Cedar Crest College
Cedar Crest College is a private liberal arts women's college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. At the start of the 2015-2016 academic year, the college had 1,301 undergraduates (628 traditional age, 673 adult) and 203 graduate students. Men may pursue any master's degree, bachelor's degree, certification, and certificate program offered through evening and weekend study and are welcome to study nursing and nuclear medicine by day. Founded in 1867, the college is historically tied to the United Church of Christ, though it remains academically independent. Academics. The college's Bachelor of Arts and science programs  span more than fifty majors. The curriculum also includes programs in Pre-Law, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine and Pre-Veterinary Medicine. In addition, Cedar Crest also offers master's degrees. Undergraduate and graduate programs are also offered to adult students through the college's School of Adult and Graduate Education (SAGE). Performing arts. Theatre. The Theatre major at Cedar Crest College is a holistic major that encompasses both technical experience and performance in the theatre field. First Fridays are offered starting in a student's sophomore year to allow collaboration between those in the Performing Arts majors. In their senior  year, students complete their Senior Capstone Project which is meant to feature their work cumulatively throughout their four years at the college. The college stages four major stage productions which typically includes two musical productions and two straight plays. To feature the female students of the predominately women's college, productions chosen feature strong female leading, supporting, and ensemble roles with outside male performers from the surrounding Lehigh Valley community and beyond in any leading, supporting, or ensemble roles. Faculty. Directors for mainstage productions vary, but faculty at the college include Technical Theatre Professor Kevin Gallagher and Professor Roxanne Amico . Scholarships. The department offers scholarships based on an audition on a Performing Arts Scholarship Day or submitted by video. These are typically $1,500 per year, four-year renewing scholarships, contingent on the student's participation in productions or classes within the Dance or Theatre majors. Campus. Cedar Crest is located off Cedar Crest Boulevard at 100 College Drive on the western edge of Allentown. The campus is adjacent to the city's Cedar Beach Park. Some campus buildings include: Allen House. What is now known as the Allen House was built in 1927 and was originally home to college  President William F. Curtis and his family. This building was later converted to a library and eventually to an office building named in honor of the late William and Roberta Ritter Allen '36, generous supporters of the college. Blaney Hall Administration Building. Blaney Hall was named after President Dorothy G. Blaney. She was the president of Cedar Crest college for 17 years and championed the cause of elevating the education of women to the kinds of rigorous academic achievement once reserved only for men. She took over the Allentown women's college in October 1989 and gave it new stature  and renewed vigor. During Blaney's tenure, the college's enrollment doubled from 700 to more than 1,400 students, the number of honor students rose 35 percent, and the endowment grew fourfold, from $1.2 million to $5.7 million, with a current goal of $3.5 million. For almost all her career at the 139-year-old school, she contributed opinion columns to The Morning Call, writing on women's and local issues. During the ceremony that made her Cedar Crest's 11th president, she told the crowd to "transform knowledge into wisdom and wisdom into action. We need  to expand our minds to embrace the diversity of other cultures and the ideas of the world." Donald P. Miller Family Building for Art, Science and Peace. On the anniversary of Donald P. Miller's death, the executive committee of Cedar Crest College's trustees announced that the school would name its planned $4 million art, science and health complex after his family. Miller, who died at age 89 from natural causes on Jan. 23, 1996, was "The Morning Call"s former publisher and chief executive officer. Over the years, the Miller family has provided funding and services to such  Lehigh Valley institutions as the Allentown Public Library, the Allentown Art Museum, the Allentown Symphony, the Boy Scouts, the Phoebe Home, and Muhlenberg College, which is Donald Miller's alma mater. Its ties to Cedar Crest College are deep. Miller was a college benefactor every year and for every campaign from the 1950s until he died. He was named a Cedar Crest honorary doctor of humane letters in 1968. The college's original location at 4th and Turner Streets in Allentown was previously the family homestead of Marjorie Wright Miller, Donald Miller's first wife. Marjorie Miller was a 1930  graduate of Cedar Crest who served on the board of trustees in the 1940s, '50s and '60s and was her class agent for decades. After she died in 1977, Miller honored her passion for poetry in 1980 through a memorial fund that helped establish the "Poet's Corner" inside the college's Cressman Library. Inside the Miller Building is the Harmon Hall of Peace, which was donated by Elaine Oberkotter Harmon '59 and her husband, John. In the building are five large flags representing the United States; the United Nations; Croatia, for Elaine Harmon's adopted son; Japan, because Elaine  Harmon supported Japanese exchange students who attended Cedar Crest; and Ghana, the home country of the then-Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, who dedicated the Miller Building and received an honorary degree from Cedar Crest. The Peace Pole, located directly outside of the Miller Building, is one of over 100,000 that exist in 60 countries as international symbols of peace. This pole represents the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in 12 different languages. Harold and Miriam Oberkotter Center for Health and Wellness. The Harold and Miriam Oberkotter Center for Health and Wellness, a 10,000 square foot  building on the western edge of the Cedar Crest campus, added much needed laboratory and classroom space. Since 2001, Cedar Crest has experienced a 50 percent increase in traditional-aged science and nursing students. The number of students interested in forensic science alone has increased tenfold since this program's inception in 2000. The lifelong learning population at Cedar Crest has increased as well. Since the launch of the evening weekend nursing program in 2000, the number of lifelong learning students who are nursing majors has increased more than 105 percent. The main features of the facility include the 100 -seat, state-of-the-art, Berta and Harold Keen Multi-Media Classroom; faculty offices including one dedicated to Lorraine Clark Laicha and given by Tom and Stephanie Zimmerer, Ed.D. '72; a forensic science-biological science lab; a biochemistry lab; a student lounge and restrooms. Lees Hall and Fitness Center. Lees Hall is named in honor of Fortunetta Schlough Lees from the Class of 1897. The Basketball and Volleyball teams both compete in the gym which is located in Lees Hall. The athletic offices and Fitness Center are also located in Lees Hall. Lees has a seating capacity for athletic  events for more than 300; for other events, 750. Other facilities in Lees Hall include a fitness center, athletic training room and offices for the athletic department staff. Fitness Center hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. Starting in the Spring of 2014, Cedar Crest College will be updating its basketball court (design to be released). South Gate. The giving of gifts to the college by the senior class is a long-standing tradition at Cedar Crest. One of the most well-known senior class gifts is the South Gate. In 1922, when President William F. Curtis learned that  the highway department planned to build another road near campus, the Class of 1922 agreed to fund construction of a new entrance, incurring an expense that would take them years to pay off. After the gate's completion at the south end of campus, the highway department changed its plans, so the entrance sat useless until 1972, when it was moved to the west end of campus on Cedar Crest Boulevard, during the presidency of Pauline Tompkins, as a fiftieth reunion surprise for the Class of 1922. The Bell "Dorothy". The bell is a sculpture by Toshiko Takaezu that resides  on the quad, in a garden that was built by the Trustees in 2005 to honor Dorothy Gulbenkian Blaney's presidency. The bell, named Dorothy, was donated by the internationally renowned sculptor to honor President Blaney. It was the first bell that Takaezu ever named. It is meant to have a calming effect and is rung at Open Door Ceremony and at the 50th Reunion memorial service. Quad. The quad is the grassy area that flows from the front of Blaney Hall, surrounded by Hartzel Hall, Allen House, Cressman Library, Moore Hall, Curtis Hall and Butz Hall. The quad features  Abe and Tretchie's Place, a gazebo that was donated by the board of trustees in memory of Abram Samuels and in honor of his wife, Tretchie. Spirit Rock. In Keeping with the tradition of presenting the college with a senior class gift, the Class of 2013, in addition to raising over $6,000 for the Cedar Crest Fund, donated the Spirit Rock to start a new tradition on campus. This rock is meant to provide luck to all who rub it. Incoming freshmen are encouraged to touch the rock for luck during orientation and it is placed strategically so  that all graduating seniors can touch it for luck on their way into the graduation tent. An inscription on the plaque reads: "If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life." Tompkins College Center. The most notable feature of the Tompkins College Center (TCC) is its floor-to-ceiling windows that frame park-like views of the Cedar Crest campus. The TCC was named for Pauline Tompkins, Cedar Crest president from 1967 to 1978, and is primarily the student  union, featuring the Falcon's Nest, the post office, lounge areas, Samuels Theatre and meeting spaces. A generous estate gift of $3.5 million from Verna Orcurto Canova '38 provided for renovations to the dining hall area in January 2015. Wishing Steps. Between Allen House and the Cressman Library is an area dedicated to the college's historic wishing steps. Over 50 years ago, Cedar Crest women walked with their sweethearts, often men from Lehigh, Lafayette and Muhlenberg, through the woods behind campus, leading to what is now the Allentown Rose Garden. These woods affectionately became known as "Proposal Park  because legend had it that if a student and her date counted the same number of steps while walking to the park and sealed your wish with a kiss, she would get a proposal at the end. The Wishing Steps were ranked number 10 on the list of 25 Most Romantic College Traditions by College Ranker in 2015. Other buildings. Other campus buildings include Cressman Library, Dorothy Rider Pool Science Center, Alumnae Hall for Art and Performing Arts, and Rodale Aquatic Center for Civic Health. Additional classroom and faculty buildings include Hartzel Hall, Curtis Hall and Hamilton Boulevard Building. The 	Cedar Crest College
28325269	college also has four residence halls: Butz Hall, Moore Hall, Steinbright Hall and the upper level of Curtis Hall. Cedar Crest's collection of 140 species of trees is designated as the William F. Curtis Arboretum, which is registered with the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta. The arboretum is named for the college's seventh president, who after purchasing the property in 1915, beautified the campus by planting flowers, shrubs and trees from all over the world. The campus is also the site of the Da Vinci Science Center, an independent science demonstration facility that opened in 2005	Cedar Crest College
28325270	. Global Initiatives and International Programs. The office of Global Initiatives and International Programs at Cedar Crest College has been in existence since August 2010. It handles everything from study abroad to international student services, to international partnerships with institutions overseas. Moreover, the office manages all matters related to campus internationalization, international scholarships, and internationalization of the curriculum. Office services The Global Initiatives and International Programs office advises students who are interested in studying abroad . Cedar Crest also runs some short-term study abroad programs to places like Costa Rica, Belize, Nicaragua, Guyana, England, Ireland and Korea. Cedar Crest also has 	Cedar Crest College
28325271	exchange programs with universities in Sweden, Germany and Korea. Cedar Crest students are also able to take study abroad programs through outside organizations or universities. School history with international students Japanese students attended Cedar Crest College in the 1930s. The college also had a local donor who sponsored international students in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Cedar Crest College had an exchange program with Turkey in the 1940s, and by the early 1950s, it had several students from China, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, India and other countries. Now Cedar Crest has 32 students on F-1 visas, and other international students on 	Cedar Crest College
28325272	other types of visa. A considerable number of students are originally international" students but are U.S. green card holders or U.S. citizens and therefore don't count as international students in terms of visa status. Athletics. Cedar Crest, known athletically as the Falcons, competes in NCAA Division III athletics and has teams in basketball, cross country running, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, swim & dive, track & field, and volleyball. In addition, the Rodale Aquatic Center on campus is home to the college's swim & dive team. During the 2007 season, the Cedar Crest Falcons tennis team placed 4th in the  Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC), now known as the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). The team also broke two school records, one for the most wins in a season (12) and one for the most PAC wins (7). The team's record was 12–3. Coach Lynn Pigliacampi, at the time, was two games away from becoming Cedar Crest's winningest tennis coach. Pigliacampi played both at local Easton Area High School (class of 1999), where she was undefeated, and at Division I Drexel University. Her father, Jules Pigliacampi, is an assistant coach. The United States Tennis Association named her Coach of  the Year in 2008. Cedar Crest's Falcons basketball team finished the 2008–09 season at 13-11 overall and 8–8 in the Colonial States Athletic Conference. The team posted more conference victories than in the previous nine seasons combined, earning a CSAC playoff berth for the first time in a decade. Head coach Valerie Donohue (Cedar Crest, '95) led the Falcons in tying the school record of 13 season wins set in 1998–99, the last time the team made the playoffs. The 6th-seeded Falcons beat Centenary College's women in the 2009 tournament's opening round. Donohue was subsequently  named the Colonial States Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. During the 2013-2014 athletic season, Cedar Crest College enjoyed success on all levels. Jamie Wojiechowski was named CSAC Rookie of the Year, Field hockey goalkeeper Kaitlyn Brendlinger was named the NCAA D-III Statistical Champion in saves per game. Margaret "Maggie" Olock was awarded the conference Rookie and Swimmer of the Year in February 2014. During the 2019–2020 season, the Falcons Basketball team finished 6th in the Colonial States Athletic Conference and graduated three seniors under Head Coach Kristin Karat. In the season finale, they defeated  Clarks Summit (#4 in the CSAC) on Senior Day and ended 6–12 in the CSAC. The Cedar Crest Field Hockey team ended their 2019 season in the Semifinals of the Colonial States Athletic Conference Playoffs, after having gone on a five-game win streak. They concluded their season with a two-win increase from the prior year, posting an 8-10 overall record and finished 4–3 in CSAC action. The team took home 7 All-CSAC Awards for this season. During the 2019 season, the Cedar Crest Soccer team went undefeated in conference play, which included defeating the reigning CSAC  Champion Cyclones in a 2–1 victory, for the first time in 11 years. They ended their regular season with a 1–1 tie with Cairn University, clinching the CSAC regular season title along with a #1 seed in the CSAC Playoffs after the decision. In the Semifinals of the CSAC Playoffs, the soccer team defeated Rosemont 1–0 in double overtime which sent them to the CSAC Championship. During the CSAC Championship Game, the team fell to Cairn University in Penalty Kicks. Daria Warner was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Metro Offensive Player of the Month and was  named to the 1st-Team All-ECAC. Falcons’ Soccer earned 14 CSAC All-Conference Awards with junior Daria Warner being named the CSAC Player of the Year and junior Sarah Nawrocki being named the CSAC Defensive Player of the Year. Coach Sarah Wolcott was selected as the 2019 Coach of the Year for the second-consecutive year. This season, she led the Falcons to a 12-4-1 record and an 8-0-1 mark in the CSAC, earning the 1-seed in the playoffs and the first CSAC Regular Season Title in Cedar Crest History. The Cedar Crest Swim  & Dive team ended their 2019–2020 season being named Co-Champions of the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) along with Wells College. The Swim & Dive team brought the institution its first conference championship in 23 years. The team was also selected to the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America's (CSCAA) Scholar All-America Team for the Fall 2019 semester. During the NEAC Championship, four Falcons broke the 800-freestyle school record. Cedar Crest College Director of Athletics, Dr. Allen G Snook Jr., announced the addition of an Outdoor Track program which was set to begin competition during the  Spring of 2020. Track & Field is now the 10th NCAA Division III sponsored sport at the college. After the 2018-2019 sports season, the Cedar Crest Athletic Department announced Mackenzie Borger of the Basketball Team as Rookie of the Year and graduate Morgan Maddock of the Soccer program as Athlete of the Year at this years Hall of Fame Ceremony. The Cedar Crest Athletic Department celebrated a great accomplishment as the recipient of the Colonial States Athletic Conference Institutional Academic Excellence Award for the third time in school history and the first time in nine years. The Falcons collectively earned  the honor for the 2018–2019 academic year with a grade point average of 3.454, which is the highest recorded GPA in the history of the award. During the academic year, 58 Cedar Crest student-athletes were named to the CSAC All-Academic Team, achieved by earning a grade point average of 3.20 or higher during their season of varsity competition. In addition, the women's basketball team was the recipient of the CSAC Team Academic Award, which is given annually to each sport team whose student-athletes, while competing in conference sports, achieve the highest combined grade point average. Hall  of Fame. In the spring of 2013, the Cedar Crest College Athletic Department inducted five individuals and one team into their Hall of Fame. The Class of 2013 included Cynthia Blaschak, Gracia Perilli, Jane Tyler Ward, Lisa Tinucci Barnett, and Megumi Yokoyama. Also inducted was the 1997 PAC Championship lacrosse team. The nominees for the Class of 2014 included Nellie Manges, Jacqueline J. Sham, Robyn Kulp, Heidi Bright Butler, and Mari Gillespie Whalen. Designation to the Cedar Crest College Hall of Fame is a distinguished honor that brings recognition to the individual, the college, and the community. In order to  be considered as an inductee to the Hall of Fame, alumna must have attended Cedar Crest College for at least two years and exhibited athletic prowess of an outstanding nature in an intercollegiate sport sponsored by the college. Evidence will include peer evaluation, honors and recognition received, statistical evidence, and quality and competition of teams/sport. Coaches, staff, and other individuals who have worked to enhance the athletics program at Cedar Crest are also eligible for induction. These nominees must have been employed by the college for a minimum of five years and made outstanding contributions to the athletics program . A minimum of five years from the student's last official involvement with Cedar Crest College muse elapse before consideration is given to a nominee. In the case of athletic eligibility expiring prior to an individual's graduation, the five years will begin from the time of the nominee's eligibility expiring. The Director of Athletics is in charge of chairing the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee and enlists the services of at least six individuals to serve on the committee. Committee members shall include the Sports Information Director and others who have knowledge and appreciation of the athletic traditions  of the college. Nominations can be submitted by any interested party and should include detailed information about the nominee's contribution to the athletics program, as well as current contact information. A list of prospective nominees is developed by the SID and solicited from alumni and friends of the college. At least 60 percent of the committee members must vote in favor of a nominee for that individual to be elected to the Athletics Hall of Fame. Ordinarily, no more than four nominees will gain entrance to the Athletics Hall of Fame each election, and inductions will occur every year . The committee then recommends nominees to the President of the college who then makes the final determination. Nominees or a representative if the nominee is deceased, must be available to attend the induction ceremony in order to be elected. In 2017, there were three nominees inducted to the Hall of Fame and they included Karina Beck, Nancy Breitinger Hopkinson, and Valerie Hess Donohue. The latest Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in the Fall of 2019 honored Elizabeth “Betsy” Bauer, Cheryl Griswold, Jules Pigliacampi, and Lynn Pigliacampi Matula. Cynthia L. Blaschak Softball Field. In the spring of 1997, Cynthia L. Blaschak  made a donation to Cedar Crest to build a softball field. This was done as part of her support of the new NCAA Division III varsity softball team that was beginning their season that year. Blaschak was a student athlete herself while attending Cedar Crest. She participated in both basketball and badminton.