins," Frye said.

Late Night Breakfast will be held in the Lawrence Hall Residence Dining Facility on Sunday, Dec. 12 from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. The menu includes pancakes, waffles, sausage and bacon, all for free. The event is "first-come, first-served," so any interested students are encouraged to arrive early.

As RHA's Public Relations Coordinator, Frye is promoting the event by making flyers, updating Facebook and by spreading information via word-of-mouth. Late Night Breakfast will be RHA's first event of the year and Frye is looking forward to finally meeting many residents.

"[It's] the first time we are going to interact and talk with the resident students face-to-face," Frye said. "It also gives the residents one last night to hang out with their friends before the semester ends."

Frye, along with the other RHA members, will be at the event to set up and sign students into the dining hall. The event has a limit of 300 students.

Freshman cinema and digital arts major and Thayer Hall resident Matthew Hofbauer hopes to attend the event.

"I can only imagine how much everyone will be stressing over testing, and this is the perfect chance for everyone to just chill and mellow out before we have to crack down," Hofbauer said. "I am looking forward to seeing the majority of the school there."

Amanda Foote, a sophomore musical theater and Pioneer Hall resident, attended the event last year and looks forward to attending again.

"It was awesome," Foote said. "It was … a good way to hang out and have breakfast at night … it was really fun."

Late Night Breakfast is one of RHA's most successful events and Foote confirmed that the event draws a large crowd.

"There were a lot of people [at the last Breakfast]. I think I was one of the first 30 people … there," she said. "It seemed really crowded, but not in a[n] … uncomfortable way. It was fun to see so many people in the cafeteria at once."

She stayed for half of the event, and said her favorite part was being with her friends.

"Just bonding, it was a fun experience," Foote said. "Plus, I was too full to move. I just kind of sat there after I ate."

Foote also said she will "definitely" go to this semester's event.

"I will not forget, I'm writing it down on my calendar," Foote said.

The event is free for all students, and for more information about the event, students can visit the Point Park University RHA page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pointparkrha.

Drilling debate over tax, jobs, safety continues

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

After months of protest, debate and rallying, both Pittsburgh City Council and South Fayette banned Marcellus Shale drilling and production in residential areas on Monday, Nov. 15.

Debate over Marcellus Shale drilling in Lawrenceville and other areas around the city heated up this past summer after the Clearfield and Indiana Township explosions that took place within one month of each other. Residents of Pittsburgh became concerned with these explosions taking place near residential homes, as well as the risks of chemicals leaking into local water supplies.

Even after the ban, debate still rages over whether or not the process should have been banned. Michael Single, a senior funeral services major and Loyalhanna Township resident, disagrees with the ban being enforced.

"It's a natural resource…there are only so many ways to extract it," Single said. "It has to be tapped [or] we'll have a resource that isn't being used."

Single adds that the gas is used for heat and other sources of energy and should be used to serve its natural purposes. He also believes there will always be debate over the subject and it will "come down to who has the strongest lobbyists" to see who prevails in the Marcellus debate.

Another aspect of the debate is that banning the drilling process has eliminated the possibility to create new jobs.

In a statement released after the vote took place, Marcellus Shale Coalition President Kathryn Klaber said, "the vote represents a blow to the city's weak financial standing." Klaber also said the natural gas industry is "generating jobs and prosperity for tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians."

Matthew Opdyke, assistant professor of environmental science, said the drilling is not creating as many jobs as expected. Drilling companies bring in employees from other states such as Texas or Oklahoma, who already have the training needed for the extraction process.

Opdyke sees the ban as a positive action based on the environmental and residential concerns involved.

"Banning is a good thing [with the] concerns with water quality and having to possibly displace people to put in the drilling pads," he said. "We don't have the land area."

Opdyke says that he is not against drilling, but wants companies "to wait until more comprehensive studies are available."

"The main thing is waiting until the science catches up with drilling activity," Opdyke said. He further mentioned that more comprehensible studies on environmental impact are scheduled to be released in 2012.

Another group that supports the city's ban is the Marcellus Shale Protest, a group of volunteers from around the Pittsburgh area against the dangers of Marcellus drilling.

Gloria Fororuzan, member of the Protest and resident of Lawrenceville, said the group's main focus is the impact that the drilling has on the quality of ground water. She said most people that contact the Protest live in rural areas and rely on wells to get their water.

"Once the chemicals get into the water, you can't drink, you can't take a bath, then what?" Fororuzan said.

Fororuzan also says that many people that have signed leases for their property to be used for drilling are now contacting them to "get out it" because they realize how loud and destructive the process can be.

Along with those trying to get out of their leases, she said places such as Butler County, Murrysville and other surrounding areas have contacted the Marcellus Shale Protest to attend meetings and assist in the process of getting their commissions to ban drilling.

Fororuzan also stressed the importance that college students and other "young people" played in getting word about the organization out to the city.

"[Young people] have more stamina and great ideas on how to reach out to people," she said. "There were about 500 people at the march and there were a lot of young people."

With the help of all of its members, the Marcellus Shale Protest's next move is to hold a rally in Harrisburg on Jan. 18 when the newly-elected officials acquire their positions. Fororuzan said the focus will begin statewide and hopes to eventually move to the federal level. Anyone interested in volunteering with the Protest or learning more about Marcellus Shale can visit www.marcellusprotest.org. For additional information about Marcellus Shale, visit www.gomarcellushale.com.

BSU to hold Soul Food Social

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Lichelle Byrd makes the Soul Food Social a way for students to network while enjoying traditional soul food and a live soul band.

Byrd, Vice President of the Black Student Union (BSU) at Point Park University, planned this year's Social as a way for students to make connections with people from the school as well as leaders in the community.

"It's an opportunity for students to meet people they wouldn't normally get to meet," Byrd said.

The Soul Food Social, one of the Black Student Union's (BSU) biggest fundraising events of the school year, will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 1, in Lawrence Hall lobby. The event will take place in the lobby from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

In the past, the Social was a way for BSU members unite, celebrate their culture and raise funds for their Black History Month events, but the event has turned into something more: it is a way to celebrate African American culture and meet influential community figures.

Last year, Candi Castleberry-Singleton, chief diversity director for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, spoke about the importance of diversity, and Pittsburgh jazz singer Patte Terrell performed for those in attendance. This year, Byrd said the event's focus will be on "networking with people from the community," similar to Castleberry-Singleton and Terrell. It will also be more causal than in past years, allowing students to socialize with the professionals that attend.

"We have a lot of freshmen this year," Byrd said, who will benefit from the event.

She also said the event will give them more of an idea of what they are doing such as who is out in the community, both at Point Park and in the city. The event will especially help those students who are not from the Pittsburgh area by allowing them to interact with the guests.

Marguerite Sutton, president of BSU, agreed with Byrd that the event will benefit students the most.

"[The students] will have the chance to network with professionals as well as other students that attend Point Park University that they may have not gotten the chance to meet," Sutton said.

Sutton also says that this year's event will be even more casual due to its change in venue and possible lack of a guest speaker.

"I did not want a speaker this year [because] we are moving the event from the ballroom to [the] Lawrence Hall lobby, which will give the event a more social vibe," Sutton said. "Someone brought to our attention that December 1 is National AIDS Day, so we might have someone speak [about] that because AIDS is a big issue in the African-American community."

Students look forward to the event and the opportunity to meet professionals, like Castleberry-Singleton, who could help them after graduation. Ikuma Ojok, a senior business management major, said the event is a good idea.

"It's motivation because after you graduate, you have to go somewhere," Ojok said. She adds that it helps to see people who have already been through school and are now successful in the community.

The money raised at the Soul Food Social will go toward BSU's Women's Gala, which is held in March and honors seven women who hold leadership positions in local companies and organizations or in the Point Park community.

Tickets are $10 for students from any university in the area and $20 for non-student attendees. The tickets will be sold at tables outside of the Point Cafe, at BSU meetings, by members and online at bsu.ppu@gmail.com.

Rock-A-Thon 'worth sleeping on the floor'

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

For three days, Josh Frketic and Nick Sperdute battled to be the Last DJ Standing.

During the competition, the battling DJs had to sleep on the floor, stay out of the Point Cafe and run some of the events held in the hallway for Rock-A-Thon.

On the last day of Rock-A-Thon, Frketic, who was exhausted when it was over, won by raising the most money. The Last DJ Standing event raised a total of $200.

"I [myself] raised $115, which was more than was expected [and] I was extremely happy- not to mention I won," Frketic, a senior broadcasting major and sports director for Point Park University's radio station, WPPJ, said.

The contest was worth it for Frketic because he was able to help the children at the Early Learning Institute, a provider of early intervention and early childhood education programs for Allegheny County. It was also worth the work for Sperdute, a sophomore broadcasting major, who raised just under $100 for the charity.

"It was really for a good cause and made it worth sleeping on the floor and eating Cafe food for a couple days," Frketic said.

Passerby witnessed the most difficult aspect of the competition: the contestants' obvious lack of sleep. Confined to the hallway outside the Cafe for the duration of Rock-A-Thon, Frketic and Sperdute seldom found a moment to sleep amid the wires and their broadcasting equipment.

"[The] hardest part was sleeping by far, but it was all hard," Frketic said. "I did not think it was going to be, but it really was. Sitting in one place and seeing the same things for a long period of time is tough on the mind."

Along with sleeping on the floor, the contestants had to stay in the hallway the entire time, which meant no showers and no going to the Cafe. The contestants had to bring their own food or have friends bring food to them during the competition. The rules were rough on Frketic who depends on his daily shower.

"Usually, I need a shower to function in the morning," Frketic said. "So instead of showering, I had to get someone to bring me coffee, lots of coffee."

After the contest was over, Frketic returned to a busy schedule.

"Well, the first thing I wanted to do was shower and sleep, but I had a flag football game that I played in, then showed and just hung out," Frketic said. "I slept like a log that evening though. The bed felt unreal."

Sperdute did not have an easy time after the contest was finished either.

"I actually had to go to a class that I'm the teaching assistant for," he said.

In its 30th year, Rock-A-Thon raised $2,400 for The Early Learning Institute. General Manager Anthony Costulas said this year's Rock-A-Thon produced the second largest amount raised in the last 30 years.

Costulas believes the event was an overall success and enjoyed running the event.

"My favorite part was meeting new people, organizing [the events] and getting everyone to work together to make it a success." Costulas said.

The most popular event of this year's Rock-A-Thon was the Pie the CFs event. On the first day, students could pay a dollar to pie different CFs from the school. The event sold more than 300 pies, and the total amount raised was just over $1000 off of the all-time record, which was $3,700 in 2008.

"I really liked being around to see all aspects of the event take place," Sperdute said.

Event delayed, scheduling conflicts lead to collaboration

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Megan Beavis, head of Point Park University's Residence Hall Association (RHA) wanted to hold a major lock-in event featuring all-night dodgeball, basketball, tie-dying, raffles and many other activities on Nov. 12,, but scheduling conflicts have caused a delay until spring.

Beavis, who is co-sponsoring the lock-in event with the Campus Activities Board (CAB), said the delay will nevertheless help ger make it bigger and better.

"We were putting it together [at the] last minute," Beavis said. "The weekend that it [would have been] on the [is] the weekend RHA's executive board will be at a conference in Baltimore. I think, with the event being moved, it will attract more students. It will give [both of us]time to plan for it."

Student Director of CAB, Josh Hedglin, shares Beavis' optimistic view of the conflict.

"By rescheduling it for the spring, both of our clubs can devote more time to it and make it a success," Hedglin said.

The lock-in event is being rescheduled for March 2011.

Even though students wait longer for the event, some say they still look forward to trying something new.

Lawrence Hall resident and a freshman multimedia major, Amanda Bytzura said the event will help students to break out of their cliques comfort zones.

"It's a good opportunity to meet new people and branch [out] of cliques," Bytzura said.

Becky Lessner, a freshman photojournalism major, Thayer Hall resident and a Student and Convocation Center employee, is also looking forward to the event.

"It sounds like a lot of fun, especially the tie-dye part," Lessner said. "I would definitely go to that. It sounds like…something different to do on the weekend, and the Student [and Convocation]Center is great."

Along with tie-dying, the lock-in will feature other less athletic activities such as ping-pong and karaoke. There will also be numerous opportunities for students to win prizes.

Lessner believes moving the date of the event will not hurt the student interest or attendance.

"I think if it's advertised well enough, they'd get a lot of people. [Often, students] don't hear about [Point Park events] until the day of," Lessner said. "If they start talking about it… far in advance, people could put it on the calendar."

The rescheduling of the lock-in leaves RHA's fall event schedule nearly empty, with only the Late Night Breakfast week during finals. The spring semester will now hold the bulk of RHA's remaining events, which include the lock-in event in March, the Condom Carnival in April, and another Late Night Breakfast, also during finals week.

Rock-A-Thon celebrates 30th year with full load of events

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Nicholas Sperdute, WPPJ business manager, plans to start this year's Rock-A-Thon by participating in the Last DJ Standing competition on opening day.

Sperdute will go head to head with Josh Frketic to see which one of them will last longer. Sperdute sees the event as a good way to kick off the three-day program.

"I think this is going to be great for everyone involved and if by doing this we can raise more money for the Early Learning Institute, that would be awesome," Sperdute said. "I can't say for sure [that] I can make it for all 67 hours, but we will see."

The Last DJ Standing contest, which pays tribute to the days of the original WPPJ event, will highlight this year's Rock-A-Thon, a three-day party which station officials hope will set an all-time fundraising record.

"Our all-time record was $3,700 and was raised by Anthony Pignetti. That was set in 2008," General Manager Anthony Costulas said. "It would be nice to break the record."

Over the past 30 years, Point Park University's radio station WPPJ has raised over $30,000 for the Early Learning Institute of Pittsburgh through its annual Rock-A-Thon event. The event is Point Park's longest running student organized event and is held in the hall outside of the Point Café. The event takes place for 67 hours spread over three days.

The original Rock-A-Thon started with just one DJ broadcasting for 67 straight hours.

"The only thing he left for was bathroom breaks and one shower during that entire 67 hours, and he stayed awake for most of it," Costulas said.

This year, WPPJ is honoring that first experience with its new Last DJ Standing event. At the opening ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 5 p.m., competing DJs JoshFrketic, a junior broadcasting major, and Sperdute will be set up for the official start of their three-day competition.

The rules for the event will be based on the original DJ's experience. So far, they allow the DJs to take one shower and have bathroom breaks every four hours. The final set of rules will be announced at the opening ceremony.

The opening ceremony will also include a pie-throwing contest in which the highest bidder will win the chance to pie Dean of Students Keith Paylo in the face. Other winners will have the chance to throw a pie at Director of Student Activities JW Tabacchi and student leaders from Resident Hall Association, United Student Government, and Campus Activities Board.

The Acoustic Series, a free acoustic concert event, will be held Thursday night at the Starbucks on campus. The event will feature both Point Park and local artists. WPPJ's music director, Kelsey Kahla, is responsible for booking talent along with making sure all musical aspects of Rock-A-Thon run smoothly.

Kahla worked the event for the past few years as a DJ before moving to a higher position.

"I think my first year, me and my co-host did this really awkward shift at one in the morning ‘til four in the morning. It was awful [and] fun ‘cause we were just so delirious and no one was listening to us," Kahla said. "This will be my first year actually being important, I guess you could say."

Kahla also likes Rock-A-Thon for the sense of community it brings to the otherwise hectic station.

"I just like the fact that our whole station kind of comes together for this one really big event that we do, and it's really the only [big] event we do for the whole year and it helps a great cause," Kahla said. "Sometimes the radio station can be…kind of closed off from each other because we have so many departments, so many DJs, [and] we don't really get together and have a huge discussion really often. Now at least at Rock-A-Thon, we have DJs coming in and out and people planning all sorts of stuff. [It's] different, but together."

Rock-A-Thon begins Oct. 26 at 5 p.m. and its closing ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 29 at noon. At the closing ceremony, the winners of the raffle contest will be announced during the final broadcast. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased now from members of WPPJ or by phone at 412-392-4725.

Students will also have chances to donate through the pie-throwing contest on Tuesday Ocr. 26 and on Thursday, Oct. 28 by donating to get a request on the air. The station has already raised $1,500 for the Early Learning Institute.

A full list of Rock-A-Thon events can be found on WPPJ's Facebook page.

Students 'looking forward' to RHA event plans this year

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Megan Beavis plans to give students ways to have fun this term enjoy having a new Lock-in event for both resident and commuter students.

There will also be Late Night Breakfasts and a Condom Carnival to help students meet new people and learn about each other, as well as some college issues, in what is the beginning of a heavy load of programming this year.

"I'm honestly looking forward to all of the programs this year," Beavis, president of the Residence Hall Association said through e-mail. "I think we have some fun programs that the students will enjoy."

This year, RHA is offering a new Lock-in event along with successful favorites to get students more involved for an enjoyable event season.

Students will be locked in the Student Center for one night in November and will have different activities and forms of entertainment throughout the night which will be announced once the committees finish planning the event.

Holly Muska, a sophomore psychology major looks forward to RHA's a new program this school year.

"I would do it," Muska said. "I think that's a good idea because you never know who wants to try something new. It's better than the same old boring stuff that people usually do."

As a commuter student, Muska feels that the new program would be worth coming back to campus to take part in and believes it is a commuter-friendly event.

"I think [commuters] would [come] because I'm on campus all the time and I'm a commuter. I like it in the city, so anything to get me back here is a good idea," Muska said.

Late Night Breakfasts are held after normal cafeteria hours during finals week. Last semester, RHA had over 300 students come to take a break from studying and enjoy breakfast food for free. RHA Secretary Klase Danko worked the event last semester and "believes it will only get better and better" as students continue to attend.

As secretary, Danko will be in charge of keeping a head count of those that attend the events to gauge the success of the program and for scheduling purposes in future semesters.

Last semester, Danko was able to attend to Condom Carnival without working any of the tables and took part in the activities as just another student.

"Because I've experienced what it's like to be an attendee, I know how extremely fun it was," Danko said in an e-mail interview. "I look forward to this event the most because it isn't just something fun to do, it has a great purpose too."

Condom Carnival will be RHA's spring event this year and will feature activities and information about having safe sex. Last semester, the carnival's activities included Condom Darts and Condom Pong, which students could play to win prizes. The carnival was one of RHA's most successful programs with over 300 students in attendance.

This year, the group is trying to emphasize the effects that unprotected sex can have on people. Organizations such as Planned Parenthood and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape will have booths set up to distribute information and talk to students about the importance of having protected sex.

The events will be taking place on evenings throughout the year. If any students have ideas for events or any other concerns, they canstop by the senate meetings every other Tuesday at 9:15 p.m in JVH auditorium.

New Plaza offers community 'growth opportunity'

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

For Chelsey Engel, the notion that Pittsburgh continues to develop more green and sustainable space is a good way to draw people into different areas and make them feel more welcome.

That is why, as the president of the Student Alliance for Vitalizing Earth, Engel believes the greening of the rundown Allegheny Center on the city's North Side holds promise for positive change in the area's future.

"It would sway me to go somewhere if they had more green aspects in the community," Engel said.

The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh has launched its plan to turn the current Allegheny Center Plaza into a new green space to give the plaza a welcoming look.

The current plaza, to be renamed Allegheny Public Square, is a sunken cement area featuring large planters and some trees that lead to an in-ground fountain that has not run for years.

In its early years, the plaza was a large green space at the center of Allegheny City, but in the late 1960s it was turned into a mall that was once filled with retail outlets and other businesses. The last of the retailers moved out of the mall in the mid-1990s and the area, which includes apartment and office buildings, the Hazlett Theater and the Allegheny Middle School, has fallen on hard times.

A few years ago, the plaza's decay prompted the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, which has been the area's anchor for the past decade, to hold design competitions to return the plaza to its original green purpose.

The new square will consist of a large green space featuring more than 70 trees, a bioswale to collect runoff from the pavement area and a sculpture made of pipes at the center of the new plaza. The new design will look more welcoming to draw more people into the North Side.

"I think it's definitely a good growth opportunity for that part of town," Engel said. "I'm sure more people would enjoy that space."

Point Park University students agree the North Side is not somewhere one should be late at night. Engel says a friend that lives there does not talk about the area much, but will joke about it being "not the best place to live." Rent for a studio apartment in Allegheny Center starts at $600 a month and a one bedroom, one-bathroom apartment starts at $815 a month.

Junior musical theater major Ben Wetzel attends the nearby Couuminty College of Allegheny College Community Center for tests and also frequents the North Side for groceries. He is familiar with the plaza.

"You don't always feel safe walking up there," Wetzel said. "Sometimes, late at night, they have policemen patrolling, but it's still kind of a sketchy area."

Wetzel thinks the renovations will make the area look and feel less rough.

"If it looks more appealing, maybe it'll feel more comforting or more safe to the people who walk through there, live there, or visit there," Wetzel said.

Most of the funding has been raised, but the Children's Museum still seeks funds to complete the project. One way the museum is raising funds and awareness about the project is their "Yard of Yard" sale.

The sale allows people to purchase a yard of the plaza for $50. Museum development director M.J. Meenan said the sale may continue indefinitely, but will last at least one year.

"It's a way for the whole community to be part of the project," Meenan said.

Meenan also said the sale will have a page on the Children's Museum website for those who would like to donate online, and a plan to donate via text message is also in the works for the project. For now, donations are being accepted by mail. Checks can be mailed to the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, 10 Children's Way, Pittsburgh PA 15212. "Yard of Yard" sale should be included on the check's memo line and on the outside of the envelope.

Academic Village comes to life as construction begins

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Over the next 18 months, an organized rebuilding of sidewalks, curbs and fixtures will span from the Conestoga building all the way to Third Avenue.

The parking lot in the middle of Point Park University's campus will be transformed into a unique space featuring large amounts of seating, a restaurant and a waterfall.

"It's exciting because the university has done so much that people here at the university have seen because it's internal," said Elmer Burger, the university architect. "Since these projects are exterior, the city will really take note of what the university's doing with these two projects."

For the past few years, the university's growth has called for renovations on the insides of numerous buildings, but the development of its Academic Village will begin to emerge.

Burger has "seen the university grow for the past 20 some years" and plans to help the school grow even more by starting two projects this semester. The projects are on track to start around the same time in October and are expected to be finished within 18 months.

The first thing Burger said will go under construction is the streetscape from Fort Pitt Boulevard to the intersection of Wood Street and Third Avenue. Wood Street's makeover will include new sidewalks, curbs, lighting, signaling and signage, as well as other improvements.

Commuter student Sarah Bezek, a junior dance major, looks forward to the streetscape being completed.

"I'm a pedestrian for most of the time, so I like the idea of new sidewalks and having it be a bit more pleasant to walk through downtown between the buildings," Bezek said.

The project will take approximately 18 months and will consist of 17 phases. Wood Street will be divided one block at a time, and 45 days will be spent on renovating each block's sidewalks, curbs and handicapped ramps.

Construction will begin in front of Conestoga Hall during the first week of October and work its way down and around Wood Street. Students will still have access to buildings along the street, but will have to use walkways to gain that access.

Once the sidewalks are finished, new lighting and signs will be put in place and trees will be planted along the sidewalks.

"Right now it feels a lot like you're going from building to building Downtown, but there's nothing cohesive about it," Bezek said.

However, she now sees the school taking an "I want this to be a university, I want this to be a place where we know that this is a safe learning institution" mentality.

The streetscape will start to make Point Park look more like a university campus, and the park will add even more of a connection between buildings.

The park is the second project to begin construction this semester and will be located on the corner of the Boulevard of the Allies and Wood Street where the Teris parking lot is located.

The park will include a large amount of seating, a restaurant and a waterfall.

The restaurant will be located in the bottom level of 100 Wood Street, [Frontier Hall] with the option of open air dining during warm weather. Another warm weather option for the park is to have vendors with food carts. Selection of both the restaurant and food cart vendors is still being finalized.

"It'll be really nice to have more of an area to sit outside. Sometimes on the nicer days it's pretty packed in the only spot we have to sit out in," said Katie McMullen, a commuter student.

As a commuter, McMullen is also looking forward to having a restaurant put into the park.

"It's nice not having to go very far in between my classes when I have a longer day, and it gives more options of what to eat," McMullen said.

The waterfall will be on the side of the 100 Wood Street Building at the bottom of the enclosed staircase that will be added to the building. The staircase will be enclosed in frosted glass in different shades of green with the nearly two-story high waterfall at the base.

The construction of the park will begin in October, around the same time as the streetscape project, and is expected to be finished next September.

RHA to focus on students

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Students will be given access to suggestion boxes, have their laundry made easier and have chances to make their voices heard in the Residence Hall Association's (RHA) effort to make students more comfortable on campus.

RHA's main purpose is to represent the students that live in residence halls and to make sure that the students' concerns are acknowledged and made known to the groups involved.

This semester, RHA is making an effort to meet that original purpose.

"We feel as an organization that the students living on campus need to enjoy living on campus and be content in the environment," Megan Beavis, the president of RHA and junior sport, arts and entertainment management major, said in an e-mail. "We want to make the students happy and take care of their concerns."

In an effort to find out what issues students are concerned with, RHA placed folders in the elevator area of every floor in the residence halls. Students can place any suggestions or concerns they may have in the folders for RHA members to discuss them at their meetings. At the last RHA meeting, a suggestion taken from one of the folders in the suites asked for recycling bins on each floor of Pioneer and Conestoga Hall. They have not been enforced as of right now.

Another effort the organization took to make things better for students living in the residence halls was to offer DVD players in the lounges of the suites, and the installation of dry-erase boards in laundry rooms to let residents know when their laundry is finished. These suggestions were brought to the senate meeting where those in attendance offered their opinion by vote. DVD players in the suite lounges were voted down, but plans to get dry-erase boards for the laundry rooms were of interest to students.

The executive board also takes time at the end of senate meetings to address any concerns that the students participating might have. Following the last meeting, ideas concerning a number of things, including the hours of the Point Cafe were addressed. In the past, RHA has worked with the food service department on the quality of the Cafe food and facilities, but the hours are not something that can be easily changed. However, RHA continues to keep in contact with the food service department to make students' concerns known.

"I think it would be more beneficial, certainly, to the student body if they would focus on the [practical] needs of the student body rather than entertaining them," said Patrick Morris, a freshman creative writing major and Lawrence Hall resident. "But whether or not the students would appreciate that I can't say for certain."

So far, students are glad that the organization is putting a bigger emphasis on the needs of the students living on campus.

"Small events are a good idea," said Angela Semple, a freshman cinema and digital arts major and Lawrence Hall resident. "But student concerns are more important."

Events will still be a part of RHA's focus, but they will take a back seat this semester. The organization has sponsored events such as Late Night Breakfast, Last Comic Standing, Condom Carnival and Mr. Point Park. Late Night Breakfast will still be a part of RHA's programming, but the survival of the other events is up to voting which will be taken during future meetings. Any student, on-campus or commuter, may attend and vote.

Last Comic Standing is the one program that is still questionable for the organization due to other organizations holding the same type of event. Point Park's Improv Club has held comedy nights as well as other stand-up events.

"Rather than competing with other organizations [for events]," faculty advisor Amelia Hogan said, "[we] want to get back to the heart of what RHA is."

Wednesday, September 22, 2010