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St. Vincent College, near Latrobe, celebrated the season with a style all its own Sunday with its 18th Annual Sports Friendship Day, sponsored by the campus ministry.

About 90 children and adults with special needs participated in an afternoon of bowling, basketball, volleyball and other games in the Robert S. Carey Center gymnasium.

Participants could also make valentines, get their faces painted, and sing "silly songs" with the Danny McCarthy Show. The event ended with Mass, followed by dinner.

Participants were assisted by SVC student volunteers, including biochemistry major Julie Schreck, of Midland, Mich. Schreck is a senior who plans on attending medical school. She has participated in the event for the past four years.

"They give you hugs and high-fives," she said of the participants. "Once I started, I was hooked. At the end of the day, you look back and see how happy they were. It's amazing."

Other student volunteers included Alison Barberic, of Cleveland; Monica Beil, of Youngstown, Ohio; Amy Boland, of Vandergrift; Eileen Deely, of

Greenfield, Allegheny County; Kristin DiFranco, of Westerville, Ohio; Amanda Doman, of Bentleyville, Washington County; Beth Floro, of Ambridge, Beaver County; Mark Kurisko, of Central City, Somerset County; Josalyn Malesky, of Donegal; Abbey Miller, of Bellefont, Centre County; Abby Mitchell, of Baldwin, Allegheny County; Jessica Morrell, of Martinez, Ga.; Nicole Moulton, of Harrison City; Katie Newcomer, of Latrobe; Frank Ritter, of Mt. Pleasant; Chris Spaw, of Virginia Beach, Va.; and Nick Wilson, of Bentleyville, Washington County.

Adding to the festivities were: Christie Walters, from campus ministry; Brother Stephen Patrizio, dressed up as SVC's school mascot, the Bearcat; and a rainbow-wigged clown, Aaron Conway, of Clyde, Indiana County.

Participants included Nick DePaul, Ron Dewalt, Sam Eichen, John Paul Evans, Steven Fekete, Raymond Fortier, Chuck Hastings, Gerry Lavelle, Jeff McMichael, Alexander Morrison, Verna Rupert, Antonio Strizzi, Maureen Thompson and Steve Vucetich.

Photography February

Some find Joshua Brock’s photographs spiritual. Some find them inspiring. Some find them striking. The mysterious black-and-white images are all of those things, and more.

Brock, who lives in Wilkinsburg, said it was natural for him to take pictures of the churches in St. Marys, Elk County, where he grew up.

The images are the first installment in the “Photography February” exhibit at St. Vincent Gristmill Museum and General Store, on Beatty Road, near Latrobe. Brock’s exhibit, which will be on display through Saturday, also includes scenes from St. Vincent College, where he was a student. Among his collection from the college are “Statue of St. Benedict, ” “Sebastian’s Garden,” and “St. Benedict at Sunset.”

He said using black-and-white film makes the images and architecture in his work stand out.

“There’s a nostalgia to it,” Brock said. “It kind of takes you back. There’s something about looking at a black-and-white photograph that I’ve always appreciated more.”

Among those attending an opening reception Saturday afternoon were: Roger Clarke and his sons, Angel and Pedro, of Berlin, Somerset County; museum and store volunteers Kathy Fajt and her daughter, Jackie Fajt, of Latrobe; St. Vincent history major and mill tour guide Francisco Hermo, of Spain; Anita Houston, of Wilkinsburg; Betty Houston, of Irwin; Pearl Hudson, of North Huntingdon Township, and her daughter, Lori Clay and granddaughter, Tara Clay, both of McKeesport; Vicky Ruffing and Shawn Walbrecher, of Baltimore; Brother Dominic Shipsky; and, of course, “Breca,” the resident mill cat.

The second “Photography February” display, a collection of still lifes and landscapes by Gary Thistlethwaite, of Ligonier, is scheduled Feb. 15-22. An opening reception will be held 1-4 p.m. Feb. 15 at the museum.

Both exhibits are open during regular museum and store hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and 12:30-4 p.m. Sundays.

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