But the 32-year-old  skipper reassured the fact that he is committed to the Colonials on Friday afternoon during a press conference announcing the extension of his contract through May of 2018.

“It’s great to be able to have and to work with leadership that has a similar vision for what you are trying to accomplish,” said Toole. “Not only is this extension a vote of confidence in myself, but it’s also a vote of confidence in the way that they [the coaching staff] perform each and every day.”

Throughout his first three seasons as a head coach, Toole, who initially signed a five year deal in 2010, has compiled a 68-36 record, including three victories in post-season play.

Despite his attainments on the court, Robert Morris President Gregory Dell’Omo contributes Toole’s success to his ability to develop players into not only athletes, but scholars as well.

“Andy not only instills excellence on the court with his players, but he also instills excellence in the classroom with his players. He truly is a coach at the Division I level that understands the value of the student-athlete concept,” said Dell’Omo, who has led the university since 2005. “That carries forward in the way he deals with the young men he brings into this program, and we’re very pleased with that.”

Although the Red Bank, New Jersey native entertained thoughts of using his success at Robert Morris to catapult him to larger schools, specifically Sienna College, ultimately, he is pleased with his decision to remain at the helm of the Colonials.

“There’s a lot of programs throughout the country that have a great vision for their men’s basketball program and expect great things from it, but don’t support it properly,” said Toole, who has been with the team since 2007. “I think that our leadership does that extremely well, and I think that this contract extension is just another example of that, and hopefully where we continue to take this program.”

While listing RMU’s notable achievements of late, Athletic Director Craig Coleman, M.D., called Toole’s indenture “perhaps RMU’s biggest win to date.”

Toole, who has elevated Robert Morris basketball to new heights during his tenure, believes that the support the RMU community gives the program motivates the squad year in and year out.

“Expectations are high here, and I think that that’s a good thing. When I first got here six years ago, expectations were in the middle of the road, and it’s nice to get emails, receive text messages, hear comments from people about where they expect this program to be each and every year,” he added.” I think that drives us and that motivates us as coaches and players to continue the success that we’ve had previously.”

“They said it was a virus and sent him home and said to bring him back in two days if he wasn’t feeling better,” explained Sam’s father, Jeff Zimmerman. “We went through that for three or four days, and when he finally stopped eating, that’s when we took him to Children’s.”

Sam woke up on April 26, 2012 and couldn’t move the right side of his body. 

“He was trying to grab his clothes and he couldn’t touch them,” recalled Sam’s mother, Lindsay Zimmerman.

From there, an ambulance took him to the hospital, and a team of neurosurgeons were baffled about what was going on.

“They took him to the MRI, and he had a seizure,” said Lindsay.  “The doctors had to remove the right side of his skull because the bone was already infected and wash the brain out on the right side and some on the left, spent 11 days in ICU.” 

The illness got into the sinus cavity, and instead of exiting the body normally, the strep went up into his brain along his optic nerve, thus beginning a long and grueling recovery process for Sam and his family.

“The doctors said he may be in a vegetative state, he may have cognitive problems, he may never recover and be wheelchair bound,” said Lindsay.

“And they said he would have some level of brain damage, and he would probably be crippled for the rest of his life,” added Jeff.”

Six surgeries later, he is now preparing to be the newest member of the RMU NCAA men’s hockey team. With the help of Team IMPACT, and the Colonials, Zimmerman was invited to become an honorary member of the men’s hockey team.

On Wednesday, April 24, 2013 in front of family, and future coaches and teammates, Zimmerman signed his contract to be an honorary member of the Colonials for the 2013-2014 season. 

“I think it’s a cool opportunity to have Sam on our team,” said defenseman, Andrew Blazek. “I think we’ll learn a lot more from him, and he will learn from us.”

Through the process, their former captain, Chris Kushneriuk who was diagnosed with testicular cancer last summer, has also motivated the team.

“Charity work is good always a good thing.  It gives you such a good feeling to help out and help others,” said Blazek. “Chris said it just made him realize how much you want to help others.”

Sam is ready to be a member of the 2013-2014 squad where he will wear the number 20 jersey.

“I think it’s great, I’m excited to be on this team,” stated Sam with a smile. “I’m hoping to skate with the team and be aggressive.”

For more information on Team IMPACT, please visit, www.goteamimpact.org

It is unclear exactly when the fire started, but was put out within minutes of the fire department arriving on the scene.

RMU police were also on the scene and told students to stay back while the firefighters controlled the blaze.

No further information was available as to what started the fire.

Williams announced that he will be transferring to Wake Forest next season, enabling him will to finish his collegiate basketball career as a Demon Deacon.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to play at a prestigious school like Wake Forest and compete at the highest level of college basketball,” said the Midlothian, Virginia native. “The people there are great, and this team has a lot of upside. I really enjoyed every bit of my visit, from the academics to basketball.”

After suffering a season-ending ankle injury three games into his freshman campaign, Williams was granted a medical redshirt by the NCAA, and as a result, has one year of eligibility remaining.  

The 6-2 guard, who graduated from RMU with a degree in sport management, will take graduate level courses in Wake Forest’s Liberal Studies program during the 2013-14 academic year.

“We are excited to welcome Coron to the Wake Forest basketball family,” Wake Forest head coach Jeff Bzdelik said in a statement released Wednesday. “He combines athleticism with an excellent long range shooting ability. Coron’s maturity and leadership will be a great asset to our team next season. We are all looking forward to having him join our program.”

Williams, who averaged 9.1 points per game last year, said his experiences at Robert Morris will be able to benefit a Wake Forest team that finished last season with an overall record of 13-18, including a 75-62 opening round loss to Maryland in the ACC Tournament.

“I think I can spread the court for this team with my shooting ability, coming off screens and moving to get open off penetration,” Williams said in a press release. “I can also bring some leadership and experience after playing four years of college basketball.”

From the Batman Trilogy, Christian Bale, returned to Western Pennsylvania to star in a new film titled, “Out of the Furnace.” Forest Whitaker, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepherd, and Willem Dafoe will along star in the film. A thriller film that took a year to shoot was directed by Scott Cooper and will premiere October 4, 2013.

While a majority of the film was shot here in Western Pennsylvania and mainly in the Braddock area, additional scenes were shot throughout the local Rust Belt Region. The local Rust Belt Region covers parts of Western Ohio and  Western Pennsylvania. The Rust Belt name comes from areas that were once booming with Steel Mills and are currently or were economically depressed.

A local historic landmark will also be making an appearance in the film. The Carrie Blast Furnace site, one of the last structural reminders of the once gigantic Homestead Steel Works, will make numerous appearances. According to the Pittsburgh Business Times, the Carrie Blast Furnace site was originally being used for inspiration and a couple scenes, but interest in the site grew.

Below is a list of the School of Communications and Informations Systems and the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science’s recipients.

The School of Nursing will hold a Pinning Ceremony on May 10. The School of Business and School of Education and Social Sciences did not submit a list of recipients for publication.

School of Communications and Information Systems

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Advertising

Andres Blazek

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Communication Studies

Roman Scott

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Corporate Communication

Jasmine Tate

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Journalism

Brooks N. Bratten

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Public Relations

Abigail L. Lape

Outstanding Communication Student Award – Theatre

Zachary Kresak

Outstanding Achievement in English Award

Victoria M. Mikulan

Kayla R. Pumphrey

Outstanding Media Arts Student Award

David Brous

Jaclyn M. King

Kurt Novak

Noah Purdy

CIS Department Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Susan J. Feldbusch

Jonathan M. Zeolla

CIS Department Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Rana Al Abdan

Justin Fruehauf

Richard Victor

CIS Department Outstanding Integrated Program Student Award

Michael D. Boylan

Anthony J. Cascino

Callista L. Goss

Organizational Leadership Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Everett Rodriguez

Jessica Stevens

Organizational Leadership Outstanding Graduate Student Awards

John C. Seaborn

Joseph Sensibaugh

Breanne Thompson

Jordan Blythe Ziegler

Academic Media Center Outstanding Service Award

Jordan Allen

Devin Pingree

School of Engineering, Mathematics and Science

Actuarial Science Outstanding Student Award

Jaclyn M. Bosiljevac

Matthew E. Hudak

Science Pre-Medicine Award

Stephen C. Abel

Mechanical Engineering Award

Bruce A. Barnes

Manufacturing Engineering Award

David A. Beddard

Todd J. Janas

Biomedical Engineering Award

Maritza A. Jimenez

Software Engineering Award

Stephen J. Jochem

Mathematics Education Outstanding Major Award

Michael J. Ludwig

Industrial Engineering Award           

Zuheir S. Obeid

Biology Leadership Award

Miranda D. Omcikus

Actuarial Science Outstanding Major Award

Callen E. Oster

Environmental Science Leadership Award

Richard T. Signorelli

Environmental Science Research Award

Matthew F. Dieterich

Biology Research Award

Charles Thurner-Diaz

School of Business

School of Education and Social Sciences – Never received a list

School of Nursing

Pinning Ceremony took place on May 10, after The Sentry went to print.

Arch had taught at RMU as an adjunct professor since 2001, according to his profile on rmu.edu.

Prior to Potts’ confirmation, there were a series of e-mails sent to the students in his Introduction to Ethics (PHIL2000) course from the Interim-Department Head of the English Department, Dr. Diane Todd-Bucci, and the Dean of the School of Communications and Information Systems, Dr. Barbara Levine, that were obtained by RMU Sentry Media.

The first e-mail was sent from Todd-Bucci on Wednesday, April 24 at 10:35 p.m., stating that Arch’s 8 a.m. class was cancelled the following morning and went on to simply say, “Mr. Arch is unable to return for the remainder of the semester.”

The e-mail also clarified that final assignments should be forwarded to Todd-Bucci and assured students that there will be a method of determining their final grades by finals week.

Another e-mail was sent at 11:32 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 to clarify that contrary to an earlier e-mail sent by Arch, the 8 a.m. class was cancelled and students were to send their final work to Todd-Bucci. To validate this, Levine was copied on the e-mail.

At 5:08 a.m. on Thursday, April 25, Todd-Bucci wrote to the students of Arch’s  Introduction to Ethics class saying, “I should clarify that Mr. Arch is no longer employed by RMU, so you should avoid further contact with him.”

That same morning at 7:23 a.m. Levine wrote, “This is to confirm that Professor Arch is no longer with Robert Morris University. Dr. Todd-Bucci will be in touch with you about how to complete the course.”

Arch’s dismissal came as a surprise to many of his students.

A source used by many students to gauge how personable a professor is and his/her style of teaching is the website www.ratemyprofessors.com. Even the most affable of teachers typically have a poor review or two since these posts are from students with varying opinions, but this was not true in Arch’s case. Out of 36 ratings, all rated him as a “good quality” professor, and he had an average overall quality score of 4.7 out of 5.

“Arch really does amaze me. All of my friends kept telling me to take him as an ethics professor. They were right. He makes us think more than I have thought about things in class in a long time. I think he is the best. Thanks, Robert Morris,” read a post from a student in his Introduction to Ethics class this semester that was published on Feb. 12, 2013.

“Probably the best professor you’ll ever have at RMU. Class act; is on a personal level with EVERYONE and is the kindest professor you’ll EVER have,” read another post from his Introduction to Ethics class that was published on April 18, 2012.

“He really cares about his students and always offers encouraging words on your paper/speeches. RMU should be proud of the great professor they have in Arch!” read part of a post that was published on April 23, 2012 from his Public Speaking and Persuasion class (COSK2220).

There was much speculation around campus late last week about what measures had to be taken and what actually happened leading up to and during the process of Arch’s dismissal.

“There was an incident that occurred, and it was mitigated by the university. At this point, we’re over and done with it,” said Director of Public Safety Randy Mink.

“We as the police department just did the minimal basics we had to do [when a faculty member is dismissed]. There was nothing out of the ordinary,” Mink concluded.

University officials could not comment on the exact reason behind Arch’s dismissal due to university policy and it being a personnel matter.

Over Thanksgiving break this year, I traveled to Singapore to compete in the League of Legends (LoL) video game tournament – “IEM Season VII – Global Challenge Singapore.” I was accompanied by my four other teammates from across the U.S. whom I’ve only ever met online. We were sponsored by an “E-Sport” organization based in Europe who paid for our flight and hotel. While I was excited for a paid for trip to Singapore to attend an event for a hobby I am very passionate about, it was intimidating.

I arrived at Singapore on Tuesday and after the rest of my team arrived, we went to the offices of this computer peripheral company “Razer” and trained for the event over the next two days. This was where we were set up most of the time. They had 10 computers in a ring in their “break room.” We would set up our keyboard and mice and train for the rest of the day with Razer employees watching from over our shoulders and listening to us shout at each other. We were practicing playing together in a real life environment.

Our first day of matches was on Thursday. We won the group stage 2-1 against a team from Singapore, Malaysia and Poland. We made it to the semi-finals on Saturday up against local Singapore team who we took down no problem. Then we had the finals that same day against a good Polish team who had not lost a single game in the entire tournament. However, we lost in a close 1-2 best of 3 series, taking second place and the $8,500 prize.

My favorite night from the trip was on Thursday. After winning our matches for the day, we left the event and met up with several local people we had made friends with and took the subway to a mall in downtown Singapore.

This mall was amazing! It was about six stories high with the bottom floor being all food shops. It was super condensed and was a very cool place. We went to this one location in the mall named “Garena Stadium.” It was a PC café with dozens of computers scattered around all filled with people playing LoL.

Several of the other teams participating in the tournament were there that night, and we just casually played LoL with everyone and exchanged stories over authentic ramen. In a very stressful and busy trip, this was an excellent night of just casual fun with many of our new found local friends. While we did not get to see many landscapes or explore the city very much, the one thing that we did that you do not typically do on a vacation was befriend the locals. We were basically led on a tour by a group of five to 10 constantly, making it an amazing experience.

The library will be open from 7:30 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday night.

Tuesday, April 30 the Office of Residence Life is sponsoring the Almost Midnight Breakfast from 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. with free breakfast food for all RMU students.

Wednesday, May 1 the Campus Ministry Association is hosting a study break with free food from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Many RAs are also holding finals study events for their residents, so each hall should stay posted on what is going on in their particular hall.

RMU Sentry Media wishes all students luck as they prepare for and take their finals!

Randy Lee Bartosh, the owner of 213’s Tattoo U, located in Coraopolis, PA, recalled this memory with a lighthearted chuckle. To him, this moment proved that industry was changing and moving toward a time where tattoos are viewed as art forms. Because 50 years ago, for instance, the practice was significantly more taboo.

“She explained to me that when she was a little girl, nobody had tattoos. And it was really odd to see someone with a tattoo and as she became older she saw more and more people with tattoos, but they were either involved in the military or in jail,” said Randy.

This lady, consequently the oldest client he has ever tattooed, explained that during the 60s or 70s the only women who had tattoos were ‘whores and bad people,’ and therefore her husband refused to allow his wife to be inked.

According to Randy, the social taboo that once weighed heavily on tattoo culture is finally being removed. The force behind its removal? The amount of professionals who are now getting tattooed.

“There are a lot more professionals now getting tattoos- I’ve tattooed everywhere from judges, to sports people, to newscasters, to librarians. Really, there are people from all walks of life getting tattoos,” said Randy.

Not only has Randy tattooed many different people- he’s well practiced in giving some of the wackiest or most unique designs. From smiley faces on genitalia to pictures of chicken wings, Randy asserts that tattoo enthusiasts have at least one thing in common: they love “to challenge oddity.”

Randy has passion for his creation through the medium of tattoos, but what may be surprising is the level of emotions that are often laid bare in tattoo shops. To the tattooed, a piece of body art is more than just ink. It’s a personal and meaningful emblem.

“And [the customer] fell apart, crying, and I’m like- how do you handle that? And of course you’re caring and you want to be there for the person but what it came down to is she never imagined being able to emulate her mom’s words on paper and I was able to do that,” said Randy.

Randy describes this encounter as one of the most meaningful moments of his life as a tattoo artist.

“To be able to affect someone like that and be able to bring their thoughts into art is the most incredible experience I have ever had, next to my daughter being born. It was the first thing I was able to look into a mirror and accept that I have a talent for,” said Randy.

And with that level of emotion or even rush that is available from the needle, it’s no wonder many tattoo enthusiasts describe the process as addictive.

“There’s a ton of people who are finding it in themselves that being tattooed and the process, privacy and the personal nature of getting a tattoo is therapy,” said Randy.

According to Randy, this surge in tattoo culture is caused by the stigma finally fading away. In turn, tattoos are being considered more as a modern art form than ever.

“I was speaking with somebody who was extremely, deeply Catholic. As a matter of fact, she’s a nun. And she had a lot of limited views, especially on social things going on nowadays. She was very off-put by my tattoos.  And then I showed her one on my forearm, and I explained what it is and what it means to me and it completely, utterly changed her outlook on the industry as a whole,” said Randy.