Almost a year to the day of one of the most attended campus talks in university history, Interim University President Geraldine Jones once again addressed a large crowd of students concerned about the future of California University of Pennsylvania. This was the first campus talk to be held in the university’s renovated Performance Center, located in the Natali Student Center.

    The event started off just like any other campus talk would. The first issue raised by a student concerned announcing honors at graduation. A student hoped the university would recognize students who graduated with honors by announcing their individual name. According to Jones, although she suspects announcing honors would take far too much time, the issue will be discussed with the provost.

   Another student complained the university bus, the Vulcan Flyer, wasn’t running in a practical away. According to the student, two buses were often arriving at the bus stop by Vulcan Village at roughly the same time. Assuming the university finds this to be a consistent issue, Jones said it is something that will be remedied.

     Students also voiced frustration over the operating hours of both the Manderino Library and the fitness and recreation center in Herron Hall. According to students, both buildings, which close at 10 and 11 p.m. on most weeknights, respectively, should be open later into the night.

   According to the university, past research has shown the number of students who use both facilities drastically decreases as the night wears on. Additionally, university officials said finding workers not only willing to work extremely late hours, but also able to return home after work during time periods when the Vulcan Flyer isn’t running would prove difficult. However, when Jones asked the room how many people would be willing and able to work at the gym if it were open 24/7, a majority of students raised their hands.

      Brendan Linton, a member of the Student Association Board of Directors, addressed Interim President Jones concerning problems he had with the way Cal U’s student government operates. Linton claimed student government hasn’t kept consistent records of their minutes for the past three years.

        A few students asked Jones about the status of academic programs at Cal U. One question concerned which programs will potentially enter moratorium in the coming months. According to Jones, with the reconfiguration of multiple academic departments upcoming this spring and next fall, there will be some programs with low enrollment that will be placed in moratorium, meaning no further students will be admitted to the program. However, all students currently enrolled in these programs will be able to complete their degrees. According to Jones, the university will release a list of the programs when they deem appropriate.

       Jones was also introduced to a student set to graduate in December who hoped to continue his academic career at Cal U. However, because Cal U doesn’t offer a graduate degree in English, he is unable to do so. Jones said she wishes more students felt that way. “If more students in your department were interested in obtaining a master’s degree from Cal U, nothing would make me happier than implementing more graduate programs.”

     The first half of the campus talk concluded with a student on Cal U’s Rugby team asking why the group can’t use Adamson Stadium to practice. According to university officials, NCAA  sanctioned athletics like football  take precedent. If another club hopes to use the stadium, they must file scheduling requests a few days in advance.

   The second half of the campus talk was comprised of numerous questions from the black student union concerning the handling of a Homecoming party benefiting the Jennie Carter scholarship on Oct. 31 in the Performance Center. As of Wednesday, police and BSU have yet to provide us with clarification about the event in question. Look for the rest of our coverage of the second half of the campus talk in next week’s edition.