“As soon as RMU completed the agreement to sell the downtown building to Duquesne University, the university also agreed to vacate the building by May 2012”, explained Joyce.

  As a result of this, a new building is being constructed to house the Media Arts Department. The former Wayne Center, which was home to the facilities department for RMU, has since been moved off campus. 

  As of now, the construction site resembles a maze. However, the construction workers are aware of what is going on.

   The new section and center of the existing building has taken shape into a steel frame. Work is currently underway to enclose the center section of the building.  The center section will be three stories high. Two of its floors will feature more than 65 offices for faculty members. 

  As people look at the site, brick placements have begun in the back of the building and around the existing structure.  Starting on the left side of the existing building, workers have started to lay bricks, which caused the look of the building to change. The workers have also started to work on the right side.

  What used to be the outside of the Wayne Center will have a fresh look. This new look is changing the buildings appearance. Looking into the building, observers can see that workers have installed the framework for classrooms and hallways.  Work is on schedule- the framework on the upper levels should begin soon. 

  As of now, the underground utility work is complete, and the closing of the second and third floors structures is almost complete. At this time, ductwork and electrical work is being completed.

  “As of right now, construction on the first floor is to be completed by August along with portions of the second floor for faculty that was downtown,” added Joyce. 

  In addition, the rest of the second floor and third floor will be completed soon after. 

  By the start of the 2012-2013 school year, the Media Arts Department will have its own building on campus.

  Compared to the former Wayne Center that was 20,000 square feet, the new home for the media arts will be 53,000 square feet. The first floor will have a café, art gallery, and academic space.

  Included are new lighting rooms, computer labs, and drawing studios along with wood and metal shops.

  “The classrooms and Labs will include tables with electric outlets ‘state of the art’ Teaching Podiums, Projection and Smartboards with flanking whiteboards,” added Joyce. “The Media Arts Labs will have Mac Technology utilized by the Media Arts Program. The Screening Room will have tiered seating and “state of the art” A/V systems for both film screening and lectures.”

  Most of the general-purpose classrooms will be similar to room 119 located in the new business building. 

Architect Ross Bianco was the one who designed the new media arts building. IDG is working as the production architect on the project.

About two hours away from Pittsburgh, is the city in which the biggest mine disaster took place. More than 361 workers died from this explosion, including 170 Italian immigrants.

Dr. Joe D’Andrea, a retired professor of the Moon Township school district and an honorary doctorate receiver from Robert Morris University (RMU), became the driving force behind the commemoration of the Italians who died in the explosion.

He explained that most of the workers were immigrants recruited in Europe by agents. They would arrive in New York, and would travel to West Virginia to work 10 hours a day in the mine.

“Labor was cheap,” explained D’Andrea. “The company was making good profit.”

The companies owned everything, including the stores and the poorly conditioned houses, in the towns where the workers lived. The money they earned went back to the companies.

“They were called company towns,” said D’Andrea.

There was barely any government supervision in the mine.

“The conditions were not safe,” added D’Andrea. “If you come out at night, you’re lucky.”

Men and male children starting at age 13 or 14 worked at the mine, while the women stayed at home to take care of the children and maintain the houses.

On a cold December 6, 1907, the men and children went to work at 5:30 a.m. to return home 10 hours later.

It was 10:20 a.m. when the explosion started.

“The dogs were howling,” explained D’Andrea. “The women… knew that something awful had happened. They all rushed to the… mine.”

The women and children were screaming for their loved ones in different languages.

“It was a scene out of a biblical movie,” exclaimed D’Andrea.

No one could enter the mine then because it was too hot. Later on, the women were asked to recognize what was left of their men. One woman recognized her husband by his red socks.

The men left behind one thousand orphans and 300 widows.

“Only one man survived,” said D’Andrea. “He was from poland.”

Unfortunately, that man, Peter Urban, died about 19 years later in that same mine.

The explosion was felt from about five kilometers away. Railroad tracks and buildings shook.

The company, Fairmont Coal, which is no longer in existence, did not provide any compensation to the survivors so they wouldn’t assume guilt for the incident. However they did provide a land to bury the deaths.

As a result, a commission, the Monongah Mining Fund, was created to collect a fund for the survivors. Donors across the country and two from Mexico and Cuba contributed to the commission. It allowed the surviving family members to receive 300 dollars for the husbands and 100 dollars for every child who died.

“I came to know about this incident in 1983,”  said D’Andrea. He heard of it at a conference, and became curious since then.

“I returned storming in my office,” he explained.

However, bureaucratic work took him away. He started to actively research on the incident in 1992. He asked his brother to find a professor at an American university from Monongah. He then met with that professor there.

Most of the Italians who perished, 87 of them, were actually from Molisse, one of the smallest regions of Italy and D’Andrea’s hometown.

As soon as he learned of the number of those who were from Molisse, he reached out to the town.

“I took a plane [and] had a press conference,” D’Andrea. He informed the people of Molisse about its possible relatives burried in Monongah.

The United States and the Italian government have been very involved in commemorating those who perished in the incidents. The Italian donated two thousand dollars to restore the cemetery. There have also been countless conferences held for the incident.

“Conferences were held, scholarships were given, [and] students were involved,” said D’Andrea. “They knew about Monongah.”

“Why is this important?” said D’Andrea. “History is a bucket of ashes, [and] those ashes are the best fertilizers for the government.”

  Frantz and her husband, Michael, left their hometown nearly 15 years ago and plan to return home.

  “We are going home,” Frantz said. “We are going back to the university where we started our careers in 1989.”

  Her decision to go back home was a difficult one.

  “There was a lot of soul searching that we had to do with all of this, but in the end, it seems it was the absolute right decision for us, both personally and professionally,” she explained.

  Frantz’s new role will be as the Associated Professor of Digital Media at BVU.

  “When I first was there it was a Mass Communication Department, and now it has really changed to this digital media focus and it’s really based on storytelling across platform,” she said. “So it’s a good fit for me.”

  According to an interview Frantz did for the “Change a Life” campaign, she was not born a communicator, and like many other students, her decision to be a writer, especially a journalist, did not happen overnight.

  She met several creative and outstanding mentors throughout her journey. Among them was her third grade teacher who was aware of her struggles with speaking in public.

  “[She told me] you need to understand that when you have a pencil in your hand, you can talk, you can talk through writing,” Frantz said in the interview regarding her teacher.

  “She changed my life that way and helped me understand that I could be a writer,” she added.

  Frantz began teaching journalism courses at RMU as an associate professor of Communication in Fall 2009.  At the end of that academic year, in Spring 2010, she became the department head of Communication. 

  In addition to teaching journalism courses, Frantz is an advisor to the Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ), which is a national organization for students with a journalism concentration. 

  In March of this year, Frantz won the 2012 Outstanding New Advisor Award from SCJ, and was recognized with the RMU Student Government Association’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2011.  She also organized, and ran, the Festival of Five Freedoms, which celebrated the First Amendment. 

  Frantz has witnessed the journalism program at RMU grow a lot since her arrival three years ago.

  “We have moved forward in the curriculum and certainly with the co-curricular, with making The Sentry an area of convergence, so that television, radio, and print are all together on that website,” she said. “I’ve seen a lot of advancement of students in that particular area toward where the industry is right now. It’s very exciting to me that I could be part of that, and be part of the vision.”

  Frantz gets very excited when talking about her journalism classes. Last Spring, she and Christine Holtz, professor of Media Arts, went with 19 journalism and photography students to Sneem, Ireland.

  The students interviewed or photographed the residents of Sneem. After returning from Ireland, the photography students produced photo books while the journalism students produced articles and video documentaries. 

  Frantz ultimately believes students need to connect with the community from the start.

  “It’s one thing to be in a classroom and talk about connecting with a community, which is at its heart what journalism is,” said Frantz last summer in the “Walk, Click, Pause” article found in the university’s Foundations Magazine. “It’s another thing completely to have students go into a community and connect with it on a real level, and that’s what’s happening here.” 

  This summer, RMU will partner with Marywood University to produce a book with a poetry component after they return from Ireland. Next year, Frantz hopes to include the study abroad trip to Sneem in her course at BVU, and ultimately partner with both RMU and Marywood.

  “It will be a great opportunity for all those students to get to know other students who are doing the same things,” said Frantz.

  Frantz holds a Ph.D. in Rhetorical and Professional Communication, and a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Composition from Iowa State University.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English, from Simpson College.

  Before coming to RMU, Frantz was a tenured associate professor of Communication Studies at Wilkes University, and a mass communication and English instructor at BVU.

  Frantz believes that students grow when they are doing something uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

  “I hope they remember me as someone who supported them, but pushed them because my goal is always to push students out of their comfort zones and into a place where they can grow,” said Frantz. “I’d love for them to think of me as the person who pushed them.”

  Frantz would also like students to think of her as someone who was a strong advocate for their voices.

  “I do believe in the importance of students’ voices, and students having a say in their education, and their educational environment,” she said. “And if they remembered me as the hardest teacher they’ve ever had, I’m ok with that too, because I don’t want to be easy; I don’t want them to slack in my class.”

  According to Frantz, her position as a journalism professor will be filled by Dr. Anthony Moretti, from Point Park University.

  “[Moretti] comes to us from the broadcast journalism field,” she said.  “He also has great experience in sports reporting, so he’ll be a good fit here.”

  Moretti, a former professional journalist, earned his Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in 2003.

  “Yes, it is true. I am moving on. I have accepted a wonderful opportunity to teach at Robert Morris,” Moretti posted in his personal blog. “I begin my assignment there with the start of Fall 2012 semester.”

  Frantz’s love for her students made her decision to leave RMU a very difficult one. 

  “To leave is very difficult emotionally,” said Frantz. “The hardest part for me is leaving my students.”

It is getting more and more popular. The opportunities to learn how to move well, get in shape, and become more flexible attract RMU students.

“There is only one dance class; it is a fairly new program. It is a communication major but it emphasizes theater,” said professor Lisa Elliot, who has been teaching this class for five years at Robert Morris, and has been teaching dance for 31 years.

Jazz class is not only about that particular style of dance. According to Elliot there are many different styles of dance.

“What I teach is a combination of a little bit of classical ballet, a little bit of modern dance, even hip hop, and things that are lyrical. It has a lot of emphasis of other studies,” she said.

Elliot says jazz is more abstract and all encompassing, so everyone can find something special for himself or herself.

“Jazz dancing is a form of dance that showcases a dancer’s individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way,” said Treva Bedinghaus.

The class is not hard. Elliot says to pass the Jazz dance class you just have to come to every class. If you want to get an A, show hard work and passion.

It does not matter how talented you are or if you had any experience on that field.

“I have to look at each person separately, because I have some people who have had years and years of dance training,” said Elliot. “I have somebody in the back row who might be an athlete who has had no dance training whatsoever, so I have to grade based on where the students start from.”

Students really like jazz class. Lakeshia McCloud, who takes jazz class this semester, says that one of the reasons for her choice was that “everyone said it was a great class.” McCloud thinks, “It is really fun and enjoyable.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday she and her classmates come to Massey Hall to dance and have a good time while receiving 3 credits for that class. During the class time students stretch, do some ab exercises, and repeat or learn new dance movements.

“It is a good work out,” says Almira Mekezhanova, who also takes the class this semester. “It keeps me in shape and I am more flexible. And it is a lot of fun!”

Friends that have known me since I arrived seven months ago will agree when I say that dating in America is very different then dating in Brazil.

Take flirting, for example. So many times my American friends had to warn me “Annah that was flirting.” I thought it was just some innocent friendly talk.

This might sound a little bit ridiculous, but I had to learn how NOT to flirt, because the way I acted, the things I said and the way I said them were always sending the wrong impression to boys eyes and ears.

It might sound exaggerated, but it is not. I had to train myself to not stand too close, not touch too much, no sexual innuendos here, and not wiggle with body language.

So, if you go to Brazil or Marshall Hall, my residency, get hugged by a beautiful dark haired woman, get touched in the arm in the middle of a conversation, it might be just a friendly conversation. Or, it might be just me flitting, but not flirting, around.

According to my title, I guess I should now talk about drugs. However, drugs are really not my thing, and I would be fooling everyone if I pretended to know much about them. So, I will talk a little bit more about sex.

Since we already covered flirting, let us move on to dating and, more specifically, teenage dating. If I could sum American dating up in a few steps, it would be: guy asks girl out, girl plays hard to get, girl gets upset because guy doesn’t ask her out again, guy becomes confused, a friend tries to help but messes everything up, and then girl moves on while guy is still confused.

In some rare occasions, the friend actually does help, the two lovebirds go on a date, and the rest is just a facebook relationship status change away.

Now, let us talk about Brazilian teenage dating. I hate to say it but for us hanging out is making out. After a while of “hanging out,” guy and girl might be enjoying each other’s company and decide to start a real relationship, with exclusivity, flowers on Valentine’s Day, and meeting the parents.

Or, if they are not really into the whole relationship thing, the situation can just stay as it is: simple and casual. I know it may sound confusing, but trust me, it is easier than what I found up here: drama and more drama.

I feel like I have to skip the rock ’n roll part and write about the hardest thing I have ever had to learn in my entire life: the difference between talking and taaaalking.

I am not sure how it works in other countries, but I am pretty sure that in Brazil, when we say two people are talking, that only means they are having a conversation. Well, in America, depending on how many A’s you pronounce, that could either mean a conversation or that two people are in the process of dating.

It took my friends a lot of effort, countless days, and even a drawing, which I still have hanging on my wall, to make me understand that when two people are taaalking they can’t really taaalk to anyone else, even though they can still talk, as in have a conversation. And if a girl is taaalking to a guy and that guy is taaalking to some other girl as well, then the two girls automatically hate each other, even though he is the one to blame.

Well, I guess all I have to say is: welcome to America and this confusing thing called dating.

I was always one of those kids who disliked going to school, but at RMU, I can say I enjoy school.  The university’s six core values and mission statement are nothing less than the truth.

Every professor that I have cares about each student and makes an effort to learn who you are quite well. Up to this point, my professors strive to reach out and help each student in whatever they need.

The faculty members are always supporting RMU, and I always see them at campus sporting events and activities. There is nothing better than seeing your own professor supporting not only you, but also the entire student body.

I, for one, always ask for help when I struggle, and the Center for Student Success is a blessing. The counselors and tutors not only help me, but also many other students who need help.

Student Life and the Student Civic Engagement offices are always organizing events throughout the school, and I am extremely proud of their efforts for offering a large variety of activities for students.

This school has a culture I did not find on any other colleges visits. The students are welcoming and care about each another, and the blend of students at RMU makes it unlike other universities.

Finally, our President, Dr. Gregory Dell’Omo is exceptional.

Unlike other colleges, Dr. Dell’Omo is seen on a daily basis interacting with faculty and students; he is an excellent people person and truly takes into account student concerns.

I am extremely proud of how our president works with the students and has continued to make RMU into a welcoming university.

Robert Morris University tells the truth, they care for the individual student. The people at RMU make it special, and make it a place that feels like home.

During my first year here, I have gotten involved with RMU TV and RMU Radio, as well as the Non-Profit Alliance Program and a few other organizations. They keep me involved and have truly enhanced my experience at RMU. RMU has changed my life, has it changed yours?

I hate to admit it, but I used to be one of those girls who let her boyfriend walk all over her and say anything he wanted to; but I have grown up and grown into my own skin.

I have learned that I do not deserve to be treated like that. It takes a lot for girls these days to see just how beautiful and worthy they are of a great relationship.

For some reason, there are girls who still think that being treated like crap is normal and acceptable, and I completely understand the idea of “love is blind,” because I have lived it.

You develop such strong feelings for a person that you let red flags slide because you think, “he did not mean it,” “he will not do that again,” or “he was just mad”.

You make excuses for them because you think you “love” them. But is there a time when you wake up and realize just how destructive a relationship really is?

It took me a year to realize that I needed to end things with my ex. He was so good at manipulating the situation and turning things around to me, where I would be the one feeling bad; but in fact, he should have been feeling the regret.

I learned that in a relationship when you love someone, you never say mean things to them, you never do things to purposely hurt them, and you never make them feel like less of a person than they are.

I know that we all have our breaking points where there is only so much a person can handle or put up with until they finally are just done with it, but should we be feeling that the first time a man ever talks down to us or makes us feel less about ourselves?

Why do we wait so long to realize we are in a toxic relationship? We continue in this vicious cycle because we believe that we love this person who treats us so poorly.

I do not know if it is because girls think that they cannot do any better or that they just start to believe all the negative things their boyfriends are saying so that they think they should be lucky that their boyfriend wants them.

I now realize, for me, I did not want to be alone. I was insecure in my own skin, and I was not truly happy with who I was.  I thought I needed a man to complete me, where in reality I needed myself to feel complete.

It was not until I ended this relationship that I started to appreciate myself, and as silly as this may sound, I started to love myself. I learned that I deserve the world. I should never be talked to disrespectfully and I should never allow a man to determine how I feel about myself.

I think it is about time that other girls realize what they are doing to themselves by being in such damaging relationships.

If they would just open their eyes, they would see they are missing out on what it is like to be in a healthy relationship with someone who loves them unconditionally and would never say or do anything to hurt them.

They need to find that inner confidence and never let it go.  Everyone deserves to be with someone who brings out the best in them, not tear them down.

4/17 – Departmental Information – Officers were advised that a student who is on the PNG list was in the Jefferson Center. Officers located the student and removed him from campus. (Closed)

4/18 – Departmental Information – A professor requested assistance in keeping an eye on a group of students using a lab. The professor was advised that officers would periodically check the area. (Closed)

4/20 – Property Damage – A student reported damage done to his vehicle in the Washington Gravel lot. Pictures of the damage were taken and a report was written for insurance purposes. Closed) 

4/20 – Harassment – This department was advised of a student making a threat towards a university official. The student was dealt with accordingly through this department and Judicial Affairs. (Closed)

4/20 – Personal Injury – A maintenance employee filed a report with this department for an injury that occurred while working. All pertinent information was taken and the employee notified their immediate supervisor. (Closed)

4/21 – Student Conduct – Officers were called to Salem Hall on a report of an underage drinking party. Officers arrived and identified everyone present; each person was advised that they would be dealt with through Judicial Affairs for judgment. (Closed)

4/21 – Student Conduct – Residence Life reported an underage drinking party in Lexington Hall. All of the occupants admitted to consuming alcohol and were advised they will be sent through Judicial Affairs for judgment. (Closed)

4/21 – Departmental Information – A professor advised concern over a student who has not been attending class and statements that the student made to her. All pertinent information was obtained and the student’s information was forwarded to the appropriate department. (Closed)

4/22 – Underage Drinking – Officers viewed four individuals who appeared to be intoxicated. All four students were visibly under the influence and tested positive for alcohol on a PBT. All four students were advised they would be sent through Judicial Affairs for judgment. (Closed)

4/22 – Unauthorized Use of Vehicle – A resident student reported that a non-student took their vehicle without permission and left campus. The non-student was contacted, came back to campus and was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, and taken to the Allegheny County Jail. (Closed)

4/23 – Fire Alarm – Guardian advised of a fire alarm activated in Concord Hall. Upon officers’ arrival, it was determined that the cause for the alarm was the residents using their oven. Officers reset the alarm panel. (Closed)

RMU professor Heather Pinson, one of the members of the faculty team, was shocked at the loss to the student team.

“We were robbed,” joked Pinson, “However I must concede to the brilliance of the RMU students.”

The show was put together as a major project for the COMM 4800 Media Management class. Students ran the show from start to finish, coming up with the show concept, promoting it, and putting it together in the live broadcast.

Student Kenya Johns who served as the director and producer of the show, said she was surprised at the show’s result.

“Everything came together better than I expected it,” said Johns. “At first it was a lot of work, but as everything worked out, it ended up being a lot of fun.”

Questions at the event ranged from the item students hate to lose the most, to the favorite Pittsburgh hangout of RMU students.

Junior, Alan Buehler, a member of the winning students’ team, joked that the win over the faculty was the, “Biggest feat of his collegiate career.”

“Overall, I was really pleased with the show,” said Buehler. “I liked how it was similar to the actual Family Feud TV show. I hope the school does events like this more often.”

Proceeds acquired from the show benefitted the Marco Giovengo Memorial Fund.