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STATE COLLEGE Penn State coach Bill OBrien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.

Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, OBrien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities.

The athletic department has been responding to a story in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated that questioned the quality of care and the motivations behind the removal of longtime team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli earlier this year.

For anyone to suggest or perhaps outright accuse that anyone within the Penn State athletic program would do otherwise is irresponsible, reckless and wrong, an emotional OBrien said Wednesday.

The second-year coach said he made recommendations in the offseason to athletic director Dave Joyner and university president Rodney Erickson after watching the medical team for his first year.

It was part of his job to evaluate all aspects of the program. OBriens superiors make the personnel decisions.

OBrien said there was no problem with the medical care at Penn State last year, nor in the rest of Sebastianellis 20-year tenure at football.

Again, what I try to do is assemble the right team ... the way I see the program should be run, OBrien said. Responding to another question later in the roughly 15-minute conference call, OBrien said he urges the doctors to be cutting edge ... looking for things that could help our players.

Sebastianelli remains the director of athletic medicine. In that capacity, he oversees the medical program for football, including new team doctor Peter Seidenberg.

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Penn State defends medical changes after report

STATE COLLEGE -- Penn State coach Bill O'Brien is fervently disputing suggestions raised in a report that player medical care has been compromised after the team doctor was replaced.

Speaking often in an angry tone that might be otherwise reserved for an argument with an official, O'Brien told reporters in a conference call that the health and safety of his players were his top priorities.

The athletic department has been responding to a story in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated that questioned the quality of care and the motivations behind the removal of longtime team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli earlier this year.

"For anyone to suggest -- or perhaps outright accuse -- that anyone within the Penn State athletic program would do otherwise is irresponsible, reckless and wrong," an emotional O'Brien said Wednesday.

The second-year coach said he made recommendations in the offseason to athletic director Dave Joyner and university president Rodney Erickson after watching the medical team for his first year.

It was part of his job to evaluate all aspects of the program. O'Brien's superiors make the personnel decisions.

O'Brien said there was no problem with the medical care at Penn State last year, nor in the rest of Sebastianelli's 20-year tenure at football.

"Again, what I try to do is assemble the right team ... the way I see the program should be run," O'Brien said. Responding to another question later in the roughly 15-minute conference call, O'Brien said he urges the doctors to be "cutting edge ... looking for things that could help our players."

Sebastianelli remains the director of athletic medicine. In that capacity, he oversees the medical program for football, including new team doctor Peter Seidenberg.

Penn State in February released a statement about the changes, which also included adding Scott Lynch as an orthopedic consultant for football. All three doctors work for Penn State's college of medicine.

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Penn State slams football medical care story

UpdatedMay 15, 2013 8:16 PM ET

Penn State's athletic department is vigorously defending itself against a report questioning the quality of medical care for football players.

In a story in the latest edition of Sports Illustrated, two professors of orthopedics one still at the university and the other a former chair attributed the removal of longtime team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli to reasons other than the quality of care.

The report also called into question the methods of head trainer Tim Bream, a 1983 Penn State graduate who took the job at his alma mater after serving as trainer for the NFL's Chicago Bears.

''To characterize the medical care Penn State provides our student-athletes as anything other than the highest quality is erroneous,'' the athletic department said in a statement. ''Access to urgent and quality care for our athletes is no less than where it was at any point in the past 20 years.''

Sebastianelli remains the director of athletic medicine. In that capacity, he oversees the medical program for football, including new team doctor Peter Seidenberg.

Penn State in February released a statement about the changes, which also included adding Scott Lynch as an orthopedic consultant for football. All three doctors work for Penn State's college of medicine.

The Sports Illustrated story said the change can be traced to a tweaked title in January for athletic director Dave Joyner, who had been serving in an ''acting'' capacity since November 2011.

Joyner replaced Tim Curley, who was placed on administrative leave after being charged with perjury and failure to report suspected abuse in connection with the child sex abuse scandal involving retired defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. Curley has vehemently proclaimed his innocence.

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Penn State defends medical changes

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Kenneth I. Pargament, Ph.D., a professor of clinical psychology at Bowling Green State University, has been selected to deliver the psychology commencement address for the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Pargament is a practicing clinical psychologist and distinguished scholar at the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. He is a leading figure in the resurgence of attention to the connection between spirituality and health. Through studies of groups dealing with trauma survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing, victims of natural disasters, and the medically ill Pargament identified many of the specific ways religion can help or hurt people in crisis.

Dr. Pargaments psychology expertise has resulted in inspiring recovery for the individuals and communities hes served, said Margaret J. Weber, dean, GSEP. We are honored to have him share his knowledge and experience with our psychology graduates.

Pargament advocates for greater sensitivity to spirituality in health care. He is editor-in-chief of the recently published two-volume APA Handbook of Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality, which highlights the role of spirituality in health. Pargaments 2007 book, Spiritually Integrated Psychotherapy: Understanding and Addressing the Sacred, covered the insights gained through the application of spiritually integrated treatments for survivors of child sexual abuse, women infected with HIV, and patients with heart disease and cancer.

For this work, Pargament won the Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association, the Outstanding Contributor to Graduate Education at Bowling Green State University, and the National Samaritan Center Award. He has consulted with the National Institutes of Health, the United States Army, and the World Health Organization.

Pargament earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland and interned in clinical psychology at Rutgers Medical School. He completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Pargament will receive an Honorary Degree from Pepperdine University.

The psychology commencement ceremony for GSEP will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the Alumni Park on Pepperdine Universitys Malibu, California campus. Pepperdine University commencements are hosted outdoors with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop and are open to the public.

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Kenneth I. Pargament to Deliver Commencement Address for the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and ...

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Outside of coaches receiving regional Emmy nominations, there may be no more offseason-y post than a what if five months after the fact.

But Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo shed some light on an interesting angle during last Thursdays UGA Day meeting Augusta: what would the Bulldogs have done if they had one more play against Alabama in last years SEC championship game?

As a refresher, the Bulldogs were driving in the final minute of regulation when Aaron Murray connected with tight end Arthur Lynch to put Georgia at the Alabama 8-yard line with 15 seconds remaining. Instead of spiking the ball to stop the clock, Georgia went hurry-up and Murrays pass to Chris Conley failed to get into the end zone. Below is the video of the final drive, courtesy of SEC Digital Network:

Hypothetically, lets say Georgia spiked the ball or Murray threw an incompletion to give Georgia one more play. What would it have been? Bobo explained it would have been inspired by plays from Floridas SEC championship appearances against Alabama.

Heres what Bobo said, via the Macon Telegraph:

We had actually gone back to, I dont know what it was, it was one of the Florida-Alabama games, where Alabama had given up three red zone scores to Florida. It was a play that Florida had actually ran against Alabama. It was an empty set, and had two primary front-side, and a double-slant backside. It was something from 08 or 09 that Tebow had completed against them. Because I remember after that game, Kirby was talking about how, We just couldnt stop them in the red zone. So we just studied that hard.

Then Bobo added with some matter-of-fact wistfulness: We had some plans, we just didnt have a chance to call those plays.

The way Georgia handled that final play against the Tide has been a source of debate. If Murray had completed the pass, whether on the hurry-up or one call later, the Bulldogs would have surely played Notre Dame in the BCS championship game. Instead, Bobo and his players are still reminded of what could have been.

Like probably everybody out here, I dont think were ever gonna get over that game, Bobo said. First meeting back with the players back, and the offense, I said: Men, people keep telling you youve gotta get over it and get ready to go. The bottom line is youre never gonna get over it, you gotta learn to live with it, youve gotta regroup to play the next game, and get better the next day.

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CFT: Penn St. rebuts unpublished SI article

Lake Havasu High School has noted two distinguished LHHS alumni to be included in the 2013 graduation ceremonies.

One is 1992 LHHS graduate Dan Kuch, who currently works as a senior police officer with Lake Havasu City Police Department. The other is 1987 LHHS graduate Andrew Aldridge, who currently works as a surgeon in Flagstaff, according to LHHS documents.

KUCH

While at LHHS, Kuch earned nine varsity letters, four in cross country, three in track and two in basketball. He was senior class vice-president and a member of National Honor Society, Whos Who of American High School Students, the basketball club and the track club. Kuch was a four-year honor roll student and graduated in the top 10 percent of his class with a 3.8 grade point average. Additionally, he received several awards recognizing him as a model student.

After graduation, Kuch attended Northern Arizona University where he earned a degree in Criminal Justice in 1997. While at NAU, he was a resident assistant at McConnell Hall. To support himself during college, Kuch worked as an associate manager at Perkins in Flagstaff, worked with Havasus Parks and Recreation kids during summer programs and was a certified lifeguard.

In 1995, Kuch completed a voluntary internship with the police department in Havasu.

Kuchs claim is he is the first born-and-raised Havasuvian to be hired by the local police department. He was hired in 1997.

At the police department, Kuch currently works as or has worked as a field training officer, defensive tactics and physical fitness instructor, gang task force member, D.A.R.E. and N.O.V.A. youth programs, Explorer youth program, and Mohave Law Enforcement Explorer Academy counselor, among other things.

Kuch was awarded a life-saving award in 2012 after performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a male subject for 30 minutes. The man is alive today.

On his days off, Kuch works as a substitute teacher at Lake Havasu Unified School District.

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LHHS distinguished alumni include local police officer, Flagstaff surgeon

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Raising a child with autism can leave parents with big questions, both at the time of diagnosis and in the years that follow. Prominent among them: What do I need to do when my child is first diagnosed? How can I help my son or daughter make friends? What should I know to help my teen with autism make the leap to adult life?

Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is here to help parents find answers. On June 1, the hospital presents its Sixth Annual Autism Spectrum Disorders Update, an event that gives members of the community a chance to learn about new autism research and therapies. This year's theme, Growing up with Autism: Genes, Families, Friends and Schools, encompasses every stage of a childs development, including the root causes of autism, diagnosis and the transition to adulthood.

WHAT: Autism experts from Packard Children's, the Stanford University School of Medicine and the local autism community will give presentations on a wide cross-section of topics. The day includes keynote sessions on stem cell research and the brain in autism, and on improving peer friendships in children with autism. Additional breakout sessions will be offered on genes and environmental factors; helping families post-diagnosis; early interventions; the impact on autism of upcoming revisions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); making friends; attention, language and math abilities in autism; the transition to adulthood; and parenting tools. The complete program is online at http://bit.ly/10efBfX.

WHERE: Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University, 326 Galvez St., Stanford, Calif. Register online at http://bit.ly/10gRp8F.

WHEN: Saturday, June 1, 2013, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Registration and continental breakfast begin at 7:45 a.m.)

WHY: We have a lot of ways to help parents and educators, said Carl Feinstein, MD, director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Packard Childrens and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The majority of our topics at this years symposium have to do with real-world issues faced by children and families with autism.

Among other highlights, the symposium will help to launch a new Packard Childrens program to provide parents of newly diagnosed children with several sessions of direct, one-on-one guidance for how to relate best to their child. Its a tremendous shock to find out that your child has an autism spectrum diagnosis, Feinstein said. But theres a lot that can be done to help decipher your childs behavior, and we want to help parents get started. The program is a partnership with the Childrens Health Council in Palo Alto and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

By popular request, the symposium also includes a strong emphasis on how to help children with autism navigate friendships with peers. In the past, children with autism have often attended social skills groups to learn about social interaction, but a more hands-on approach is gaining popularity, Feinstein said. Were moving much more to the real-time environments of the child, such as classrooms and playgrounds, and were also helping other kids receive non-invasive coaching about how to relate better to children with autism.

"We really want to reach out to parents," Feinstein concluded. "At the Center for Autism, we believe that two-way communication between parents and experts is an essential part of providing the best care for children, teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorders."

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Autism Symposium June 1 at Stanford University, Sponsored by Packard Children's Hospital

MERCED -- St. Luke's Anglican School will celebrate its 45 years as a Merced institution June 1 with a campus party and farewell celebration for students, alumni, parents, teachers and staff.

The school, at 350 W. Yosemite Ave., which now serves only preschoolers and kindergartners, will close for good June 5.

"It's sad that we're closing, but we have so many happy memories to share," said Jani Clarke. She co-founded the school in 1967 with JoAnne Wright, and was its head teacher from 1967-75, and again from 1999-2001,

Reporter Doane Yawger can be reached at (209) 385-2407 or __lt__a href="mailto:dyawger@mercedsunstar.com"__gt__dyawger@mercedsunstar.com__lt__/a__gt__.

Rummaging through old photos to be displayed June 1, Clarke recalled students and parents she had not seen in years but remembered well.

"The school has always had such a good family atmosphere," Clarke said. "I knew the parents well. They were required to be involved, and indeed they were. They helped enormously with the annual auction, and also gave their time and talents on campus."

Clarke said the mission of the school has been to provide a safe and loving environment where children can exceed academically.

"It's a Christian school, but parents of many faiths sent their children here because of the education and care they would receive," she said. "Our teachers have always been excellent. All were credentialed and committed to nurturing the whole child."

Although many students came from privileged homes, St. Luke's offered scholarships to lower- income families, made possible by its annual auction.

Castle Air Force Base also provided students. In its heyday, the school that began with 16 preschool and 11 kindergarten students grew to well beyond 200 pupils, and included a middle school.

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St. Luke's will say goodbye

Naomi Granado and Christopher Abello

The 23rd Annual ISSF Star Luncheon in which top students from 70 accredited private schools are recognized by the Independent Schools of South Florida drew a crowd of more than 800 individuals, including three MCS students.

Nina Beam (Grade 5), Justin Marono (Grade 8) and Andre Bergouignan (Grade 12) were among those receiving medals for setting an example for others, whether in home, school or community.

Those honored at the annual event at the Doubletree on April 17, typically excel in one or more of areas: academics, community service, citizenship, fine arts, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance and attitude.

Also recently receiving special honors were several first grade students who entered the Youth Fair poster competitions and won either a Second Place ribbon and a $3 check or a First Place ribbon and a $4 check. Winning students who drew their interpretation of Fun at the Youth Fair included Anthony Barcelo, Zoe Campos, Nathan Hernandez, Zack Lembert, Yaneiliz, Austin Ocana, Josh Ortet and Angelin Vazquez.

Top students (l-r) Nina Beam, Andre Bergouignan, Justin Marono.

In alumni news, Chrissy Stachl (09) joins a long list of outstanding graduates. Now in her fourth year at the University of Washington in Seattle on a Bill Gates M i l l e n n i u m Scholarship covering all study costs for five years, she is pursuing a double major in Neuro biology and Chemistry. Invited by Yale University for an all-expense paid six-week Summer Medical and Dental Educational Program during the summer of her freshman year, Stachl participated in an introductory program and shadowed personnel. The Millennium Scholarship also paid for a six-week program in Florence, Italy where she completed a 5 credit course in drawing and bookmaking to complete an Arts requirement for graduation. The summer of her Sophomore year, Stachl was invited to Harvard Universitys STAR program, an all-expense paid eight week venture, where she worked on cancer research and shadowed medical personnel. Stachls Junior year took her to the University of Edinburgh where she studied chemistry, history and neuroscience. Because of her work at Harvard, her professor invited her to work with him on cancer research, a work published along with others from Stockholm, Sweden and London, England in the Journal of American Chemical Society. Her studies continued the summer of her Junior year in South India working in a nursing program for a month in two separate clinics. This summer, Stachl takes off again to England for a five-credit English course, studying Shakespeare in London and attending two plays per week at The Globe Theatre. Stachl will study another year in Seattle before pursuing a MD/PhD, most likely abroad.

Chrissy Stachl, outstanding 09 alumna.

On the art front, MCS Sophomores Christopher Abello and Naomi Granado are entering pieces in the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery, a nationwide competition for showcasing high school students talent and creativity. Each entry must be an original concept, design and execution in any of seven mediums, all to be collected in a District area for expertly judging of winning pieces sent to Washington DC on behalf of Congressman Mario Diaz- Balarts District to be displayed for a year in the Cannon Tunnel, leading to the US Capitol building.. Naomi entered a photograph and Christopher, entered a drawing.

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Miami Christian School Students, Alumni Shine!

State Controller John Chiang, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy, Harbor Area Rep. Janice Hahn and California State University Chancellor Timothy White will be among six commencement speakers at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday and Saturday.

Also delivering an address at the Carson campus will be two Cal State Dominguez Hills alumni: Nancy Carlson, CEO of Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center, and Sam Enriquez, senior page-one editor of the Wall Street Journal.

"It is an honor to welcome such accomplished individuals as our 2013 commencement keynote speakers, all of whom are leaders in their fields," said Willie J. Hagan, interim president of Cal State Dominguez Hills, in a statement.

Roughly 3,100 undergraduate and graduate students are expected to walk in commencement this year, representing students who completed their degrees in the summer and fall of 2012, and those who completed or expect to complete their degrees during spring or summer 2013.

Carlson, who obtained her nursing degree from Dominguez Hills in 1994 and a master of public administration in 1996, will speak at 3 p.m. Friday before the graduates of three programs: the College of Professional Studies, the School of Health and Human Services, and the School of Nursing.

Chiang, a Torrance resident, will speak at 6:30 p.m. Friday before the graduates of the College of Business

Hahn will deliver her address before the graduates from the College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at 8 a.m. Saturday. Addressing that same school as a guest speaker will be White, who in December became the seventh president of the nation's largest university system.

Enriquez, who earned a bachelor's degree from Dominguez Hills in 1985, will address the College of Arts and Humanities, as well as the College of Extended and International Education, at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Deasy will address the College of Education at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The ceremonies will be broadcast live at http://dhtv.csudh.edu.

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Cal State Dominguez Hills lines up commencement speakers