I N S I D E LEAVING A LEGACY: KOBE BRYANT MENTALITY WILL LIVE ON S E E A 2
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JANUARY 30, 2020 • VOL. 97 NO. 08 • EST. 1924
theyellowjacket.org
OP-ED
REGION
SPORTS
In the news: Five notable headlines, including the coronavirus and the impeachment trial.
Parking presents continual issue in downtown Waynesburg and at the university.
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Injuries present many challenges for athletes. The latest might end one wrestler's career. SEE B3
Hiring our Heroes
Four new RAs approved for the spring semester DYLAN WINTERS For The Yellow Jacket
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Ladisic
Military Sergeant to assist veterans and military families ANGELICA GOOD Editorial Assistant
Waynesburg University welcomed Master Sergeant Jeffrey Ladisic, director of the Office of Military Families and Veteran Affairs, to a fellowship with the university Jan. 13 through the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program, sponsored by the United States Chamber of Commerce. The professional development offered through the program prepares candidates for a smooth transition into civilian careers. Participating corporations, Ladisic said, benefit by gaining access to
transitioning service members, while also developing a more comprehensive understanding of the veteran job market. As a fellow to the university, Ladisic will create a center for veterans, focusing on assisting and recruiting veterans, as well as active duty and reserve service members and their families. After being introduced in 2015, the Corporate Fellowship Program has since grown to maintain 15 locations, along with an additional remote program. Ladisic said he is part of the remote program and is also the first fellow to be hosted in the Greater
Pittsburgh Region. The fellowship features a 12-week syllabus and runs three times a year, explained Ladisic. Each cohort consists of 15–30 active duty service members and may also include veterans and military spouses. “Fellowship candidates are carefully matched with participating companies based on the specific skills of the candidate and the preferences of both parties,” Ladisic said. “Candidates then undergo exclusive on-the-job training at their host company, gaining firsthand experience in the private sector. This real-world experience is
augmented by weekly educational sessions for the cohort, held in a classroom setting.” As a Cavalry Scout with 20 years in the U.S. Army under his belt, Ladisic has been deployed to both Afghanistan and Iraq during his service. Having served as a Cavalry Non-Commissioned Officer, he is expected to retire as a first sergeant in the spring of this year. Ladisic’s accomplishments consist of earning the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal twice, the Army FELLOW >> A4
The start of the 2020 spring semester brought changes to resident assistant positions in female underclassmen dorm Denny Hall, as well as South, East, West and Pollock Halls (SWEP). Kara Compton, who was an RA in Denny Hall, graduated in the 2019 fall semester. Three others, who were previously RAs, are studying abroad this semester: Briana Armenia, Alexandra Morar and Nia Schuler. The new RAs in SWEP are sophomores Savannah Sarvy and Alexis Shaffer. In Denny Hall, junior Andrea Mellinger is replacing Armenia, while junior Rebecca Hyland is filling in for Compton. Mellinger, junior environmental science major, is currently in her third week of being an RA and appreciates the opportunities for interpersonal growth. “I want to build more core relationships with the people I don’t know. It will give me a chance to share the Gospel with others and build connections,” she said. “It also gives me the opportunity to help others out when needed.” Mellinger is from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, about an hour east of Waynesburg University. In addition to her new RA duties, she is involved
in the Eco Stewards club, which advocates for recycling and the environment. Her duties as an RA include Monday night rounds. Mellinger admits confrontations are a challenging aspect of the position for her. “I have a real fear of telling people to quiet down when I don’t know them. It’s hard adjusting to being the one that is in control and telling people what to do,” Mellinger said. “I just hope to be able to overcome that fear as time goes on and to make new friends as this semester continues.” Chris Hardie, assistant dean of Student Services, handles residence life, housing and discipline. Hardie tries to provide time for RAs to be trained and equipped for the job. “The new RAs have to come back two days before a break ends and do a twoday training period with the resident directors,” Hardie said. “They also could do a shadow of a current RA before they train during the previous semester. Everyone gets trained individually, but they know what’s going on already.” Rebecca Hyland, junior psychology major, was accepted rather late in the RA selection process, right before Christmas break started. RA >> A4
Main role in the musical, ‘Pippin,’ double-cast Student leaders ready to volunteer RACHEL PELLEGRINO Op/Ed Editor
With a cast of 18 students chosen and rehearsals underway, the countdown to this year’s spring musical has begun. According to Edward Powers, professor of theatre and director of the show, there are about two months, 40 rehearsals and 100 hours of practice until the Goodwin Performing Arts Center opens its doors for this year’s performance of the musical “Pippin.” The show “Pippin” is a 1972 musical recently revived on Broadway in 2013. Stephen Schwar t z, t he show’s famous composer also wrote the lyrics and music for the “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” which was last year’s musical. This year, Powers and co-directors Dr. Ronda Depriest, director of the music program, and Melanie Catana, director of choral music, decided to take the unique approach of double-casting the lead role. “We felt that Pippin is a very demanding role, he’s in every scene, practically on every page of the script,” Powers said. “Being such a demanding role and having two delightful young men … we felt that we probably could double cast this lead as to not wear out their voices.”
JESSICA OAKES
For The Yellow Jacket
ing the show,” Hughes said. Powers said the reason for choosing “Pippin” for this year’s musical was not only the excellent music, but the message of the musical. He said despite the age of the musical, it still connects with current students. “The premise of Pippin is a young man trying to
Student orientation leaders are the first to impact future generations of students at Waynesburg University by easing freshmen and transfer students into their new college environment. Orientation leaders engage with the new students by connecting and introducing them to other students, preparing them for class and showing them around campus. Pat Bristor, interim dean of students, encourages returning students to take part in this leadership experience. “It’s a way to give back. What do they gain from it? Friends, leadership skills, communication skills and I hope a sense of pride in themselves, but also in the institution.” It is the role of the student orientation leaders to ensure that freshmen and transfer students are comfortable and feel connected with the community as soon as possible. A few months prior to orientation, a team of up to
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LEADERS >> A4
Holly Hendershot, The Yellow Jacket
Pippin actor Joshua Hughes and other students rehearse their lines in the musical “Pippin” in the Goodwin Performing Arts Center. Playing the character of Pippin are Joshua Hughes, sophomore digital design major, and Gabriel Reed, freshman pre-dental biology major. They expressed that they could not be more happy to be sharing the role and working alongside one another. “When we both found out about our role, we were both super excited,” Reed
said. “We both know what we need to do together to make a great show, while we both bring our own style and interpretations to the role of Pippin.” Even though they will be splitting the part and each performing half of the shows, Hughes looks at this as an opportunity for him and Reed to build off of each other.
“Since we will both be learning the part, we can work with each other and build the character even more than we could have alone. We can give and take ideas from each other, see what different actions look like on stage, a unique perspective you typically don't have as an actor, and can help each other with any struggles that we have dur-
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JANUARY 30, 2020 S PJ B E S T A L L - A R O U N D N O N - D A I LY N E W S P A P E R
WINNER: 2004 2016 FINALIST: 2003 2013 2014
OPINION
Tragedy leads to impactful lesson DYLAN CLELAND Columnist
STAFF EXECUTIVE EDITOR DIGITAL NEWS DIRECTOR REGION EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SPORTS WEB EDITOR OP-ED EDITOR WEB EDITOR ADVERTISING DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
HOLLY HENDERSHOT ANDREW HREHA EDWARD BOICE DYLAN CLELAND JOE SMELTZER RACHEL PELLEGRINO LACHLAN LOUDON IVY ALLEN ELAINA SPAHMER EMMA HERRLE ANGELICA GOOD SIERRA MEDINA REBEKAH VAUGHAN
TECHNICAL/FACULTY ADVISORS: RICHARD KRAUSE SARAH BELL KRISTINE SCHIFFBAUER
EDITORIAL
Leaving a legacy Kobe Bryant’s mamba mentality will live on Kobe Bryant is dead. The moment that reality set in was something that anyone old enough to comprehend its significance will never forget. Few athletes transcend the sport that they play, and “The Black Mamba” was certainly one who fell into that category. At just 17, Bryant made his NBA debut under a microscope, because of his controversial decision to say “thanks, but no thanks” to college and test himself at the highest level when he was barely old enough to drive a car. You know the rest of the story. Bryant became one of the greatest basketball players ever, and did it by instilling the “mamba mentality,” which did not allow Bryant to accept being anything less than the best in the world at his profession. What we tend to overlook about the mamba mentality is that it can apply to pretty much anywhere in life. When we think of this mindset, we think of athletes and their obsession with their craft. The truth is, however, whether a person is a CEO of a major company or an intern whose main responsibilities include getting Mr. Anderson his morning coffee, instilling the mamba mentality could be life changing. Kobe Bryant is a perfect example of a person making the most of the talents God gave them. Kobe was gifted, and he knew he was gifted. And still, his work ethic exceeded his natural talent, and that, above all else, is what people will think of when Bryant’s name is brought up in conversation. The danger in instilling the mamba mentality lies in the possibility of a man or woman becoming consumed by their work, and as a result, not making time for anything else. Yet somehow, Kobe made time to be there for his four children, one of which, 13-year-old Gianna, died with her dad in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. It was clear that even after Bryant left the game of basketball, his impact on the world was just beginning. The mamba mentality was going to apply to other areas of Kobe’s life for years and years after he played his last game, and even lead him to winning an Oscar for his animated short film “Dear Basketball” in 2018. Bryant’s death is possibly the most tragic sports story in years. The silver lining, however, is that every one of us has the ability to honor Bryant by instilling the mindset that he made famous into whatever we’re doing in life. Whether it be in school, work or any other aspect of life, the mamba mentality isn’t exclusive to basketball or even sports. Kobe Bryant wasn’t the first to have this mindset, but he made it famous. If we take our work seriously enough to strive to be the best at it, the mamba mentality will live on well after Kobe left us.
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Tragedies. We hear of them too often. Opportunities. We take too many for granted. Earlier this week, on Sunday afternoon, the nation went into disbelief after numerous reports out of California reported that former National Basketball Association star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter accident. Hours later, more details were released, and U.S. citizens and NBA fans all around the globe learned that not only Bryant passed, but also his daughter, Gianna. With them, nine other people’s lives were taken in the accident. We hear of accidents like these too often, and many times they are overlooked.
The reaction to Bryant’s sudden death was interesting to me. It was almost as if, for a couple hours on Sunday, the country stopped what it was doing and struggled to digest the news. For many people, that’s understandable and within the norm. But, in all honesty, the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to me that these incidents aren’t given the appropriate attention when they happen. It immediately made me think about my family and those who I have a close relationship with. I wanted to talk to them and see how the news affected them. Before ending the conversations, I told them how important they really are to me in my day-to-day life and that I loved them. That’s what we need to do. As a society, we often fall into the trap of getting tied up in our own lives and
busy schedules and don’t talk to those loved ones enough. I’m just as guilty of it from time to time. However, we need to make time for those who matter and those who will always be there for us. The Bible describes that each day is new and gives us endless opportunities. Psalm 118: 24-26 of the New King James versions of the Bible states, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” The line is simple, and I believe it helps summarize my thoughts. Each day, the Lord provides us with new opportunities and obstacles, but it’s up to all of us to support and encourage each other to make the most of the chances we are given. If we turn our backs on close ones in a time of need or take those everyday blessings for granted, we’ll miss out on so many valuable aspects of life.
If we step up and help one another, however, be the best person we can be, then we’ll have the chance to live life to the fullest and that’s important. It’s valued because Bryant and his family had no idea things would take a turn for the worst when they boarded the helicopter. His wife, Vanessa, and their other children had no clue they wouldn’t see Byrant or Gianna ever again when they left the house on Sunday morning. The purpose of this isn’t to scare anybody. In fact, it’s to serve as a courteous reminder to make sure you’re giving people the time and attention they deserve each day. Whether it’s a text, a phone call or sharing a meal with them, make sure you have contact with those you love as often as possible, because you never know what the next day will bring.
Realist develops dreamer mentality EDWARD BOICE Columnist
I never used to consider myself a dreamer. Sure, I had wants and desires, but I never pinned to meet Peyton Manning or to visit Hawaii. I wanted to, but they were far off achievements in my mind. When it came to things that I actively pursue, such as becoming a starting high school baseball player, I never had a burning hope that I could achieve my goal. The feeling was a determination toward a set goal to achieve and then move on to the next goal. Looking back, I just had the wrong mindset. The dreams were there, but how I looked upon them
was just wrong. My wife, Holly, is a dreamer. It is one of the reasons I married her. When we were still only friends, the way she expressed her dreams in an excited, poetic fashion always made me smile and somewhat wish I had dreams. My high school goals were behind me, and I had nothing much left to achieve. I had friends, food and a decided major. I did not think my life could amount to much more. But that starry zeal Holly had was difficult not to let the positivity warm me up. Deciding to get married while in college was the spark that ignited my dreams. It was an idea that my mother said out of the blue which turned into a joke
between Holly and I. That joke lead to curious researching, which in turn lead to serious internet searches. We eventually sat down one night, and we made up our mind to seriously research getting married in college. I caught the starry zeal that night. Turned out, getting married in college was easier than we both anticipated. We would receive loan money for our living space, and we rented an apartment that is a 10-minute walk from the university. I still cannot believe our plans, for the most part, came together smoothly. On top of that, Holly and I got a free ride to Hawaii for our honeymoon. It was given to us out of the blue by Holly’s father. Never in my entire life did I have so many dreams come
to fruition. Now, I can say I am a dreamer. I allow myself to envision where I want to go and what I want to achieve, even though I may not be actively pursuing them. Dreams are not about whether you achieve them or not. They show who you are and who you want to be. They provide a positive push during the days when nothing goes right. It provides a reason to live, to become creative with your future possibilities. Even if your dream of becoming a starting high school baseball player never happens, at least you had fun imagining it and pursuing it, if you tried. Achievable, realistic goals used to drive me. Now, I wander among the stars, admiring their shine. Occasionally, I will catch one that happens to pass my way.
NEWS
In the news: Five notable headlines EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a synopsis of a recent topic trending in world or national news. RACHEL PELLEGRINO Op/Ed editor
1. Coronavirus migrates from China to the United States The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently confirmed another case of the coronavirus in the United States. The total reported cases in the United States now totals three, all from different states: Washington, Chicago and California. The virus originated from China, where the reported cases have reached nearly 2,000. The virus has also spread to Australia, France, Japan, Singapore and Thailand. 2. Asiatic Bear tortured for decades, finally removed from Pennsylvania club An overweight asiatic bear was recently released to a Colorado animal sanctuary after being subjected to neglect for “possible decades,” Fox News reported. The bear was living in a small cement cage at the Union County Sportsmen’s Club in Millmont, Pennsylvania. The bear was subjected to inadequate water, was declawed and received no medical attention as shown through raw patches of skin covering his entire body, as well as his decaying teeth. 3. The impeachment trial continues The impeachment trial
Tribune News Service
The Coronavirus spreads across the world from China to the United States. of President Donald Trump continues in the Senate, where the senators will vote to either remove him from office or vote against the allegations. President Trump is charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. During this final week of the trial, the defense team will resume its case and the senators will either hear more witnesses or cast their final votes. 4. United States service members from Iranian missile attack are suffering from brain injuries The amount of United States service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries due to the Iranian missile attack has reached 50. This is a drastic amount from President Trump's original report where he stated no service members were injured or
killed due to the attack. The number of diagnosed cases will continue to rise as traumatic brain injuries are not always recognized immediately after the trauma has occurred. 5. Kobe Bryant dies along with eight others in helicopter crash The helicopter, transporting Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, crashed Sunday morning
due to poor weather conditions in California. The helicopter was reported to be flying over Calabasas, a city located in Los Angeles county, California. Bryant’s untimely death has resulted in both positive and negative media coverage. Mainly fans are expressing grief for the star’s loss; however, others are using this as an opportunity to recognize the 2003 rape allegations against Bryant.
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JANUARY 30, 2020
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Fine Arts to host eleventh symposium Dinner enables students to meet ministry leaders REBEKAH VAUGHAN Editorial Assistant
Waynesburg University’s music department will be holding its eleventh annual conducting symposium on Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. Participants in the event will be given the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge of conducting and gain experience playing alongside other musicians. The symposium took a hiatus after its first eight years, which means that this is only the third time the current Waynesburg University seniors are able to participate. The symposium is offered for an Act 48 credit, which is a continuing education credit for teachers in Pennsylvania. That credit can also be translated to other state departments of education. Usually the conductors that attend the symposium are area high school, middle school and elementary school band directors; however, a college professor that wants a refresher in conducting skills will occasionally attend as well. For the symposium, there are eight conducting spots, and each conductor is given two times on the podium to conduct for 15 minutes. The clinician, Dr. Warren Casey, will work with each conductor alongside the live band. Casey, the Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, holds a Master of Music Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education from the
MICAH LEITH
For the Yellow Jacket
Photo Courtesy of Melinda Rush
The 11th annual conducting symposium will take place Jan. 31 to Feb. 1. University of Oklahoma. “The band is learning and growing, plus all these conductors generally play as well, so our band goes from 35 to 50 or 60. It winds up a pretty nice sounding symphonic band,” Dr. Ronda DePriest, professor of instrumental music and the director of the music program, said. The Waynesburg symphonic band that plays this event is accompanied by guest musicians, creating what is called the clinic band. For the Waynesburg students playing in the symphonic band, this event is a huge learning experience. The student players will only have six rehearsals to prepare the music for this event. “We’re slamming information at them really fast,” DePriest said. “Our kids are really resilient. We’re largely
what I call a volunteer army.” The different conductors will give the students more experience with different conducting styles and make them more flexible while interpreting. This will give them the ability to play for more conductors with ease. “The people that get on the podium may take different tempos than I take. They may do something that [the students] have never seen before and we have to be able to work together,” DePriest said. Watching eight different conductors in one weekend helps the students to closely observe and to catch differences in conducting patterns. This allows each student to work toward becoming better musicians. “You can tell when a conductor is connecting with a band,” Harrison Scott, a
senior at Waynesburg University who is participating in the conducting symposium for a third year. “You can tell when a conductor is engaged or is simply waving their arms. It’s a testament to the power of body language and eye contact.” Scott said learning this has even helped in personal interactions with others and even in professional interviews. “I look forward to this weekend every year because I see our symphonic band really grown in the course of two weeks,” DePriest said. The music that is learned in the conducting symposium will also be used for the Waynesburg University symphonic bands mid-winter concert on Feb. 12. This gives the band enough time to put the music together for their own voicing.
Senate tackles topic of school spirit ABIGAIL PHILLIPS For the Yellow Jacket
As students get busier, they find less and less time to go to sporting events, leaving the bleachers empty. Due to the poor turnout at sporting events, the Student Senate started plans to incentivize students to attend home games. Treasurer Luke Diel, sophomore political science major, brought up some of the activities that the StudentAthletic Advisory Committee uses to bring students to games. Hearing this, the Student Senate decided to help do its part by purchasing bracelets, miniature basketballs and some other fun promotional items. Ryan Williams, president of the student senate and junior political science major, explained the details of how the senate selected
Photo Courtesy of Hugh O’Neil
Lack of student attendance shows at women's basketball game. the promotional items to be purchased. “We had other stuff in mind. We had cardboard cutouts of people's faces, but those are expensive,” Williams said. ”The items
we choose are cheap and people like them.” The senate also expressed how their involvement in helping this situation is not just advertising on behalf of the Student Senate.
“One of the things that was brought up at our meeting by a senator was that we can use this to advertise in other ways,” Williams said. “But it's not to advertise the student senate. It’s to advertise ‘the hive’ and the student section.” But not only has the Student Senate noticed the lack of student attendance, coaches have noticed as well. “I have noticed the lack of student attendance and it's at times frustrating,” Samuel Jones, the women's basketball coach, said. “Student attendance does matter and it helps students feel supported.” The main goal of the senate is to get students in the bleachers and spark school spirit. “I think it's just good for students to support their colleges,” Williams said.
Waynesburg University will be hosting its third annual Ministry Leaders Appreciation Dinner Feb. 10 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Joshua Sumpter, the university chaplain, said the event is intended to give students knowledge about ministry today. “The Ministry Leaders Appreciation Dinner is geared towards giving our students an opportunity to interact with people in ministry,” Sumpter said. “It is also an opportunity for us to say thank you to our local ministry leaders for the work they do for our
and what their ministry can look like for them. I really do hope that our students think critically about ministry calling and who God is calling them to be.” Multiple denominations from across the county will be represented at the dinner. “It’s an ecumenical experience,” Sumpter said. “I invite pastors and people from nearly every church in Greene County.” Sumpter hopes that the attendance is just as successful as last year. “Last year, we had about 55 total participants, 25 of them were local ministry leaders and about 30 were our students and people
“The Ministry Leaders Appreciation Dinner is geared towards giving our students an opportunity to interact with people in ministry. It is also an opportunity for us to say thank you to our local ministry leaders for the work they do for our students and the community.” JOSH SUMPTER
The University Chaplain
students and the community.” Sumpter hopes that students are able to build relationships at the dinner. “I want students to have the opportunity to build relationships with churches and community leaders,” Sumpter said. “I also want students to think about their calling and what their ministry can look like for them.” According to Sarah Mendes, a junior biblical and ministry studies major with a focus in youth and children's ministry, that goal was met in the two years that she has been in attendance. “It had always been a really good time of guided conversation and networking,” Mendes said. “Josh always assigns tables to us, so we are always put with pastors or other students who we may not know too well, which is a really good opportunity to build relationships.” Sumpter said that he also wants students to think about what ministry could look like for them. “I also want students to think about their calling
on campus,” Sumpter said. “This year, our hope is to have in that same ballpark: between 50 and 60 people gathered.” Dr. Tak Suyama, an assistant professor of chemistry at Waynesburg University, will be speaking at the dinner. He plans to give his testimony about his journey from atheism to Christianity, thanks in part to his Christian friends. “I had a few Christian friends who tirelessly witnessed to me without success for a couple of years,” Dr. Suyama said. “Their efforts were ultimately not in vain as I did come to know the Lord in the last year of college.” Dr. Suyama hopes that students are encouraged by his testimony. “I hope and pray that my testimony will be an encouragement to those who have been praying for or witnessing unsaved friends without apparent success for a while,” Suyama said. “Yet to others, I pray that God's work in me will be an encouragement that the scripture is indeed powerful.”
Waynesburg offers various study abroad opportunities BROOKE FULLER For the Yellow Jacket
The study abroad application for Waynesburg University students looking to study abroad in the fall of 2020 and the spring of 2021 deadline is March 1. Before submitting, students should meet with their advisors to ensure they will still academically be on track. The Overseas Semester Program and the Summer Study Abroad Program provide different experiences and classes depending on where students choose to travel, explained Sarah Bell, study abroad coordinator. “Students who fill out the application on MyConnect need an advisor’s recommendation and a budget in mind for what they think each student’s study abroad experience will cost,” Bell said. The required budget Bell described is to ensure they are financially prepared for their abroad
program. After all applications are complete, they are then reviewed by the Study Abroad Committee. “10 students will be accepted and granted to take their institutional aid with them,” Bell said. While only 10 students will be able to take financial aid, other students who applied still have a chance to become selected for the program. The students who are allowed to take financial aid must agree to write a blog post each day while abroad and must also participate in one Waynesburg University event when they return. The students will work with Sarah Bell and others to help find the most beneficial program for them. Elena McDermott, junior biology and environmental science major, decided to take another route to study abroad when flying to Australia to begin her summer. Vira I. Heinz is a scholarship program offered
through the University of Pittsburgh to females looking to study overseas. As a member of the women’s basketball team at Waynesburg, studying abroad during a school semester would be difficult. Vira Heinz gave her the opportunity to afford the experience and travel in the summer. “It’s more than just a study abroad program. It’s an entire program designed to make you a better female leader,” McDermott said. “I got taught how to make the best out of my experience and also become a better leader and impact my community.” McDermott traveled to Sydney, Australia, for three days. She then began studying at Murdoch University in Perth, WA. For research projects, other Murdoch students traveled to Coral Bay, WA to work at the ningaloo reef. The most fun part was being able to do research
Photo Courtesy of Elena McDermott
Elena McDermott, junior biology and environmental science major, studied abroad this past summer in Sydney, Australia. Her study abroad trip provided her invaluable learning experiences for her major. in one of the most rare and richest places on earth,” McDermott said. “I got to swim with tiger sharks and humpback whales.” She recommends that others should study abroad. “It can change your life. There is so much more out there. When we learn
from other cultures and see different places our perspective changes,” she said. “Once I came back, I was filled with so much more knowledge because learning in a classroom can only do so much.” Waynesburg's Study Abroad Program offers many other study abroad experiences in other
countries. Past students have traveled to Greece, Ireland, Spain, France and Italy, among other places. The deadline to apply for all endorsed study abroad program awards is March 1. The form can be found on MyConnect under the study abroad tab.
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JANUARY 30, 2020
Masters in Criminal Investigation program ranks at top ANGELICA GOOD Editorial Assistant
In 2014, the Master of Arts in Criminal Investigation was developed by Adam Jack, chairperson for the Criminal Justice and Social Sciences Department, and James Tanda, instructor of Criminal Justice. After countless hours of hard work and commitment, the program was launched in 2015. This program was created by and is “run by law enforcement for law enforcement,” Tanda explained. The MACI at Waynesburg University is now commonly referred to as “one of the most unique graduate programs for advanced criminal investigation anywhere in the country,” according to Intelligent.com, which has assessed over 100 universities and compared hundreds of educational programs for their effectiveness and worth. By 2020, “Waynesburg’s MACI program was recognized as the number one
Musical Continued from A1 find his place in this world. ‘Why am I here?’ What am I supposed to do? ’What’s in-store for me in this life?’ That’s a theme that so many students are asking themselves,” he said. Both Hughes and Reed said they relate closely to this role. “I feel a connection to this role, as I'm sure many will, because Pippin is just a guy who is trying to find his way in life and eventually realizes that simplicity is all he needs,” Hughes said. Reed said he relates in the same way, as he is just trying to find his, “Corner of the Sky,” which is a song the character Pippin sings. Powers said rehearsals
RA Continued from A1 She believes she has overcome the difficulties of balancing the RA position and classwork and shared what motivated her to go for this position. “I had a lot of incredible RAs in my freshman and sophomore years that had significant impacts on my life, and really encouraged me to want to do the
program of its kind in the country. Scholarships and partnerships were built between Waynesburg University and the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as the program has continued to grow,” Tanda said. Delivered through mostly evening lectures on campus or branch campuses, the curriculum consists of graduate level courses such as advanced criminal investigation, effective behavioral analysis and other classes to best prepare each student. Alongside those readiness courses, many MBA courses are also utilized. These include conflict resolution and ethics behavioral interviewing, among other courses that were added throughout the years. Some courses are still in the process of being improved and supplied. As for the professors and instructors of these various courses, they hold a variety of titles with multi-level ex-
consist of reading lines, blocking, reblocking and learning dances. Because a musical takes a lot of time to put together, Powers said the cast has to practice outside of rehearsal as well. “I am continuously practicing and trying to build my character. ‘Pippin’ is a huge roller coaster of a show with vocal technique, acting performance and dancing,” Reed said. Fo r b o t h R e e d a n d Hughes, the biggest challenge with playing Pippin will be the vocal aspect. “Vocally, this character is tough to do. He has to sing really high, which takes a toll on the voice after a while,” Hughes said. Despite the challenges, Hughes and Reed are both excited about this opportunity and look forward to the upcoming performance on March 25-28.
same for others,” Hyland explained. “I lived with Sara Byler, who is also an RA in Denny, for the fall semester. Watching her interact with the residents and live life alongside of our Denny girls and getting to know them through her was so much fun.” New RAs this semester will require an adjustment, but it will give the students in those dorms an opportunity to get to know them, as well as build connections and relationships with the RAs.
perience from their field. Tanda said the university provides students with the best in order to gain the greatest advice and experience. He added that the teaching staff currently
agents.” In its third year, the model for MACI changed to appeal to and accommodate the schedules of individuals interested in continuing their education while pro-
consists of “FBI special agents, ATF agents, chief psychologists, homeland security intelligence officers, district attorneys, police detectives and Pennsylvania state attorney general narcotics
Leaders Continued from A1 eight student board members spend countless hours planning and brainstorming the social events that will take place. A team of 40-50 orientation leaders then carry out the plans and ensure everything runs smoothly on the day of the event. These leaders are also
gressi n g within their profession. For approximately two and a half years, staff worked to reestablish the program for online usage. This change not only allowed graduate students to continue their
studies, but allowed for law enforcement professionals from state, federal and local agencies to participate as well. With ample opportunity to jump start earning credits towards their master’s degree during their undergraduate years, students working toward acceptance into MACI must meet academic requirements and other graduate school criteria. As for law enforcement officers and agents already active within the field, they have the ability to obtain academic credit for their expertise and professional experience with specific courses of academic study. Now that six successful years have passed, the growth and expertise within this program has been noticed and proven to be effective to those involved, Tanda explained. On top of incredible networking access, Tanda said “students completing this program have the benefit of studying with professional
criminal investigators already working for agencies they aspire to join.” An online program in such a hands-on subject can be challenging to create, but Tanda said they have had much success in overcoming those challenges. “The most challenging part of this program is undoubtedly the conversion and sustainment of all the courses to the on-line format, while maintaining the same student enjoyment and academic rigor as traditional course delivery.” Beyond those obstacles comes great growth and impressive results. The most rewarding portion of the creation and progression of this program was seeing the program take off since its birth, Tanda said. “For six years, we both joked that our fingerprints are all over this course and, with so much at stake, we have to continue to demand excellence as we start the next decade of this MACI program,” Tanda said.
responsible for helping the freshmen move into their dorms when they first arrive, as well as working with the new students during a service project. Nicolas Burgess, senior nursing major, took the opportunity of orientation leading to share his own experiences to better the incoming freshman class. “I decided to join the orientation leader team because I love the experience Waynesburg has given me,” Burgess said. “For me,
Waynesburg is all about community. Whether it is with friends, with the ministry here on campus or with my classmates, I want to show others these same things.” O r ient at ion le ader s sometimes encounter difficult situations, but the outcomes can be very rewarding. “Interacting with a large amount of people was challenging and would at times put me out of my comfort zone,” Burgess said. “But you
start to realize that these people are the same as you and want to have a good time as well. I’ve made some good friends from my time as an orientation leader.” Applications for the board and orientation leader positions are currently located on MyConnect. Student Services is looking for people who are outgoing, have had a good experience at the university and are involved around campus to help impact the next generation of students.
Fellow Continued from A1 Commendation Medal seven times, Military Outstanding Volunteer Medal and the Army Achievement Medal three times. With a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and a Master Resilience Training Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania, Ladisic is working through the CFP fellowship to educate students at Waynesburg University on how to go into active duty or reserve and guiding veterans and their family members in their endeavors of pursuing their education. “When I started to look at what I am going to do after I retire, Waynesburg University was always in the back of my mind,” Ladisic said.
Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Ladisic
Master Sergeant Jeffrey Ladisic poses in his military uniform. Even with all of the new responsibilities and expectations, Ladisic is enjoying this rewarding position. “I can’t express how ex-
cited I am to have the opportunity to help veterans and their families. I also feel so blessed to be able to do it at Waynesburg University,”
Ladisic said. “The environment here is truly fantastic and I am so encouraged by the genuine sense of caring from all the faculty and staff.”
Students serve in Bonaire for Trans World Radio Station ANDREW HREHA Digital News Directort
Over Christmas break, Waynesburg University students traveled to the Carribean island of Bonaire to serve at Trans World Radio as a part of an international service project. While students of all major studies are permitted to sign up for the trip, a large number that traveled to Bonaire study in the Department of Communication. TWR is a global radio net work that prov ides Christian-based programming around the world. Because the trip centers around serving for the Bonaire branch of TWR, many students were given an opportunity to work within their field. Mitch Montani and Paul Zalakar, both senior communication majors, headed an effort to collect and edit video for TWR over the course of their trip. The first video the students produced will be used as a part of TWR’s global
“Family Focus.” Every month, a video is played to TWR workers around the world, highlighting the work of a different branch. Another video the students worked on was a promotional tour of TWR Bonaire. “You get to see the different roles that people have at the radio station and Paul was able to get a lot of creative shots of people doing what they do on a regular basis,” Montani said. “It basically would bring you to TWR in a five minute span which was what they were gunning for.” Zalakar said the promotional video highlighted TWR Bonaire’s upgrades that allows them to expand their broadcast length. “It gives them a first glance look at who the people are that work at the TWR Bonaire, what the station is about and some specific details about the station in Bonaire,” Zalakar said. “[It also] shows visuals of the transmitter site, because they just recently got a new
Photo courtesy of Melinda Roeder-Skrbin
Students from the Department of Communication served in multiple ways in Bonaire during Christmas break. upgrade for a large range of radio that can be sent out to places like Cuba, Brazil and southern Florida.” Zalakar also worked personally on a video for Jason Helmholdt, a leading member of TWR Bonaire. That video will be used to raise money to help Bonaire’s lo-
cal missionaries continue their work on the island. When reflecting on the work accomplished in Bonaire, Montani mentioned the feeling of purpose involved in producing content for TWR. “I feel like this isn’t something that is just going to
be put on a desktop somewhere,” Montani said. “It’s going to be shown to many people who come and want to see the radio station and want to see what it offers to the local community.” Montani said the work done by students at TWR in Bonaire will continue to
make a difference in the promotion of the organization. “I think it’s something that will have a lasting impact,” Montani said. “It will get people the inside scoop as to how great the radio station is and how great of a message it sends, spreading faith through music.”
region SECTION B
JANUARY 30, 2020 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
Parking is 'an absolute problem'
Edward Boice, The Yellow Jacket
Waynesburg borough and university have no more solutions for more parking EDWARD BOICE Region Editor
Waynesburg residents want more of it. Downtown businesses want more of it. Waynesburg University members want more of it. “People get upset about parking probably more so than they do over us arresting them for different stuff,” Waynesburg Police Chief Tom Ankram said. “Most of our complaints if we are going to have them at this [police station] window are going to be over
people’s parking issues.” In an article published in The Yellow Jacket Nov. 22 titled “Strength in Numbers,” Four Kidz Kandy, Joe Riggs Sporting Goods, Fashion Shoppe and Scotty’s Pizza all said parking has influenced customers’ decisions negatively to shop at local businesses downtown. While these concerns keep circulating, the borough is not adding more parking in the town. Simply put, “there is no place to expand,” Michael Simms, Waynesburg borough manager, said.
The borough has made changes to parking and has added spots over the past years. Parking in downtown Waynesburg currently entails twohour street parking, one-hour lot parking and $30-per-month lot parking. Ankram explained that street parking used to be enforced with parking meters instead of the two-hour limit. However, the meters hurt businesses because of how long people could stay in the spots. “It’s like a double-edged sword. You
have the people who are getting cited for parking in violation of two-hours or curb distance or whatever it may be,” Ankrom said. “If you don’t move them, then business owners get upset because other people can’t frequent their business.” The six parking lots scattered across downtown Waynesburg are for the employees who come to the town. Ankrom estimated that there are roughly 500 that come into the downtown PARKING>> B2
Mission House West Greene plans facilities updates will discontinue service in March RACHEL PELLEGRINO Op/Ed Editor
SIERRA MEDINA Editorial Assistant
Mission House on 146 W. Franklin St. is set to be officially out of commission come March. The home has served as a place of transitional housing for the homeless in the Greene County area for the last few years. Janice Gottschalk, owner of the Mission House, listed the house for sale before December, but waited until the 10,000 Villages event, something she hosts every year in late December, to conclude before she continu-
Janice Gottschalk ing the process of selling the house. “The realtor is going HOUSE>> B2
In an initiative to prepare students to be productive citizens, West Greene School District has announced it will be renovating its vocational agriculture and STEAM facilities. In a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Governor Wolf reported 71% of jobs in Pennsylvania require a background in computers and new technologies. After looking at those statistics, Eric Gaydos, district academic director, said West Greene felt renovations were critical to what they were doing as a school district, which is providing “educational opportunities to maximize individual potential,” as outlined in their
mission statement. The vocational agriculture and STEAM programs will prepare students for careers in the coal, oil and gas industries, all of which Gaydos said are the driving economic force of Greene County. He described these industries, as well as others in the community, as generational. “A lot of our kids have that ingrained knowledge just from ... working with their father [or] grandfather. Again, you’re talking to people that have owned farms for generations … They are born into it,” Gaydos said. “Our programs provide them with that knowledge to keep that going because that is an important part of our identity.” The project will provide West Greene with the re-
sources they need to better prepare students for the advancement in technology within these industries. “This renovation is going to give us the tools and resources to not only offer the current curriculum in a more efficient and interesting manner, but to also provide the opportunity to create new courses for our students to take,” Gaydos said. “With the technology that comes with it, they’re going to be exposed to the technology that is in the field today.” The renovation includes expanding classrooms, as well as implementing new state-of-the-art equipment and a makerspace. “We’re going to incorporate a makerspace that will allow students to not only analyze what they’re doing
in class but to actually synthesize and create something that demonstrates a higher level of mastery than just taking an assessment,” Gaydos said. These renovations will not only benefit the students looking for future careers in these programs but all students. Gaydos said the skills students gain from these programs carry over to other cross curriculum content areas, outside of STEAM. These skills are important to all future employers. The project will cost roughly $2 to $3 million and is looking to be completed for the 2020-21 school year. As reported in a West Greene School District press release, the project will be funded through multiple GREENE >> B2
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
A.K.ʼs iPhone Support a niche business in Waynesburg LACHLAN LOUDON Web Editor
Standing on East Lincoln Street, Waynesburg resident Aaron Ketchem runs A.K.’s iPhone and Tech Support in his own home with his fiancé, Angel Villers. This family-run business started when Ketchem made the discovery that he could fix his own iPhone cheaper and more conveniently than driving out to the nearest Apple Store. “We have it set up where we can try to offer people as much as possible without having to go clear to Pittsburgh,” Ketchem said. Their business has been a convenience to local residents looking for a quick repair on iPhones. The business started, as Ketchem described, “out of necessity” when his own iPhone broke. “Within a day or two a relative asked me to
fix their [iPhone], so we started fixing phones in the evenings when I got home from work,” Ketchem said, “and it wasn’t that long until we realized that I was actually making more money when I got home from work in the evenings than I was during work in the day.” Before moving back to Waynesburg, Ketchem worked in human resources for UPS and other retail chains in Virginia. Upon his return to Waynesburg, he worked with his family’s construction company. During Ketchum’s time away from Waynesburg, Villers was taking an online schooling program with Kaplan Inc. With A.K.’s iPhone support, She is in charge of selling iPhone accessories and handles the tech support arm of the business. Together, Villers and Ketchem have children in
school. Operating a business in their home makes family life easier for them compared to commuting every day to a job. When not involved with smartphones or family, Ketchem is involved with a band called Flight Risk which performs every Saturday in Waynesburg. As far as local competition goes for the shop, Ketchem is not too worried. “There’s a couple people that can work on phones a little bit here and there,” Ketchem said. “But what ends up happening is, I think, they truly damage more phones than they fix because they’re constantly showing up here.” Ketchem has also made it clear they do not let their business be “all about the money.” As a graduate Waynesburg University, Ketchem especially enjoys interacting with current
students. He praises the friendly community of both residents and college students that seek out the services of the shop. “We really just like getting people’s phones fixed,” Ketchem said. “More than anything, we love the customers that we have too. That’s half the reason why we do this. We have the nicest people on the planet come through here.” One unique service the shop offers is allowing customers to observe their phone being fixed. While most technology repair shops will do it behind closed doors, Ketchem will invite customers in and explain his every step as he repairs the phone. “We’ve been so lucky to do such good work for folks,” Ketchem said. “To me, that’s the best part. That’s the reward in it-
Courtesy of Aaron Ketchum
Aaron Ketchum and Angel Villers operate A.K.'s iPhone and Tech Support business from their home. self … even better than that, the next time we’re out and about and we see those people, it’s a whole new set of friends that you
just made.” A.K.’s iPhone Repair and Tech Support is located on 251 E. Lincoln St. and can be reached at 724-710-2378.
JANUARY 30, 2020
PAGE B2
Waynesburg seniors utilize skills to serve community SIERRA MEDINA Editorial Assistant
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Greene County is comprised of approximately 37,000 residents, 18.9% of these residents being over the age of 65. Generational tides are shifting as baby-boomers are largely transitioning into retirement. For some though, retirement does not mean stopping their impact in the community. Blueprints, formerly known as Community Action Southwest, is a change agency that provides spaces for six senior community centers within Greene County, according to the agency’s website. The Waynesburg Senior Community Center, located on 1505 Morris St., is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and offers various outlets for creativity and craftsmanship. Jim Grove, president and participant at the Waynesburg Senior Community Center, learned woodworking during his high school days. After all these years, he has not abandoned his craft. “I started making wooden baskets, pitchers and wishing wells 30 years ago,”
Grove said. Grove pointed to the medium brown shelving and adornments used to hold various lights on the wall, explaining how he created them to help furnish the senior center. Woodworking is not the limit of his artisanship. Grove has crafted and sold an array of products including dollhouses, fire trucks, weaved planter baskets, picture frames, water pumps, wheelbarrows, tables, chairs and more. Grove sells his chairs and tables at family reunions, but one of his most popular items are the stools he makes. Creating at the senior center started when a woman at the senior center asked if he would make her a stool after seeing one he had made. Grove said from there word got around. He has now sold at least 35 stools. Grove said he sometimes buys an item he wants to recreate. Just from knowing the dimensions, he is able to recreate it to be whatever size he needs it to be. Price, he said, is always dependent on how long it takes him to make something. Woodworking is not his only ability. Grove also
Sierra Medina, The Yellow Jacket
Vicki Antill has been quilting for seven years while living at the Waynesburg Senior Community Center. The space for other service projects was provided by Blueprints. makes his own fountain pens with refillable ink cartridges from shells and casings. “One even has to be cocked like a rifle to write,” Grove said. In the adjacent room is a space dedicated to quilting. Two women, hard at work measuring the next handcut patterns to be labored over, shared about their
business. “The buyers we work with send us the blankets and we measure them and do the quilting,” Vicki Antill said. Antill has quilted for seven years at the senior center. Each quilt takes about six to eight weeks to finish. She said the funds are used to keep up with rent for the center. People
from the community give the women the material, and they fashion them into the quilts. Oftentimes, the quilts are entered into raffles and sold to raise even more money to keep the center up and running. Antill appreciates what the center has done for her. “It’s a relaxing and a social time. When I retired, I
Parking
Greene
Continued from B1
Continued from B1
during the weekdays. Lot one is leased to the county for its employees at the Greene County Courthouse. Only one lot consistently has a waiting list, said Simms: lot six. All the other lots currently have available spaces. As for the monthly $30 for a designated parking spot in the lots, the amount was raised from $25 and $20 at the beginning of this month. Simms said the amount remained the same for years and needed a raise to increase the parking funds necessary to care for roads and parking lots. Despi te the current problem, Simms and Ankrom both believe parking will not become any worse. Ankrom said the population of the town, if anything, has decreased over the years. “The business uptown [and] the county all roughly stay the same,” Ankrom said. Waynesburg University’s parking situation is a similar story. Michael Humiston, director of the Department of Public Safety, said parking is “an absolute problem.” The university has implemented as much parking as they can and brainstormed to no avail. Some students have approached the univer-
Edward Boice, The Yellow Jacket
The first lot is leased to Greene County for courthouse employees. Waynesburg University students sometimes park in the lots due to a lack of spots around campus. sity’s administration with a proposal for a parking garage. That idea, Humiston explained, is not a practical plan. “First of all, a parking garage is millions of dollars and we’ll never get back what we paid to put in a parking garage by selling parking passes,” Humiston said. “Because we live in southwestern Pennsylvania, building a parking garage made of steel and cement with this weather is going to deteriorate after an x amount of years and still not have it paid off.” In recent years, Humiston said more incoming freshmen have brought a car onto campus. The university does limit how many freshmen can bring a car, around 90-110 said Chris Hardie, assistant dean of student services,
who handles freshmen parking. While there is a limit, Humiston explained freshmen feel they need a car more than freshmen in the past. “The people who probably are getting shafted the most are the commuters because the resident students are not parking in our lots because they don’t have a decal and they are going to get a citation. They are now parking on the streets which is where the commuters park. So it’s a trickle-down effect,” Humiston said. This trickle effect also affects faculty and staff who do not have designated parking spots. The car total increase forces commuters and some faculty and staff to park around the town. Chief Ankrom said the Waynesburg Police Department has cited
students who have overstayed the two-hour parking or park in spots intended for residents. This problem, however, is not one that has caused many issues, said Ankrom. Humiston said the university has considered enlarging certain lots that have space around them such as the Stover Campus Center parking lot and turning one of the parks into a lot. The problem with those solutions is that it would destroy nature and underground wiring. Also, the parks are under borough control, not the university’s control. “I get that we don’t want to make this a blacktop university; we take away the foliage and the grass that beautifies our institution,” Humiston said. “Aesthetically, it is not very pleasing.”
Lecture series hosting Rich Condon HOLY HENDERSHOT Executive Editor
Si n ce l a s t yea r, t h e Greene County Historical Society has held a lecture series titled, “A Drop of History,” for people in and around the community. Since their first lecture in the series in April of last year, attendance has grown for the monthly events. Their next lecture in the series is at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the Greene County Historical Society Museum at 918 Rolling Meadows Rd., Waynesburg. The subject is the history of Pittsburgh and the role the city played during the Civil War, including defenses of the city
and the Allegheny Arsenal, which was a supply and manufacturing center for the Union Army during the war. Speaking at the event is Rich Condon, director of Civil War Pittsburgh. The group is “dedicated to sharing the stories and locations related to Western Pennsylvania's role in the American Civil War,” according to the organization’s website. Condon also works as a park ranger for the National Park Service and is a Civil War reenactor. Matthew Cumberledge, executive director of the Greene County Historical Society, said he believed Condon would be a great fit for this lecture, due to
his background and active engagement with the subject. “[Condon] is just extremely passionate about t h e C i v i l Wa r,” C u m berledge said. “He’s extremely knowledgeable and just an interesting person to listen to speak.” Condon is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public history, Cumberledge said. Cumberledge said they began doing the lectures to engage members of the community in local history. When they first began the lectures, only around 15 people came, but since then attendance has risen to an average of around 40-50 people.
“ We r e a l l y w e r e n’ t , prior to this, doing anything that was engaging in an educational way on a consistent basis, so we thought this would be a simple, fun and entertaining way to bring in some free and interesting history to the people of the community,” Cumberledge said. “We want people to have a good opportunity to learn things about our area, our region and potentially their own heritage that they may not know otherwise.” The event is free, but donations are accepted. Cumberledge said the best way to keep up with the historical society’s events is by following their Facebook page.
state grants. The district was awarded $32,490 from the Ag and Youth Grant Program, which was created through the passage of the PA Farm Bill last year. This program has provided a total of $500,000 to 55 projects statewide and will now assist with the completion of this project. A West Greene press release reported, $7,490 of the grant was awarded to enable its agricultural mechanics program to upgrade its fume extraction unit, while the rest of the money was awarded as
House Continued from B1 to stick a sign in the yard soon,” Gottschalk said. Gottschalk still believes in the mission behind the house, but realizes that maintaining these operations cannot be done by her. “While I still believe there’s a need for this transitional housing for homeless people, I don’t know that I’m particularly the person to run it,” Gottschalk said. Before her last guest, Gottschalk explained that the house was full, including the apartment above the garage, and the activity took a toll on her. “Honestly, I needed a staff at some point. It worked out, but it was a lot of coming and going and taking people to appointments,” she said. “If I had even one other person that would have been nice, but we didn’t have the funds.” Typically, Gottschalk would have received funds from the Greene County Memorial Hospital, as in prior years. She decided, along with her board however, to suspend the mission. “I was doubtful of my own abilities to continue. I’m sad, but wiser,” she said. The job was draining on her, Gottschalk explained, as some would follow the rules with gratitude while other guests would “lie to her face.” For the next few months,
said this is what I want to do. I’m a widow and I don’t want to stay home by myself,” Antill said. “And here you see people.” As workplaces and communities shift to shoulder the new weight of responsibility that comes with this fluctuating arena, it is proven that being over 65 years old does not mean that impact is gone.
a matching grant to upgrade the district’s agriculture education facilities. The district also applied for other grants to cover the cost of the rest of the renovation, one of which was the Pennsylvania Smart Grant, a grant to expand computer science classes and teacher training at 163 school districts, charter schools and intermediate units in the Pittsburgh area. Once the renovations are complete, Gaydos said their doors will be open. “If there’s a way that we can develop partnerships with any of the other local Greene County school districts [or] with Waynesburg University, we’re always open to share resources [and] to work together.”
she will be hosting group meetings and is planning on hosting a prison ministry group in March. After that, the detail work of selling begins. Gottschalk has reached out to many who would be interested in the home, including Waynesburg University. “I reached out to the university indirectly to see if they would be interested in it since it’s so close to the campus,” she said. Gottschalk hopes to have the home sold in the first quarter of this year to use the funds to begin building a more accessible retirement home for herself in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania. Gottschalk still sees a need in the community for transitional housing, but holds hope that nonprofit organizations in the surrounding counties can accomplish the task. “Homelessness is a very tricky situation. Greene County has as much going for it and its homeless people as other counties do,” Gottschalk said. “We work with Washington and Fayette counties to see how much room is in shelters, but it sometimes takes months for someone to get qualified for housing.” Though the future of Mission House’s purpose is up in the air, Gottschalk can only have hope that the mission will continue. “It’s been a really good experience for me, a learning experience, and I’m glad I did it,” Gottschak said. “I hope the house can be useful for the community in the future.”
sports PAGE B3
JANUARY 30, 2020 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
Q&A: Felberg fills hole in roster ADAM MORGANTE For the Yellow Jacket
Freshman Ryan Felberg received a baptism by fire when Matt Popeck’s injury forced him into the starting lineup earlier than expected. Now, Felberg is averaging almost 7 points a game; including a season-high 22 points in the team’s victory at W&J. The freshman is currently holding his own filling the position of point guard, as Waynesburg battles for a respectable position in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference postseason.
AN EARLY ENDING Jarett Choi, For the Yellow Jacket
Following a second-place finish at the PAC Championships during his freshman season, junior Caleb Baxter earned a 14-6 record and achieved four victories by pin prior to a season ending shoulder injury earlier this month.
Injury forces Baxter to end his junior season, possibly wrestling career RILEY HOLSINGER For the Yellow Jacket
Caleb Baxter had a promising freshman season as a Yellow Jackets wrestler with a 27-11 record, which resulted in him finishing third on the team in wins and second in pins. Baxter also capped his freshman season with a second place finish at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships. Baxter dealt with an ACL tear at the beginning of his sophomore season in practice, and took more time to recover from the injury and surgery. Now as a junior, Baxter was supposed to be, and has been, one of the
key contributors to the Waynesburg wrestling team. Throughout the season, Baxter carried a 14-6 record. However, he sustained another knee injury early in the 2019-20 season and was visibly in pain for most matches, which led him to injury default out of tournaments. Headlee acknowledged that Baxter was dealing with knee pain the entire week and he wasn’t certain if Baxter would wrestle at the Will Abele tournament back on Jan. 18. “He wanted to take the week off and I kind of wanted him to go get one more good tournament before regionals,” Head-
lee said. At the tournament, Baxter strapped on his singlet for what would be the last time as a Waynesburg University wrestler, not only for his junior season, but maybe even for his career. He won his first match of the day with a fall in 38 seconds. Then in his second match, his career was thrown into question. “It was the start of the second period, I stood up right away, and the kid’s arm is around my arm so my arm is trapped around my side, then he does a crotch lift, he picks me up, and I do like a front flip in the air, and land right on my shoulder,” Baxter said. “I heard the cracking from my shoulder and I was in
immediate pain.” Headlee is upset that the decision was made, and Baxter wrestled at the Will Abele tournament. “I felt really bad when the injury came because he was thinking about waiting to wrestle W&J and it makes me feel horrible that we lose him indefinitely,” Headlee said. “Baxter would do anything I’d ask him to do, that’s the kind of kid he was.” Baxter was not upset at Headlee or their choice for him to take part in the tournament. “I’m not upset that it [the injury] happened, it’s a part of the sport,” Baxter said. “I’m more upset at the fact that I just started performing better and felt better.”
Baxter may not get an opportunity to finish out his wrestling career at Waynesburg because of injuries. “After my ACL injury, I told my parents ‘Next serious injury and I’m done,’” Baxter said. “As of right now, I’m done, but I’m not saying that there is no chance I’m coming back.” Headlee wasn’t surprised at Baxter’s attitude following the injury, and believes in will continue in the ensuing weeks. “He’s a team player,” Headlee said. “Caleb came back from his doctor’s appointment and was at practices over the week supporting our team. I respect him for that and I feel bad for him.”
Fuller settles into role during sophomore year MATT MANSFIELD For the Yellow Jacket
For the Waynesburg University women’s basketball team, this season hasn’t turned out how they were hoping. The team is just 4-14, and 3-6 in conference play as of print. Through all the ups and downs, one thing has remained consistent: the stellar play of sophomore center Brooke Fuller. Fuller is put ting up strong numbers, averaging about 15 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, leading the team in both categories. Where Fuller has really impressed her team and coaches though, is her improvement in the post. Fuller’s development hasn’t come without hard work. If you ask her, or anyone who knows how hard she’s worked to improve, they’ll acknowledge her commitment to improving her strength. “Coach [Sam] Jones gave us a workout packet for over the summer, and I really bought into it,” Fuller said. “I started the summer with lighter weights, but by the end of the summer I was benching and lifting
a lot more than I used to be able to do.” Jones agreed that Fuller needed to add strength over the summer to raise her play in the winter. “One of the things that held her back was she just wasn’t as strong,” Jones said. “That’s partly because people were just older and knew more of what to do.” Her strength has helped a lot in the rebounding game. Fuller noted that her ability to box out the opponent she is up against has improved drastically. Another reason she has improved is the addition of Matt Pioch to the coaching staff. Pioch started his career last January as a volunteer assistant. His greatest strength is his experience playing in the post. He has used that experience to teach Fuller how to improve her own game. Pioch mentioned that his favorite part of working with Fuller is how much she wants to learn. “Working with Brooke, she’s absolutely great because she’s a sponge. She learns things so quickly,” Pioch said.
Adrian Barnhart, The Yellow Jacket
Sophomore center Brooke Fuller leads the women's basketball team in both scoring and rebounds. She averages nearly 16 points and seven rebounds per game. This season, Fuller feels comfortable asking questions. “This year, I just ask questions whenever I get confused,” she said. “Last year, I just did what the coaches said, but I never asked why. This year I’ve just been trying to un-
derstand why I’m doing things.” Jones mentioned Waynesburg’s history of stellar post players, listing players like Addy Knetzer, Courtney Sargent, and Paige Pearce when talking about Fuller’s future. With more hard work on
and off the court, Pioch believes she could reach the caliber of those players. “She is on pace to be a 1,000-point scorer,” Pioch said. “I really think she can end up averaging a double double for the entirety of a season.
Felberg Q: What made you want to play basketball? A: I played basketball from a young age from two or three years old. My dad played at Hiram College in Ohio. He’s always been my coach. I just learned from him and I just loved the game ever since I started. I just have a passion to go out and getting better every day. Q: Would you say your dad is your biggest inspiration to play basketball? A: I would say so. From a young age, he would push me to be the best player I can be. I was always undersized. So, I always had to battle with that. He always was pushing me to get better every day. Q: What specifically did your dad help you work on in your game with you being undersized? A: He always had a big emphasis on the defensive end. I wasn’t much of a scorer, but as the years went on, he taught me different scoring moves. Obviously [I] worked on my three, getting my three off against bigger defenders. He always has good tactics on how to score, what to do, because he was a scorer when he was younger. Q: What made you decide to come play basketball here at Waynesburg? A: Waynesburg was the first school that recruited me my senior year. So, the way I looked at it was they gave me a shot. They said they were going to give me a chance. Q: With the injury to Popeck, your role has obviously increased, and you’ve taken over in the starting lineup for him. Did you feel like there was a little bit of pressure on you to step up and produce as much as he has? A: Yeah, there is a little pressure. Matt has some big shoes to fill, he’s a great player. Ever since day one he told me; ‘I’m going to take you under my wing.’ Even the first couple of practices we would have [he’d be] around. Just being able to go up against him was amazing. Until this day he’s still telling me stuff on the bench. He’s pulled me over to the side, tells me what I need to be doing better. Definitely have a little pressure on my shoulders for sure, having to fill those shoes. Q: The other person you worked in the backcourt FELBERG >> B4
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JANUARY 30, 2020
‘Wizard of Waynesburg’ delivered victories and life lessons JOE SMELTZER Sports Web Editor
More than 30 years later, those who saw it still talk about it. It’s the 1980s, and the Waynesburg College men’s basketball team is partaking in a pastime that nobody is looking forward to; a five-mile run along Purman Run under a baking early September heat. The head coach, Rudy Marisa, heard from an assistant that his men were in the gym lobby, grumbling. Upon hearing about his players’ complaints regarding improper footwear for the task, Rudy was indigent. “Oh, you don’t have the right shoes?” the son of an Austrian coal miner asked his team. “I didn’t have shoes growing up.” “That was exaggerating a little bit,” Marisa remembers. But only a little bit. Marisa, who only weeks earlier had hernia surgery, was determined to teach the young men a lesson. In his 50s, the coach decided to complete the run with his players… in dress shoes. Halfway through the run, Marisa thought his message wasn’t sinking in. His players just weren’t getting it. So he removed his dress shoes, and finished the run barefoot. “I felt embarrassed,” Harold Hamlin [‘88] remembers. “He ran it with no problem, and I struggled with it.” After that, Marisa put his shoes back on, got in his car, and drove. Practice was finished; another lesson was delivered. There would be many more for the ‘Wizard of Waynesburg,’ the greatest basketball coach in school history. *** Today, Marisa, 85-years old is worn down, his body hindered by two back operations and treatment for prostate cancer which led to his retirement from coaching in 2003. He doesn’t hear well, and walks with the assistance of a cane. Yet, in his face, there are still remnants of the man whose tactics evoke memories of Mickey Goldmill, the grizzled boxing trainer from the Rocky series. In a career that started months after the moon landing, and lasted through eras of disco, cocaine, grunge music and Y2K paranoia, Rudy won 565 games and led his team to seven district championships and the 1988 NAIA Final Four, where Dick Vitale called the
game on ESPN. Sitting in his 2015 Chevy Traverse on a dusk late fall afternoon, he downplays his accomplishments. “I’m not John Wooden,” he says. No, Marisa isn’t the ‘Wizard of Westwood,’ but the ‘Wizard of Waynesburg’ has a ring to it. Before the wizard had a chance to wave his wand, football and wrestling ruled Waynesburg College athletics, and basketball was a 27th cousin by comparison. The football team won the NAIA National Championship in 1966, just three years before Marisa came to Waynesburg. The crowds at basketball games, Larry Marshall, who played from 1964-68 before becoming Marisa’s right hand man for 24 years remembers, were pathetic. “We’d have home games, and there would be six, seven people there,” Marshall said, without a trace of sarcasm in his voice. Eventually, what is now the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse would sell out every night. Before Marisa arrived, however, attendance wouldn’t have been enough to fill a Willison Hall dorm room. Fortunes were about to change because of a simple request. In the early 60s, Marisa, in charge at Albert Gallatin High School, started a basketball camp that he would continue for decades. “I rented the gymnasium facilities to run a summer camp,” Marisa remembers. “I was a high school coach… I asked if I could rent the facilities, and [Waynesburg allowed me to], and I got to know the [athletic director] during the camp.” The relationship between Rudy and Waynesburg remained solid, and ultimately, Waynesburg offered Marisa the mop to clean up a 16-year mess. And he was ready for it, because his entire life was an uphill battle. *** Marisa prepared to play college basketball by chopping down a tree. He didn’t do this to build strength, but rather to create a hoop to shoot in. The tree served as the post. Marisa’s father built the backboard, and ashes from the Pennsylvania State Highway department made up the court. This was what the Marisa family had to make do with in Fredericktown. Rudy Sr. immigrated to the states in the late 1910s. Once he
arrived in America, he sweated it out for 48 years in the mines, where the chances of death were greater than those of financial prosperity. He never attended junior’s games. There was no time. But nonetheless, both he and his wife, Lilly, instilled values that would mold their youngest of five children. “You don’t cheat people,” Rudy Jr. said. “You do your best. You work hard, even if it meant going down in a hole in a coal mine and working like a slave for almost no money.” Rudy Jr. played both basketball and football growing up, and claimed to not be good at either one. Nonetheless, he loved sports, and when he went to Penn State in 1952, he tried out for the Nittany Lions basketball team. Marisa remembers that 150 students tried out for the team, and fewer than a handful made the cut. He knew his athletic prowess wasn’t going to make anyone’s mouth water, so he had to find other ways to get noticed. The best way he knew how to do that? Running. He’d run on the golf course. He’d run on the highway. Anything he could do to get coaches to notice him, he’d try. And it worked. Marisa stuck it out for the Lions until graduation, his career highlighted by a 1954 Final Four appearance, the only one in school history. Now, as a coach, he had to get noticed again. To do that, Marisa had to win. And win he did. First at Dunbar Township [1958-60] then at Albert Gallatin [1960-66]. After two years away from coaching and one as an assistant at Trinity High School, Marisa had to win at Waynesburg. Throughout the 1970s, the Yellow Jackets became forminadable. By the late-1970s, Waynesburg’s golden years were about to begin. Soon, largely because of Marisa’s mind, the whipping boys would be the ones that held the lasso. *** When Vince Lombardi coached the Packers Green Bay ran on ‘Lombardi Time.’ Marisa embraced the same concept. If a player wasn’t in his seat at the start of a meeting, that was too bad. Marisa locked the doors. Some of Marisa’s players appreciated the man in the moment. Tim McConnell, who would become one of the greatest WPIAL basketball coaches of all time, was one of them.
Photo Courtesy of Waynesburg University Institutional Advancement
Rudy Marisa posted a 565-300 record in 34 seasons as the head men's basketball coach at Waynesburg College. Like Marisa, McConnell, the 5’7 point guard, wasn’t blessed with great physical talent. But he had the heart of a mountain lion, and the intensity of a badger,. “I absolutely thrived on the way he coached me and the things that he expected out of me and the leader he wanted me to be,” McConnell said. “It’s helped me in my coaching career to play under him and learn under him.” For others, like Darrin Walls, who is Waynesburg’s all-time leading scorer, Marisa’s teaching took awhile to appreciate. “I respected him,” he said. “I didn’t always like him. I didn’t always agree with his tactics.” Marisa didn’t care if his players loved him while they were playing. “They could fall in love with their girlfriends,” he said. What mattered to him was that his teaching would make a difference in their lives after basketball. “I suspected that no matter what I did to them [then] I was the only one doing it,” Marisa said. “So I was a novelty in their life, and 20 years later, they were going to appreciate it.” Today, Walls, who has been working at UPMC for 17 years, has been late for work just one time. He owes that to Rudy. Now, in his 50s, Walls sees what he struggled to in his 20s. “I love that man to death,” he said. *** After the 1988 Final Four season, the glory days of Waynesburg basketball came to an end. There were still great mo-
Photo Courtesy of Waynesburg University Institutional Advancement
ments sprinkled throughout Marisa’s last 15 years, such as his 500th win in 1999 and a Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship in 1996. But now in the NCAA, the Jackets were no longer a national championship contender. Less than two months before the 2003-04 season started, Marisa stepped down. A few years before that decision, Marisa’s grandaughter, Makenna, was born. She doesn’t remember any of the 565 wins, or the intense locker room speeches where Marisa let his players know that he was more than ready to suit up and take the court with them if he could. Mainly, she sees him as grandpa, a man, sweeter than honey, whose difficulty of hearing makes for some interesting interactions in crowded restaurants. But Rudy passed down his basketball knowledge, particularly of jumpshots, and years after retirement, helped Makenna earn a scholarship at her grandfather’s alma mater, where she starts as a freshman.
“So many people have come up to me and told me how much my grandfather has impacted their lives,” she said. “I know there was one guy who named his kid after my grandpa. So it’s pretty cool to hear those stories.” *** Because of the Fieldhouse, every student at Waynesburg University knows the name Rudy Marisa. The way he sees it, however, is that as the years go on, the meaning of that name dies down “I don’t think my name or any coaching accomplishments have been remembered all that much,” he said. “[Students] don’t have to remember the name, and they don’t.” But that doesn’t matter to Marisa. What matters is that the name on the building will allow Makenna and his 13 other grandchildren to know that their grandfather made an impact. “For them to be able to come up here and see the sign allows them to think that their grandfather had done something good,” he said.
‘The Hive’ launches as official student section Felberg ANDREW HREHA Digital News Director
The Waynesburg Student Athletic Advisory Committee and the Student Senate have teamed up to sponsor an official athletics student section, ‘The Hive.’ Luke Diel, sophomore political science major and SAAC president, explained that the creation of ‘The Hive’ has been a collaborative effort with the athletic department. “So, the big thing with SAAC is we are actually a branch of the athletic department, and the athletic department had approached us earlier this year about trying to get more student involvement in coming to games,” Diel said. According to Diel, the efforts from both sides have been special, and many exciting things are in the works. “It’s something they’ve been working with us on," Diel said. “Eventually there will be an official banner with ‘The Hive Student Section’.” The student section will host theme nights at basketball games, which will also include free giveaways for students
that can be obtained by scanning a barcode at the door. Ryan Williams, junior poli tical science major and Student Senate president, explained the senate’s strategy to build a relationship with SAAC to work on this project. “ We found a shared interest with SA AC in that we want to get more students to come to the games, so we thoug ht ‘what better way than giving away free stuff for the students?’” Williams said. Willams believes it' an important project because the hard-work student-athletes put in should be recognized. “I think our main purpose with this is that our athletes work really hard, and so we really just want to give back to the athletes and make the student section something to be feared,” Williams said. Students who show up to join ‘The Hive’ for games will have a chance to collect giveaways such as cups, wristbands and miniature Waynesburg basketballs. This past Saturday, ‘The Hive’ gave away horns to create noise, and Williams liked what he saw. “When we give out stuff
Continued from B3
Emma Hardacre, For the Yellow Jacket
SAAC and Student Senate held the first ever theme game when Waynesburg hosted Grove City on Jan. 25. Students were encouraged to particpate in a 'Blackout.' they can use in-game, it definitely gets a lot more rowdy,” Williams said. “People started to use the horns, so hopefully it gets really loud and gets pretty hype.” Both SAAC and Student Senate want to change the culture around Waynesburg sports and have more students involved with the teams.
“We want students to come to the game and support our teams,” Diel said. “The teams do a lot better when they have a loud student section right there with them, so we are also looking to improve the athletics here and get a better mentality for students.” While the pairing of the two organizations is
new, ‘The Hive’ will continue to grow and bring the Waynesburg sports community together. “I know this is our first time doing something like this with SAAC, but it seems like people are pretty interested and we hope that continues in the future,” Williams said. “We want to make it a fun environment.”
with is Frank Bozicevic. How much has he helped you with stepping up in the starting role this year? A: Frank has helped me a lot. Just playing in open gym, that’s who I was guarding most of the time. [He] just helped me with guarding guys now in the regular season. Frank has just pushed [he] every day; he believes in me just like the whole team does. Q: As your point total and your play level have improved, how big is that for your confidence level as you get deep into PAC play this year? A: It’s huge that my confidence is up right now. I just know I must keep sticking with it; and even if I have a bad game, I can’t get down on myself because I know those guys are relying on me every night. Q: Who’s the professional basketball player that you’ve always looked up to in your life? A: Being a Cleveland kid I have to say LeBron [James]; but Nate Robinson as well just being undersized a lot of times. Those two guys I really looked up to. Nate Robinson is who I style my game after when he was in the league.