Photo courtesy of Andy Hamilton
INSID E: NE W SPA P ER WINS 17 AWA RDS FROM T WO ORGA NIZ ATION S. S E E A2
MARCH 22, 2018 | VOL. 95 NO. 15 | EST. 1924
THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
@WUYELLOWJACKET
Students demand change to housing regulations Violation
Petition to revise housing constraints receives more than 400 student signatures By MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor
To satisfy the high number of incoming students for the 2018-19 school year, the housing constraints at Waynesburg University are shifting to increase the number of suitestyle triple and quad rooms. Specifically, according to Director of Housing Matt Pioch, the new restraints will mainly be impacting female students, as there will only be a projected 34 female suitestyle doubles available in upperclassmen dorms, compared to the 72 doubles occupied this year. Pioch said the reasons these changes were made for two reasons: to eliminate space and to provide a less expensive form of housing. "We do listen to the students, and we are trying to make the best of the situation we have," Pioch said. In response to this change, six junior Nursing students, including Alyssa O’Day, Shaley Schreckengost, Kaitlin Potutschnig, Jessica Matrogran, Natalie Fortna and Brittany Kennedy, came together to create and promote a petition for the university to revise the housing rules. The petition itself was created by Matrogran the morning of Tuesday, March 20, and by the evening, the petition garnered more than 400 signatures, equating to nearly 30 percent of the student population. Matrogran said her main inspiration for creating the petition was her own frustration with the housing options
delays Senate election
By TIFFANY MORGAN and GRACE HUTCHISON Staff Report
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
In response to the new housing mandates, six students came together to create a petition that was signed by more than 400 students – equating to nearly 30 percent of the student body. on campus. “They say college is a time where you should grow,” Matrogran said. “How are we supposed to grow as adults if we can’t choose where we want to live or who we want to live with?” The same day the petition was created, Pioch sent an email to all students stating a new update in the housing selection schedule. In the email, it was announced that triple applications were being put on pause to allow for double applications begin. “Our goal is to provide you with more information prior to determining whether or not you would like to reside in a triple for next year,” Pioch said in the email.
The application will be posted today, March 22, and will remain open until March 27 to allow students to apply
sity administration with the hope to create change. “At the end of the day, we’re paying to go here, and we’re
“They say college is a time where you should grow. How are we supposed to grow as adults if we can't choose where we want to live or who we want to live with?”
JESSICA MATROGRAN
Junior Nursing major
for suite-style doubles. Moving forward, Matrogran and the other students hope to get at least half of the student body to sign the petition. Once they are done accepting signatures, they plan to take the petition to univer-
paying for housing we don’t want,” Schreckengost said. “We deserve to have options.” Pioch said he is already aware of the petition, but he warns students the solution is not as easy as it seems. "I know some students
ask why we don’t just open up off-campus housing, but on the flip side of that, what studies have shown is that students that live in on-campus environments typically have higher GPAs and do better mental health wise and overall wellness," Pioch said. "What we have tried to do at Waynesburg University is promote a residence life that takes into mind those things and takes into mind the health, safety and wellness of those students and puts those things first."
“I misinterpreted one of the rules for better or for worse.” This thought went through junior political science major and current candidate for Student Senate President Olivia Schultz-Falandes’ mind when she realized her “creative campaign strategy” was, unknowingly, according to her, in direct violation of senate rules regarding her campaign advertisements. Schultz-Falandes walked door-to-door and hung door handle advertisements with information about her platform Sunday, March 18, with the intention of raising awareness of her campaign for student senate president against junior Tyler McCoy. According to Schultz-Falandes, she was unaware that placing the door hanger ads was in contradiction with the Student Senate advertising campaign ELECTION >> A3
Campus technology updated Criminal Justice Dept. rolls out new Laser Shot system over break By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
For over half a decade, the Waynesburg University Criminal Justice Department has used simulators, courtesy of Laser Shot. This past Tuesday, the university held a press conference to announce and demonstrate its new Laser Shot Firearm Training Simulator. Before the simulation began, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and University Relations Stacey Brodak introduced the night’s four speakers. The speakers then gave remarks, starting with university President Douglas Lee and ending with Criminal Justice Department Chairperson Adam Jack, with Scott Goodhart, senior accounting executive at Laser Shot, and Louis Wieres, supervisory special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, To-
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
At the press conference which debuted the new laser shot system, Criminal Justice Department Chairperson Adam Jack discussed its importance. bacco, Firearms and Explosives, speaking in between. In Lee's speech, he noted that the simulator was paid for by the recently announced grant from the Richard K. Mellon
foundation. Laser Shot, based out of Houston, Texas, was founded in 1999, but didn't get involved in the law enforcement, military arena until the
late 2000s. Since then, it's assisted organizations from the U.S. Army, down to the high school and college levels. The Sim Range system purchased by Waynesburg
Editor's Note: Visit www. theyellowjacket.org for further updates of this story.
By EDWARD BOICE
University includes more than 900 live video scenarios, with actors included, and these scenarios have multiple outcomes. According to Jack, having a press conference to announce an upgrade isn’t a normal occurrence for the Criminal Justice Department, but said that it was done in this instance so that the department’s partners could take part. “This is the first [press conference] we’ve done with this type of tool, only because we have so many community partners that are going to use it,” Jack said. “We wanted to invite them today because we wanted to be able to include them in a great training, as well as show them the types of things that we can do here for them at the house.” Jack, who has been at Waynesburg since 2011,
Students returned after spring break to Waynesburg University to find a pleasant surprise. During the break, Information Technology Services [ITS] finished replacing computers in several computer labs across campus. Among Eberly Library, Hanna, Stewart and Buhl halls, computer labs had their technolog y completely revamped with new HP Windows 10 computers, along with additional applications. The bill ITS received for the computers was approximately $120,000. Since the old computers were becoming harder to perform maintenance on, ITS decided that the time had come for a change. William Dumire,
LASER >> A3
TECH >> A3
Editorial Assistant
CONOR LAMB WINS SPECIAL ELECTION
LOCAL ELECTION RAISES IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
After a close call produced unofficial results, Lamb has claimed victory over Saccone.
Today's political climate often corrals people into feeling like they should side with one political party during an election. Columnists Rachel Mangan and Grace Hutchinson comment on the difficult voting atmosphere in the country.
See B1
See B2
EVANS NAMED NATIONAL CHAMPION
'THE DROWSY CHAPERONE' PREMIERES
Jake Evans became Waynesburg University’s first D-III wrestler to reach a national title.
The spring musical features student talent, humor and an unavoidable connection to the main character, according to Eddie Powers, director.
See C1
See D1
INSIDE Campus . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1–A4 Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1, B4 Editorial/Op-ed . . . . . . . B2 News Digest . . . . . . . . . B3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1–C4 Arts & Life . . . . . . . . . . . D1–D2 Entertainment . . . . . . . D3–D4 Copyright © 2018 Waynesburg University 51 W. College St.Waynesburg, Pa. 15370
March 22 , 2018
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Schneider leaves WU, men’s dorms left with one RD By MATTHEW SHINKLE Associate Editor
After six years, Russ Schneider is leaving Waynesburg University to continue his career with an exciting new job opportunity on the opposite side of Pennsylvania. Schneider has accepted a position with Cairn University, formerly Philadelphia Biblical University, a small bible school outside of Philadelphia. He will become the new Director of Community Life, a job that brings him plenty of new responsibilities. This move comes after he has been a Resident Director for the male dorms during his time with the university, including four years in Thayer Hall and his final two in Willison Hall. Schneider is excited for the new job, saying that this type of position encompasses majority of what he’s been looking for in terms of a career. “Since I started my Masters in 2014 at Geneva College for higher education, I knew that was the career path I wanted to go in to,” said Schneider. S chneider graduated from Arcadia University in 2011, and after working with the Coalition for Christian Outreach based
Matthew Shinkle, Yellow Jacket
After six years at Waynesburg University, Russ Schneider will begin working at Cairn University. out of Pittsburgh, he was able to find Waynesburg several years ago which has helped prepare him for his departure for Cairn University. Although, he wasn’t even aware that a job as an RD was available until he was convinced to apply by someone important to him. “My campus minster mentored me, discipled me, encouraged me to apply,” said Schneider. “So when I did, I didn’t even know that a partnership as an RD was possible. When I interviewed I met Kelley Hardie, she was my supervisor my first two years… I had three
years of RA experience as well, so it seemed like a perfect fit.” As Schneider leaves, the university has run into a unique situation in compared to years past with only one RD living fulltime combined in the male dorms. However, Assistant Dean of Student Services Chris Hardie assures that the university has been on track to cover the situation promptly in Willison. “There is an exit strategy, we had about three weeks to prep and I knew we had to kind of move quickly,” said
Photo courtesy of Justin Shirley
With the help of students and RAs from the Waynesburg campus, Russ Schneider packed his belongings to move across the state for his new job. Hardie. “I’m going to take over all of his day-to-day operations that was office related with managing the staff and coordinating duty logs and those kind of things. We’re also, in the next week or so, going to have a fulltime person that will move into his apartment that will coordinate all the evening events.” Hardie will cover day-today activities while the person that the university has in mind to be in Willison
will be on evening coverage. They have residence life experience and have also lived in the dorms, however the person filling the position cannot yet be announced until it is official. Before the person is announced and moves in to the dorm, the RA’s in Willison will watch over the dorm. Hardie says he very much believes there shouldn’t be any problems during the transition period. “I always think about the
RA’s in a team dynamic as captains, this is their moment to step up and really help our team. Most of them are upperclassmen and have been with us a few years,” said Hardie. “They all have a couple years of experience and so I think they’re going to step up. I think they’re really ready for this challenge. They don’t have to do a superhuman effort; it’s really just do your job. I have the utmost confidence in that group of five."
Yellow Jacket staff breaks record for awards WU Study Abroad program expands in new partnerships By MICHAEL CAPPELLI Editorial Assistant
Staff members from The Yellow Jacket newspaper traveled to Point Park University over spring break to accept nine Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence awards. The awards were presented by the Society of Professional Journalists. The Yellow Jacket is a part of Region Four, which covers four different states including western Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Michigan. Several staff members and one recent graduate were either finalists or winners of awards in several categories. Executive Editor for the Yellow Jacket and junior journalism major Mattie Winowitch, who won an award for feature writing, said she is "pleased" with her staff ’s work over the last year. “It was absolutely a team effort,” said Winowitch. “Everybody worked together, from the people who come up with the story ideas to the people who take them during assignment’s meetings. Everybody was part of the process, and even though there are specific names on those certificates, I want everyone to be able to pat themselves on the back.” The student staff members are not the only ones who won awards this year, however, for recent Waynesburg graduate and faculty advisor Jacob Meyer won awards in both the in-depth reporting and sports writing categories. Meyer never set out to win awards but rather “to do the best he can with the story.” “I think the awards are a
By TIFFANY MORGAN Associate Editor
Teghan Simonton, Yellow Jacket
Staff members along with Advisor Sarah Bell pose with the nine awards the paper won at the SPJ awards at Point Park University over spring break. testament of the hard work and dedication of the advisors, faculty, staff and students of the paper more so than us trying to go and win awards,” said Meyer. Other award winners and finalists include Luke Goodling in Sports Writing and Feature Writing, Teghan Simonton in Feature Writing, Feature Photography and General News Reporting and Mitchell Kendra in Feature Photography. For Luke Goodling, junior sports broadcasting/ sports information major and sports editor of the Yellow Jacket, winning an award was not always in his realm of possibility. “When I first started writing for the paper and I saw people winning SPJ awards, I was like ‘wow how do you get that good, there is no way that’s ever going to be me,’” said Goodling. “Honestly, it was never really on my radar until last year and that’s when I won my first one.”
Goodling has now won three awards and feels that working for the Yellow Jacket has prepared him for the challenges of the working world. “What it’s really helped me prepare for is working on deadlines,” said Goodling. “Being able to manage multiple people at the same time, covering multiple things and being able to trouble shoot when it’s a Tuesday night and an article isn’t in and I have to fill the space.” Similarly, senior journalism major, Mitch Kendra feels that working for the Yellow Jacket has prepared him for the real world. “I’ve really improved my writing skills, but I’ve also taken up photography and improved it for what I can provide for the newspaper,” said Kendra. Winowitch is in her first year as the executive editor and has proven to be up for the challenge as The Yellow Jacket has now won a record-
breaking 17 awards between SPJ and the Pennsylvania News Media Association (PNA). The Yellow Jacket also has two new advisors in Jacob Meyer and Sarah Bell who also works at the university. “I wasn’t sure what it would look like with new advisors and me as a brandnew leader,” said Winowitch. “It was really scary because I was like ‘can I do this, do I have the moxie to defeat this?’ But, I would not have been able to do it if I didn’t have such a firm foundation of advisors.” The Yellow Jacket continues to publish weekly issues and wants to continue the streak of writing high quality stories. “I just want to maintain our excellence,” said Winowitch. “I want us to continue striving to win more awards, working together to fulfill that dream, and I think we have it in us to raise our numbers next year.”
Waynesburg University’s Study Abroad Program has sent students to several countries. For 2018, Waynesburg has expanded their program by adding partnerships with International Studies Abroad (ISA) and Institute for Study Abroad (IFSA)-Butler University. Each partnership was looked at by Sarah Bell, academic coordinator, and established after first brought to the table by students. Students must choose a program available through the university in order to be considered to take institutional aid with them as they studyin a foreign country. Bell said the IFSA program is a separate organization under Butler University’s name, but is not a direct affiliate of the university. According to ISA’s website, they have had study abroad programs for undergraduate students since 1987. Their program has a variety of study abroad programs at attributed schools and universities. Bell finalized both study abroad partnerships within the same time frame around March 2. Bell said what stood out to her most, amongst the new partnerships, was that it was the students who introduced it to her by finding their own study abroad program and working to get it approved
by the university. “The cool thing for me about both of these coming to fruition is that Waynesburg students initiated the process with both of them,” Bell said, “and I think that shows that Waynesburg students who are determined to, can really make a difference in programs that are on campus.” Marketing for students applying for a study abroad program will start next semester. Bell said marketing the new programs will show them what more they have to offer through ISA and IFSAButler University. “I think more specifically the fall will be a big time for promoting the programs,” Bell said. With the new programs, there will be more opportunities for students to study in more locations than before. Bell said IFSA-Butler University has a more academic aspect to their program and a variety of offers in their program, overall expanding students’ opportunity to study abroad. “ They have different programs that are offered through IFSA Butler,” said Bell, “so it more than doubles the study abroad opportunities for students on campus.” The annual deadline for the study abroad program is March 1. For those interested in studying abroad through Waynesburg’s programs, contact Sarah Bell in Academic Affairs at sbell@waynesburg. edu or 724-852-7790.
Mary Cummings honored as a 2018 Woman of Influence By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor
For Mary Cummings, senior vice president of graduate programs, her career in higher education was a way to give back – to serve and inspire others after a successful corporate career. Education has been Cummings’ chance to mentor and teach leadership. “My corporate career— that was one career. This is what I call my ‘encore’ giving career,” she said. “Where I now take what I’ve learned and try to
help the university from a business background… but also…on the academic side.” It’s this dedication to service and leadership that led to Cummings being recognized as a 2018 Woman of Influence by the Pittsburgh Business Times. She was nominated by Waynesburg University President Douglas Lee. The award honors influential business women in the region, and according to the Pittsburgh Business Times website, focuses on “women who’ve made a difference in their communities, blazed a trail for
other women and are leaving a mark on the western Pennsylvania business community.” Cummings got started in the telecommunications industry as a telephone operator. She went to night school part-time while working her way up companies that would take her all around the world. She worked for the Bell System of Pennsylvania – the very system that would eventually become AT&T. Her work took her to locations doing cell phone start-ups, including Mexico City, Rome, Prague and Indonesia.
Cummings But to Cummings, none of that matters as much as her work at Waynesburg University. “While those huge projects were a source of much pride,” she said in a Q&A released by the Pittsburgh Business Times. “I think my proudest moment pro-
fessionally was watching the first group of Leadership Scholar students that I had advised as Waynesburg University graduate and receive their diplomas.” Cummings was honored for her accomplishments in the corporate and education sectors at a ceremony last Wednesday, March 14, in Pittsburgh. Cummings said the evening included a reception with opportunity to network with the other award winners, a group photo and the ceremony itself. Incidentally, each recipient was able to choose a song
to accompany receiving their award: Cummings chose the song, “Operator” by Jim Croce, to pay homage to her roots. “It was interesting to hear all of the other candidates and their backgrounds,” she said. “I was very much humbled by it…It was a very rewarding experience.” She said her favorite part of the evening was the chance to network with other professional women in the region—particularly those who had heard of Waynesburg before. CUMMINGS >> A4
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March 22, 2018 CHARTER DAY 2018
University celebrates 168th Charter Day with variety of events By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
Charter Day is one of the most prevalent days on Waynesburg University’s campus each year. The week of Charter Day started with several different events that connect to Waynesburg’s mission of service. Mary Fox from the Office of Institutional Advancement got in touch with Kelly Hardie, assistant dean of students, to help plan the Day of Service line-up the week before Charter Day. “Kelly Hardie was working on a spring day of service so it seemed logical to schedule it for the Saturday before Charter Day,” Fox said. “It worked out well with students just returning from spring break. With our University mission being so closely tied to service, it was a really great fit.” The planning for this event started over a year ago, the day after last year’s Charter Day, said Fox. “I review everything that took place and make notes on the things that may have not run as smoothly as they
should have and how I can correct them for the next year,” Fox said. “Once this review takes place and I make my notes, I typically do not get back into full planning mode until after Homecoming in the fall.” On Monday, former faculty member Marilyn Roberts was chosen to speak on Charter Day, as part of the b.f. Maiz Lecture Series. Roberts was chosen by Dr. Bob Randolph, chairperson of the English and Foreign Languages Department, to bring perspective to current students, according to Fox. “Marilyn Roberts is one of four faculty members receiving emeriti status in the convocation on Tuesday,” said Fox. “It is wonderful to have our retired faculty return to campus and share their knowledge with our current students.” March 17 was Waynesburg’s Day of Service. Unlike in previous years, the Day of Service lined up with Charter Day week. Other events that took place included organizing birthday gifts for children of homeless families, working behind Thayer Hall on
Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket
This year's Charter Day speaker was Paulo Nzambi from the Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh. the nature trial, working with the Greene County Human Society, and an Out of Darkness Walk, organized in coordination with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The walk was put together by Briana Ryan, junior music ministry and arts administration major and Bonner Scholar. “She thought that this would be a really good way to connect college students
in the community with that event. This event, the Out of the Darkness Walk, is a hosted at universities throughout the United States,” Hardie said. “This will be the first time that's ever been conducted here on campus.” The Paul R. Stewart Museum was also opened in conjunction with Charter Day to help celebrate the history of Waynesburg University.
The museum is open throughout the year. But for Charter Day, new exhibitions were displayed. The new expeditions focus on the university’s new mission, “Grow,” said Courtney Dennis, associate director of the Paul R. Stewart Museum. “We decided to do this year's celebration of our founding as a time to remember our history and our heritage,” Dennis said.
Fox views Charter Day as an opportunity to look back at all that has been accomplished over the course of history in Waynesburg. It’s also an opportunity to look at the accomplishments of the student body. “Students, while working on their degree and later when joining our alumni family, are all a part of the history of this great place,” Fox said. “We are not celebrating a physical place on the map; we are celebrating the mission and the people that have made Waynesburg University special from 1849 to today.” When it came to the famous Charter Day chicken, Fox had no doubt the chicken would be excellent. “I cannot say enough about Aladdin Food Service. Lesley Davis and her staff put a lot of time into making sure this event is wonderful for everyone, from our special guests to faculty, staff and students,” Fox said. “I work very closely with our dining service and appreciate everything they do for this event and all others [who] had a hand in.”
Tech: New computers on campus Laser: Sophomore students will equipped with updated programs spend up to five weeks with program Continued from A1
vice president for Information Technology Services and chief information officer, said that the IT Customer Service Satisfaction Survey played a big part in making the decision to replace the computers. “One [of the issues] was the computer labs,” said Dumire. “That was noted and students in particular were talking about the fact that they were having issues getting the computers to come on, or computers were very, very slow, those kinds of things. So, as we went back and looked, it [the replacements] just made sense to us, it had been long enough.” In the span of four days, ITS striped out all the old computer te chnolog y, recycled most of it and hooked up the new PCs. With the wiring and network already set up during the Network Infrastructure Project a few weeks ago, all ITS had to do was
plug the new computers into the system. After they placed the PCs, ITS installed their own version of Windows into the computers. Josh Starsick, director of Information Technology Service, explained how ITS inputted the software into the computers. “If you noticed, all the computers are basically identical in terms of how you got Windows on them and the software you have on them,” said Starsick. “So they all are basically a clone of one another. That’s what we do with our image deployment process. You build a reference computer and then you take that computer, clone its hard drive and push it out to all the new computers.” ITS also bought part of the Adobe Creative Suite, which included Photoshop and Illustrator, for the new PCs. In the revamped labs in Hanna Hall, the application Quickbooks are available. Starsick said that
additional applications can be added in the future. “If the professor has a need for a specific type of software in a course,” said Starsick, “they can request that we install that. If we have the appropriate licensing and can support it, we are more than happy to install that for them.” The next project ITS will undertake is updating classroom technology. Starsick will lead a committee to evaluate what new technology is needed. The reason behind the focus on classrooms, Dumire said, is ease of use and unity among classrooms. “There will be new base line of technology that will be placed throughout campus and satellite campuses,” said Dumire, “so that any faculty member, regardless of what program they’re in, can walk into a classroom and easily utilize the technology.” If there are any questions about the new computers, contact the ITS Help Desk at 724-852-3413.
Continued from A1
stressed the importance of simulators to those in attendance. “This is the centerpiece of what we do," Jack told the audience. "We are teaching the next generation of law enforcement professionals the use of force continuum from their freshman year through their senior year." Jack explained that criminal justice students won't have to wait long to get involved with the simulations. "We have 41 freshmen this year in the program, all 41 have used this system," he said. "So, it’s not something you have to wait until the end of your career to take part in." Jack said that sophomore students will spend four to five weeks working with use-of-force scenarios that the simulation provides, while the upperclassmen are taking an advanced use-of-force class. Jack told those in attendance that nearly all of the faculty in the Criminal Jus-
tice Department come from a professional background, and that is a primary reason for the exercises being available. "They come from sheriff ’s departments and probation and parole offices, and federal agencies that come here and teach our students," Jack said. "We’re very proud of the professional staff we have, not only in our undergraduate program in criminal justice administration, but also our master’s program in criminal investigation—one of the very few criminal investigation master’s degrees in the country." For Godart, being able to take an intense situation and give it multiple outcomes is a significant aspect that the simulator provides. "Sometimes you don’t get the same level of acting that you might get from each individual from time to time," Godart told the audience. "On this system, we can take the same scenario, bring it to multiple directions, allowing the instructors here to really reinforce the use-of-force continuum that’s out there
today and the problems that our current law enforcers actually face in the field that the majority of people do not get a chance to really see on a day-to-day basis." After Jack finished speaking, James Tanda, director of Security Operations and Emergency Management and instructor of criminal justice, showed examples of possible scenarios, acting as a law enforcement officer. Overall, Jack feels fortunate that students in the department will be able to experience real-life situations through the simulator, and said that not a lot of programs have that opportunity. “Over the years I’ve been here, most employers when they call, they want to know if we’ve seen these students in stressful situations and if we think they can handle stressful situations,” said Jack. “Our program here, we’re fortunately one of the one ones that are able to really tell those people, ‘yes, we have seen them in stressful situations, and this is how they respond.’”
Election: Door hangers promoting presidential race against Senate policy Continued from A1
rule that states “campaign materials can only be posted on university bulletin boards.” After her first class Monday, March 19, Lawrence Stratton, Student Senate advisor, pulled her aside to inform her of a meeting due to the misconduct of her campaign related to the door hangers she created and posted. Within just five minutes, Schultz-Falandes, who says she “doesn’t try to cause trouble,” had gone from class to a room of administration members and was facing the threat of disqualification. “I didn’t think the door hangers would cause any harm – I felt that they were easily removable, they weren’t being plastered or fixed to the door in any way,” Schultz-Falandes said. “I personally felt that if people didn’t like them, they could easily remove them, or if someone had a problem they could personally approach me about it.” The other rules state that all materials must be approved by the associate dean of students as well as that campaign advertisements must be kept at least 25 feet away from election tables. A violation of these campaign rules, though the rules themselves are not listed in the Sen-
ate’s constitution, is grounds for disqualification of a candidate according to Student Senate president TJ DeNofrio. Additionally, Pat Bristor, associate dean of students, sent an email to Falandes informing her that she was only permitted to hang up campaign signs in locations where other flyers and posters were hung. In Bristor’s email to Schultz-Falandes, she directly stated “Please do not hang on doors, glass and bare walls.” According to a memo written by DeNofrio and distributed to those in attendance at the Student Senate meeting Tuesday, he said that SchultzFalandes “opted to go against the Associate Deans’ ruling” by the door handle advertisements. DeNofrio, sophomore sophomore pre-law major and political science minor, strategized with the senate as well as Stratton on the handling of Schultz-Falandes’ misconduct. According to DeNofrio, the decision to allow Schultz-Falandes to continue to be on the ballot and simply to postpone the vote was largely his, though he did seek the council of other members as well as the advisor. “It was down to my personal judgment on what to do and at this point I concluded that it was best to use this as an example of what not to do,”
DeNofrio said. “Almost as a learning experience. That way we can protect from or at least curtail this happening again in the future.” DeNofrio stated that postponing the vote was essential to help facilitate “clarification” on the Schultz-Falandes violation matter. Schultz-Falandes said she misinterpreted what Bristor said in the email, but moving forward in the campaign, she plans to continue her usual campaign strategies. “Moving forward from this, I am going to make sure that I follow the appropriate policies – I had no intentions of causing any problems with my door hangers, it was just out of the desire to get out to students in a creative way, and likely, I will probably continue to use the door hangers but only to distribute to students,” Schultz-Falandes said. “I will make them aware that they shouldn’t hang them up on their doors but if they would like to post them on Facebook to get the word out or something similar to that, they’re more than welcome to do so.” Schultz-Falandes said poor communication played a crucial factor in her misconduct and should be looked into further so it can be prevented in the future. “Because of this violation, it
Tiffany Morgan, Yellow Jacket
Olivia Schultz-Falandez didn't want to waste her penalized door hangers, so she began using them in other facets. One was spotted under a windshield wiper. has caused some concerns with the election itself – the policy in place is to ensure fair elections and to make sure everyone has equal playing field and running for whatever position that they might be running for,” Schultz-Falandes said. “I think there has been a lot of clarification issues and miscommunication regarding election rules and procedures, and I think it would be wise to clarify these to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.” Schultz-Falandes added that the situation could have been taken care of in a more effective fashion.
“The way I see it, I felt that it was pretty clear what I would use [the door hangers] for, so I felt that at the time, someone could have told me not to hang them on doors,” she said. “I felt that could’ve been handled better than being pulled into a meeting the day of the election.” Schultz-Falandes took credit for her mistake but explained that her door hangers were to gain positive feedback in the running election. “I am not trying to throw anyone under the bus whatsoever on any sides – I do accept some blame on my part for not clarifying this with the ap-
propriate people, but I also do feel that the hangers did not do anyone any kind of harm whatsoever and that I was just trying to campaign honestly and vigorously, trying to get the word out,” Schultz-Falandes said. “It was done with completely good intentions and out of the desire to talk to students and get the word out that I was running.” The elections were postponed from the original date of Monday, March 19 to the following week, March 26 to the 28. Voting will be held in the Beehive during lunch, as well as dinner in Benedum Dining Hall.
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March 22, 2018
Two-sport athlete receives accounting award Business course helps students use interpersonal skills By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
Throughout her time at Way n e s b u r g Un i versity, senior public accounting major, Addy Knetzer has been known for her athletic achievements as a basketball player and a shot-put thrower in track and field. But, Knetzer has also excelled in the classroom, and Feb. 5 she was recognized as one of three students to win an Institute of Internal Auditors Outstanding Accounting Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh chapter. According to the IIA website, the criteria for the honor includes maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or above—Knetzer has a cumulative of 3.7—as well as significant professional or community ser vice and experience in leadership positions. The t hree winners, including Point Park University students Andre Bennett and Chereese Langley along with Knetzer, also received a $2,000 scholarship check to be used for educational purposes. The 28 applicants from 11 different schools also had to submit an essay on the importance of internal auditing. Although Knetzer had been recognized for her essays in the past, she didn't have hig h
expectations of being one of the students picked for the Outstanding Accounting Achievement award. “I didn’t know how big the pool of students was. So, I didn’t really think I would win,” Knetzer said. “I thought there was a small chance, Knetzer said. “I’ve won [awards for] essays in the past, so I always thought it was possible. I don’t think that writing essays and applying for scholarships are ever a waste of time because there’s always a possibility you can get it.” When Knetzer found out she was a recipient, she was excited about the financial benefits. As a public accounting major, Knetzer needs 150 credits to get her Certified Public Accountant [CPA] license, and she will have to take classes in the summer to fulfill that requirement. When Knetzer found out she was one of the winners, she was relieved because the scholarship can help her pay for those extra classes. “I was super happy because I knew that I wouldn’t have to pay for summer school out of my own pocket,” Knetzer said. Knetzer was influenced to pursue the scholarship by Jayne Olshanski, assistant professor of accounting. Although the award
Knetzer has been available for years, Olshanski isn’t sure if anybody had ever applied. When Olshanski saw the s cholarship of fer from the IIA last year, she gave some of her classes instructions on how to apply, and encouraged her students to do so. Knetzer was the only one to apply, and ended up winning. Olshanski has had Knetzer in her classes over the past two years and describes her as a “hard-working, g re at student.” “My perspective on Ad d y i s t h at s h e’s a champion,” Olshanski said. “She gives the effort to succeed. She doesn’t let failure stop her. She reaches out for assistance and utilizes the resources available to her to succeed, and she’s down to earth. She can communicate and get along with people readily, and that drives good communication and just mutual respect.” A strong work ethic, whether in sp or ts or a c a d e m i c s , i s s om e -
thing that Knetzer has emphasized in her time at Waynesburg. In s p or t s , K n e t z e r earned All-American honors in track and field, placing fourth in the shot put at the national tournament last spring. As a forward on the women's basketball team, she was an all Presidents' At h l e t i c C o n f e r e n c e (PAC) selection in her sophomore and junior years. For Knetzer, while she puts a lot of time into sports, her achievements academically aren't as natural to her. “I think I work harde st i n t he cl ass ro om to do well,” she said. “Athletics come naturally to me. I work very hard on the [basketball] court and in the weight room to be good at sports, but I [also] work hard in the classroom to be where I need to be. It’s not that I’m naturally smart, I just work hard.” According to Olshanski, Knetzer is the first Waynesburg student to w in t he O utst anding Student Award, and she said the business department will continue to seek similar scholarship opportunities for its students. After graduation, Knetzer will intern at Holsinger PC, a public accounting firm, where she hopes to begin her career as an auditor.
Bonners lead suicide awareness walk By HOLLY HENDERSHOT Convergence Editor
Suicide is always a difficult subject to discuss, especially considering the stigmas surrounding mental health and the way suicide affects the family and friends of victims. But, it is also a very important topic, and students decided it needed to be addressed. Saturday, March 17, Waynesburg hosted an Out of Darkness Campus Walk to fight suicide. All were was invited to attend and participate, and around 200 people registered for the event, the first one to take place on campus. The event was set up into three parts; the prewalk, the walk and the post-walk. The pre-walk was in the old gymnasium next to the Rudy Marisa Field House, where clubs and organizations were set up at tables. Each one of the clubs did a different activity or sale pertaining to the theme of what makes people relaxed when they are stressed. Some of the clubs and their activities were the Art Club with coloring pages, the Psychology Club with a “Wall of Hope”, the football team with a corn hole game. The Lamplighters Choir had a table with aromatherapy, Denny Hall residents with kinetic sand, Bonner Scholars had candy and the Chemistry Club had slime. The walk, officially a 5k, took place around the four parks near the university at 2 p.m. The football team led the walk, holding a banner. Attendees moved back into the Marisa Field House for the post-walk event later on, where the Worship Team led praise and worship, and the clubs and organizations opened their tables again. Pizza that was donated from local shops, including Scotty’s Pizza, Dominos and Pizza Hut, was offered free to those who attended. Those who donated
Photo courtesy of Harry Oakes
Students walked to the old gymnasium to take part in the suicide prevention walk despite the cold, snowy weather. $100 or more received a free t-shirt, and if people signed up for the event through the Day of Service registration on the same day, they received a shirt as well. Junior music ministry and arts administration major Briana Ryan, came up with the idea for Waynesburg to host the event after speaking over the summer to Jennifer Sikora, who works with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, to organize suicide prevention events. “We went through a lot last year as a campus
faculty and students of Waynesburg University. “[We are] showing people that they’re not alone and hoping that people will reach out for help if they need it,” said Ryan. “I suffered from anxiety and depression for years, and it’s really hard to talk to people, because you don’t know who understands, and if I had known back then that people around me had also gone through it, I may have asked for help a lot sooner. So, that’s what I want this to be. I want the people who are suffering to realize they’re not alone, and that they
“A personal goal of mine is that this event would bring hope and just show that you're not alone in your struggles and that people on this campus are advocates for you.”
MELANIE BYLER
IBP Suicide Prevention Leader, Senior Exercise Science & Athletic Training Major
and, personally, I’ve gone through a lot in the past,” said Ryan. “The biggest issue is that people think they are suffering alone, and this event brings the community together, the faculty, the students, to show them that they’re not, but it doesn’t glorify it or memorialize it, it’s just a relaxing atmosphere to be in.” Ryan said that the main purpose of the event is to create awareness in the community and with the
can talk to people.” Senior Melanie Byler, exercise science and athletic training major who is also a Bonner Scholar, is the leader of IBP Suicide Prevention on campus. She worked with Ryan to facilitate meetings, plan the event, and accomplish organizational tasks. Byler said that an objective of hers is to show students that they don’t have to go through their struggles by themselves. “A personal goal of mine
is that this event would bring hope and just show that you’re not alone in your struggles and that people on this campus are advocates for you,” said Byler. “It’s so easy to feel alone in college and feel like you’re the only one dealing with issues, but that’s just not true.” Although Ryan said fundraising was not their main priority within the event, many students, community members and families donated to the cause. $3,570 was raised by the end of the event. The money will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “It’s just above my expectations, to be honest,” said Ryan. According to Ryan, some of the money comes back to the university through the training of faculty and staff in how to look for signs and handle situations on campus where a person might be a danger to themselves. Ryan and Byler said the university is planning on making the walk an annual event, and they are already talking about ideas for the event next year. They believe the subject is important and the university can continue to benefit greatly from this event in future years. “Four suicides in four years is what has happened here on campus. So, I think it’s time it’s talked about,” said Ryan.
By ANDREW HREHA
For the Yellow Jacket
Justin Kunschick, a senior accounting major in the Business Administration Department, is currently enrolled in the BUS 417 Management Policy class with his fellow Business Administration seniors. Man a ge m e nt Pol i c y is unlike other classes Kunschick is enrolled in, with the entire class focused around a business simulation called Marketplace Live. Professors in the department participate too, acting as investors with virtual money to the student run businesses. “Right before spring break we had what is called our funding request, where we would go to the different professors to ask for money for our business,” said Kunschick. “That is when we type up our 60 page business plan and pitch our ideas to get them to invest in our business.” Man a ge m e nt Pol i c y is a class designed and taught by Gordon McClung, chairperson for the Business Administration Department. The class is intended to bring together all skills in the business realm with a focus on interpersonal skills. “I tell them this class is everything since kindergarten,” said McClung. “In kindergarten you were supposed to learn how to treat others.” Teams with four to six members are in charge of every aspect of the business, from manufacturing to finances. Kunschick is in charge of both of these as a member of Perfect Craft. “As far as finance and accounting, I’m basically in charge of all the financial statements from the balance sheet, the income statements and, most importantly, the cash flow statement,” said Kunschick. “Investors want to see what you do with your money.” Teams in the class compete against each other in the simulation, attempting to run the most efficient and profitable business. “My team in particular is pretty competitive,” said Kunschick. “We started in the lead and [it] put a target on our back, because we were being so competi-
tive with it.” McClung has picked up on the competitive nature of the project, noticing that in addition to the points earned from winning the simulation, the added incentive of competition has helped students succeed in the simulation and in the class. “Most of them actually like competing with each other,” said McClung. “They get into that part of it because it is fun to compete with your peers.” McClung said that while competition helps promote hard work on the project, the class is not just about winning the simulation. “The biggest takeaway f rom it is how to respond under pressure and taking ownership,” said McClung. “That doesn’t mean you win the sim. It’s about learning how to work as a team.” R.J. Leon, a senior finance major enrolled in the class and is the CEO of Galaxy and Co. for his team, has realized the nature of the course as a mechanism to teach leadership and teamwork. “It’s not so much the technical things that we have learned in the busin e ss d e p ar t m e nt , but I think it’s more about the soft skills that the classroom doesn’t teach you,” said Leon. “For me, being the CEO, it’s more of a leadership role, team management, relationship building, things of that nature.” Leon has embraced this and has enjoyed his time this semester working on the project, which incorporates knowledge acquired during all four undergraduate years in the Business Administration program. “It’s a great course,” said Leon. “It’s everything we have learned in the four years here in one course.” Ku n s c h i c k b e l i e v e s the class has prepared him to enter the marketplace with valuable interpersonal skills that cannot be taught in a conventional class setting. “ To succe e d in t his class and in the business world as well, you need to work together as a team,” said Kunschick. “This is a class with so much work involved there is no way you can do it all by yourself, so its all about teamwork.”
Cummings: Passion for university leads VP to female leadership award Continued from A2
“Most enjoy meeting people I can talk to about Waynesburg University…” When Cummings entered the realm of higher education, she led the Bosch Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. But identifying with Waynesburg’s purpose and mission, she soon made the change. “My favorite aspect of this university clearly is the mission, but mostly it’s the people here,” she said. “It’s the sense of community and the people and their commitment to the mission, so that we’re all in it together…That’s the kind of work environment that having worked around the world, I can tell you: that doesn’t exist everywhere.” Today, Cummings is a full-time administrator, designing curricula and the learning experiences of
Waynesburg University’s graduate students. But she still teaches, as an adjunct, for fun. “I just love the people and the mission and the sense of community here,” she said. “And it’s been a fabulous move and I’ve never looked back. It’s truly been a joy to work at this university.” She remains focused on the well-being of the university, even with the spotlight on herself. The goal is to be "centered on the students," Cummings said. “How is my award going to build visibility for Waynesburg University?" Cummings asks herself. "How is that visibility for Waynesburg going to help us to attract students, donors, supporters that can make us be a stronger institution so that we can then do an even better job of helping our students to go out and change the world?”
SECTION B
MARCH 22, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
Conor Lamb wins special election
Close call produces unofficial results; Lamb claims victory over Saccone
49.9 %
By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
After months of campaigning, the special election for the 18th Congressional District has concluded. Barring unlikely circumstances, Lamb has unofficially claimed the district’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. A Democrat has not been elected in the 18th District since 2000. Mt. Lebanon native Conor Lamb, 33, unofficially beat Republican candidate Rick Saccone, 59, by a slim margin with ballots cast in parts of Greene, Washington, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. This election, which garnered national attention, was brought about after Republican Tim Murphy stepped down from his positon in October amid allegations of an extramarital affair. Lamb, wasn’t expected to win by much, given the district's history voting for Republican candidates. Murphy didn’t have a Democratic challenger in any of his last two elections and had easily won the district in every election since 2002. Additionally, President Donald Trump
114, 097 votes
Lamb
49.5 %
113, 339 votes
Saccone won the district by almost 20 percentage points in the 2016 election. It has yet to be determined whether Saccone’s campaign will challenge the results. The United Mine Workers of America supported Murphy in the past, but in this election, the organization endorsed Lamb, with UMWA President Cecil Roberts speaking in Greene County shortly before the election at a
rally hosted by State Rep. Pam Snyder. At the event, Roberts cited Lamb’s plans to protect Social Security, Medicare and pensions for coal miners. According to Phil Smith, director of communications and government affairs, Lamb’s support of labor unions led to UMWA’s backing. Smith said that Lamb was on board with the legislation regarding their plan, while Saccone never gave them his opinion.
“We have a crisis with our pension plan right now,” Smith said. “It’s on the verge of [collapsing], and there’s legislation in Washington that would help our retirees keep their pensions. We asked our candidates a very simple question; are you for [the legislation] or are you against?... Mr. Lamb supported it, Mr. Saccone refused to answer.” For Smith, Lamb’s backing of labor unions was “the rea-
son for his victory.” “When you win by such a close amount, and you have all the labor unions in your district supporting you, making phone calls, writing letters and having one-on-one contact with their members over and over and over again [it makes a difference]." he said. “When labor puts on a unified and coordinated ground game, it’s pretty tough to beat, and I think that was demonstrated here in this special election.” In Greene County, Saccone received almost 800 more votes—as verified by director of elections Tina Kiger—while also winning in Washington County by more than 3,000 votes and Westmoreland by more than 10,000. What made the difference in the voting, however, was Allegheny County—the largest in the 18th district—where Lamb edged Saccone by more than 15,000 votes. Greene County is significantly smaller than the other three, with less than 5,000 total votes. Saccone has yet to concede the election, and is beginning an effort to run in the redrawn 14th District. There is a good
chance that Republicans will contest the results, and if so, it could be weeks before the results are finalized. Kiger said the voting went well, with the only hitch being some confusion on the fact that not all of Greene County is located in the 18th district. “[The voting] went pretty smoothly,” Kiger said “We just had a few collaboration issues here and there... Our main thing was people calling because they went to vote and couldn’t, and they just wanted to know why they couldn’t. Normally everybody in the county is voting, and for the 18th congressional district, it was only the western half of the county.” Smith said that the UMWA plans to stay behind Lamb in the upcoming November elections. “I would imagine that we would [still support Lamb],” he said. “Although that’s in November and this is March, so there’s a lot of time between now and then… but Mr. Lamb has already demonstrated himself to be a friend of our union and a friend of our retirees, and I don’t know why that would change.”
Wolf releases new 5 Kidz Kandy plans springtime events one-stop website for Pa. businesses By MITCHELL KENDRA Associate Editor
By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor
In a state where 99.6 percent of businesses are small businesses, nearly half the workforce, the availability of resources and tools for entrepreneurs takes top priority. That’s according to Dennis M. Davin, secretary of Community and Economic Development – and that’s what led the office of Gov. Tom Wolf to create, earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Business OneStop Shop, a new website supported by a team of business experts. In a news release, Wolf said he launched the site to serve as a guide to small businesses through all stages of development. “I know first-hand how difficult it can be as a business owner to navigate through the complex web of processes, requirement and resources that are needed to successfully run a business,” said Wolf. “That’s why I tasked my administration to come together across agencies to simplify the pro-
cess so entrepreneurs can get back to doing what they do best – creating, innovating and succeeding in Pennsylvania.” The Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop, which officially launched Feb. 7, greets users on the landing page with the headline, “Welcome to your guide for doing business in Pennsylvania,” before it provides an organized list of links to critical documents business owners need access to. The creation of the website was described as an interagency collaboration among the departments of State, Labor and Industry, Revenue and the Office of Administration, according to the news release. Before, entrepreneurs would have to gather information from the different offices throughout the planning, startup and operation processes, which include business plan templates, registration, tax forms, licensing requirements and more. Now, WEBSITE >> B4
While 5 Kidz Kandy has only been in business since 2014, it has seen a consistent customers base to this day. The business regularly has specials and even does special events and offers on holidays. This past Friday, 5 Kidz Kandy hosted its second annual St. Patrick’s Day Ceili. The day went from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with customers coming during the time of day when the food they wanted would be served. Vliet said people were coming in the door right away at 8 a.m. to get Guinness Cupcakes, as well as other items like Mint Milkshakes, Irish Cream Coffee and Bailey’s Brownies, and more. Those who wanted more filling foods such as lunch items, came in at 11 a.m., when the business was serving Guinness Stew; Dublin Lawyer—lobster in a whiskey cream sauce—Cockle Soup, or clam chowder, and Rueben Slump. At 4.p.m., Vliet said the business started doing flaming desserts – where peaches and apples were lit on fire and put over ice cream – and oth-
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
5 Kidz Kandy will soon partner with High St. neighbor Fischer Antiques for the Spring Dream'in Tea Party, Saturday, March 31. ers looking for dinner came for the entrees listed above. Vliet said the time between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. was a little slow but once the flaming desserts started up, the crowed returned. Throughout the day, there was a steady flow of customers. Vliet used Facebook and Instagram to promote the event and had special fliers hung up in hopes of attracting new customers. She
said these fliers often catch the eyes of future customers who have never stepped foot inside of 5 Kidz Kandy. “The people who don’t normally pay attention to something like a lunch special, they’ll read the event flier,” Vliet said. “If they come in for it, then they see everything else that we have and it helps bring people back in, [sometimes as] regular lunch customers.” Despite promoting her
business both with physical fliers and fliers online, Vliet said people in the community are still unaware of the business. “We’ve been here almost four years and every week we have somebody who says ‘Oh I didn’t know you were here,’ or ‘Oh I didn’t know you did that,’ Vliet said. Vliet hosted the event last year and people asked her KANDY >> B4
Carmichaels honors Parkland victims Ryerson State Park By RACHEL MANGAN Associate Editor
Parents and guardians of high school and middle school students in the Carmichaels Area School District received a letter March 13, informing them that students across the country were planning a nationwide walk-out. Most of the demonstrations were planned in honor of the 17 victims of the recent shooting at Parkland High School in Florida, and in protest, to advocate for stronger gun legislation. The letter stated that students in this school district would have the opportunity to deal with the horrific event in an alternative way. Carmichaels Area School District wanted to handle the students’ desires to honor
those victims in a way that would not cause a disruption to students who did not wish to take part in the ceremony, according to Superintendent of Schools John Menhart. Menhart said the event was a “100% voluntary” ceremony to honor the victims of the Parkland school shooting. He also said that a majority of the students opted to remain in their classes, but that the event was put together in a way to not interfere with classes. “The whole ceremony went off without a hitch in that everyone acted respectfully and either chose to go to the gym for the 17-minute ceremony or they had the choice to stay in class,” said Menhart. “This was a private event and so we did not allow any media groups to come in
and photograph or video any of the students or the event.” Another national movement that has gained momentum since the Parkland school shooting has been the push for the “walk-up” movement. The basis of the movement is for students to walk up to 14 students and three teachers and say something kind to them, in honor of those 14 students and three teachers who lost their lives in the recent tragedy. Menhart said students in his school district have participated in this initiative, of their own volition. “I’m really proud of the way that students handled this event. Our student government approached administrators about doing something on March 14,” said Menhart. “America is
a democracy and we want students to know and how to do things in a democracy the right way.” Menhart was also proud of his students because they were open to the idea of the sacrificial choice they could make. “This whole [event/ceremony] was a learning experience for the students because this gave them the chance to choose whether or not they wanted to be a part of it,” said Menhart. Menhart also stressed that the ceremony was not in any way a protest for gun control, like some students and schools around the nation were participating in March 14. The event was solely to honor the victims of the shooting and to encourage positivity.
to see improvements for Re-Vision project By MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor
After years of planning and waiting, Ryerson Station State Park will receive several improvements, as part of an initiative known as, “Re-Vision Ryerson.” These improvements will include a general renovation of the campground and its amenities, a new swimming pool and a spray park. The Re-Vision Ryerson initiative is in direct correlation to the loss of Duke Lake, a 63-acre body of water that was drained due to the
failure of the dam system in July 2005, according to the Re-Vision Ryerson Station State Park Public Input Report on the Department of Conservation and National Resource’s website. With the loss of Duke Lake, which provided various family activities like fishing and boating, the park leaders came together to brainstorm a replacement. Thus, the ReVision Ryerson initiative was born. For Alan Johnson, who has been the park manager RYERSON >> B4
Page B2
March 22, 2018
SPJ BEST ALL-AROUND N O N - DA I LY N E W S PA P E R WINNER: 2004 2016 FINALIST: 2003 2013 2014
Being an independent voter isn't easy RACHEL MANGAN Columnist
STAFF: Executive Editor Managing Editor Sports Editor Associate Editors
Mattie Winowitch Teghan Simonton Luke Goodling Grace Hutchison Matthew Shinkle Mitch Kendra Samantha Chadwick Tiffany Morgan Rachel Mangan Photography Editor Michelle Keith News Convergence Editors Emmalea Beck Tyler Godwin Holly Hendershot Colin McLaughlin Graphic Designer Cheyenne Nester Staff Writer Drew Hreha Editorial Assistants Antonio Pelullo Joe Smeltzer Eddie Boice Michael Cappelli Kaden Hurley Copy Editor Tessa Masula Advertising Director Ben Norman
ADVISORS Richard Krause Jacob Meyer
Sarah Bell Kristine Schiffbauer
Editorials in the left-hand column represent the views of the Yellow Jacket. Letters from readers, columns, cartoons and other elements on the editorial page do not necessarily reflect the position of this newspaper and university.
EDITORIAL
A New Perspective
Politics is a topic that people are either incredibly passionate about or one they actively avoid because of the tension it can cause. Everyone has that family member at Easter dinner that they hope doesn’t bring up the topic because if they do, in a matter of minutes, the whole table is arguing and trying to get their staunch point of view in.
However, politics is not the only part that can make people uncomfortable with the conversation. Campaigning and voting for just about any position in government has become a mess of negative ads and slandering opponents in an attempt to one up them. In many cases, each candidate represents one side, while the other holds the opposite views and values. This can make voting especially challenging for anyone who falls in the middle. Many students were re-
quired to take a survey/test in a high school government or economics class that’s purpose was to help figure out which way our political views leaned in terms of republican vs. democrat and liberal vs. conservative. For some voters, those simple and strongly defined categories just don’t work in conjunction with their views. To clarify, many candidates have a strict list of views and goals for their hopeful time in office, but someone may only agree with one aspect of that candidate’s plan.
People who develop their political views based on topics and situations, as opposed to ‘choosing a side,’ can often feel like they’re being stuffed into a box, or being forced to vote for the lesser of two evils when you disagree with many views. Being an independent voter has its advantages, such as not being limited to voting for one party. These voters have the freedom for their votes to fluctuate between parties as you see fit. VOTING >> B3
College students need easier voting process GRACE HUTCHINSON Columnist
The classroom was quiet. Too quiet. It was my sophomore year of high school as I squirmed, searching for comfort in the public high school’s signature uncomfortable red plastic chairs. My focus was almost entirely upon my desperate battle with my desire to nap rather than my civics teacher, who had lost her train of thought and thus the attention of her students, in
a tangent about the importance of young people voting. Saying that I found the lecture agonizing to listen to is a gross understatement, but, to my own credit, I didn’t find voting within my range of worries at the time. “Voting is easy, right?”, a younger, more naïve Grace thought to herself. What was to stop me? My gender had earned the right in 1920, and I had no intentions of committing a felony before I reached the legal voting age. I imagined simply going to the ballot box in 2016, voting for the best candidate and flying in my hovercar back to college.
After assuring myself of this scenario, I found my stress better placed on standardized testing, waiting for Beyoncé’s next album and learning how to parallel park. Little did I know, not only would my ability to exercise my core right as an American citizen be challenged, but my pursuit of higher education would be the culprit. According to U.S. Census Bureau, the 18 to 24 age range has had the lowest voter turnout of all ages in every presidential election since 1962. This historic lack of voters has likely swayed the outcomes of elections, and its causation is
largely non-discussed. Voters within this life stage may not vote for a variety of reasons, including lack of interest, feeling no personal ties to the community in which they live or, unfortunately, the inability to vote due to time restrictions and difficulties caused by attending college. College classes fill approximately nine months out of the year, and many students may attend school outside of state or the communities in which they grew up. This leaves citizens living in communities in which they have no influence. COLLEGE >> B3
The next generation is getting involved
It has been more than a month since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida that, left 17 dead and many others wounded. In recent weeks since the shooting, the debate over gun control has come and gradually faded as it typically does after mass shootings in the United States. However, the period after this incident was unique in that the country saw a rise in activism from the youth directly affected and involved in the incident. Multiple protests and movements were created in the wake of the shooting, while a select few of the students have become incredibly vocal on social media and at rallies as well. Two of the more vocal leaders, Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, have been on CNN and other news stations to talk about their feelings on related issues, such as gun control, arming teachers and the need for Congress to act after mass shootings to protect students. Of course, high school students and those preparing for college are not going to provide the country with the still apparent elusive answer to mass shootings and gun violence in the United States on their own. Yet, it does provide the country with the voice from these students on a grand scale, that has gone unnoticed for a surprisingly long time. These students, after a horrific incident, stood together to start a conversation about an important issue that many would like to simply avoid. Through panels, interviews and rallies, they have discussed what it’s like to go through what they experienced and, hopefully, helped bring us closer to an answer. Before a solution can be made, however, it is important to hear from both sides of the gun control debate. Dakota Hanchett, a junior high school student in New Hampshire, did not join his school’s walkout earlier this week held both in remembrance of those who died and in protest of the firearms and the National Rifle Association. He wrote a column for The New York Times discussing what it is like to be a firearm user in some schools across the country. As a gun-owning teenager, he described the environment at his school about guns as uncomfortable because very few of his classmates are not educated on their use for hunting or farming. These students only know what they see in horrific incidents on the news: someone using an assault rifle to murder innocent people. Near the end of the piece, he raises the question of why we don’t teach about gun safety in schools like we do sexual education, drugs and alcohol. At the very least, this can help start getting some education about the culture that is currently out there. As for the national debate, that may still remain a problem. Mental illness and access to guns will most likely continue to be the talking points the two sides fixate on. Until those in charge of the country can engage in meaningful debate on a national scale, educating the public is at the very least a good first step to ending gun violence, one way or another. NEWSPAPER POLICY The Yellow Jacket is the student-operated newspaper of Waynesburg University funded by student fees and advertisements and is intended for the entire college community. The Yellow Jacket is produced by the student staff on a weekly basis during the academic year. The office of the Yellow Jacket is located in room 400 of Buhl Hall. It is the right of the Yellow Jacket to print all material deemed newsworthy and gathered in a fair and unconditional manner. No advance copies of stories will be shown, and reporters' notes are considered confidential. No "off the record" information will be accepted. ADVERTISING POLICY Anyone wishing to advertise in the Yellow Jacket should email the advertising director at jacketads@waynesburg.edu. Ads must be submitted by the Monday before publication date and not conflict with the university mission.
STARTING THE CONVERSATION
Senior Joe Pavlic 'humbled' after service trip The following is an interview with Joe Pavlic, a senior criminal justice major, as part of the Starting the Conversation series. By MATTHEW SHINKLE Q: This past spring break you went on the Habitat for Humanity trip in North Carolina, tell me a little bit about that experience and what you guys do there? A: "Every year, Waynesburg University sends down a bunch of students to participate in what they call the Collegiate Challenge. It's basically a bunch of schools get together and they take turns building a house for people in need down there. "This past spring, we went down and started to build a house for a homeless couple. We basically go down, and I dont want to say give up, but we're basically giving up our breaks to help those need the help to do this themselves."
Q: What interested you to go on this service trip?
those relationships with others as well over the years.
A: "I looked at it as, this is my senior year, so I looked at it as I wanted to be able to give back in a way that I haven't been able to do so yet. "I've been given so much so far, and plus I looked at this as a great way to grow in my faith. I figuered I don't need to be doing what most students are doing, like going on vacations for their break, I'd rather go down and do service and be able to get closer to my faith as well as give back."
Q: What would you say to students who are interested in service trips through Waynesburg, but aren't entirely sure?
Q: Being that you've gone on many different service trips, do you enjoy the oppourtunity to go on the same trip or would you rather try out different ones?
A: "In my opinion, it humbles you, first of all. Knowing that we get so much and have so much, but just take it all for granted. "Going on these trips,
A: "It's nice to go on different ones cause you get to see different aspects that you don't normally see, but I also do enjoy going on the same ones because you not only are to build relationships, but continue growing
A: "Don't think twice; just go for it. It'll be one of the best decisions you make. If you overthink it, then you might end up regretting it and not go." Q: Why do you, personally, think it's so important for students to go on service trips while in college?
it makes you realize how much you truly have. You don't realize it until you're there and see these individuals who have virtually nothing. And yet, we're here complaining because we don't have the newest iPhone or pair of Jordans or whatever. "They're just grateful that someone is willing to give up their spring break to help them get somewhere to live. It's a humbling experience and it makes you truly realize how much you have. "Until you do a service trip like this, you don't realize how big of a hand you have in the things going on around you. No matter how big or small the things you do, you have a huge hand in everything. You take a part in everything."
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters to the editor are encouraged as a method to bring issues of concern into the public eye. Letters should be typed, limited to 300 words, signed and include a phone number for confirmation. Letters may be submitted to 400 Buhl Hall, sent to the Yellow Jacket via campus mail or via email to jacket@waynesburg.edu. Letters may also be sent to Yellow Jacket, 400 Buhl Hall, Waynesburg University, 51 W. College St., Waynesburg, Pa. 15370. All letters must be received by 5 p.m. the Monday of any publication week.
March 22, 2018
Page B3
Cheat Sheet: Lamb victory thanks to more moderate views Editor's Note: The following is a synopsis of a recent topic trending in world or national news. By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
Democrat Conor Lamb has unofficially won the 18th congressional district special election, by a margin of around 700 votes. Lamb has been labeled a moderate democrat, which are often the candidates chosen by the election agency that helped him win a traditionally Republican district. President Donald Trump even called Lamb similar to himself at a private fundraiser March 14 for Missouri senate candidate Josh Hawley. “The young man last night that ran, he said, ‘Oh, I’m like Trump. Second Amendment, everything. I love the tax cuts, everything.’ He ran on that basis,” Trump said. “He ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me. I said, ‘Is he a Republican? He sounds like a Republican to me.’”
Tribune News Service
Democratic congressional candidate Conor Lamb, left, and Jon "Bowzer" Bauman from Sha Na Na in Lamb's campaign office. Lamb defeated Republican Rick Saccone in the 18th congressional district special election. The agency that helped Lamb climb to victory in the conservative area is called the “Blue Dog Mafia,” also known as the Blue Dog Coalition. Members included former policy and campaign aides. This was the first time that the group was a partnered with
a winning party’s election since 2006, according to Kristen Hawn, former communication director to the Blue Dog Coalition. One of the things the group advised Lamb to do was to stay away from taking hard democratic stances, and instead inherit one that his
constituents agree with. Rep. Denny Heck, a Democrat from the state of Washington, is a part of the New Democratic Coalition, a pro-business coalition with 68 members. Heck told CNN that the ability to focus on local issues helps elect officials that run on
issues in the communities. “Talk about the issues that matter in your community. Involve people in your community, engage in conversations about issues that affect your community,” Heck said. “They won't be the same as my community.”
After the election, the GOP wanted to challenge election results due to reports of voting interference, but according to the Associated Press, those reports have no validation. “There are no legitimate claims or complaints or evidence that any such events occurred. These claims should not be taken seriously,” said Wanda Murren, communications director for Pennsylvania's Department of State. After Lamb was reported to have won, the GOP also considered filing for a recount because of the close results of the election. As of Tuesday morning March 20, nothing has been filed. The special election will have Lamb in control of the 18th district until the November election. Then Lamb will have to run again in the newly drawn 17th district that will take action May 15. The 18th district will go from four counties to one, taking over half of Allegheny County, while Washington, Greene and parts of Westmoreland counties move to the 14th district.
In the News: Five headlines you need to know this week we are going to have to be strong on penalties.” The White House has a three-headed approach to fighting opioids: strengthen law enforcement against smuggling, build up a campaign to educate the American people about the dangers of opioid use and improve funding for through the federal government.
Editor's Note: The following is a synopsis of a recent topic trending in world or national news. 1) Alabama representative makes controversial comments An Alabama lawmaker has recently stated that he would be against arming teachers, for the simple fact that most teachers are women and that women “are scared of guns.” Harry Shiver, a Republican state representative from Alabama who made the comments, also stated that women don’t want to be trained. “I’m not saying that all [women], but in most schools, women are [the majority] of teachers,” said Shiver. “Some of them just don’t want to [be trained to possess firearms.] If they want to, then that’s good. But most of them don’t want to learn how to shoot like that and carry a gun.” He also said that he believed most women “are scared of guns.” The Alabama representative first made the argument in a public hearing addressing a bill to authorize arming teachers. The bill would permit teachers to carry pistols in schools after completing 40 hours of training, according to the state legislature's website. Shiver later expressed concern that police could mistake armed teachers for gunmen in a school shooting scenario as he has family who served as highway patrolmen “When a highway patrolman bursts onto a scene like that, they shoot the first one holding the gun out,” Shiver said. “They aren’t told that the person is qualified (to carry a firearm).” The bill was later approved by the House
-Fox News -March 18 4) Senator and former CIA Director trading blows Tribune News Service
Emergency medical personnel load an overdose victim into an ambulance. Nationwide, an increasing number of people who are rescued refuse to be transported to a hospital. committee, according to a tweet from Republican Rep. Will Ainsworth, the bill’s sponsor. -CNN -March 16 2) Bridge collapse in Florida leaves multiple dead In order to increase safety, a bridge was undergoing construction at Florida International University. The construction began as a result of a vehicle striking an FIU student last year, with the above walkway intended to create less worry for pedestrians. Instead, it collapsed, just a short time before it was scheduled to open, killing at least six people and crushing several cars below. “If anybody’s done anything wrong, we’ll hold them accountable,” said Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Emergency teams have moved their focus from a rescue mission to the “very slow process” of digging through the debris for more victims as well as preserving evidence around the unstable bridge remains,
according to Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta. Of the six people who were killed, five of the bodies were still under the bridge Friday morning, Zabaleta said. An engineer that works for the company that designed the bridge observed cracks on the north end of the bridge just two days before the collapse. The engineer sent a voicemail to a Florida Department of Transportation employee on Tuesday. The state employee didn’t hear the voicemail until Friday after the bridge collapsed. Robert Accetta, an investigator for the NTSB said that it was too early to tell from which section the bridged collapsed. -CNN -March 17 3) Trump intended to make progress on growing opioid epidemic In an attempt to slow down the opioid crisis, the White House announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for certain
drug traffickers. President Trump is also supposed to call on Congress, in the hopes that legislation will soon be passed. During his campaign, Trump promised that fighting the opioid crisis a top priority and was scheduled to announce the plan on Monday. The president also suggested that the United States should institute the death penalty for drug dealers and also said that the American justice system is too soft on those in the drug trade. “You kill 5,000 people with drugs because you’re smuggling them in and you are making a lot of money and people are dying. And they don’t even put you in jail,” said Trump. “That’s why we have a problem, folks. I don’t think we should play games. “ Trump also made comments at a White House summit referring to other countries views on the death penalty for drug dealers. “Some countries have a very, very tough penalty – the ultimate penalty. And by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do,” said Trump. “So,
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul criticized former CIA Director John Brennan for inferring that President Trump will be remembered as a “disgraced demagogue.” “This man had the power to search every American’s records without a warrant,” Paul said in a tweet. “What’s disgraceful is attacking the Bill of Rights and the freedom of every American.” Paul has a history of disliking Brennan and, in 2013, he staged a 13hour filibuster to block former President Obama’s nomination of Brennan. He also took part in a bipartisan effort to remove Brennan as the CIA director. Paul took part in this after allegations of Brennan spying on Senate Intelligence Committee staffers. The most recent criticism from Paul comes from a tweet from Brennan criticizing Trump and his administration after a firing of an FBI official. U.N. ambassador for the previous administration Samantha Power defended Brennan on twitter. Power used potentially vulgar language in the tweet and followed it up with another tweet to curb the responses. “Whoa! Just home & see much misinterpretation of earlier tweet. It’s testament to polarized times that it could be misread to something
other than Brennan’s indignation,” Power tweeted. “So will translate: not a good idea to upset @JohnBrennan because he will raise an angry (& eloquent) voice.”
-Fox News -March 18th 5) Facebook under fire by two continents Lawmakers from the United States and England pressured officials from Facebook to explain how a political firm with connections to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was able to procure sensitive information from over 50 million Facebook profiles without alerting users. A Democratic Senator from Minnesota wants to force the chief executive for Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, to appear in front a panel to explain the alleged misuse of data. Meanwhile, a conservative lawmaker from Britain said that he too would also like to have Zuckerberg testify. “It is not acceptable that they have previously sent witnesses who seek to avoid answering difficult questions by claiming not to know the answers,” said Collins. Facebook has already been dealing with this issue over the past year and has struggled at times to keep the public on its side. Over the weekend top executives from Facebook tweeted arguments that the company was not at fault. “This was unequivocally not a data breach,” said Andrew Bosworth, a Facebook executive in a tweet. “No systems were infiltrated, no passwords or information were stolen or hacked.” -New York Times -March 18 Information curated by Michael Cappelli Editorial Assistant
Voting: A change needs to be made College: Our voices count just as much Continued from B2
The issue comes into view whenever neither candidate supports very many of your views, if any at all. This most recent presidential election between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump forced many people who are either registered as or identify as independents to consider which candidate
was the lesser of two evils in terms of their views, especially because campaigns and ads were so focused on making their opponent look bad instead of trying to get people to support their cause. In today’s political climate there is very little room for debate as the lines for each view point continue to shift further and further apart. People who tend to be more open minded and open to lis-
tening to the different opinions are being shoved into a box that their views simply do not fix with. These days political debates seem more like mixing oil and water as opposed to trying to find ways to represent all of the voters and because of this, Independent voters are left to ignore most of their views when it comes to choosing a candidate to represent their beliefs and concerns.
Continued from B2
on the representatives. Unfortunately, for voter registration these students must provide a permanent address, which is quite elusive for a young adult who is attending college. They are put in a conundrum by writing their home address, their technical “permanent address”, and thus making themselves ineligible to
vote where they spend most of their time. As voting day approaches, most are unable to make the trip to the home ballot in which they are registered, and I personally found getting an absentee ballot to be a slow and confusing process. I was left completing bureaucratic paperwork instead of checking the box of my selected candidate. If Americans are unable
to vote where they would be most affected by the outcome, we must ask if this is simply an inconvenience, or perhaps a much larger and, in my opinion, an unconstitutional matter. Though it would send a shiver down the spine of the girl who daydreamed during civics class, I must reiterate the concerns of my teacher that voting is vital and a right that is being threatened to college students nationwide.
Page B4
March 22, 2018
VFW hosts community craft fair, rallying support for veterans By TIFFANY MORGAN Associate Editor
Wit h p a i nt br u s h i n hand, Lisa Belding effortlessly brushes it against the canvas. Layer by layer, she creates definition, highlights and color to portray a reflection of herself and her life. Belding, who used to work at Waynesburg University, started painting six years ago, and each one of Belding’s paintings and artwork are a piece of her life that portray a story. Belding describes a therapeutic feeling when creating her paintings. “I just love doing it – for people who are not verbal, it is very good therapy,” Belding said. “I always say that when I do my paintings, you get a soul shine inside of you…you can’t even explain it – it’s just an incredible feeling and I would just like others to experience that.” For the last 10 years, Belding’s big goal with her artistic passion is to get members of the community together to paint some of the old, run-down buildings in town. “If we get the locals involved, everyone is going to have a piece of [themselves] on this wall,” Belding said. Belding was present at a craft show Saturday, March 17, hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars 4793. Auxillary President Renee Jones, has been an active part of the community, and is motivated to bring the community together
and support veterans. For Jones, her roles as the auxillary president and district president for region number 24 are more than just positions: she is an advocate for the community. “I have always been a community person,” Jones said. “I come from a family of veterans. So, I feel strong about supporting our veterans” The craft show has become an annual community event, with this being its third consecutive year. Jones brainstormed the idea in hopes that it would be a successful way to support veterans. “I suggested that we try a craft show and see how it’d work – it has grown by leaps and bounds,” Jones said. “It is doing quite well and it is here to support our veterans.” Jones sees the success of the VFW 4793 today and credits the many events held to raise money for veterans. Her message through each event is simple: “Support our veterans.” Jones was already an active member of the VFW 4973, but she was asked to take charge and take on a larger role. Jones began with a specific goal: she and the other members involved wanted to develop the organization, to be more successful with supporting veterans. “I have a strong set of officers behind,” Jones said. “We stepped in and looked to see what needed to be built back up and have been working strong at it ever
Tiffany Morgan, Yellow Jacket
Lisa Belding, local artist, displays her work at the craft fair hosted by VFW 4793 Saturday, March 17. The craft show is one of many events that draws revenue for the post.
since as a team.” The craft show is just one of the many events that Jones utilizes to connect those in the community and recognize local talent. “It brings the community together – it shows what our community has to offer [in a small way],” Jones said.
Cornerstone Ministry hosts breakfast Ryerson: Renovations By EDWARD BOICE Editorial Assistant
For many, the John Humble Pancake Breakfast was an opportunity to honor a deceased friend. Cornerstone Ministry Center opened their doors to the community March 17. Pouring time and resources into the surrounding communities is what Cornerstone Ministry Center does. In order for that to happen, however, the ministry needs money for their programs to continue to flourish. Serving pancakes from their camp kitchen and asking for donations is one of their ways of raising money. Camp Director Moriah Merrill said that the breakfast’s donations are used primarily to keep the ministry and its activities running. “It’s to help raise funds for the organization as a whole,”
said Merrill. “To help cover costs, repair the camp and needs here at the camp.” The breakfast was dedicated to John Humble, former chairman of the Capital Funds Campaign. After serving over 10 years at Cornerstone, Humble became respected for his enthusiasm to serve the community, support local businesses and bring children to Christ. Judy Virgili, Released Time director, reminisced about all he did and how much everyone respected Humble. “He was a dear friend,” said Virgili. “He was always here and was always raising funds for us. He had a gift for that. He would go into some of the banks and some of the administrators would laugh and say, ‘John, what do you want now?’ He had such a good rapport.” Around the same time as the breakfast, Cornerstone
hosted another event, called Day at the Camp. The event gave children, from first to sixth grade, a glimpse of what the Cornerstone Ministry Center summer camp is like to attend. Parents could leave their children at the event and then attend the pancake breakfast or stick together through both events. Merrill said that Day at the Camp gives newcomers an idea of what they could be doing this summer. “This is just a one-day event where kids who never have been out, can come out, meet the staff and see a little bit of what we have to offer prior to signing up for a full week of summer camp,” Merrill said. Cornerstone Ministry Center is the home of Children’s Bible Ministries of South Western Pennsylvania, a non-profit, non-denominational organization.
Merrill said that the Center has an interesting background. “We previously were the Dilworth Coal Mine, that is where our facility is located,” said Merrill. “The Dilworth Coal Mine, which was owned by the [Consolidation] Coal Company, donated the property to our organization. In 2008, they gave us permission to come out to the property. In 2010, we held our first year of camp.” Located in Jefferson, Pennsylvania, the ministry’s facilities are used as a summer camp for children. The ministry also leads a program called Released Time, an hour-long session where children from grade schools come to the ministry’s facilities and are given biblical instruction. The program has provided for 25 schools since 1970.
Website: Gov. office Kandy: High St. candy provides resources to set store still sees success business owners at ease during holiday events Continued from B1
all of those resources are in one place. Several State Representatives across Pennsylvania have expressed support for the new site, including Rep. Jared G. Solomon, Rep. Brian Ellis and even Democratic Chairman of the House Commerce Committee Rep. W. Curtis Thomas. Rep. Pam Snyder, of the 50th Legislative District, was unable to be reached for comment. Whether or not the site will have direct effects on the local level has yet to be determined, however. Melody Longstretch, executive director of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, said she has not yet visited the new site. She said her organization assists new businesses in the same way the Pennsylvania Business One-Stop Shop does: providing information and resourc-
es to local entrepreneurs. “We provide information for those interested in starting their own business and the first thing that we do is to direct them to the University of Pittsburgh’s Small Business Development Center…” said Longstretch. “The Chamber and the SBDC work well together; they help the business get up and running and then the Chamber helps them promote and grow the business.” In a newsroom blog post published by Gov. Wolf ’s office, Davin said the goal is to make starting a business easier in Pennsylvania and to help the economy thrive. “Our state is leading the way for successful businesses and communities with innovation, imagination and a legendary can-do spirit, and we hope this resource and the information it provides will inspire you to join our vibrant and supportive business community and turn your vision into a reality,” Davin said.
Continued from B1
to host the St. Patrick’s Day event again. “[To me it means] that at least on certain days of the year we do something right I guess,” Vliet joked on her thoughts when customers ask her to reschedule events. With warmer temperatures coming soon, Vliet hopes to continue to improve the foot-traffic to her business and High Street in general. While 5 Kidz Kandy does cater, Vliet is continuing to look for ways to bring new customers through the doors. One new way Vliet is trying to reach out to the local community is the Spring Dream ‘in Tea Party. The café and catering business will team up with Fischer Antiques to host the event Saturday, March 31. The event is a four-course
luncheon, where those in attendance have the option of picking four sandwiches out of six options, and four desserts out of six options and will have a bottomless tea pot. The event will be held at 62 East High Street, where Mark IV Office Supply & Printing was, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Vliet said the collaboration will help both businesses, along with others on High Street, by simply attracting more people. “Trying to get people to come to High Street…to bring people to town and to do something fun and different,” she said. The event is by reservations only: to reserve a spot, contact Fischer Antiques at 724-833-9310. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under and the Easter Bunny will also be making a surprise visit at the event.
to benefit community after lake draining
Continued from B1
for the last decade, Re-Vision Ryerson has been about trying to meet the needs of current and future camp-goers. Since 2015, Johnson has been a member of a task force that has gone out to public forums to gauge what exactly those needs are. “We have been trying to go out and engage the community in lieu of the dam,” Johnson said. “Everything we came up with were all things that were identified during the public process.” The first project to be completed will be a general renovation of the campground and its amenities. Johnson said these renovations will include the construction of three more camping cottages, updated sewerage systems, RV accessibility and, for the first time in the park’s history, showers. “I think that just by having modern amenities in the campground, it will allow more people to use the campground,” Johnson said. “However, despite being modern, we still plan to maintain the rustic feel of the park.” Once the campground renovations are completed, the next set of renovations will begin: the swimming pool and spray park. Johnson said these renovations are still in their final stages of planning. “The community is greatly going to benefit from the new swimming pool and spray park,” Johnson said. “One thing we looked at with the spray park was that it will allow us to expand the swimming season because there will not need to be a lifeguard present.” Prior to the Re-Vision Ryerson initiative, the DCNR and Ryerson Station officials originally wanted to construct a new dam to rebuild Duke Lake. To do so, according to the Re-Vision Ryerson Station State Park Public Input Report, they needed to comply with the
DEP’s Dam Safety permitting requirements, which requires a general survey of the land. Due to unusual seismic activity detected during these surveys, the DCNR was required to withdraw the permit and put all Ryerson updates to an immediate halt. “Greene County lost a significant recreational resource when the lake was drawn down, and we know many residents and community members will be disappointed that replacement of the dam is currently not possible with an unstable foundation,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said in a news release produced by Pennsylvania’s DCNR July 24, 2015. It was only a few months after this statement was released that Johnson and his team were able to get to work and come up with a comprehensive plan for the Re-Vision Ryerson initiative. Jeremy Rekich, DCNR’s regional parks manager of western Pennsylvania, said part of the delay of Re-Vision Ryerson has been due to their team making sure everything is perfect. “We do a lot of thorough planning, and we want to make sure we do things the right way the first time,” Rekich said. “It’s taken us some time to get up to this point because it’s been very planful.” The current timeline that is in place has the first set of campground renovations being completed by the end of this upcoming summer. Rekich said he is looking forward to the outcome, but the planning process has been just as exciting. “For me and the entire team, there are not very many opportunities in our careers where you get to build a brand-new state park,” Rekich said. “From the original concepts and the final designs to the bidding process and the upcoming construction, we are excited to be able to finally open.”
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MARCH 22, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG | @YJ_SPORTS
CHAMPION NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships
JAKE EVANS MAKES HISTORY
©Jay LaPrete, NCAA Photos
Junior Jake Evans outlasted James Bethel in the championship bout, securing a takedown with 1:03 remaining in the third period to clinch the 10-5 victory.
Evans conquers Bethel, grabs school's first D-III national title By LUKE GOODLING
was a national champion.
Sports Editor
Evns stood under the lights of the Cleveland Public Auditorium waiting for the final bout of the weekend. It was the second consecutive year Evans made it to the national tournament, but this time, things were different. The match was for the heavyweight national title and was the farthest Evans had ever made it in his wrestling career, and he knew it. “This was the biggest one,” Evans said. “This was the one that counted.” The two heavyweights took the stage. Evans paced impatiently. His competitor, James Bethel from SUNY Oneonta, adjusted his shoes. Then they shook hands, got into stance and Evans had seven minutes to prove he
*** The path to the final bout wasn’t simple for Evans. As a freshman, Evans’ aspirations went only as far as being able to compete at the collegiate level. When head coach Ron Headlee first recruited Evans, he didn’t see a national caliber athlete in Evans. It was his persistent work ethic that began to change opinions within the coaching staff. “When he first stepped on campus I wouldn’t say, ‘Hey, I think this is a potential national champion,’” Headlee said. “He’s just changed our heads and really kept working at it.” After getting within one match from making nationals in the regional tourna-
ment his freshman year, Evans ended the season wanting more. Two years later, as a junior, Evans entered nationals with anxiousness. More prepared
“When [Evans] first stepped on campus I wouldn't say, 'Hey, I think this is a potential national champion.'”
RON HEADLEE
Head coach
than he had ever been before, finishing in the top three was the original goal set for Evans. Coming in as the fifth seed at 285 pounds, he wasn’t a tournament favorite. Regardless, Headlee knew Evans’ talent—it
wasn’t about the placements on paper, it was about the results on the mat. “We could have been upset and thought he could have been seeded higher,” Headlee said. “But I kind of liked where he was seeded.” As the bouts came and went for Evans, Headlee saw each one present a new opportunity for failure that had to be conquered. In the quarterfinal, Isaiah Bellamy from Wesleyan University brought the challenge of being the fall leader in the country. “Each [match] was like a different challenge for [Evans], with a different type of wrestler,” Headlee said. Evans would go on to secure a thirdperiod takedown against Bellamy, which brought him to the semifinals. While the coaches watched anxiously EVANS >> C3
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March 22, 2018
Track & field overcomes snow in first meet Jackets thankful for opportunities given at national matches By MICHAEL CAPPELLI Editorial Assistant
Waynesburg University women’s track & field team traveled to Muskingum University to compete in the Muskie Duals facing a light field of competitors and frigid weather.. The Yellow Jackets performed well despite poor weather conditions and a small number of competitors. Head coach Michelle Cross was still pleased with her team’s performance even though the conditions were not ideal. “This meet is a little bit of a smaller field,” said Cross. “But it’s very good talented competition and they did really well even despite the cold.” In the sprints, junior Cassidy Guiser was able to complete a three-event sweep. Guiser won the 200-meter in 28 seconds, the 400-meter in 1:03 and she was a part of the Jackets winning 4x400-meter relay team which finished with a time of 4.24. Cross was aware that sprinters do not always perform well in the cold for fear of injury, but was proud to see Guiser compete hard. “[Guiser] ran a really nice 400 and a really nice 200,” said Cross. “When it’s cold they always have it the back of their mind ‘like am I going to pull hamstring’ so it’s always good to see someone take the type of attitude and go after it.” In other sprint events, senior Marla Holland won the 100-meter with a time of 13.92, while freshman Katherine Fair won the 100-meter and 400-meter hurdles respectively. Staying on the track, senior Angie Marchetti placed second in both the 800-me-
By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
Photo courtesy of Patty Kaczynski Scott
Senior distance runner Julie Gerber placed in the top 10 for both the 800-meter and the 5K events at the Muskie Duals. ters and the 1500-meter races. Marchetti’s races stood out to Cross because she ran very similar to the way she did duwring the winter. “I thought [Marchetti] did a really nice job,” said Cross. “She basically hit almost exactly what she was running in indoor in both of her events and she competed really well.” Freshman Amber Yauch also had a productive day in the jumps. She took first in the triple jump with her top jump measuring 10.11 meters (33-2). She also placed second in long jump with a measure of 4.64 (15-2.75). Yauch was a standout on the women’s team during the indoor season and has
made a smooth change from high school to college. “Honestly, I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it is,” said Yauch. “I really like it and I think I transitioned really well.” Sprints and jumps were not the only events where the Yellow Jackets excelled however, as sophomores Jordan Simpson and Carli Polczynski paced the team in throws. The duo placed third and fourth respectively in javelin, while Simpson placed third in shotput as well. Simpson’s top toss sailed for 10.73 meters and was good enough to put her in the top spot on the PAC performance list. While most of the Yellow
Jackets performed well in the cold, there are always athletes that have issues or got hurt due to the weather. Junior Teghan Simonton was pulled from the 5,000-meter run for complications with her back. “[Simonton’s] back will s ometimes p op out of place,” said Cross. “I’ve noticed it tends to be worse in cold weather, if she’s in practice we can have her stop and stretch out, but in a meet, she didn’t have that option. So, we just decided to pull her.” Looking forward to the next meet, the Yellow Jackets are back in action Saturday, March 24, to compete in the Carnegie Mellon Invitational.
Three wrestlers were sent to nationals to represent the Yellow Jackets on one of the biggest competitions at the D-III level. In search for the school’s first individual national championship, junior Jake Evans was able to take one home in the heavyweight category. Waynesburg also sent senior Tristian Buxton in the 125 weight class and sophomore Ken Burrs in 197 weight class, but neither of them made it to the second day. Since the beginning of the year, head coach Ron Headlee felt he had at least three guys on the roster who could make it to nationals, and that’s the exact number of people that went. For Headlee, Evans’ win has been a long time coming. His accomplishment came over SUNY Oneonta junior James Bethel. Headlee admires all of Evans’ work. “There aren’t many things I can say about the hard work Jake put in,” said Headlee. After battling injuries all year, Burrs was able to find himself on the national stage. He was able to over throw third seeded Kyle Koser from Messiah College in a 9-8 upset to advance to the second round. He was defeated by sixth seed Triston Engle 5-4, and then lost in the first round of the consolation bracket. For Burrs, this journey was long awaited, as he fell 30 seconds short of earning a spot at nationals last year. Burrs feels his success this
year will carry momentum into the 2018-19 season for himself personally. “It’s a good feeling,” said Burrs. “I guess knowing that I’m on upper-end of the spectrum, especially leading into the next year [and] most likely [I’ll be] ranked pretty high, so it’s definitely a good feeling—like a good booster going to the next season.” For Buxton, the only senior of the group, this was his last opportunity for a national championship, and after an early first round exit, he knew there were not many matches left in his career. He lost in the consolation bracket to put an end to his historic Yellow Jacket career. For Buxton, although he was disappointed with the loss, he recognizes the high level of competition he was up against. “It was definitely one of the toughest weight classes to be in, and the kids he lost to—they were both AllAmericans,” Headlee said. “He didn’t freeze up or anything like that, he went out and gave his all and it didn’t work out for him. His goal was to make it there and he did.” At the end of Evans’ win, Headlee was jumping up and down with assistant coach Gennaro Bonaventura after the historic victory, but Headlee knows that there is high and lows with wrestling. “I think back to it like you have so many ups and downs in wrestling,” Headlee said. “You have your highs like Jake winning, and then you have your Tristian being a senior and his last time competing and losing those kind of things are up and down.”
PRESIDENTS’ ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROUNDUP BASEBALL STANDINGS Geneva Wash & Jeff Westminster Grove City Saint Vincent Waynesburg Thiel Thomas More Chatham Bethany
SOFTBALL Conf. 2-0 2-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 0-2
Overall 11-2 7-6 5-4 6-8 4-8 4-8 4-9 2-7 5-7 2-8
Sunday’s Box Score
La Roche 5, Waynesburg 4 La Roche 100 040 0 Waynesburg 001 120 0
STANDINGS Saint Vincent Bethany Westminster Geneva Thomas More Waynesburg Thiel Grove CIty Wash & Jeff Chatham
LACROSSE (ORLC) Conf. 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0
Overall 9-3 7-3 9-5 8-6 6-6 5-5 4-8 2-4 2-6 2-10
Monday’s Box Score
5 4
RECENT RESULTS
Sunday, March 18 Tufts 8, Saint Vincent 2; Thiel 3, Baldwin Wallace (Game 1); Ohio Northen 2, Thomas More 1 (Game 1); LaRoche 9, Waynesburg 0 (Game 1); Sunny New Paltz 10, Wash & Jeff 5 (Game 1); Thiel 5, Baldwin Wallace 2 (Game 2); Ohio Northen 13, Thomas More 7 (Game 2); LaRoche 5, Waynesburg 4 (Game 2); Sunny New Paltz 5, Wash & Jeff 6 (Game 2);
WAYNESBURG 2, CARLOW 5 Waynesburg 010 000 1 Carlow 003 020 X
2 5
RECENT RESULTS
Saturday, March 24 Clarks Summit at Geneva - 1/4 p.m. DH; Hiram at Chatham - 1/4 p.m. DH; Saint Vincent at Westminster - 1/4 p.m. DH; Thiel at Grove City - 1/4 p.m. DH; Sunday, March 25 Hiram at Chatham - 12 p.m.; Penn State Altoona at Saint Vincent - 1/4 p.m.DH; Thomas More at Marietta - 2 p.m; Thiel at Mount Union 1/4 - p.m. DH Monday, March 26 Bethany at Pitt-Greensburg- 1 p.m.
Sunday, March 18 Southern Manie 11, Wash & Jeff 5; Alma 1, Thomas More 2 (Game 1); Alma 4, Thomas More 5 (Game 2); Allegheny 7, Wash & Jeff 3
UPCOMING GAMES Saturday, March 24 Waynesburg at Pitt-Greensburg - 1/3 p.m.DH; Westminster at Pitt-Bradford - 1/3:30 p.m.DH; Thomas More at Wittenberg - 1/3 p.m. DH; Geneva at Saint Vincent - 1/3 p.m.DH; Chatham at LaRoche - 1/3 p.m. DH; Houghton at Grove City - 1/3 p.m.DH
RBI: Luciana, 21, GEN; Kilkeary, 17, SVC; Wieland, 17, GEN
RBI: Lude, 17, GEN; Sleith, 16, SVC; Gahan, 15, TMC
ERA: Salmen, 1.20, WES; Bini, 1.50, GRO; Pullen, 1.80, WES
Batting AVG: Gahan, .576, TMC; Kondracki, .563, GRO; Johnson, .552, WJC WINS: Rohrer, 7, WES; Theiss, 6, GEN; Weiss, 4, BET ERA: Rohrer, 0.93, WES; Binkley, 1.75, BET; Bowers, 2.06, WAY
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
MUSKIE INVITATIONAL
MUSKIE INVITATIONAL
100 Meter: 1. Marla Holland, 13.92, Waynesburg
100 Meter: 1. Mark Minjock, 11.48, Waynesburg
200 Meter: 1. Cassidy Guiser, 28.02, Waynesburg; 2. Marla Holland, 29.67, Waynesburg; 3. Becky Marchetti, 29.77, Waynesburg
200 Meter: 1. Mark Minjock, 23.34, Waynesburg
400 Meter: 1. Cassidy Guiser, 1:03.86, Waynesburg; 2. Mary Double, 1:04.20, Muskingum; 3. Mary Beth Cunningham, 1:05.29
400 Meter: 1. Logan Skolosh, 52.92, Muskingum; 2. Kamari Spencer, 53.88, Muskingum; 3. John Soppanish, 54.74, Muskingum 4. Ryan Brownfield, 57.56, Waynesburg
800 Meter: 1. Becky Rohwer, 2:24.33, John Carroll; 2. Angie Marchetti, 2:25.68, Waynesburg;
800 Meter: 1. Kyle Monahan, 1:59.66, John Carroll; 2.Matt Andrew, 2:01.59, John Carroll; 4. Nathan Jecelin, 2:03.99
1500 Meter Run: 1. Erin Kiley, 4:55.79, John Carroll; 2. Angie Marchetti, 4:59.41, Waynesburg
1500 Meter: 1. Laurence Jaross, 4:06.72, Saint Vincent; 2. Eli Urban, 4:10.89, Saint Vincent
5,000 Meter: 1. Cassie Schillero, 17:55.93, John Carroll; Erin Kiley, 18.14.89, John Carroll 3. Julie Gerber, 18:33.36, Waynesburg
5,000 Meter: 1. Alex Kreger, 15:50.66, Saint Vincent; 2. Jamie Dailey, 16:10.59; 9. Matt Durgin, 16:51.81, Waynesburg
100 Meter Hurdle: 1. Katherine Fair, 16.61, Waynesburg
110 Meter Hurdle: 1. Matthew Shinkle, 16.31, Waynesburg
Friday, March 16 Centre 16, Mount St. Joseph 2; Thiel 12, Muskingum 21
400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Katherine Fair, 1:12.54, Waynesburg;
400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Matthew Shinkle, 57.12, Waynesburg
Saturday, March 17 Transylvania 21, Birmingham Southern 8; Westminster 5, Bryn Athyn 15; Earlham 0, Heidelberg 18;
2,000 Meter Steeplechase: Crystal Hajek, 7:56.24, John Carroll
2000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Ryan Scanlo, 6:26.38, John Carroll; 2. Micheal Kozlowski, 6:34.52, John Carroll;
3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Jessica Brinker, 12:42.90, Saint Vincent
High Jump: 1. Blake Widner, 1.93m, Muskingum; 2. Jordan Wallace, 1.83m, Muskingum; 3. Michael Trax, 1.79 m, Waynesburg
BRYN ATHYN 15, WAYNESBURG 3 Waynesburg 14 9 23 Bryn Athyn 0 0 0
RECENT RESULTS
Sunday, March 18 Elmhurst 11, Hanover 13
High Jump: 1. Emily Ellyson, 1.60 m, Muskingum; 2.Taylor Clarkson, 1.50 m, Waynesburg;
Monday, March 19 Carroll 14, Hanover 10
Pole Vault: 1. Reannah Martin, 2.59 m, Muskingum;
Saturday, March 24 Oliver at Hanover - 3:30 p.m.; Waynesburg at Franklin - 6 p.m. Sunday, March 25 Waynesburg at Hanover - 10 a.m.; Southwestern (Tex.) at Franklin - 11 a.m.; Transylvania at Westminster - 12 p.m.; Mount St. Joseph at Saint Vincent - 1 p.m.; Olivet at Earlham - 3 p.m.
MEN STANDINGS PAC SOFTBALL LEADERS
WINS: Grant, 3, Gen; Rowe, 3, GEN; Taufer, 2, WJC
Overall 4-3 6-1 2-1 3-2 2-3 0-0 0-1 0-2 0-3 0-2 0-3 0-4
UPCOMING GAMES
Friday, March 23 Franciscan at Waynesburg - 3:30/5:30
PAC BASEBALL LEADERS
Batting AVG: Rossier, .516, WES; Parente, .476, WES; Pagaduan, .449, GEN
Hanover Transylvania Saint Vincent Wash and Jeff Chatham Thomas More Waynesburg Westminster Thiel Franklin Earlham Mount St. Joesph
Conf. 2-0 1-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1
Saturday’s Box Score
Monday, March 19 Farmingdale 4, Wash & Jeff 9 (Game 1), Worcester State 4, Wash & Jeff 5; Thomas More 9, Capital 1 (Game 1); Saint Vincent 3, Penn State Altoona 1 (Game 1); Waynesburg 0, Carlow 4 (Game 1); Penn State Behrend Monday, March 19 Wisconsin-Oshkosh 11, Wash & Jeff 1; Centre 12, Wash & 1, Westminster 2 (Game 1); Thomas More 10 Capital 2 Jeff 8; Chatham 7, Geneva 8 (Game 1); Pitt-Greensburg 5, (Game 2); Saint Vincent 2, Penn State Altoona 0 (Game Grove City 10 (Game 1); Chatham 7, Geneva 12 (Game 2); 2); Waynesburg 2, Carlow 5 (Game 2); Penn State Behrend 3, Westminster 8 (Game 2) Pitt-Greensburg 4, Grove City 2 (Game 2)
UPCOMING GAMES
WOMEN STANDINGS
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Transylvania Wash & Jeff Saint Vincent Westminster Hanover Chatham Grove City Thiel Mount St. Joseph Bethany Earlham
Conf. 2-0 2-0 1-0 1-0 1-0 0-0 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2
Overall 3-3 3-6 4-3 2-2 1-6 4-1 2-2 1-4 0-7 1-4 0-6
Long Jump: 1. Taylor Kimberly, 4.65 m, Muskingum; 2. Amber Yauch, 4.64 m, Waynesburg; 3. Taylor Clarkson, 4.44 m, Waynesburg Triple Jump: 1. Amber Yauch, 10.11 m, Waynesburg Shot Put: 1. Elizabeth Debich, 11.09 m, Allegheny; 2. Alexis McJunkins, 11.04m, Rio Grande; 3. Jordan Simpson, 10.73m, Waynesburg Discus: 1. Josey Lillibridge, 32.27 m, Muskingum; 2. Cassidy Capizzi, 31.91m, John Carroll Javelin: 1. Tristian Wiles, 38.40m, Muskingum; 2. Shannon Relihan, 35.56, Allegheny; 3. Jordan Simpson, 31.50m, Waynesburg Hammer Throw: 1. Natalie Seeberg, 41.14 m, Rio Grande; 2. Cassidy Capizzi, 37.60 m, John Carroll; 3. Alexis Johnson, 33.59m
ORLC W. LACROSSE LEADERS
Goals: Wuest, 33, TRA; Nelson, 26, SVC; Laymon, 23, HAN Assists: Wuest, 11, TRA; Oliver, 10, TRA; Johnston, 7, TRA
WHATS ON THIS WEEK WCYJ-FM
Saves: Vinel, 57, MSJ; Maute, 52, W&J; Cefola, 47, CHA
Waynesburg Baseball and Softball Games Will Be Broadcast Live All Season Long on WCYJ-FM
Pole Vault: 1. Mitch Kendra, 4.10 m, Waynesburg; 2. Joshua Olive, 3.35 m, Waynesburg; 3. Jordan Wallace 3.35m, Muskingum Long Jump: 1. Blake Weidner, 6.34 m, Muskingum; 2. Chris French, 5.39 m, Muskingum Shot Put: 1. Jeff Burkholder, 14.63 m, Muskingum; 2. Alex Nichols, 14.59 m, Rio Grande; 6. Brandon Vantine, 12.76 m, Waynesburg Discus: 1. Jacob Schofel, 42.63 m, Carnegie Mellon; 2. Kenneth Sladick, 39.69 m, Carnegie Mellon; 3. Vincent Giordano, 38.34 m, Waynesburg Hammer Throw: 1. Nick Colby, 51.15 m, John Carroll; 2. Louie Reicher, 47.85m, Muskingum; 3. Zachary Collins, 45.03, Rio Grande Javelin: 1. Nick Despot, 50.75m, Muskingum; 2. Roman Lessard, 46.48, Waynesburg
WAYNESBURG ATHLETES OF THE WEEK Mark Minjock, Track and Field Cassidy Guiser, Track and Field
Shots: Wuest, 60, TRA; Larochelle, 51, W&J; Nelson, 50, SVC
WPIAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP Carmichaels
Jefferson-Morgan
Mapletown
Waynesburg Central
West Greene
Boys Baseball 3-23
Boys Baseball 3-23
Boys Baseball 3-23
Boys Baseball 3-23
Boys Baseball 3-23
3-26 Girls Softball
4-23
3-27
3-26
3-29-30 Girls Softball
CARMICHAELS at JEFFERSON-MORGAN
Girls Softball
BETH-CENTER at CARMICHAELS
JEFFERSON-MORGAN at CARMICHAELS
FORT CHERRY at JEFFERSON-MORGAN
MAPLETOWN at HUNDRED, W. VA
Girls Softball
FORT CHERRY at MAPLETOWN
WAYNESBURG at WEST GREENE 1
Girls Softball
WAYNESBURG at CALIFORNIA
WEST GREENE at WAYNESBURG
Ripken Experience, Myrtle Beach S.C.
March 22, 2018
Page C3
‘We are just not playing good baseball’ Jackets with more errors than hits in first game By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Convergence Editor
The losing streak continues for Jacket baseball following the home openers Sunday, March 18, against La Roche College. Both games for the Yellow Jackets resulted in losses extending the baseball team’s losing streak to eight games. “I don’t think that any coach likes to talk about losing streaks and I am one of them,” said head coach Mike Humiston. “As much as I like to win, and I know that our guys like to win, it would be easier to handle if we fought until the end. One of the cornerstones in our program is ‘to finish what we started’ and we haven’t finished what we started in the last eight games we have lost.” The first game was a rough one for Waynesburg. The team had only two hits, both from senior Tyler Godwin, and three errors in the 9-0 loss against La
Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket
Senior Tyler Godwin had the only two hits in the first game of the doubleheader against La Roche. Godwin went 4-7 in the doubleheader with an RBI. Roche. Sophomore Jonny Kutchman picked up the loss, he pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up six hits and five runs, four of those runs being earned. “It’s the little things that get you beat,” said Humiston. “When we continue to give our opponents five or six outs in an inning then you are never going to win
those games. If we continue to have more errors than we have hits then we’re not going to win many games.” The scoring started off in the first inning for La Roche taking the lead 2-0. Then, in the second inning, La Roche added on two more runs, and then another run in the third inning making it 5-0. After
that, there were a few scoreless innings, however in the sixth inning La Roche would make it 8-0. Then, to finish it off in the seventh inning, they scored one more run making the final score 9-0. “La Roche is a good team that is one of the reasons BASEBALL >> C4
Outdoor Track & Field PAC Coaches Poll
The Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) released its annual men’s and women’s outdoor track & field coaches’ poll prior to the start of the season March 9. After posting a fifth-place finish at this year’s indoor championships, Waynesburg’s men’s team was projected to fall as sixth-best team for the upcoming spring in the conference. Likewise, after winning its second-straight PAC outdoor title last spring and claiming victory at the recent 2018 PAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, Waynesburg University was given the top slot in the annual PAC outdoor track & field coaches’ poll. The Yellow Jacket men collected 48 points after finishing in eighth place at last year’s PAC Outdoor Championships. The returning outdoor title winners from Geneva were picked to repeat after picking up nine first-place votes and garnering 98 total points. Washington & Jefferson grabbed the final first-place vote and slotted in at second place with 87 points. Thomas More rounded out the top three with 84 points in the voting. The Waynesburg women picked up 8-of-10 first-place votes and 98 of a possible 100 points after rolling to the 2017 PAC outdoor championship title by out-scoring second-placed Westminster by 66 points. Geneva was given the number-two spot with 88 points, while Westminster was slotted at number three with 81 points. Both schools picked up a first-place vote. Seniors Mitch Kendra, Matt Shinkle and Mark Minjock were named as Athletes to Watch in the pole vault, hurdles and sprints, respectively. Junior Blake Feldner rounded out the Waynesburg quartet, grabbing recognition for throws for the upcoming season. For the Yellow Jacket women, seniors Julie Gerber, Addy Knetzer and Angie Marchetti were announced as Athletes to Watch for distance, throws and mid-distance respectively, while junior Cassidy Guiser was named an Athlete to Watch for sprints.
Evans: National title a combination of work ethic, persistence for heavyweight Continued from C1
from the sidelines, Evans took on each opponent with anticipation. “I think it was actually good that [the matches] were close,” he said. “It kept me more focused… I’m sure it made the coaches and everybody else nervous.” As the stakes got higher for Evans, his demeanor shifted. The semifinal match was the farthest Evans had ever been in the national tournament, and he couldn’t find his focus. *** Before Evans was the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a memorable opponent – Lance Evans from Wartburg College A year ago, Lance pinned Jake Evans at nationals, leading to a seventh-place finish. The rematch held more weight this time, though, with a berth to the championship round in contention. “I had like a weird feeling before the [semifinal] match,” Jake Evans said. “I couldn’t get hyped up.” One of the assistant coaches resorted to boxing Evans on the head and on the chest, the sting from the blows finally broke Evans into an emotionless focus. That concentration was enough to carry Jake Evans through the No. 1 seed in the tournament with an 8-6 victory. Even that contest, however, was too close than the coaches would have liked. Lance Evans ended the match with a seemingly buzzer-beating takedown which would have sent the match into overtime. But the officiating overturned the takedown and Jake Evans advanced. After securing the upset, Headlee said he fully realized just how close Jake Evans was to becoming the first D-III National Champion in program history. “After the semis, I thought he had a shot at it,” Headlee said. With his destination locked in, Evans began to feel the familiar feeling of pressure sink in. Having to wait half the day before the championship match was scheduled to begin, Evans said he tried to take his mind off the inevitable – a match that determined who was the nation’s best. Evans tried to sleep, but he couldn’t nap with the sounds of the other weight class championships in the
background. He knew he would inevitably be called to the mat like the others before him. As Evans’ time ticked down to the final minutes before the championship match, he said his coaches offered final words of advice before he took the stage. From Headlee’s perspective, it was the upper body throws that defined Bethel’s style; Evans needed to stick to the leg attacks that defined his style. Taking the main stage moments before the start match, Evans felt what was on the line in the biggest match of his life. “If I lost – it would have been the worst feeling ever,” Evans said. “There was definitely some pressure there.” *** After getting a quick takedown on Bethel in the opening period of the championship bout, Evans held on to an early 2-0 lead, but it wouldn’t last. With a pair of escapes, a takedown and a stall called on Evans, Bethel carried a 5-2 lead into the final moments of the second period. With time expiring quickly before the start of the final round, doubt began to creep into the minds of Headlee and Evans. “In the first period of the finals, I started doubting again,” Headlee said. “But then [it changed to] disbelief, it looked like it might be a hard style for [Evans to face].” As Bethel controlled the pacing through the majority of the opening period, Evans too, wondered if his journey would end prematurely. In the final seconds of the second period, Evans scored a critical takedown on Bethel when Evans drew him off balance by grabbing his left leg to bring him down. Evans entered the final round down by only one point, 5-4. With two minutes remaining before a national champion was name d, Headlee felt the dynamic between the two heavyweights shift. “I thought in the third period I could tell [Bethel] was starting to get tired,” Headlee said. “I felt pretty confident [with Evans] down by one point. Not many guys can withstand his takedown defense when it gets to the third period.” With just more than a minute left in the final period, Evans began to set Bethel up for a double-leg takedown, a routine maneuver for Evans.
©Jay LaPrete, NCAA Photos
James Bethel held the lead through the majority of the match, until the third period when Jake Evans executed a double-leg takedown to secure the victory. “I set him up by clubbing at his head and pushing and pulling,” Evans said. “I think [Bethel] might have reached for my shoulder, and I chopped his arm off and gave him a couple clubs and went for it.” When Bethel reached for Evans’ shoulders, Evans did what he had done to countless opponents before, he lunged for ward, seized Bethel’s legs, threw him to the mat and secured a 6-5 lead, which extended to a 10-5 advantage with a fourpoint near fall right after. In the final moments, as Evans held Bethel to the mat, all he could hear through his headpiece was the voice of assistant coach Gennaro Bonaventura. “I couldn’t hear anything but [Bonaventura] screaming until he lost his voice,” Evans said. “I just heard him screaming for like 40 seconds.” “Hold him down,” Bonaventura screamed repeatedly. “Stay right there.” Time expired and Evans clinched the 10-5 victory over Bethel. Countless times before, Evans has risen from the mat victorious following a similar takedown. This time, Evans stood as a national champion. *** In the week following the historic championship match, Evans still hasn’t fully grasped the feeling of being a national champion, setting school history or be-
Photo courtesy of Gennaro Bonaventura
Jake Evans' NCAA championship trophy currently rests on display at the First Federal Bank in downtown Waynesburg. coming a defining moment of Headlee’s coaching career. “It’s just all surreal; it hasn’t set in,” Evans said. As Waynesburg University adjusts to having the first D-III national champion in school history, Evans said he questioned, at first, if he wanted to return to the mat for a final
year. “I kind of [wondered] immediately afterwards if I should come back again,” Evans said. “Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I think I’ll come back and try and win again. Maybe be more dominate this time; I still think I have areas that I can improve on.”
From Headlee’s perspective, Evans has everything it takes to be a repeat national champion, go undefeated and reach 200 wins in the program. Evans is starting to agree with them. “I’m probably going to come back,” Evans said. “I still feel hunger for it.”
Page C4
March 22, 2018
Baseball looks to end eight-game skid Jackets hope to turn season around in home doubleheader By DYLAN CLELAND
For the Yellow Jacket
Friday will mark the start to Presidents’ Athletic Conference play for the men’s baseball team when they travel to Crestview Hills, Kentucky for a doubleheader with Thomas More. Early on in the new season, the team has struggled to get games in due to inclement weather, may it be cold, rain or snow. The weather presents an interesting situation for many baseball teams across Western Pennsylvania in March, the Yellow Jackets have been no exception. Head coach Mike Humiston believes the team did their best to stay loose while being stuck indoors. “We have the gym that we participate in on [the bad days],” said Humiston. “We were cancelled and we were able to get the pitchers inside to do a little bit of long toss and [pitcher fielding practice] stuff so we’re
able to get some things done. Our guys do a good job of focusing in on getting done what they need to get done as far as hitting and fielding.” Opening up PAC play is always exciting for the Jackets, and Humiston and his team realize that it will force them to increase their efforts. “We talk about how the start of conference matters, because when we play nonconference we may not do as well in those games, so there is a sense of urgency with our team and coaching staff,” said Humiston. “Putting our best foot forward is always our intent, so it starts [Friday] over at Thomas More and we hope that we play the way we’re capable of and if we do that the outcome will take care of itself.” Friday's opponent is Thomas More, a team that has always brought a lot to the diamond against the Jackets in the past. Last
year, the Jackets went 1-for2 against the Saints. This will mark the final two games scheduled with Thomas More before their departure from the conference. “They have a good team and a good program,” said Humiston. “I think our guys that have played them in the past respect them and I know our coaching staff does. They do a lot of things well, so it is going to take a good effort to beat them. It’s not like we haven’t done it before, over the last 12-13 years we’ve won our share of games against them.” As for the Jackets, they will look to use the pitching part of their game to beat the Saints. After just a handful of games, Humiston is impressed with the pitching performances he has seen from his athletes. “In spite of our record, our pitching did better than I anticipated in Florida,”
said Humiston. “We do have some things to work on from a defensive and an offensive standpoint, but I think our pitching kept us in a lot of games. We just didn’t get it done from some other standpoints and those were crucial to some of those games.” Another obstacle that the Jackets have faced early on is injuries. A few Jackets have already had to sit out games, and Humiston feels that this will improve as the season progresses. “From a coaching standpoint, we have had some injuries,” said Humiston. “Those are not excuses, they are just reality. We’ve had some guys out and before Thomas More we [should] get those guys back and it should help us make a good run at this conference championship.” The Yellow Jackets will play the Saints in a doubleheader on Friday starting at 1 p.m.
Former star QB coaching at D-I level By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
When Jake Dougherty became the starting quarterback at Waynesburg University as a true freshman in 2015, he knew who he was succeeding. For the previous two seasons, the Yellow Jackets were led by Carter Hill, who became arguably one of the best field generals in school history. Although Dougherty was concerned at first about following what Hill had accomplished—both on the field and as a leader in the locker room—he received guidance from his predecessor, who stayed on as an assistant coach for Dougherty’s first two seasons as a Yellow Jacket. “Before I showed up to [training] camp, I felt a lot of pressure, because I knew how good he was,” Dougherty said. “I knew Carter won the locker room; everybody loved him. I guess that’s where I felt [the most pressure] was just being a team leader.” Hill finished his career as the school’s second alltime passer with over 7,000 yards, while leading the Jackets to a 15-7 record, two ECAC bowl appearances and a memorable win over Washington & Jefferson in 2014. When he first got to Waynesburg, Dougherty said that one of his problems was taking things too seriously, and felt he didn’t enjoy himself enough. When training camp started, however, he received guidance from Hill on enjoying himself while playing the game. “When we got to camp, he said ‘you have to forget everything you did in high school, and just restart here and be mindful of the game and your peers, and just go out and have fun,’” Dougherty said. “Because my fault was I always took everything way too seriously. He said ‘guys want
to have a quarterback that wants to have fun.’ He was a huge help. Absolutely huge help.” Hill was on the Waynesburg coaching staff through the 2016 season before he accepted a job at Youngstown State University, where he currently serves as an offensive quality control coach. For Hill, the things he learned as a player under former head coach Rick Shepas got him ready for what he hopes to be his future career. “My e x p e r i e nc e w as great,” Hill said. “I think co ach Shep as and t he Waynesburg coaching staff really prepared us well as players in understanding the ins and outs of the game. So, it was a unique transition for me to go into coaching.” Hill has wanted to be a coach since he was a quarterback at Crestview High School in Columbiana, Ohio. He’s familiar with the profession, with his father, Dan Hill, being his high school quarterbacks coach. In his time on Waynesburg’s coaching staff, Hill coached the quarterbacks and the wide receivers. Due to some connections with Waynesburg and Youngstown State’s coaching staffs; such as Shepas’ relationship with Penguins head coach Bo Pelini, he was recommended to YSU and ended up joining the staff after the 2016 season. “I had some connections here, and I was lucky enough to get a shot to come here and help out,” Hill said. “It’s been fun.” Hill’s responsibilities at Youngstown State consist mainly of working with wide receivers coach Tim Marlowe. He assists in making game plans and scouting reports, as well as film breakdown and uses his experience as a quarterback to throw routes to receivers during practices. Hill signals plays to the offense in practice and in
Jenny Schouppe, Yellow Jacket
During his senior year for the Yellow Jackets, Carter Hill threw for 2,799 yards with 34 touchdowns. games, which he also had experience with as a former quarterback. For Hill, the biggest difference between coaching at a Division I and a Division III level is that Division I athletes are playing for more than just a hobby. “It’s different because the attention to detail is a little bit more significant at the Division I level because players—this is their job,” Hill said. “They’re getting paid scholarship money to do this. Division III players, they’re just students that are good athletes that want to keep playing for the love of the game. But some [Division I athletes] are playing to afford a degree, so it’s their job necessarily, and it’s not that way necessarily at Waynesburg or [any Division III school] because they’re playing for the love of the game.” Dougherty knew that Hill was bound to move on to coaching at a higher level. Although he was disappointed when he found out that Hill was leaving, he wasn’t surprised. “I knew he was going to leave all along,” he said. “Nothing against Waynes-
burg, but it was time for him to move on and go to bigger and better things… I was upset at first, but I’m happy for him now. He’s doing a good job.” For Shepas, who oversaw Hill both as a player and coach, Hill has the potential to one day take on the responsibilities of being a head coach. “I don’t think there’s any doubt [that he could be a head coach],” Shepas said. “[In] the coaching profession nowadays, there’s a lot of perseverance involved. You have to spend a lot of time paying your dues, and I think that as long as Carter is willing to do that, I think he’ll be just fine.” While Hill has only been coaching for three seasons, he already knows that it’s what he wants to do for a living. Although Hill works construction between football seasons, coaching is what Hill lives for. “All of my eggs are in one basket now as far as I’m taking a chance,” Hill said. “I’m trying to build my resume and trying to make connections and get my foot in the door somewhere.”
By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Convergence Editor
So far, this early season has been an up and down battle for the Waynesburg University softball team. After coming back from the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Florida with a 5-3 record, the Yellow Jackets had their home opener postponed due to weather, and then went to Carlow Monday, March 19 and lost a doubleheader. For head coach Richelle Hall, she said she is staying optimistic. “It’s a been a very good season so far,” said Hall. “We came back from Florida with a 5-3 record and could of came back 7-1. The team is playing very well and gelling together as a team should.” The Yellow Jacket softball team is now even in overall record at .500 (5-5) and have a doubleheader c o m i n g u p S a t u r d a y, March 24, at Pitt-Greensburg. “Our pitching staff is a big positive so far this season,” said Hall. “The staffs ERA is ver y low we just need to get some runs on the board to help them. Our freshman pitchers [Emma Kubalak] and [Miranda Bowers] and sophomore Courtney Syfert have been doing a very good job so far, this season. Also, our defense has not had many errors so far and I hope that continues into the season.” Since 2002, the Yellow Jackets are 10-4 against Pitt-Greensburg, last year the two teams split the doubleheader. In game one, PittGreensburg won 11-0 in five innings and in the second game Waynesburg won 11-1 in five innings. “This season our team’s batting average is around
.300 and we are only 10 games into the season,” said Hall. “There haven’t been many negatives at all this season except for maybe getting runs in when they are in scoring position so that we can put ourselves in a better position to win games.” This year, Pitt-Greensburg is 3-7 and two of the three wins have been blowouts, the other won was game decided by a single run. This will also be PittGreensburg home opener due to postponed games earlier in the season. “To win the games on Saturday against PittGreensburg, we need to get key hits when we need them most,” said Hall. “I told our girls at the Carlow doubleheader that our practice swings need to be like our game swings.” Earlier this season, the Presidents’ Athletic Conference came out with its annual poll on where the coaches believe that teams will be in the standings at the end of the season. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish in seventh place out of the 10 teams in the PAC. “I think that our girls are excited for this season and excited on how we started,” said Hall. “It’s going to be a great season. We are growing as a team and will continue to grow over the season.” After the doubleheader Saturday, March 24, at Pitt Greensburg, the Waynesburg Yellow Jacket softball team will have a doubleheader Wednesday, March 28, at Point Park before opening up PAC play at Westminster the very next day for a doubleheader. After that the team will have six days of rest before going to Grove City for a doubleheader April 4.
Baseball: Early season struggles continue for team, PAC games next
Continued from C3
why we play them year in and year out is because they are a good team,” said Humiston. “They have some votes to be in the top 25 in the nation. So, they got good athletes, they can pitch, they can swing the bat, they play good defense and so quite honestly, I thought it was embarrassing, the first game. I think that our players would echo that.” The second game was much more competitive between La Roche and Waynesburg. La Roche still won 5-4 though. Waynesburg, at one point, had a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. La Roche then made it 5-2 and Waynesburg tried
to comeback and fell short losing 5-4. “We put ourselves in a great position to win the game,” said Humiston. “Four of the runs they scored were earned out of the five and we had opportunities to score runs and to keep runs off the board and we didn’t do it.” The Yellow Jackets now have four wins and eight losses in their season. The next games for the team is a doubleheader March 24 at Thomas More. “We can’t just say that conference is like a light switch, we just turn it on and all of a sudden, we are playing good baseball,” said Humiston. “We have a tough road ahead of us, but I think that we are going to be ok.”
Men's track & field impress despite harsh weather conditions By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
The men’s track & field team opened the outdoor season March 17 at the Muskie Duals Invitational in New Concord, Ohio where there was no team-placing, but rather an opportunity to prepare for the rest of the season. The weather conditions were more than off-putting. Some teams cancelled their participation because of the harsh weather conditions. Head coach Michelle
Cross saw that her runners would be impacted by the weather, especially sprinters. “The first meet of the year is always kind of a question mark because of weather,” said Cross. “This first meet was a very cold weather meet so obviously the one that effects the most is the sprint team.” Cold weather can often lead to more pulled hamstrings and other injuries, but Cross said her team handled it well, placing in many of the sprinting events. Overall, Cross said
it was a good meet, and they may see improvements from some new events. “In general, I think it was a good start to outdoor. We saw some new arrivals in javelin, people who have yet to compete in javelin and discus. It’s kind of fun to see what talent we have there,” said Cross. “In general, I think it went well, but it was kind of difficult, but it went well.” Freshman Roman Lessard in the javelin throw has started to make a name for himself, as he placed
second. Lessard’s top throw sailed 50.7 meters. Cross felt Lessard had an impressive performance. “Probably the most excited performance from underclassmen was [Lessard],” Cross said, “He did a very nice job in the javelin and I’m excited to see where that goes.” The weather was a problem in many ways, even for the Waynesburg pole vault record holder, Mitch Kendra, but even through the difficult weather he was able to push through.
“[Kendra] pole vaulted in crazy weather. It was kind of fleeting rain when he did his ended very well,” said Cross. “He did wonderful, he got a 13.6 which is under his 14.6 but it’s very good considering all the conditions.” One thing that was a problem for Waynesburg was missing competition, Cross said. Due to the weather conditions, many teams dropped out or held certain athletes from competing. Despite other teams not bringing their full squads,
Cross had a reason for making her athletes compete. “The weather that it was on Saturday could be like that in two months,” Cross said. “Spring is just like that, so they have to learn how to compete in all areas.” Cross also thought that the weather could have impacted some of the runner’s performance, but the experience provided growth for the runners. The men continue their season at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational on March 24 in Pittsburgh, PA.
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MARCH 22, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
'Beyond blessed' EMPLOYEES OF THE BEEHIVE
By GRACE HUTCHISON Associate Editor
As the sun signals morning outside of her Bentleyville home, Mandy Matay gets in her blue Volkswagon convertible she calls “Lillybug” and arrives promptly by 8 a.m. to begin making the over 90 pizzas she creates daily at the Beehive. “I look outside in the morning and see the Chapel, and the sunrises here can be beautiful,” Matay said. “I love that the most.” By the time Matay, a lover of country music and the television show Supernatural, begins preparing the pizza dough, Matay has already tended to her beloved goldendoodle puppy Harley and made the 30-minute commute to the Beehive, where she has worked as a food service worker since 2015. Her morning duties include preparing the pizzas, filling the machine with ice and serving students who order from Starbucks. According to Matay, she gets special enjoyment creating “pretty” drinks for students. “If I could just sit there and do Starbucks, I would,” Matay said. During 2015, according to Matay, an unusual amount of employment opportunities were offered in the Beehive due to a sudden increase in employees either retiring or leaving. “All the positions at the Beehive were open at the time,” Matay said. “I really lucked
out. I really love it up here… this really just fell into my lap.” According to Matay, some of the best parts of her job include making Starbucks and the “family atmosphere” that she gets with her fellow employees and students she serves. “We get to know what classes students are taking and what they are majoring in,” Matay said. “You’re so hopeful for them and you get to see everyone grow. It’s a family, it’s tight-knit. I love it.” The Beehive opportunity came while Matay was in-between jobs, she had stopped working a long-term job as an operations manager at a residential cleaning company, and she was working at a friend’s restaurant in the meantime. “I took a bit of a breather,” Matay said of the time between her jobs as the operations manager and the Beehive. According to Matay, many of her friends own restaurants, including her boyfriend of four years, Jared. “Everybody I know has a restaurant,” Matay said with a laugh. Matay first started gaining experience in serving food during her time as a flight attendant for U.S. Airways, where she worked for seven years, both pre- and post-9/11. “I would always want to fly towards the front of the plane in first-class because their service in first class was amazing,” Matay, who enjoyed serving the patrons during lights, said. Matay took the job as a flight attendant to leave the south-
Michelle Keith, Yellow Jacket
Matay, a Beehive employee for more than two years, spends her mornings creating pizzas and serving students who order Starbucks.
western Pennsylvania area where she had been raised and attended school at Bentworth school district. “I was 23 and I just needed out of a small town,” Matay said. When U.S. Airways announced that it was no longer going to operate out of Pittsburgh International Airport, Matay had faced a decision regarding her future. Though Matay had the opportunity to travel and “broaden her horizons”, years after she left her job, she resides in the same
location in which she grew up. “I’m back,” Matay said. “I’m a small-town girl, I always knew that I would come back…There was never any doubt about me coming back.
But you have to fly for a while, spread your wings.” A lifelong passion of Matay’s is music, particularly country. Matay makes it clear that she enjoys listening to songs in-
stead of playing or performing it herself, though many of her family members are musically-inclined. MATAY >> D2
Student creates, self-directs one act play Noon Tunes event Thomas' ‘theraputic’ production to struggles with grief gives opportunity for entertainment By KADEN HURLEY
For the Yellow Jacket
Grief grips each person in unique ways, an idea that captivated Tre Thomas, sophomore history major, and inspired the creation of a one act play to be performed April 11 at 7 p.m. His self-written story revolves around a mother and daughter working to rekindle their relationship after losing connection after the death of a loved one. Thomas’s theater journey began in high school. As a freshman, he joined the tennis team but said he found himself dreading ev-
ery practice and match. “Whenever I wanted to skip tennis practice, I would go with [a friend] to theater,” Thomas said. “And, you know, they let me in. I helped out with stage stuff, and I just fell in love with the whole thing.” From then on, Thomas dedicated parts of his free time to acting and helping out in the theater. He’s been participating in Waynesburg University’s theater since his freshman year. Thomas’s writing was initiated by the Play Writing class taught by Edward
Powers. Granted, Thomas knew he’d need the theater credit, but that wasn’t his only drive to tackle the course. “I wanted to force myself to create something I could finish,” Thomas said. Writing the play was exhilarating, according to Thomas. He developed his time-management skills through scheduling time to write amidst a multitude of other dedications. Upon finishing his one act, Thomas said he has constantly been asked how he wrote the play. “I don’t know. In the best way possible, I don’t know,” Thomas said. “It was coming closer and closer to the dead line, and I had no ideas. I was working off of this one name I had: Marceline. Once the character was created, she told me her story and that’s what I wrote. It wasn’t me creating this false world.” Even though Thomas himself was the scribe for the play, he added that the story itself twisted into a shape he never really anticipated.
Michelle Keith, Yellow Jacket
Thomas, a sophomore history major, decided on the character name Marceleine before writing the piece.
“It shifted, because in my original draft, Marceline was the main character,” Thomas said. “But as she told me her story, I realized that, even in her own story she wasn’t the main character; her mother was.” In order to perfectly portray the emotional plot of Thomas’s play, he was tasked with electing the ideal performers. MaryBeth Cocchi, a junior nursing major, was chosen to play the best friend of the daughter in Thomas’s play which also happens to be her first time acting since middle school. “It really helped me with being more comfortable on a stage and really being a better public speaker,” Cocchi said. Cocchi said trying out this new outlet not only developed professional skills, but personal skills as well. “Acting in this role, with my own experiences, helped me to realize there is no time limit on grief,” Cocchi said. “[Grief] can be ugly. It can be hard. It just hits you all at once. I’ve lost 6 people in my family, and, yeah, it’s been hard. Working on this play, though, it’s been therapeutic. I’m working through my own grief as well as the characters’.” Both Thomas and Cocchi commended the immense emotional value the play has to offer those who watch it and those who perform it. Cocchi’s experience with the one act play has cultivated an adoration and respect for theater which Cocchi attributed to Thomas. “Tre is a great director,” Cocchi said. “Super amazing to work with. He’s always willing to work around scheduling conflicts and has just really made this play come to life.”
By KADEN HURLEY
For the Yellow Jacket
In-between sips of water and coffee, Steve Everett filled the Beehive with upbeat melodies during the Student Activities Board hosted Noon Tunes March 14. Everett combined jovial songs with casual banter and engaging jokes that often invoked a round of laughter from the audience. The Appalachian State University graduate describes himself as a family-friendly, clean act that shares the same morals as the Waynesburg community. Those attributes in combination with his talent has resulted in SAB asking Everett to return to campus for the seventh time. “The first I came up here, I played for Wing Night and it was just fantastic,” Everett said. “It was packed in [the Bee Hive]. Every chair was taken. All the people that were in here were super into the music and laughed at all my jokes, so I told [Bristor] I’d be happy to come back any time.” This past performance marked Everett’s seventh appearance on Waynesburg’s campus. “My favorite moments are when the crowd really engages and you can see people realizing, ‘oh I like this’,” Everett said. Despite not having a favorite song, as he said he is proud of all his work, Everett definitely holds onto a favorite performance: The House of Blues show at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Everett opened for Sister Hazel, a band popular in the 1990s. He remembers each detail to this day, from song order, to what people in the front row were wearing. “They said my name, opened the curtain and there’s 2,000 people,” Everett said. “And they
don’t know you’re not famous, so they just go nuts. I remember just this voltage of electricity in my body, and I was just ready. Not nervous, just really, really excited.” Of course, no artist starts out with high levels of success. For Everett, his musical career is attributed to his father who was an opera singer and a church choir director. By the age of five, Everett was singing and performing in church. Around age 10, he began to write his own songs. It wasn’t until age 15 when Everett started participating in bands. According to Everett, learning how to play an instrument pushed him into joining his first band. “I bought a guitar at a yard sale for $20. We were poor, so I couldn’t take lessons and I had to teach myself how to play. From 10 to 15, it was just me writing and teaching myself to play. It would’ve been quicker if I had taken lessons, though.” Everett’s experiences have showed him new things and the opportunity to travel, but everywhere he goes, according to Everett, there is always the same question asked of him. “People always ask whether you write music or lyrics first,” Everett said. “And really one doesn’t come before the other at all times. I could be sitting in my house, playing guitar just doodling around, and randomly your fingers can just find something that feels good.” “As a songwriter, you could be in a good mood and write a happy song. You could be in a terrible mood and want to get that out. You know, just any emotion you feel. Once you write a song about it, you MUSICIAN >> D2
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March 22, 2018
Performances of the musical ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ underway By DYLAN CLELAND
For the Yellow Jacket
The wait is finally over for students and community members, as last night, they received their first look at the spring musical, ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. Professor Edward Powers, director of the musical, decided to bring the show to Waynesburg after seeing the musical with the original cast. “This musical is one that I saw the original cast on Broadway 12 years ago,” said Powers. “It was such a lot of fun, I thought to myself I want to do this show sometime. It just felt right to do a show full of comedy and laughs. It is a pretty fluffy show; however, it is a show that salutes the idea of musical theatre.” With many talented students across campus, according to Powers, he believes that showcasing that was one of the focuses of this particular show. “As usual we wanted to spotlight our student talent, we have quite a bit of talent on this campus,” said Powers. “Being able to share that talent with our community, whether it be in song and dance or acting, it’s an exciting thing. Theatre, whether it is a musical or a play, presents something about life and the human condition.” Powers highlighted what ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ will offer for the audience from both a life and theatre perspective. “In this play, we have a character that lives alone in his apartment, he loves the idea of musical theatre,” said Powers. “He is watching a show and he becomes able to interact with it. How many times have we gone to see a musical or play
Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket
The cast of "The Drowsy Chaperone" sings "Finale Ultimo" during a dress rehearsal leading up to the opening night of their show, which premiered Wednesday. and think how great it would be to be up there with them. This man has a chance to do that.” The man who interacts with the musical theatre show is known as “the man in the chair”. Ronald Loebker, senior computer science major, plays him and will offer a way for the audience to become part of the play. “It is a very funny show, people should expect to laugh,” said Loebker. “It’s a very farcical show, a little bit of slapstick, some puns and just humor. I believe it is a fun story, but light.”
Mandi Pascarella, junior, youth ministry major, is playing ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ in the musical. “Expect to feel like the best friend of the character,” said Pascarella. “Ronnie’s character [the man in the chair] is in his apartment and talks to you as if you are one of his friends. By the end of the show, you’re one with his character.” Robert Martin, is portrayed by Ed DiOrio freshman, sports broadcasting major. “Robert Martin is a bright figure in the show, he’ll bring comedic value, as do a lot of other characters in their own
way,” said DiOrio. “He is very involved in the plot line.” The cast and crew are small in numbers, which many of the actors have and enjoyed and viewed as beneficial for all involved. “This cast has been amazing, it’s a smaller show than I’ve done in the past here,” said Pascarella. “The number that auditioned basically got in the cast and it’s been nice because everyone is so close with everyone else. There hasn’t been a real competitiveness factor, we’ve all just been here and gotten to know all the new people.”
According to DiOrio, he enjoys the ability to be close with all of his fellow actors and actresses. “Back in high school I didn’t know all of the names of our cast, but it is nice to know everyone,” said DiOrio. “That is one of the reasons I like the smaller aspect of theatre here at Waynesburg. You develop a family in whatever club you do, but you really get to know each other with the 19-person cast and 7-8-person crew and then the director and music director.” ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ will run through March 24
at the Goodwin Performing Arts Center. All performances start at 7:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased online or at the show. “The cast is exciting, the show is clever,” said Powers. “Some people think theatre isn’t for me, but it is. We enjoy stories and we enjoy ones that tell us something about human life. These students have put in a lot of time, and it takes hours and hours to make something look easy and because of those things these student actors deserve the support of the community and the campus community.”
Students assist Habitat for Humanity Matay: Beehive employee
creates relationships, finds purpose through working
By HOLLY HENDERSHOT Convergence Editor
Thirteen Waynesburg University students volunteered to contribute their spring break to go on a service trip to aid Habitat for Humanity. Habitat for Humanity accomplishes many projects to help those in poverty, but one of the projects they are most well-known for is building safe and affordable homes for those who cannot afford enough to buy such housing. Those who will receive the houses must contribute a certain number of hours of work into the project, but there is plenty of volunteer work that goes into each build. The trip, which was led by Dr. Chad Sherman, assistant professor of communication, and Erin Kern, graduate assistant for Student Activities, took place March 4 through March 10.This was the third time Tyler Turbett, junior mathematics major, attended the trip. According to Turbett, students built on a laid foundation to complete a house. They worked on raising walls, building the roof and putting in windows and doors for the building. “I really recommend the trip,” said Turbett. “I think it’s one of the most well-rounded trips I’ve ever been on. I think it’s very affordable, especially with the scholarships and fundraisers that the Center for Service Leadership offers.” Turbett said he wants to continue to get involved in ministry throughout his life, and the trip gave him experience to help him do that in the future. “I would like to get into ministry sooner rather than later in my life,” said Turbett. “We had reflection time at the church that hosts us, Saint James Lutheran. So, I was a small group leader for one of the nights this year, so having that experience certainly does that and allows opportunities to grow.” Melanie Byler, senior exercise science and athletic training major and Bonner Scholar, experienced the trip for the first time this year. Part of her
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Photo courtesy of Chad Sherman
Audrey Domasky, senior public relations major, pulls a nail from a wall during the Habitat For Humanity trip. reason for going was because of her roommate, who went last year. Byler said another factor that made her want to go was a scholarship she was awarded. “I was awarded the Service Leader Scholarship, and that gave me $500 to donate to a charity or go on a service trip,” said Byler. “So, I used it to go on a service trip.” Byler said the reason she chose Habitat for Humanity as the service trip to use the money toward was because it was in the U.S. and she was familiar with the organization already. “I knew Habitat. I had worked with them previously in Greene County, and I knew their mission,” said Byler. “I knew they don’t do toxic charity, as some service sites would do, but they’re very intentional about training and assisting the people they are trying to help, so it’s not just giving out free goods, but its working with them and helping them.” As an athletic training major planning to go into physical therapy grad
school, Byler said the service labor helped her learn more about how she can use her major in everyday situations. “There were a ton of opportunities for me working with my trip-mates and giving out massages and realigning hips when necessary,” said Byler, “So, there were a ton of opportunities to practice my knowledge on the human body and how to heal the human body.” For Byler, the trip tied the community service work she does through the Bonner program to other parts of the world. “It was just fun to see the service that happens in Greene County is not just centralized in Greene County, but there is a whole network of people you can impact,” said Byler, “So, to be able to go and give some relief to some of the workers, who are in North Carolina, on the Habitat site; it’s just a fantastic experience, and it showed that the effort is not just a bunch of Bonner Scholars at Greene County, but it’s a nationwide effort.”
Musician: ‘Pop n' roll’ artist performs songs
Continued from D1
capture it and you can move on. Then when you sing that song, you can kind of open it and revisit that emotion, then seal it and put it back away. It’s like a time capsule.” Everett is proud of the fact he still performs songs he wrote when he was 16. He enjoys looking back on those songs and seeing the progress he’s made, especially when revisiting con-
cepts that he was once dumbfounded by to find he now has a firm grasp on them. For Everett, that progress and passion is what truly matters in the life of any musician, singer, songwriter, or creator in general. “Take money and fame out of the equation,” Everett said. “All you should focus on is what you’re in charge of; all you’re in charge of is how good you are at what you do. It’s not merit based, any kind of art. Don’t worry about people
understanding it, because the only real value you have are you and who you are.” Specifically, Everett believes in sticking with personal values and unique characteristics over forcing creativity to take the form of what’s popular right at that moment. “You can chase fads, but all you do is become a bland version of that thing,” said Everett. “The best thing you can do is find who you are uniquely and be that 100 percent, unapologetically.”
According to Matay, she enjoys listening to music as she sits on her porch and during her commute home. “If it’s nice outside I will put the top down and put on the radio and take the long way home,” Matay said. According to Matay, spring and its warmer temperature cannot come soon enough for her outdoor runs. She uses them to “clear her head” as well as for their physical benefits. Matay became a runner after some health problems pushed her to her breaking point with her physical health. “One day I called it quits. I woke up and I said ‘I am done’. I put on a pair of tennis shoes, and I ran,” Matay said. In the time since Matay applied to the Beehive approximately three
years ago, she has been able to get to know students, faculty and her fellow coworkers. According to Matay, seeing familiar faces everyday gives her a “sense of security”. “I didn’t realize the relationships that I was going to build with so many people,” Matay said. “It has given me so many friendships, it really is a gift.” As Matay reminisces, a fellow co-worker taps her shoulder and the two trade jokes and chat. Matay’s curly brown hair, swept into a ponytail and mostly hidden under her Aladdin’s hat, bounces with her laugh as she turns back. “I am blessed with family and blessed with friends, and, of course, the women I work with. You can’t get any luckier than that,” Matay said with a slight shake of her head. “…I’m lucky.”
UPCOMING
EVENTS EVENTS MARCH:
24
Trip to Flight Trampoline Park, vans leave Stover at 7:30 p.m.
26
Open Mic night held in Beehive at 8 p.m. featuring a comedian followed by student acts.
27
Easter-themed Pallet Painting held in the Beehive at 4 p.m.
MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION FOR EVENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON MYCONNECT AND AT STUDENT SERVICES.
March 22, 2018
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WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Borrows without re turning 5. Intestinal 10. Apple that’s ined ible 14. 1966 N.L. batting champ Matty 15. Drag-racing fuel, briefly 16. Very serious 17. Costner role 18. What tots might go after? 19. Many an RPI grad 20. Grasp 23. Atmo- kin 24. He served the few est 20th-century days (83) as U.S. VP 25. Some drips 34. Somali-born mod el 35. Things for one to do 36. Blücher’s title in “Young Frankenstein” 37. Swing improvisa tion? 38. Move like Miley 39. “__ it up and spit it out”: “My Way” lyric 40. Learning ctr. 41. “Peg Woffington” novelist 42. Covered, in a way 43. Charter acquisi tion 46. Tailor’s concern 47. H.S. hurdle 48. Markings on grid irons
57. Assorted mixture 58. __ Bruni-Sarkozy, former French first lady 59. “Chocolat” actress 60. Title derived from “Caesar” 61. Early seal hunter 62. It’s off-limits 63. Cease 64. Member of a 1969 MLB expansion team 65. Difficult situation
DOWN 1. Value for your money, idiomatically 2. Film apiarist 3. A majority
4. Unrelenting at tempt 5. Usury protection 6. He played Oskar in “Schindler’s List” 7. Diminutive suffix 8. Realtor’s measure 9. Land of Lincoln? 10. Airport agents see a lot of them 11. Flash Gordon foe 12. Mythical vessel 13. Random House co-founder 21. Layer 22. Tour finish? 25. Occupy, as a table 26. Firenze friends 27. 2016 NFL re
turnee 28. Planter 29. City in southwest ern New York 30. 2013 Grammy win ner for “Royals” 31. Sonicare rival 32. South African province KwaZu lu-__ 33. Kid stuff?
44. __ Chess: video game 45. Train part 48. Clothes consum er? 49. Victor Laszlo’s wife, in a classic film 50. Retro calling aid 51. Like a fantasy land? 52. Historic plaintiff Scott
53. Musical connec tor 54. One may be hatched 55. Strauss’ “__ Al pen sinfonie” 56. Buffalo feature, of ten?
LAST WEEK'S SOLUTION
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SPRING SHOWERS GROW EASTER EGGS BASKET
RAIN BUD HATCH LAMB CHICK
SUNSHINE BASEBALL JESUS RABBIT SPROUT
'
STUDENT ART: JACKET COMICS
"FRESHMEN" By CLARE RAINONE (continued) Art major, Class of 2021
INTERESTED IN GETTING YOUR ARTWORK PUBLISHED? IF SO, CONTACT TIFFANY MORGAN AT MOR4950@STUDENT.WAYNESBURG.EDU.
Page D4
March 22, 2018
PITTSBURGH WOMEN you should know
Written by Grace Hutchison Designed by Cheyenne Nester
Natalie Bencivenga
Podcaster, speaker, journalist and native Pittsburgher Natalie Bencivenga focuses on amplifying local women’s voices and diversity within the city. She creates content for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, features accomplished women as guests on her podcast, The Broadcast Podcast, and consistently contributes to KDKA’s live morning show Pittsburgh Today Live. Her Monday weekly columns for the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette are centered on the diversity, culture and arts found within the city.
An outspoken, unapologetic feminist from the 1800’s, whose strong belief in equality between both the races and genders paints her as bold and extremely unusual for her time period. She was so devoted to her beliefs in the abolitionist and feminist movement that she began her own weekly paper devoted to the matters, entitled The Pittsburgh Saturday Visitor. Her public and extreme beliefs for the time left her vulnerable to targeted attacks, where she had her paper and printing press consistently destroyed by those reluctant to her ideals. Through the adversity, Swisshelm held strong, only finding new ways to spread her beliefs on feminism and abolition.
JulieHera DeStefano
Jane Grey Swisshelm
Carnegie Mellon University alumna and journalist, JulieHera DeStefano is known for her in-depth reporting and resulting documentary “The Journey to Normal” on female veterans. According to DeStefano, the documentary was created to share and archive the stories of females impacted by military involvement. The creation of the documentary included DeStefano traveling to Afghanistan to meet with women as they were on duty. She narrowed her over 100 interviews conducted to 87 that are published online, in which she unlocks how the female veterans’ past is effecting their present lives and their difficulties re-entering society.
www.post-gazette.com/life/ask-natalie/2017/12/12/Ask-Natalie-Is-romance-dead-Can-a-tall-woman-still-wear-stilettos/stories/201712120003 http://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/Best-of-the-Burgh-Blogs/Pitt-Girl/May-2015/Why-You-Need-to-Know-These-4-Bold-Pittsburgh-Women/ https://www.cmu.edu/homepage/creativity/2014/spring/coming-home.shtml