INSID E: GNP CONCERT RETURNING TO C A MP US A P RIL 21. SE E A2
APRIL 12, 2018 | VOL. 95 NO. 17 | EST. 1924
THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
@WUYELLOWJACKET
RELAY FOR LIFE WEEK 2018
Ashley Hall, Yellow Jacket
During last year's Relay for Life at Waynesburg, cancer survivors had a chance to walk together in solidarity of the illness they all overcame.
Relay for Life increases goal to $16K Volunteer Week to put those who serve in spotlight By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
Waynesburg University will partner with the American Cancer Society for its annual “Mini Relay for Life” event Sunday, April 15, which will take place in Johnson Commons at 9 a.m. Kelly Hardie, assistant dean of student services, has coordinated the event for 13 of her 15 years working at Waynesburg. Last year, the goal of the event was to raise $15,000, and the university exceeded that total. According to Hardie, this year’s objective is slightly higher, at $16,000. Hardie said the biggest factor that will determine the
Recycling proposal slowed by Senate By LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor
In an effort to bring recycling to on-campus houses, the EcoStewards Club submitted a detailed proposal to Student Senate in early January. Since then, little has been done. After discovering there were no recycling options for students living in on-campus houses, EcoStewards Club President Nathan Blake contacted 17 House Leaders to gauge interest in finding more ecofriendly ways to dispose of their trash. When 15 of the House Leaders responded to Blake all showing support, Blake said he then attempted to bring the issue to the Student Senate. Now, 79 days later without RECYCLE >> A3
day’s success is something that neither she or anybody else can control. “It depends upon, I’ll just be honest, weather,” Hardie said. “The nicer the day, the more people we have come and support the event... On [a bad weather day,] the total’s not going to be nearly as much [as it would] if it was a gorgeous, 68-degree day. Weather definitely plays a huge factor in the event because that’s when the majority of the teams fundraise toward their goal.” Of the factors Hardie can determine, she said something that will be emphasized this year, compared to past years, is reaching out to more local cancer survivors.
“We virtually doubled the amount of invitations we sent out to local survivors within the Greene County area,” she said. “We’ve been asking captains to talk to their teams about inviting family members and friends. So, we’ve been getting a number of emails from cancer survivors who are brand new that have never been to our Relay for Life event before who are willing to come.” The theme for this year’s event is Dr. Seuss, and each team will represent a Seuss book, such as “Horton Hears a Who!” In total, there will be 22 teams represented at the event, each raising money
for a different form of cancer. The captains have been preparing for this coming Sunday since October, when they had their first meeting. Since then, they’ve been getting together on a monthly basis and updating Hardie on their progress. The captains were selected by their specific groups. Junior criminal justice major Patrick Hager is a co-captain for the track/cross country team’s group, along with seniors Brittany Faust and Marla Holland. The team’s goal is to raise $1,000 towards brain cancer. Hager has been personally affected by cancer. In RELAY >> A3
By GRACE HUTCHISON Associate Editor
As a small, private Christian school, Waynesburg University contains approximately 1,400 undergraduate students, and, as most students and faculty are aware, the mission of the school is put simply in three words: faith, learning and service. “Service is in the DNA of Waynesburg Univer-
sity,” said Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services. “It’s our identity as a whole. I truly think that by making that connection between academics and service, our students have an ability to make such a difference in the community.” The final piece of that mission, service, has driven the over 50,000 total SERVE >> A3
Finding his voice Autism not stopping Rossi from taking on sports announcing By MATTIE WINOWITCH Executive Editor
It was second period when Brandon Rossi lost control. He was a sophomore at West Allegheny High School was in English class. His classmates were bullying him during an arts and crafts assignment, calling him names like “ugly” and “useless.” Looking back now, Rossi said he can’t remember if they were trying to be funny or not. However, it would be hard for him to determine regardless as someone who can’t read emotions, which is a typical symptom for someone with autism. “I was already upset at that point, but they weren’t stopping” Rossi said. “They just kept instigating me. They wanted a reaction.” The more they taunted him, the more Rossi’s temper escalated. He tried to hold in his emotions, which resulted in his body
growing tense and shaking violently. Once one of the students threw something at him, and at that point, Rossi said he knew it was over. That’s when he grabbed the pair of scissors off his desk and pressed them to his neck, threatening to kill himself. “I don’t remember much else from that moment,” Rossi said. “That’s when my anger took over.” The next thing he knew, Rossi heard the teacher’s voice echoing in his ears. “BRANDON, DOWNSTAIRS NOW,” she yelled from across the room, demanding he head straight to the Guidance Counselor’s office. The room fell silent. The diagnosis Rossi said his parents knew something was wrong from the moment he tried to say his first words. “Most kids start talking when they are 1,” Rossi said. “I didn’t
start talking until I was around 4 years old.” Instead of talking, Rossi said he would just make a collection of noises and grunts. Eventually, they took him to the doctor’s office, where he was diagnosed with a form of autism known as Pervasive Developmental Disorder. “It’s actually a mild form of autism,” Rossi said, commenting on his diagnosis. “I got lucky, essentially.” After he was initially diagnosed, Rossi immediately was enrolled into several treatment programs. How e v e r, AUTISM >> A3
WAYNESBURG COFFEE COMPANY COMBINING WITH COACH'S CAFÉ
CAMPUS PREPARES FOR RELAY THIS WEEKEND
Co-owners of the two Waynesburg restaurants are combining menus and serving in one location.
As Relay for Life approaches this Sunday, multiple organizations are putting together the finishing touches for their teams.
See B1
See B2
INSIDE
ATHLETE COPES WITH LOSS OF FATHER
LEADING TOWARDS HOPE
Softball serves as an outlet for Jackets center fielder Courtney Syfert.
Student leaders of the Waynesburg University Relay for Life reflect on the personal impacts that cancer has had on them, and their motivations for volunteering.
See C1
See D1
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
April 12, 2018
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More than half a decade later, Molzon still performs at GNP By ANDREW HREHA
For the Yellow Jacket
Bill Molzon, assistant director of communication, has been involved with the band Gross National Product (often referred to as GNP) for over 50 years. What started out as an ambitious high school band, playing at school dances and teen hangout spots in New Jersey, has evolved into an annual event, bringing people from all over the country back together in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The band was formed in 1967 when Molzon and a few friends wanted to get into the New Jersey music scene. “If you were a teenager who wanted to play in a Rock ‘n Roll band, there were not many better places in the country than that part of the Jersey shore,” Mozon said. “It was abundant with bands and different styles of bands.” In an attempt to stand out from the various other “boy bands” that resided in New Jersey, Molzon and company decided to model their band after a new form of alternative rock coming out of San Francisco, California that featured women in the role of lead vocals. The band began playing covers
of songs coming out of the Bay Area and added another unique twist to their entertainment experience. “We decided, in addition to doing some songs from that music style, we also wanted to create and build a light show,” Molzon said. “That made us different in two ways.” When Molzon came to then Waynesburg College in the fall of 1969, GNP was still a major part of his life. When a student art group at Waynesburg began looking for a group that did light shows, Molzon was able to provide not only the light show but also a band to perform with it. Although the light show was advertised as the main attraction, the band’s performance was well received, leading GNP to return to Waynesburg throughout Molzon’s college career. When Molzon began working at the college, the band wanted to continue their performances. “I and others in the band said ‘let’s go back to Waynesburg’ because they enjoyed performing out here,” Molzon said. “Eventually it became an annual event.” The annual GNP concert, a blend of rock, jazz, bluegrass and other genres of music is not just for stu-
dents, it is also a community event. “You have people from the school; students, faculty, staff, and alumni coming,” said Molzon. “But then you also have a nice representation of people from town.” Molzon believes the best aspect of the GNP concert are the various types of people it continues to call back to Greene County. “There is a nice handful of talented musicians and there is some aspect of it as to why they continue to come back,” said Molzon. “We have a lot of people who have done a lot of the shows that come back.” A prime example is Lee Robinson, the lead saxophonist for the show. When legend ar y Jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine died, Robinson was selected to oversee the music at Turrentine’s funeral. Students, faculty, staff and local musicians have all been involved with the annual event and have returned. A woman who graduated from Waynesburg in the 1980’s returns every year to run lights. A drummer that got involved as a student comes back, having played upwards of 30 shows. Three horn players from
Photo courtesy of Bill Molzon
This photo shows a large ensemble performing in front of a crowd in the Goodwin Performing Arts Center during last year's GNP concert. last year’s show will be returning again. A former maintenance worker who was a bluegrass singer joined the show in the 1980’s and has come back to perform. A local guitar player, who at the time was a high school freshman, got involved and will be coming back for his fourth show. People will be traveling from across the country, places such as Texas, New Hampshire, South Carolina and New Jersey, to come back and take part in this year’s event. The 48th installment of the concert will be held on Saturday April 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Goodwin Performing Arts Center, and admission is free.
Rachel Mangan, Yellow Jacket
Bill Molzon from the GNP concert in the 1983 yearbook.
Virtual 5k to benefit Special Olympics Psychology project prepares students for career research By MICHAEL CAPPELLI Editorial Assistant
Fundraising comes in many forms nowadays. Everyone is trying to find the best way to get people to donate to their cause. Different clubs at Waynesburg University have joined the trend by hosting different events around campus. The events benefit different organizations and allow people to have fun, while impacting the community in a positive way. The criminal justice club will host a 5k April 22 that directly benefits the Special Olympics. One of the student liaisons for the event, Patience Yobp, said the Criminal Justice Club wanted to add another fundraiser to help raise money for the Special Olympics. “We were trying to do another fundraiser for Special Olympics because the Criminal Justice Club is really involved,” said Yobp. “And one of our proudest things is we resurrected their program, and half of their funds come from our fundraising.” The money will go directly to the county’s Special Olympics program. This will enable the program to try different sports
By IAN POPOVICH
For the Yellow Jacket
Photo courtesy of Jordan Wylie
Teams from the Special Olympics rely on fundraisers from the Criminal Justice Club to keep the organization going. and activities, according to Yobp. “This just allows the kids to do different stuff as far as bringing a new sport to our county program,” said Yobp. “We could try bocce or something, and we would be able to purchase the equipment for that or go to more invitationals or host a match.” The 5k they are hosting differs from the usual fundraising the club does. It was originally set up as a virtual race, which was not the first choice the club decided on. “We decided to try and
do something this year that was different,” said Yobp. “Originally, we were kind of going to do it on our own, and then we found the virtual 5k through Penn State stadium and it was a perfect fit.” According to Yobp, the Criminal Justice Club is one of the only groups planning a separate race around the event. The participants will all be virtual runners and will be able to run the race anytime throughout the month of April. The Criminal Justice Club also set a date to gather more people, ac-
cording to Yobp. “We are all technically going to be virtual runners,” said Yobp. “But we just set a date so that it will be more structured.” Yobp said they do not have a set route for the race, but they are still working on it. “I heard about the route but there is nothing concrete about it yet,’ said Yobp. The race will be run mostly by students, faculty and the Criminal Justice Club. Registration will be held at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
WU partnership offers internships in D.C. By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor
Waynesburg University recently entered into a partnership with the Washington Center, an internship program based in Washington, D.C. that places college students with internship sites in different fields all over the capital. Students who apply to the Washington Center can receive an entire semester’s worth of credits by participating in an internship four days a week, in addition to one day being dedicated to the program’s “Lead Colloquium” course in professional development and one academic course on a weekday evening. The center accepts students from all majors. Representatives from the center visited campus last Tuesday to meet with dif-
ferent academic departments and explain the opportunities they can provide.
This trust in faculty is precisely what the Washington Center hopes to build between students
“I was really ready to jump into the workforce...It really made me feel that I was ready to enter the workforce and gave me those tools I needed.”
CARA GLUCK
Coordinator for College and University Relations
“Students, a lot of times, rely on faculty for advice, and rightly so,” Saima Siddiqui, managing director of College and University Relations at the Washington Center said. “So, they look to them for guidance and faculty are really critical to make this work, credit-wise and otherwise, so we find that it is really, really helpful when we are able to speak to department chairs.”
and its organization, Siddiqui said. At the center, students can complete an internship without worrying about living on their own with extra expenses— they have a housing facility just for interns. “A lot of graduates of our program say it’s like a career launch on training wheels,” she said. “You know, instead of just graduating college your senior year and then moving to a
big city and having to find your own place to live and having to figure stuff out, it’s a place where we have student services just like you have here at college.” Cara Gluck, coordinator for College and University Relations, was a graduate of the program before she started working for the Washington Center. She said completing her internship and the Lead Colloquium with the guidance of the center truly kickstarted her career. “I was really just ready to jump into the workforce,” said Gluck. “I had a really great internship site supervisor, who was actually my manager at my site, and she was really great at mentoring me and helping me develop. You know, she was a reference for me when I first started applying for
INTERNSHIPS >> A4
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the minds of people. Students interested in this form of science take classes with Dr. Jenny Jellison, associate professor of psychology. One event that is part of the curriculum that Jellison provides is an educational trip to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for the Laurel Highlands Undergraduate Student R e s e a rc h C o n f e re n c e held at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Michele Karpathian, professor of psychology, attends these events and commented on the importance of the trip to the students. “The trip allows students to present their research at the conference,” said Karpathian. “Students write articles based on projects that they conducted during the class.” Karpathian takes care of the administrative process of planning the trip and has attended these trips since they first started 14 years ago, when Jellison was hired at Waynesburg Un i v e r s i t y. K a r p a t h ian said that the students greatly benefit from the trip. “Graduate schools look for experience like that,” said Karpathian. “More and more kids would enjoy the kind of opportunity that comes from attending the event, and not only presenting their own work, but also listening to other students’ work and professional psychology researchers that may even attend the event.” When Jellison was first interviewed for a teaching position at Waynesburg, the department wanted there to be more research for students working toward a degree in psychology. One option that she proposed was the psychology conference. Students would conduct research topics that Jellison approved and spend an entire class period working on their topics. “Students put together their own research,” said
Jellison. “I facilitate the methods of how students are to go about doing the research.” Jellison also believes that the conference is not just a great learning experience for researchers or psychology majors, but for any student. “This is beneficial to all students that are interested, and can look great on their résumés,” said Jellison. “It can be neat life experience, and, if [they’re] brave enough to do it, [they’ll] go far and beyond.” The projects were split into three groups of four, and each group worked on three topics. Some of the topics involved social and personal beliefs. One topic mentioned the use of miss-information. The study examined how our memory gets tricked when we perceive something and someone else stated it happened another way—showing how people perceive events differently from one another. Jellison described the test that the students orchestrated to demonstrate the effects of miss-information. “We put people into a room, and had them watch a video,” said Jellison. “We then tested them on the video, while having people on the inside stating wrong answers during the test. This showed us that people with confidence in their answers used them, and those who were not confident, chose to listen to the wrong answers.” Sadie Breon, a psychology major in Jellison’s class and one of the group members that conducted the test, was not afraid of research. Much like other students, however, she still didn’t want to do it. “I thought it was scary, standing in front of other schools and researchers,” Breon exclaimed. “It was, however, a great way to challenge yourself and help to provide your own work.” Any students interested in psychology and wanting to present research for the experience should talk to Jellison.
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Serve: Week-long event first of its kind on campus Relay: Turnover of leadership a challenge for event, says Hardie Continued from A1
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2014, his uncle passed away from melanoma. For Hager— who plans on returning as a captain next year— the event will give an opportunity for him to contribute in making sure that others aren’t affected by the disease the way he was. “Ever since [my uncle passed away], it’s always been a special kind of thing for me to always try to help out with cancer,” Hager said. “Just to make sure other people don’t have to go through the same thing [in the future].” One of the challenges for Hardie in partnering with the American Cancer Society is the turnover in leadership on their end. 26-yearold Dillon Spencer, commu nity development manager a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania, is the fourth coordinator since the partnership began. Hardie is excited about what Spencer brings to the table. “He’s been fantastic to work with,” Hardie said. “He volunteered as a high school student, so he’s very passionate about the cause and understands our students and where they’re coming from.” A lot has changed since Hardie started working at Waynesburg in July of 2003. One of the biggest upgrades of fundraising, according to Hardie, is social media, which allows for a higher quantity of donors. “Technology is a huge change,” she said. “When I first started working for Relay for Life, students fund-
raised through cookie sales, bake sales and penny wars. Now, everything is virtually online. Students can create an online fundraising page and share that [on] Facebook. So their friends from out of state and their family members from far away can actually donate toward their team.” Above all else, Hardie hopes Sunday will provide an opportunity for students
“My main hope is just to promote awareness about cancer education and cancer research... This is such an amazing event that brings our campus together...”
KELLY HARDIE
Assistant Dean of Student Services
to enjoy themselves, while also giving them a chance to be educated on a deadly disease. “My main hope is just to promote awareness about cancer education and cancer research,” Hardie said. “In addition to that, my hope is always to honor the survivors, because that’s what the event is all about is providing them with hope, and then showing them. This is such an amazing event that brings our campus together, and I just love to see all the clubs, the organizations, the residence halls, the athletic teams, come together to serve a cause. And I think that speaks to our mission here at Waynesburg.”
volunteer hours that students and faculty at the university completed locally, domestically and internationally in 2017. These hours of service include mission trips, local “Service Saturday” events and other opportunities for volunteering that students participated in to benefit communities last year. According to Hardie, in celebration of and coordination with that commitment to service, National Volunteer Week events are being hosted each day by the office
of student services April 15 through 22. “It is a week to thank our volunteers for all that they do,” Hardie said. “What better way to celebrate our mission at Waynesburg University than to also celebrate National Volunteer Week.” The kickoff for the week will be organized with the Relay for Life activities, the start of which will be announced within the opening ceremonies of the Relay for Life the morning of April 15. Each of the weekdays in the National Volunteer Week will include events such as a
service trip fair, a servant leadership-focused speech from an alumnus and an opportunity for further volunteering in creating a care package for the Ronald McDonald house and a Service Saturday trip to the Humane Society. According to Hardie, she was made aware of the National Volunteer Week from other non-profits the university interacts with during their service, and she knew “instantly” after doing research that this event would be “great to thank our volunteers.” “As we celebrate the con-
clusion of our school year, it is a great way to wrap up all of the hours that we have done as a campus student body,” Hardie said. This year will be the first time the university has hosted National Volunteer Week events on campus. The nationwide recognition of volunteering coincides with the clear dedication to service demonstrated at the university. “It’s a natural fit to what we do at Waynesburg University and our mission,” Hardie said. “It’s also a way for us to give back to our local community as well.”
Recycle: DeNofrio was ‘never made aware’ of issue Continued from A1
any formal response, Blake said he is uncertain if the senate presented his proposal. “The impression I get is that [the information] wasn’t presented,” Blake said. “Or, if it was presented, it was to a very select few group of individuals.” According to Student Senate President T.J. DeNofrio, he was never made aware of the recycling proposition and was never approached by anyone about it. “I have yet to have anyone from the EcoStewards Club show up to the [senate] meetings [or send me] a direct email [regarding recycling],” DeNofrio said. At the beginning of the Fall semester, DeNofrio said there were references to recycling inside the senate, but since he has never been personally addressed. “This was the beginning of the semester [in the fall, but] there was this mumbling about
recycling in the Senate… it was about on-campus housing and that was about it and nothing else really [happened],” DeNofrio said. “No one came to the meeting to address it… I have had no one come up to me and address any interest.” Despite this, Blake said a proposal detailing the branding for recycling bins; pickup routes for student workers; names of Housing Leaders who were in support and a ‘comprehensive’ budget sheet was given in person to Social Vice President, A.J. McClure, Jan. 23. According to McClure, he did receive the packet of information from Blake about recycling Jan. 23 and presented it in front of the executive board in the pre-meeting for senate. While DeNofrio does not remember ever hearing information from the EcoStewards Club about recycling, McClure said DeNofrio was at his presentation to the executive board “as far as [he could] remember.”
Blake said he was unable to personally present the information to Student Senate due to a class conflict during the time the senate meets on Tuesdays. Since his presentation, McClure said the initiative was slowed due to lack of manpower. “The main issue with the housing [recycling] is we are currently down one on-campus recycling student employee,” McClure said. “We pay for two each year and one of them had to leave this semester.” While McClure said there isn’t enough manpower to “justify” bringing recycling to on-campus houses this semester; McClure said there could be changes to how recycling is handled campus-wide in the future. “I was in conversation with the guy who does pick-ups [for recycling] on campus and around,” McClure said. “We are looking into a new way of organizing recycling in a new way that the campus can be involved.” According to McClure, this
new method would most likely be available by next academic school year and would directly benefit students living in oncampus housing. Since presenting the information to Student Senate in late January, McClure said information about the EcoStewards Club’s recycling plan has been passed on to Secretary Olivia Shultz-Falandes. Shultz-Falandes declined to comment. Blake said she was given an “overview of the information.” DeNofrio said he encourages anyone looking to inquire about recycling to email him. With room in the budget, DeNofrio said he is willing to address the issue when presented with appropriate information. “Obviously, [recycling] is something in our budget,” DeNofrio said. “If someone came up to me and said ‘we want this done what can you do,’ I’d proactively do my best to address that need. But if I don’t have any information, it’s hard for me to do that.”
Autism: Rossi feels additional pressure after recent depression diagnosis his footing. “I am thankful, because obviously things get tough between [my autism and depression],” Rossi said. “I am really thankful that they are there for me.”
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despite the early detection, Rossi didn’t find out about his condition until he went to middle school—almost seven years later. At this point in his life, he said all he wanted to do was blend in, but he felt very different compared to his classmates. “I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me,” Rossi said. “My parents had a sit-down with me and that’s when they told me I was autistic. I didn’t even know what that was. They told me it was hard to explain, but the best way they could put it was that I was not normal.” And then it hit him. “All I wanted to do was fit in,” Rossi said. “But then I learned that I had something that would always make me stand out.” Learning to cope Back in the classroom, when Rossi hazily stood up to walk to the Guidance Counselor’s office, he felt the eyes of his peers following him. Despite being nervous for what repercussions were waiting for him when he got there, he said he was shocked at how casual it was. “I went to talk to the counselors, and then they just let me go to lunch as if nothing happened,” Rossi said. After lunch, he was called back down to the office, and when he got there, he saw two familiar faces: his parents. “My mom was distraught,” Rossi said. “They told me I had to go to [Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC], and I didn’t even know what that was. My Dad told me it was a mental hospital, and I started freaking out.” Rossi said going to Western Psych changed his life forever. “I’ll never forget looking around and seeing the people there that were obviously
Michelle Keith, Yellow Jacket
After coming to Waynesburg in the Spring 2016 semester, Brandon Rossi has learned to cope with his autism and focus on his passion: sports announcing. broken, and realizing I was right there with them,” he said. “That was eye-opening for me.” Although he said it was a scary and emotional time, Rossi said Western Psych gave him the tools and strength to manage his autism and continue living a semi-normal life. However, when he eventually returned to his high school, he still struggled to do what he has always wanted to do: fit in. “I wanted to make friends, but I would often have to leave areas because they’d get too crowded for me and sensory overload would shut me down,” Rossi said. “I also didn’t know how to talk to people because it does sound a lot like anxiety. I had to teach myself what happy is. What angry is. What sadness is.”
Life at Waynesburg Rossi came to Waynesburg University in Spring 2016 after he spent a semester at Robert Morris University. He transferred to Waynesburg after hearing about the strength of the sports broadcasting/sports information program, and with a dream of becoming a professional sports announcer someday, it was a no-brainer. In fact, looking back now, he said it was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. “For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could be myself here and not worry about other people and just be me, which is the best me,” Rossi said. However, the theme of trying to fit in has followed him to college, and he still feels like an outsider amongst friends. In November 2017, he hit a new low and gained
a new diagnosis: depression. “Thanksgiving was really rough for me,” he said. “I cried myself to sleep until 2 or 3 a.m. with the negative thoughts I had, and I didn’t know why. I just kept feeling like I was just a bother to everybody.” After witnessing these emotions first-hand, Rossi’s roommate, senior sports broadcasting/sports information major Greg Finley, knew there was something wrong. “Last semester, he really had it bad,” Finley said. “He would wake up sobbing and wondering why he’s even on the earth, and I told him he needed to call his mom or go to the Counseling Center.” Because of these feelings, Rossi said he sometimes finds himself posting on social media to vent about his mental health as a “cry
for help.” After a few too many posts, he and Finley were startled awake around 7:30 a.m. by security officers pounding on their door, making sure Rossi was OK. “We’ve actually had security come to our dorm room twice this semester because of something he posted on Twitter,” Finley said. Finley said he wished Rossi would come to talk to him before things escalate and security gets involved, but he knows that his depression plays a huge role in that. “I don’t understand why he has to go to social media for these things, but I have also never dealt with depression, so I don’t think I will ever fully understand,” Finley said. Today, with the help of friends like Finley and support from the Counseling Center, Rossi has regained
Beating the odds Rossi couldn’t say a word until age 4, but today, speaking has become his livelihood through sports announcing. “Whenever I am announcing, I don’t really think about autism or depression. That stuff just goes away,” Rossi said. “That’s the one place I feel at home; one thing I feel like I am genuinely good at. I want to be the best at what my name is attached to, and I feel proud of what I do.” Despite his success in the field, Rossi still feels diminished by his condition. “I have always wanted to fit in,” Rossi said. “People say they understand, but I don’t think they fully do. They don’t know what it’s like to live with autism.” Rossi said that he has firsthand heard people call him and others with autism derogatory terms like “retard” and “slow,” and while he tries not to let words get to him, they still hurt. “I want to be accepted as just another one of the guys, but the problem is, I am diagnosed with something that people view as being retarded, and it’s just a fact of life for me I guess,” Rossi said. “Autism is not that at all, and it’s helped me more than it’s hurt me. In terms of making friends, it sounds cliché, but people stay away from what they don’t understand, but it shouldn’t be that way.” As he continues to chase his dreams at Waynesburg, Rossi hopes he will enter the world of sports announcing and be able to set an example for others with autism. “I want to be the guy that gives people hope and that people with autism are normal and can succeed at life,” he said. “I am in the process of doing what I want to do, so why can’t anybody else?”
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April 12, 2018
Annual health fair features blood drive, registry for donations By DYLAN CLELAND
For the Yellow Jacket
T h u r s d a y, Ap r i l 1 2 , m ark s t he an nu a l spr i ng He a lt h Fai r at Waynesburg University. From 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., students can stop into the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse and visit a variety of vendors that will focus on different aspects of each student's health. Jennifer Shiring, nurse director of student health services ensures she highlights the importance of the fair and its benefits for those who attend. “The health fair is held annually and it’s just to educate students on health topics that are relevant to their age,” said Shiring. “We have a lot of vendors there, as well as inside organizations, such as athletic training and others.” O ver 50 booths will b e s e t - up arou n d t h e new gymnasium inside the fieldhouse featuring everything from campus organizations to local businesses. In addition to the information booths, light refreshments will be available for anyone that stops in. “We do a nice layout of fresh fruits and vegetables, popcorn and snow cones,” said Shiring. “All of the food will be in the lobby
Michelle Keith, Yellow Jacket
Nursing students set up an informational table for a previous health fair with games and prizes to make the presentation interactive. and the vendors will be located in the new gym.” Also, there will be a few test areas for students to check and learn about their own personal health. “We’re doing blood sugar testing and blood typing,” said Shiring. “You can learn what your blood type is, and we have things like chiropractors, doctors and pharmacists that will do bone density screenings.” Prizes which include everything from gift certificates to tickets to new
electronics can be won by participating in the games
ing. “Also, we have tickets to different theatre events
“You might be healthy with no problems, but there is always room for improvement, always something to learn”
JENNIFER SHIRING
Nurse Director of Student Health Services
that are held at the fair. “We try to do some interactive games and we have loads and loads of prizes that we give away,” said Shir-
and things like L aurel Caverns and white-water adventure passes. Different food places donate gift certificates like Scotty’s
Pizza. We have a mountain bike this year that was donated and we’ll be giving away. Electronics like headphones and I think we have a few Google Chromes this year. So, we have a lot that we try to give away.” A few of those prizes listed promote healthy, active living. Also, there will be a blood drive and bone marrow drive for students to donate or sign up to become a donor. The blood drive will
run from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. “We will have the blood drive and bone marrow drive and they will be located in the old gym,” said Shiring. “The bone marrow drive is called ‘Be the Match’ and the football team is really [who] runs that and does the advertising. They volunteer their time to help with registration and help people through that process and it’s a really easy process. It’s a cheek swab to sign up. And even if you sign up and would match with someone and become a match you aren’t obligated to donate. We had two students who were selected and were a match and one of them did go on to donate.” When holding events l i k e t h e h e a l t h f a i r, education and learning are always the intended goal for students and community members, according to Shiring. “[It’s about] learning something about their health, maybe think about what they’re eating and their healthy practices, and what they are doing to push themselves more on that h bealth wellness scale,” said Shiring. “You might be healthy with no problems, but there is always room for improvement, always something to learn.”
PR Week allows speakers share experience Internship: Real-world
experience helps to fuel future job opportunities
By PAUL ZALAKAR and HOLLY HENDERSHOT Staff Report
The school year may be coming to a close, but Waynesburg University public relations majors are still eager to learn before summer vacation begins. For the past seven years, students from Waynesburg University’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America planned one week of speakers, conferences, critiques and presentations related to the field of Public Relations. Throughout the past week the various events were held in Buhl Hall ‘connecting the dots’ between the work force, college experience and how public relations is intertwined throughout everything. Although the events and speakers revolve mainly around Public Relations, speakers will present on many different areas of communications this year, including sports reporting and design. “Our theme is ‘connecting the dots’ because we do have what seems like a multitude of experiences and a multitude of events in different levels,” said junior Amanda Troncone, Vice President of Waynesburg University Public Relations Student Society of America [PRSSA] chapter .“Having all of these events that represent different things about professional public relations really speaks true to PRSSA’s mission to enhance students’ education and to broaden their network and to launch their careers.” According to Troncone, there are some skills students just can’t learn in a classroom setting. “There are a lot of different things we want to learn about, and should be learning about, that we can’t cover on a day to day basis,” said Troncone. “We’re going to learn industry skills, personal development skills and how to maneuver through the PR world while connecting regionally and even nationally.” The week kicked off Monday afternoon in McCance Auditorium with four internship presentations. The “Professional Princesses”, consisting of Troncone, senior Maura Fenske and juniors Gabrielle Coy and
Continued fromA4
Mattie Winowitch, Yellow Jacket
Members of Wednesday's panel of speakers met with students involved with public relations to help teach them about the field. Cheyenne Nester all spoke on behalf of their PR related internships they held in the past year. According to Troncone, they planned events for every day of PR week so there would always be something educational going on that students can attend and learn from. Student internship presentations started PR week off Monday at noon, and the President’s Press Conference followed at 2 p.m. in the Alumni Hall room in Miller Hall. A professional development session with PRSSA National Advisor of Top Hat Marketing Communications Firm and Publications Editor in Chief at PRSSA Natalie Gloady and a sports management panel occurred Tuesday, as well as a lecture from Ben Butler, the keynote speaker. “[Butler] is also our incoming PRSSA National Advisor,” Troncone said. “It’s super cool to have everything from a national level of PRSSA come and be localized to Waynesburg PRSSA, because I think it speaks [a lot of] the connections we’ve made over the past few years and how we interact with the National Committee and the national staff.” Troncone and Coy, along with Chapter Fundraising Coordinator Adam McKnight two of those students along with another played a heavy role in making Public Relations week happen. Troncone, Coy and Waynesburg’s Chapter Fundraising Coordinator, sophomore Tanner McKnight made up the team to plan out the week.
“They are fundamentally the lead planners,” s aid Richard Kraus e, chairperson for the department of communication, assistant professor of communication and faculty advisor to Waynesburg’s PRSSA chapter. “They are the ones who are responsible for coordinating all efforts to inviting people on campus, working with [secretary] Jan Teagarden to reserve facilities, and follow up with speakers to bring them to the university.” Those responsibilities can be a handful, especially since they are all still college students. “We have been planning every day since January. We’ve held meetings trying to figure out how to put the pieces together,” said McKnight. “My datebook has been full every day. So, it’s going to be a relief seeing all the hard work pay off.” The various programs each focused in different directions. Many of the event’s speakers had a lot to bring to the week and the students who attended their programs. Ben Butler, who recently became the PRSSA National Advisor, delivered the Keynote Address spoke in McCance Tuesday night. PR week originally started out as a celebration of one day and has been growing ever since. After seven years of expanding success, the week received a sponsorship with West Virginia University Reed College of Media. One of their representatives spoke during the Thursday afternoon session about Integrated Marketing Com-
munication and Data Marketing Communication. They talked about the graduate program that they offer. According to McKnight, it’s a nationally recognized online program. Those programs are what PR students are looking to learn more about. Aside from Public Relations, the weeklong celebration went hand in hand with Waynesburg University’s mission to service. “We are implementing a Corporate Social Responsibility event this year during the week,” said Troncone. “We have been collecting gently used professional dress clothes for men and women. If people ever needed professional clothes for an interview they will have access to that thanks to the donations.” Every program saw a tote for donations set up to collect the clothes. Even when events didn’t take place, students and faculty were still encouraged to donate to the cause. “We have been thinking of everyone in Greene County, and giving back to the community,” said McKnight. “We know how important appearance is, especially professionally dressed clothing for interviews.” Even though each year the Waynesburg Chapter looks to improve PR week, one thing has remained the same. “PR week is a time for celebration,” says Troncone. “It’s a place for professionals to speak on behalf of what they do, and learn from them through hands on experience.”
jobs. So, it really made me feel that I was ready to enter the workforce and gave me those tools that I needed.” Unlike a typical internship, Siddiqui said, the Washington Center works with both internship supervisors and students, this creates effective mentorships and maximizes the overall experience. That, in addition to the Lead Colloquium, helps guide students to preparing for the professional world after college. “What Cara’s describing is a hallmark of the Washington Center and why doing an internship with us is different from doing an internship at just a regular internship,” said Siddiqui. After being in existence for 44 years, and with an alumni network of approximately 50,000, Siddiqui also said that students are exposed to diversity that they may otherwise have never experienced. “It creates this bond and this forced diversity that students don’t get on their home campuses, and we actually found that—Gallup just did a survey of our alumni—and that immer-
sion is one of their biggest takeaways and one of their most positive things of the Washington Center…” she said. The Washington Center connects with campuses across the country and internationally, only accepting students through colleges that have an affiliation. They were connected with Waynesburg after a student applied for their program before a partnership was established, and then began having conversations with the university staff. Since then, Sarah Bell, academic communications coordinator, has been appointed as the Waynesburg University official liason with the Washington Center. Siddiqui said Bell will help students prepare their applications and coordinate with faculty members to make the most out of their internship experiences. The representatives encouraged students to contact Bell and apply on the center’s website. “It’s a great middle step,” she said. “It’s a great way for them to sort of figure out what they want or don’t want and be in a professional environment and have support.”
SECTION B
APRIL 12, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
Waynesburg Coffee Company combining with Coach's Café By TEGHAN SIMONTON Managing Editor
Wa y n e s b u r g C o f f e e Company opened its doors for the first time in August 2017, but approximately seven months later, the company is no more—at least the brand is. Drew Johnson, co-owner of Waynesburg Coffee Company, announced on the company’s Facebook page last week that the shop would no longer be open in its current location. Customers were surprised and disheartened, thinking that the shop was closing down altogether, but that is not the case. Waynesburg Coffee Company is simply moving from its current location at 25 N. Morgan St. to combine with Coach’s
Café at 78 W. High St. “We just had two businesses, and it made sense to combine them,” said Johnson. “And a lot of people like the idea of us being on High Street a lot better, and its better for businesses in town.” Johnson and his wife, Laura Johnson, purchased Coach’s Café in late February and began running operations there. The stores had opened only a month apart last year, and the Johnsons were long-time friends with former Coach’s Café Owner Matt Tedrow. Tedrow approached them to see if they would be interested in buying his shop, and Laura Johnson said it was easy to accept. Now, Drew Johnson said it just makes more sense to
combine the two restaurants. “A lot of the items were the same at both shops,” he said. “The menus aren’t really changing too much on either end. It just made sense to put them together.” Drew Johnson said that especially during breakfast the restaurants were serving essentially the same items— bacon and sausage sandwiches, mixed coffee drinks and other items. This will make it easy to combine the menus. In fact, he said the majority of the new menu would be ready by this week. Still, the owners chose to keep the transition a secret until everything was completely moved and set up. “For business reasons,”
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Co-owners of Waynesburg Coffee Company and Coach's Cafe are combining locations to form one restaurant at the Coach's Cafe location. Johnson said. “We [were] trying to keep it quiet just so people don’t go over
Fighting hunger
there before we’re ready.” Now that the transition is complete, Drew John-
Associate Editor
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Pennsylvania State Rep. Dr. Rick Saccone learns pottery skills from Andrew Heisey, chairperson for the Fine Arts Department, at Empty Bowls Sunday, April 8.
Businesses team up with students for Empty Bowls Associate Editor
Hunger is a problem in Greene County. According to Greene County Food Security Partnership’s website, in 2010, “the poverty rate for children in Greene County is 20.4 percent (or 1,588 individuals under the age of 18), with 2,090 children able to be identified as food insecure (25.9 percent of population under 18).” While this problem is not solvable overnight, there are efforts being made to help those who do not know where their next meal is coming from. Empty B owls Greene County is an event where the community comes together to benefit the Greene County Weekend Food Program. The fifth annual Empty Bowls event occurred this weekend at the National Guard Readiness Center April 8. Waynesburg University senior Kenny Knouse, who was a coordinator for the event, said he is glad to make a difference in the community, even though he does not directly interact with those he is helping. “It’s good to know that something good is happening in the community,”
Knouse said. Doors opened at 11 a.m. Soup was served and the auctions opened right away. Sweet potato, black bean, wedding, loaded backed potato, French onion, beef vegetable and broccoli cheddar soup were available to those in attendance. Gift baskets from local businesses and ceramics from Winegar Pottery, and Waynesburg University students and Andrew Heisey, chairperson for the Fine Arts Department at Waynesburg University, filled the auction table. The Waynesburg University Bonner Scholars hosted the event, which was coordinated by Knouse and his classmates Amanda Groft and Sydney Green. Knouse, who has been involved with the Empty Bowls program since his senior year of high school at S out her n C olumbia High School in Catawissa, Pennsylvania, is involved in different organizations and programs in the community. The history major spends several hours a week at the Greene County Historical Society and understands the importance of a close community. “It’s the number one thing
COFFEE>> B4
Construction for new Sheetz location begins near Route 21 By MATTHEW SHINKLE
By MITCHELL KENDRA
son said there will be more
Residents and university students in the town of Waynesburg eagerly awaited the renovations of the Sheetz in the center of town to be completed at the end of last year. Franklin Township is now soon to be the recipient of a second Sheetz location, with this one being located on the other side of Interstate 79 across from the airport. The placement of the Sheetz was announced back in 2016, however, ground was only officially broken on the site recently. Public Relations Manager Nick Ruffner says the location was a desirable spot for a second store, due to the high amount of traffic that goes through the area. “We have a real estate team that takes a close look at all of our store locations,” said Ruffner. “What we’ve seen is that this location is going to be adjacent to I-79 and so it’s going to be really appealing for not only people from Waynesburg but also for travelers along I-79. They can hop off and get some gas for their vehicles and also take advantage of our Made-to-Order food
as well.” The new location will be available from both Murtha Dr. and Route 21, making for easy access from both roads. The store is expected to have nearly all the same amenities as the newly renovated Sheetz in FranklinsTownship, with beer sales, a drive-through, both indoor and outdoor seating and 12 fueling locations for vehicles. The store will be 6,050 square feet in size. A lesser known component of the drive-through, according to Ruffner, is the ability to order items from both the Made-to-Order menu and items on the shelves. “Our drive-thru is kind of a unique concept that’s different than most establishments in that it really is an inside-out concept,” said Ruffner. “So, if you go through the drive-thru, not only can you order Madeto-Order food through our kiosk, but you can also ask for items inside the store. The only things that you can’t ask for are lottery tickets and beer.” With construction currently underway, Ruffner SHEETZ >> B4
Agricultural pageant to celebrate state's farming industry By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Convergence Editor
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Students hand-made bowls to represent hunger in Greene County. [to me],” Knouse said on the importance of community. “Especially being in college, it’s important to grow a big network and to be actively involved in not only your schoolwork but also the community as well, that way you can create a really good, long-lasting relationship, and a memorable one at that.” Upon arriving at Waynesburg University as a freshman in 2014, Knouse got involved with Empty Bowls Greene County, as the Bon-
ner Program requires students to serve with issue based programs. Knouse, Groft and Green have been busy coordinating the event since the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic school year, when they started planning and making ceramic bowls. Waynesburg University students collectively made about 100 bowls for the event, and had bowls from the last several years doBOWLS >> B4
The Miss United States Agriculture Pageant has been operating on at the national level for four years, but this year will be the first time there will be a Pennsylvania Miss United States Agriculture Pageant. The new development stems from Shannon Winegert, the reigning National Miss United States Agriculture, who is now also the new state director. “The pageant is about celebrating agriculture,” said Winegert. “Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s number one industry, and this also helps young girls and women build their confidence, become better public speakers and make friendships that will last forever.” The pageant will take place April 14 at the Huntington Area High School. There are
10 age divisions: Baby Miss, 0-23 months; Tiny Miss, 2-3 years; Future Little Miss, 4-5; Little Miss, 6-7; Petite Miss, 8-10; Junior Miss, 11-13; Teen Miss, 14-16; Miss, 17-21; Ms., 22-30 (unmarried) and Mrs., 22-30 (married). Those 10 age groups, according to Winegert, represent 53 county queens this year competing from 28 different counties. There are also five regional queens who signed up before the Pennsylvania Miss United States Agriculture pageant was created, so they automatically go to nationals, which will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, June 23. “It is so great to see young women have a voice about agriculture,” said Winegert. “We are the ones feeding our country and our neighbors here in America. There are not many PAGEANT >> B4
Page B2
April 12, 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
To be blunt, marijuana should be legal MATTHEW SHINKLE 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
War of Words
Everyone has an opinion. When it comes to politics, opinions can be pretty divisive. One of the fastest growing movements in the United States is the legalization of marijuana, a topic that splits much of the country, though polling suggests a shift towards legalization. The current administration, with Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the forefront, is leading
the fight against legal marijuana. However, there are two avenues that are important to remember before I propose my idea to solving the system of marijuana in the United States. So, bear with me. Voters across the country have helped legalize marijuana in 30 states and the District of Columbia for either medical and recreational use, with the vast majority of those states only approving of its medical use. Once it’s voted to be made legal, there are dozens of steps that need to be followed for the process to become successful
and observable by the federal government. When legal for medical use, applicants must pass state requirements showing they’re eligible for the program. For example, medical marijuana was recently made legal in Pennsylvania. The state law makes the use of medical marijuana rather strict, with it being available for patients only as a backup after other measures have failed, such as opiates. In short, participants may be able to access life changing medicine in other states and not theirs. What puzzles me is the stark
difference some will say there is between alcohol and marijuana. Both impair judgments and make it unsafe to drive to name just a small amount of side effects the pair provide users. Why not regulate marijuana use with the same brush as alcohol? After all, overdosing on marijuana is impossible. It’s certainly a drug, and age requirements should be placed if it was made legal federally, but the overall threat to the public is far less than that of alcohol. Plus, marijuana offers plenty MARIJUANA >> B3
Taking a break from tech can keep you sane TIFFANY MORGAN Columnist
I was sitting at home at my kitchen table Sunday morning, writing a letter to one of my friends. Yes, you read that correctly. I was writing a letter by hand, so I could put a stamp on the top right corner of an envelope and mail it for someone to read about two days after it was written – crazy concept, right? I have always had an interest in the “old-fashioned”
way of communication: letters, phone calls, talking face-to-face, the “outdated” stuff. In that moment, as I crossed my t’s and dotted my i’s, I thought to myself, as I have many times, about the technology-filled world we live in and how it is constantly stuffed into every social outlet of our lives. I fantasized about living in an era where technology was just another scary idea that was bound to take over the world. Now here we are in 2018, and technology is absolutely terrifying me. According to a statistic
provided by the American Psychological Association, 63 percent of millennials feel like they are attached to their phone. As a millennial, this is a daunting statistic that made me quiver on both the outside and inside. I do not think it’s just millennials, though, that are being sucked into technology on the daily. It's everyone. We as a society today are involving technology too much into our lives. Not to mention the amount of social media outlets, which can begin to affect our mental health. It stresses me out to think about the amount of
notifications that pop up on my phone daily, from Twitter to news alerts. It can become too much and can cloud up our lives. Not only is technology being incorporated into the work-place and heavily involved in leisure, but now phones are another way to cope with feeling awkward in social situations. The brain is then trained to turn to a phone for comfort when feeling alone. We always have to be doing something, so if we are sitting alone, we have to be TECH >> B3
Political debate stands on no solid ground
This past week, the United States of America once again became a first-hand witness to what is often seen as an uncomfortable part of our society – when celebrities or those in the media battle over politics. Jimmy Kimmel of ABC and Sean Hannity of Fox News have continued to battle one another for days after Kimmel impersonated First Lady of the United States Melania Trump on his late-night comedy show. Kimmel did what he is paid to do: make jokes. However, Hannity must have felt Kimmel was crossing a line and took to Twitter to argue with the night show host, trading insults back and forth much of last Friday night. Both Kimmel and Hannity have mocked politicians in the past, with Hannity having mocked Michelle Obama during Barack Obama’s time in office. Fox News hosts, including Hannity, and President Trump have both been sure to label the mainstream media as a threat to the truth over the past few years. Although Fox News is in and of itself in the mainstream media, being one of the highest watched news networks on television, it is also one of the least trusted. A recent poll out of Monmouth University compared multiple news networks trustworthiness, including CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, to that of President Trump. Trump was ranked to be less trusted than all three of the networks, while CNN was also the most trusted network of the bunch. The graphic aired on Fox News by mistake while host Howard Kurtz was on, expecting a different graphic to be displayed about fake news in the media, which was another poll also conducted recently by the university. Of course, this graphic does not show much outside understanding the dynamics of politics in the United States. Fox News viewers lean more Republican, leading one to expect a closer gap between the network and Trump, while the poll between CNN and President Trump was certain to include a larger gap. Despite these statistics, it is important to remember that Fox News is the most-watched basic cable network in the United States. Reporters and hosts with Fox News often square off with those on CNN, with each side picking on the other. To bring this full circle, Kimmel and Hannity’s bickering does nothing except fuel the fire of each hosts’ respective sides. President Trump is not the first person to hold the highest office in the United States and not have a great relationship with the media, nor will he be the last. In hopes of solving an immense and long running problem in the country, it’s important to remember to stick to the facts. News networks often spread bias during shows with opinions and statements not backed up by facts, numbers or figures. Rather than painting each other as Republican, Democrat or Independent, being able to actually discuss politics with meaning and understanding rather than insults and opinion can start a healing process this country very much needs. 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
For Faust, Relay for Life is a way of life
The following is an interview with Brittany Faust, a senior early childhood education major, as part of the Starting the Conversation series. By MATTHEW SHINKLE Q: Being that you are the team leader for the track and field Relay for Life team, what is it like planning for the event?
A: "I start planning in November. It starts with basically registering our team with Kelley Hardie, then we set up our online profile. "Then it's emailing the team, keeping the team updated, getting somebody to go to the monthly meetings. Usually about the beginning of April, right before relay, is when we plan our fundraiser, which we do a dorm collection. "We go around to all the different dorms and collect spare change, which we use to buy our prize for our annual cornhole tournament on the day of Relay for Life."
Q: What led you to want to be the team leader for a Relay for Life team?
A: "I've done relay since I was about eight years old. My grandfather in 2006 was diagnosed with kidney cancer, and got involved with relay because he became a survivor. Then all the grandkids, the seven of us, all went to relay and got really involved with it. "As I grew up, I stayed in contact with it and when I came to Waynesburg I worked with the seniors. They said they didn't have anyone to be captain, so when sophomore year came around I asked Coach Falvo what's happening with relay, and that's kind of how I got involved with it. "I've been captain since my sophomore year." Q: Tell me about some of the specifics of the track and field team for what cancer you're representing and why the team is doing so? A: "Our cancer is the same as we did last year, we're doing brain
cancer. We're doing it because two of our runners, Angie and Becky Marchetti's father, passed away from brain cancer. "It's a way of showing them that the track team really is a family and we support them. We're going to help try and find a cure so nobody else has to go through that. "Our theme, since the overall theme is Dr. Seuss, we chose the book Horton Hears A Who, because Horton is gray and the color for brain cancer is gray, it makes the decorating really simple and it's also a really fun book. "The day of, we're hosting our annual cornhole tournament. It's something we've done since my freshmen year here, I'm not even sure how long the track team's been hosting a
cornhole tournament but it's just something that everyone looks forward to every year."
Q: Over the past three years, how much have you enjoyed being able to help set up and be at the event? A: "It's honestly the best part. I will complain the week up to relay. It's so stressful, I don't think I can do it, it's so overwhelming. "That morning I'm like 'we're not gonna make it, we're not gonna do it, we're not gonna reach our goal,' but every year that I've done it we always reach our goal, if not surpass our goal. "It's so much fun to see the team come together outside of our meet schedule and come together for a good time and a good cause."
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.
April 12, 2018
Page B3
Cheat Sheet: Hectic weeks now the norm for President Trump Editor's Note: The following is a synopsis of a recent topic trending in world or national news. By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
President Donald Trump announced plans April 5 to increase the tariff against Chinese goods to $100 billion after China warned Trump of a $50 billion increase on American goods. The trade war with China started after Trump announced on March 9 an increase on Chinese imports. The two countries have gone back and forth for a week, but are now at a standstill, as China has said they have plans to retaliate to any other additional tariffs by the United States. The Dow Jones did see some losses April 6 after all the back and forth, dropping 767 points to end the week. Investors didn’t worry about the back and forth, believing that the two countries will not raise such heavy tariffs on one another. That same Thursday,
Tribune News Service
United States President Donald J. Trump makes remarks after signing the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill at the White House March 23 in Washington, D.C. Trump denied knowledge of the Stormy Daniels hush funds. He also included that he did not know where his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, had gotten the $130,000 to pay off Stormy Daniels. The FBI raided Cohens office April 9, justifying the raid as “additional jurisdic-
tion” to the investigations into Trumps alleged collusion with Russia and the Stormy Daniels’ pay off. The FBI also took information about Trump’s tax returns. Daniels’ attorney, Michael Avenattis, said that Cohen is taking the fall for Trump and that he wants to depose Trump, going as far to say,
“This could end very badly for Mr. Trump.” Trump has called this raid a “witch hunt”, and will not comment on if he will indeed fire Special Counsel Robert Muller. Trump is also sending the National Guard to the border of Mexico. According to three White House
administration officials, troops are not allowed to have physical contact with immigrants coming to the United States, a policy that was eventually made official by Homeland Security. Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions said he will look more into what the Department of
Justice can do to “restore legality to the southern border.” Trump referenced the building of a wall he talked about in his campaign as the reason for sending the National Guard to the border. The military is expected to be at the southern border until the wall is constructed, according to President Trump. “Until we can have a wall and proper security, we are going to be guarding our border with the military,” Trump said. There are states that are not sending troops, Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, said in a tweet “If @ realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, I’ll say no. As Commander of Oregon’s Guard, I’m deeply troubled by Trump’s plan to militarize our border.” She went on to tweet she had not been asked to send troops. Arizona, Texas and New Mexico have all sent troops, totaling to 500 plus troops from those three states.
In the News: Five headlines you need to know this week Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Editor's Note: The following is a synopsis of a recent topic trending in world or national news.
-Fox News -April 9
1) Younger generations continuing to become politically active
4) Trump orders troops to southern border
Teenagers in California are preparing to rock the vote when they turn 18.An astonishing 100,000 16 and 17-year-olds have preregistered to vote in California since a 2016 law passed giving young people the opportunity to register before they turn 18, according to California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. This new number is an increase of 10,000 from the data that was collected a month ago. “The numbers keep going up,” said Padilla. “These kids know that to change the political environment and policy, they need to register to vote, and they need to vote.” The announcement from Padilla was tied to a new portal on the secretary of state’s website that connects young adults with different opportunities in civic engagement. In addition to the website, Padilla will also be hosting different rallies as part of his California High School Voter Education Weeks. The purpose of the rallies is to speak to students about the importance of their voice as voters. “A couple years ago, it took a lot of work to convince young people why it’s important to register to vote and to vote,” said Padilla. “It’s not that hard of a case to make anymore.” This new law now enables teens in California to get involved in the political process much earlier. “We are laying out our demands so come November, and election time we know who was listening
Members of the National Guard have arrived at the United States-Mexico border Tuesday, as requested by President Donald Trump. However, California Gov. Jerry Brown has still been silent on whether his state is going to participate in the deployment. Officials from California have argued with Trump administration over the illegal immigration debate while republican governors of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico have committed 1,600 National Guard members to the border. With California remaining silent others have said that Trump’s measure is not going far enough. “Donald Trump said he would control the border,” said retired Army Col. Douglas MacGregor. “It’s time to put the military on border. The National Guard is nice, but the National Guard is not experienced in this. The regular Army is.” The president stated last week that he would like to have around 4,000 National Guard members to the border. Since the issuing of that statement most of the border state governors have supported the plan. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said to a group of soldiers that their “mission is about providing manpower and resources” for support of different agencies. Ducey also denied that there was a political motive. “I don’t think this is a partisan issue or an identity issue,” said Ducey. “You show me somebody who is for drug cartels or human trafficking or this ammunition that’s coming
Tribune News Service
Federal agents continue to investigate the home of the Austin Bomber suspect in Pflugerville, Texas, responsible for killing or injuring nearly 10 people. to us and who wasn’t,” said 17-year old Winter Minisee, of California. “We can vote people out of office, and replace them with people who have our best interest in mind.” -CNN -April 9 2) Documents released on Austin bomber A federal judge released a written affirmation Monday concerning the bomber in Austin, Texas. The bomber, Mark Anthony Conditt, used a “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here” yard sign to hide one of his homemade bombs. In addition to unsealing the document, the judge also dismissed a criminal complaint against Condit according to John Bash, a United States attorney for the Western District of Texas. The complaint that charged him with one count of unlawful possession and transfer of a destructive device was received March 20 and was confirmed that Conditt killed himself just hours after the complaint was filed. “The defendant is dead. There’s not going to be a prosecution,” Bash said.
The court document revealed information about how Conditt built the bombs, as well as his preparation and planning. As police approached Conditt’s vehicle to make an arrest, he blew himself up with one of his own bombs. According to Bash, authorities are still investigating the motive and intent of Conditt. Bash also said that there were no other suspects and officials believe that are no longer devices out there. -CNN -April 9 3) Zuckerberg taking responsibility for info leak Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrived on Capitol Hill Monday ready for an expected grilling later this week after he let a data mining company get ahold of sensitive information from around 87 million users on his social media site. “Looking back, it’s clear we were too slow identifying election interference in 2016, and we need to do better in future elections,” said Zuckerberg in a letter posted on Facebook. In the first meeting
Zuckerberg had a one-hour conversation with Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Zuckerberg did not speak with reporters after the meeting. Nelson however, said the Facebook executive was “forthright and willing to turn things around where mistakes have been made.” Nelson also expressed doubt about whether or not Facebook will be able to fix its own problem. In a prepared testimony for his hearing with the House, Zuckerberg will give a statement similar to the one posted on Facebook. “We were too slow to spot and respond to Russian interference, and we’re working hard to get better,” said Zuckerberg. “That goes for fake news, foreign interference in elections and hate speech as well as developers and data privacy. I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here.” Zuckerberg also met with Chuck Grassley, an Iowa GOP Senator and the chairman of the judiciary committee, as well as California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and South Dakota GOP Sen. John Thune Chairmen of the Senate
over a wide-open and unprotected border here.” On the other side of the border, Mexico’s Senate passed a resolution that states Mexico should suspend their cooperation with the United States on illegal immigration. -Fox News -April 10 5) Known drug trafficker arrested in South America A former guerrilla peace negotiator has been arrested on drug trafficking charges in Columbia. Officials said that Seusis Hernandez Solarte, better known by his alias Jesus Santrich, returned to the drug trade after he and his associates had vowed to give it up. The arrest was a surprise for the FARC, a former rebel organization that has reinvented itself as a political party named the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force. In 2016 a peace deal was signed by the leaders of the guerrilla force, which gave them immunity for past crimes and in return they renounced future crimes. President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos announced Monday that the arrest was made and warned other members of the FARC that future crimes will be dealt with by prosecutors. “The accords were clear: Whoever commits a crime after the signing of the deal will be sent to the courts for the crimes committed,” said President Santos. Leaders of FARC have supported Hernandez by saying that the peace deal was broken by government after making the arrest. -The New York Times -April 10 Information curated by Michael Cappelli Editorial Assistant
Marijuana: Countless benefits await Tech: Don't overload; be original Continued from B2
of benefits. It’s been passed for medical use in so many states because of its help in those dealing with cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizures, glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain and dozens of other problems. In a nation dealing with a crippling opiate addiction, medical marijuana would be a great alternative. Lastly, I would recommend that the general public also start
to rally for the support of hemp being made legal as well. Since it is part of the Cannabis family like marijuana, the two plants are often thrown together in conversation. However, hemp provides no hallucinations. The THC makeup is so low that smoking it does not get you high. Despite this, it remains banned federally. I believe this to be because, mostly, of the effect it would have on so many largely companies. Hemp can be used in automobiles, body care, clothing,
food, construction and most importantly, plastic. The world has a pollution and waste problem. I give kudos to multiple cities and countries that have banned plastic outright for its harmful effect on the planet since it doesn’t biodegrade, while hemp does. I ‘highly’ recommended Americans stand up to lead the charge of legalizing both marijuana and hemp federally. The immense positive improvements that could be made across the country await.
Continued from B2
glued to our phones. That statement is something hard to swallow, and it’s sad but true. I know from what I have already talked about, I probably sound like the stereotypical 65-year-old man that only has interest in technology for watching the morning news and hearing the sound of my favorite station from my transistor radio wake me
on Sunday mornings, but I truly believe that technology has become a leach of our society. It has latched on to every aspect of our lives. To merely hold onto a memory, we must save it on Snapchat. For us as humans to be slightly comical, we have to have a couple days to orchestrate the perfect tweet for others to interact with. There has to be a time for us to unplug. We can’t even get the adequate amount of sleep because we’re lying in
bed watching Vine compilations or taking a BuzzFeed quiz. We have to use technology in a healthier manner. That statement probably sounds outdated or old fashioned, but when was the last time you went to bed an hour or so after interacting with technology, whether it be Googling your existential thoughts or trying too hard with an Instagram post? From this lengthy spiel, I have one word to summarize: unplug.
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April 12, 2018
United Way hosts Road repairs begin after January mudslide Greene Cuisine event for locals By LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor
By RACHEL MANGAN Associate Editor
Greene Cuisine is a wellknown event in Greene County, but after four years, a new face is in charge, and the plan is to keep the event going strong. The fifth annual Greene Cuisine fundraising event for United Way took place April 9 at the National Guard Readiness Center in Waynesburg. Many local restaurants were represented at the event. Each prepared a few dishes for those in attendance to sample. The twist this year, though, was that attendees not only tasted food from different vendors but voted on their favorite. According to the Executive Director of the United Way MaChal Forbes, there were nine confirmed businesses, although she was “hoping for a tenth one.” The businesses officially involved were 5 Kidz Kandy, Buy Local Buy Greene, Willow Tree Farm, Willow Tree Bakery, South Side Deli, Cakes by Ralph, Don Patron Restaurant and Thistlethwaite Vineyards. Each made a unique dish from their own menus. For the United Way, Greene Cuisine is the first major fundraiser each year. “Our goal would be to raise around $8,000 for the event,” said Forbes, “But as a fund-
raiser, it is also an awareness event. Whoever’s in attendance will learn a little more about the programs and the nonprofits that we help. There will be information about them in brochures [they] can take and [representatives] will have the opportunity to step up and speak about their programs.” Forbes is at an advantage over the previous executive director when it comes to taking over the position and planning their first Greene Cuisine. Barbra Wise, former executive director and now current consultant for Greene County United Way, is helping Forbes transition into the position, which is something Wise did not have. “I’m here for whenever she has any questions, I just go [over] everything with her. ‘Stuff-a-Bus’ is our next event, and once we’re done with [Greene Cuisine] I’ll show her how to [plan for that event],” said Wise. Even though this was the fifth year for the Greene Cuisine event, it has, for the most part, remained the same. The attendance and funds raised has stayed at “about the same amount” without really growing in attendance or fizzling out. One new addition to the event to draw more people in was a silent auction and live music.
After an unexpected mudslide pushed dirt and mud over a road in Richhill Township, the end of a lengthy cleanup process is finally approaching. A segment of Bristoria Road, between Claylick Road and Whitethorn Run Road, was closed to traffic Jan. 11 because of the slide. Since then, weather and other delays have pushed back reopening the public road. Additionally, with Bailey Mine in the vicinity of the incident, Consol Energy was brought in for the cleanup process, according to Consol Energy Spokesman Zachery Smith. “The reason why [Consol Energy] is involved is [the hill] slipped onto a state road so [Pennsylvania Department of Transportation] is obviously involved,” Smith said. “[But] we had mining activity in the area. We’re not claiming it was subsident; we have had slips like this in that area so [it could be] unstable soil.” Though Smith said it is unknown if action at the Bailey Mine caused the landslide, he said weather could be a contributing factor. “If you remember back in January, [we had] real heavy rains,” Smith said. “Then we got snow, then it melted off, and then we got more heavy rains and that was re-
Luke Goodling, Yellow Jacket
A mudslide closed a segment of a rural road in January after mining activity and heavy rains. The road may reopen soon. ally [the triggering of] this particular instance.” Fol l ow i ng t he sl i d e, which Smith said obscured a couple hundred yards of roadway, Consol Energy was made known of the situation within the same week. “We were notified probably the day after [the slide]” Smith said. “The hope was to get it cleaned up and at least have one lane open, so it wasn’t a complete closed road.” Two months later, the road is still closed and Smith said poor weather is one reason for the lengthy delay. “Weather was still challenging to get equipment in there,” Smith said. “I think
any instance like this, where the guys working on it [need to be] safe, definitely delayed it.” Additionally, since Bristoria Road is a public road, Pe n n D O T i s i nv o l v e d in the process, although PennDOT Spokeswomen Valerie Petersen said cleanup responsibility falls primarily upon Consol Energy. With the added presence of PennDOT, Smith said that has also added time to the project. “I think just because of the nature of working with PennDOT and private companies, we had to kind of work things out… like who was in charge of the site, what equipment is being used and what crews [are
being used,]” Smith said. Finally, according to Smith, downed powerlines in the area have further complicated the process. “The power company had to come in and do work on them to ensure safety and nobody would lose power,” said Smith. “I think that took 3 weeks, maybe a month, for them to kind of do all their work, which had to be done before any crews could get in there to clear off the road.” Now, with all causes of delays finally dealt with, Smith said crews will begin operating on the road and estimates reopening the road completely for motorists within the next week or two.
Coffee: Restaurants combine menus, move to High Street venue Continued from B1
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
ARBY'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN WAYNESBURG
An Arby's fast food restaurant is being built at Route 21 and and Progress Drive in Franklin Township. Construction began in November 2017 and has made significant progress.
changes coming in the future. “We’re going to be rebranding to something different, but for now it’s staying Coach’s Café,” he said. “It will be named something different, but that’s a little ways down the road. We’re trying to think carefully about what to call it.” In addition to a new brand, Drew Johnson said they hope to revisit the now-combined menu, to have an even greater selection for customers. “We’re probably going to expand the calendar and make it a more full-service coffee bar,” he said. “And
there is some new stuff to come on the coffee end of things. We just added a few new menu items fairly recently, and there will be some new smoothies and stuff with spring around the corner.” Drew Johnson said that while the decision was made rather recently, the co-owners are moving forward with the merger without hesitation. He holds that this is the most sensible decision for both businesses, and since they were only leasing the location on N. Morgan Street, it was an easy transition. “There are just a lot of similar menu items, so it didn’t really make sense to do that in two locations and have two overheads,” he said.
Bowls: Community members aid Pageant: Miss U.S. Agriculture poverty and hunger through event event planned for first time in Pa.
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nated to this year’s event as well. Heisey was throwing pottery during the event, showing members of the community how the students made the bowls for the event. State House Rep. Rick Saccone, R-39, was in attendance of the event and even practiced throwing pottery, under Heisey’s instructions. “That was great, that was so much fun,” Saccone said after finishing turning his once ball of clay into a wellmolded bowl. Saccone said he enjoyed his first Empty Bowls event, and admired the initiative. “I am really impressed,” Saccone said. “I’m impressed with all the community, all the students who are involved – I love that – how it contributes to hunger in the area. It was very inspiring for me to come to this. And I have to say, the soups are dynamite. I’m not saying that just because I am here, but that is the best wedding soup I have ever had.”
Saccone said he enjoys taking part in events around the area and hopes to return to Greene County for more events soon. “It’s good to be out in the
“Hunger is a problem and we want to get everybody involved that we can. It's students, it's community leaders, it's citizens.”
RICK SACCONE
Pennsylvania State Representative
community and to get to meet a lot of great people here in Greene County,” Saccone said. He continued to say the engagement of everyone from the community was crucial. “It’s always good to get community engagement to help solve a problem,” Saccone said. “Hunger is a problem and we want to get everybody involved that we
can. It’s students, it’s community leaders, it’s citizens.” Betty Stammerjohn, executive director Community Foundation of Greene County, said the key to this event is that the problem is brought to people’s attention, as the event creates awareness of the ongoing problem of hunger in the county. The Community Foundation works as the fiscal sponsor for Empty Bowls, however, Stammerjohn said her input was not needed because the university students went above and beyond when planning the event. “If the students didn’t do this fundraiser, it wouldn’t happen,” Stammerjohn said. “Because for them to be able to do this, I don’t have the resources at the Community Foundation to do this, so to have these students do this where it can benefit five different school districts… otherwise you would have five different school districts competing with one-another to try to raise that money. It’s invaluable, it really is.”
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farmers left, so I love seeing that we can have a voice and tell people how important agriculture really is.” Winegert wasn’t always involved in the Miss United States Agriculture Pageant. She almost never competed in the first place, and would not have gone on to win at the national level had it not been for her persistent friends. “I found out about the Miss United States Agriculture Pag-
eant, so I sent the information to my friends and told them it looked really cool and they should do it,” said Winegert. “They didn’t have an age group for me, which is why I told my friends to look into it, because they are all younger than me. Then they told me that they started a division for my age group, so I signed up and since then I have been the state director.” Winegert added that her favorite part of the pageant is the queens. For Winegert, it is nice to see that everyone there has
something in common: their love for agriculture. “It’s really fun to see the young people grow and do all of the events,” said Winegert. “It’s important that we go out into the community and talk about something that is so important like agriculture is.” The first event for the state pageant will begin at 8 a.m., but the on-stage portion won’t start until 11:30 a.m. and is open to the public. Admission is $5 per person. Next year’s signups will start in June after the national competition and in March of 2019.
Sheetz: Construction begins on new convenience store location Continued from B1
says the process typically takes about five to six months to be built and open. The projected date for the store’s expected opening is September of this year; however, that is
not official. According to Ruffner, Sheetz opens about 20 to 30 new locations per year and is also constantly renovating and updating existing locations to improve customer experience—such as those that occurred at Waynesburg's first Sheetz
location. New stores typically open with 30 to 35 positions needing to be filled, so, Ruffner said, students and those in the community are encouraged to watch the company’s website for openings and apply when available.
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APRIL 12, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG | @YJ_SPORTS
‘I want to make him proud’ Sophomore softball player adjusts to life following her father's death By JOE SMELTZER
Editorial Assistant
It happened Christmas morning. It was her 19th Christmas, and Courtney Syfert had mastered her routine. Wake up at 8 a.m. and go downstairs. Open presents. Spend the day happily with family in Johnstown. None of that happened. Syfert woke up, but she didn’t hear any noise downstairs and snoozed her alarm until 9 a.m. When she woke up, Syfert heard the cries of her grandmother, Karen. She heard the haunting words of her mother, Laurie. “Please God, let this not be real.” Her sister, Jordan, was running around the house, trying to dissect what happened. Her younger brother,
Austin, was dialing 911. The only person she didn’t hear was her father, Bryant. Just 45 years old, he had died unexpectedly in his sleep. The cause, according to the autopsy, was a heart arrhythmia due to Coronary Artery Disease. “I honestly thought I was dreaming,” Syfert said. “I thought it was just a dream.” But it wasn’t a dream. ***
Had Syfert stuck to her original plan when she arrived at Waynesburg University, she wouldn’t have softball as a diversion. When she began her freshman year, Syfert intended to limit her athletic commitment to soccer, where she would become the starting goalkeeper. About two weeks after softball
practices started, though, Syfert decided to take up a second sport for the Spring semester. While she’s in the early stages of coping, the game has given Syfert an outlet. Whether it be in practice or against another team, for at least a few hours every day, Syfert generally isn’t thinking about the past three months. She isn’t distracted by the circumstances, but more determined than ever with a new motivation. “All I want to do is succeed and make him proud, because I know that’s what he’d want me to do,” she said. “So, I feel like this is probably my most focused season.” When Syfert, the team’s center fielder, is at the plate, she strives to be the catalyst for the offense as the Jackets’ leadoff hitter. When she’s on first base, she’s contemplating whether or not she can find an opportunity to add to her team-leading 14 stolen bases, which ranks third in the SYFERT >> C3
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
After her father's death last Christmas, sophomore center fielder Courtney Syfert decided to come back for the Spring semester to play because it's "what he would want."
Kendra soars into school record book Kirby hired as next head coach for volleyball program
Pole vaulter breaks own record at meet By TEGHAN SIMONTON
Last Saturday, April 7, senior pole vaulter Mitch Kendra was not expecting much to happen. 24 hours before the meet he didn’t even expect to compete. Due to the low temperature outside, head track & field coach Michelle Cross opted to bar most of the team from competing at the John Homon Open in Alliance, Ohio. But the pole vaulters would be jumping indoors, so Cross called Kendra and junior Josh Olive to see if they’d still be interested. Kendra agreed, even though he hadn’t jumped in a few days, and had spent the day prior touring Washington D.C. with the Department of Communication. All in all, he was less than prepared. Still, with an opportunity to compete, he didn’t want to turn down the chance So, there he stood, on the runway, going through the motions. *** Kendra has held the title of school record holder in the pole vault since his sophomore year, when he jumped 4.20 meters—about 13.8 feet. But
Earlham College. “It was my job to identify the athletes at showcases,” After consecutive one win Kirby said. seasons and being winless in Although she has had expethe Presidents’ Athletic Con- rience coaching on the court ference since 2016, the vol- and scouting, Kirby has never leyball team has finally hired had full control of a team and a new head coach. is excited for the opportunity Hayley Kirby has been hired to do that at Waynesburg. from Earlham College, where “It’s really exciting that I she was an assistant coach for am this young and I get to two years and last have this opporyear was associate tunity,” Kirby said head coach for a “I’m really excited team that went 15to do more of the 13 in the Heartland behind-the-scene Collegiate Athletic work. When I was Conference. acting head coach Kirby was an [at Earlham] all I outside hitter for did was coach on Division II West the court. I know I Virginia State Unican do that already. versity, where she I think the off-theKirby graduated from in court stuff is going 2015. to be the most challenging The 24-year-old is coming and I think I’m really ready up on three years since her for that.” graduation and thinks that The night before she was her youth will be an advantage officially announced as the connecting and relating with new head coach of the Yellow her players. Jackets, Kirby was able to work “It’s good to have a coach out with her future players and whose kind of younger who get a glimpse into what players knows what it’s like. I was just she will be working with next there a few years ago,” Kirby season. said. “At the same time, I can “I got to practice with them give them an outward view.” and I don’t think their record At her former job, Kirby had recruiting experience for VOLLEYBALL >> C3 By ANTONIO PELULLO
Managing Editor
Editorial Assistant
Photo courtesy of Caitlin Brooks
In the pole vault for Waynesburg, Mitch Kendra has set the school record numerous times, with his most recent record reaching 4.59 meters. that’s never been good enough for him. He started pole vaulting during his freshman year of high school, motivated by his older brother who also pole vaulted. “Obviously, like a younger brother, I wanted to do what he did,” said Kendra. “And then as I got older, I always wanted to beat him.” Kendra competed with his brother for two years as a freshman and sophomore in high school, and then continued on his own—he didn’t have his brother to compete against, but he had a different goal to work toward.
“I always wanted to go 14’6” in high school because that was the school record and that’s what [my brother] was always pushing for,” he said. From that point on, Kendra was shooting for the Trinity High School pole vault record, at 4.41 meters. He improved steadily throughout his junior year, clearing 12 feet, and he was confident. But he never got it. Midway through his season during his senior year of high school, Kendra suffered from a collapsed lung, a common medical condition that occurs when the lung doesn’t grow at the same pace as the chest cav-
ity, allowing air to fill the space between. What normally can be solved with a simple procedure and a chest tube took several weeks of recovery for Kendra. He wasn’t able to train at all, let alone have a shot at breaking the record. “At this point I wasn’t sure if I was going to college yet or what I was going to do or what I was going to study or anything,” said Kendra. “And then I was getting recruited for football and track and I was like ‘holy crap, I don’t even know if I’m going to be able to exercise, like recreationally, KENDRA >> C4
Sikora takes graduate assistant position at Stanford University By LUKE GOODLING Sports Editor
Football has always been more than just four quarters to John Sikora. After joining the program in 2011 as a recruited linebacker, Sikora will always remember what then-head coach Rick Shepas told him. “[He told] us after our first practice—this game really does matter,” Sikora
said. “When guys see each other 30 and 40 years from now, guys are still going to talk about their time playing football together.” The past seven years Sikora has spent with the football program testifies that for him—football is everything he’s worked for. In seven years, he moved from on the field as a player to eventually the sideline as the linebacker coach.
Now, as the spring training season begins, Sikora is moving on from the team he earned three All-PAC honorable mentions with and two Academic All-American awards before joining the coaching staff. Last week, it was announced that Sikora has accepted a graduate assistant program with Stanford University to work with the offensive line beginning in June.
“There was an opportunity [at Stanford] where I knew they needed some graduate assistants,” Sikora said. “There were a couple openings for the 2018 season.” After discovering the opportunity to join the coaching staff at Stanford through an online resource, Sikora said he had to apply for a master’s program to be considered for the position. With a deadline set at the
end of January, Sikora said he went through a rigorous application process to apply for a master’s degree in liberal arts, in addition to reaching out to head coach David Shaw. “I actually wrote coach Shaw a letter and I emailed his secretary,” Sikora said. “I just reached out to him and just [told] him that I applied to the graduate program and I’m anticipating being ac-
cepted and I would love to work with the football program in any way I can.” With an acceptance rate hovering between 20 and 40 percent, Sikora said with each passing week, the more uncertain he became of his acceptance. Then, in mid-March, Stanford notified Sikora that he was one of 22 total individuals to be SIKORA >> C3
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April 12, 2018
Messenger key contributor in series sweep By DYLAN CLELAND
For the Yellow Jacket
The Yellow Jackets evened up their conference record against Chatham with a pair of wins. This past Tuesday, the Yellow Jacket softball team picked up two wins in its double header against Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Chatham. The Jackets now move to 10-10 overall and have also worked their conference record back to 3-3. Game one was an 8-0 win for the Yellow Jackets. The majority of the offense came in the second inning with hits from junior Cat Allstatt, sophomores Ashley Dubovich and Rachel Skon and freshman Marlee Ott. Head coach Richele Hall was pleased with the performance in the inning and believes the women did well fulfilling the roles they held. “We hit very well, [Allstatt] was a big spark to our offense today,” said Hall. “[The] nice thing about this team is everyone chips in and does their part, which is very nice. When our bats are hot, it is hard to get us out. It is nice when we are rolling, I used a couple pinch runners
and they were able to come around and score. It was a very nice inning for us.” Ott would go on to score later in the game, contributing two runs to the Jackets win. “[Ott] is doing a really good job, she is heating up at the right time,” said Hall. “She is a very talented slapper, and she was struggling at the beginning of the year with timing, but she is starting to come around and do well for us in conference play.” Dubovich tallied a hit later in the game, finishing 2 for 3 in game one and scoring once. “[Dubovich] is very consistent for us,” said Hall. “She always puts the ball in play hard for us and I can count on her for [anything from] a base hit to hitting it so hard it might hit into a defender.” In game two, the Jackets picked up where they left off in the first game on offense to back up a stellar pitching performance from junior Courtney Messenger, who threw both games for Waynesburg. She tossed 12 innings and notched six strikeouts without allowing a run during the double-
Editorial Assistant
In south western Pennsylvania, it has become a standard that snow will be falling sometime into March. This year however, it has continued to fall into April and low temperatures have had a pretty significant impact on students and athletes in the area.
Waynesburg sports are no exception, as a lot spring sports have had to cancel several games, matches and meets due to the weather. One of the most successful athletic programs in recent history for the spring season is women’s track & field. The Yellow Jackets have only been able to compete twice outdoors since the conclusion of the indoor season Febru-
New coach brings future potential for volleyball program MICHAEL CAPPELLI Columnist
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Against Chatham, Courtney Messenger pitched two complete game shutouts, giving up a total of 10 hits. header. “[Messenger] sometimes leaves me speechless,” said Hall. “The first game was a five-inning game and she only threw 51 pitches in it, [being] very efficient
with the batters. [Because of that], it was a no brainer for me to go back to her for game two with us not playing again until Friday. She SOFTBALL >> C4
Weather causes several T&F cancellations By MICHAEL CAPPELLI
COMMENTARY
ary 22. According to head coach Michelle Cross, the weather this year has been quite surprising in terms of competing in inclement weather. “This is the coldest spring I have ever seen,” said Cross. “At least that I have dealt with here, and that includes my four years competing and then my years coaching.” Cross said that the part of
the team that was impacted the most were the jumpers and sprinters. The Yellow Jackets have had to shift practice times and location around because of the weather, and due to certain setbacks with facilities, they have not been able have the practices they need to have. TRACK >> C4
Its only up from here. On Tuesday, Waynesburg University hired a new volleyball coach. This should be a relief to the players after not knowing for months who their next coach was going to be. The new head coach, Hayley Kirby, has a solid track record. She previously coached at Earlham College, where she spent two seasons as an assistant and was later promoted to associate head coach. When she arrived at Earlham, the team was in a situation that is quite similar to that of Waynesburg. The Quakers were 4-24 when she arrived in 2014. In 2015, the Quakers won five games, and then in the 2016 season they won six games. The progression was slow at first, but then this past season the Quakers managed a 15-13 overall record and 3-6 in their conference. The 3-6 conference record might not seem that impressive, but it was the first time the Quakers had won any conference games since before 2009. In the case of the Yellow Jackets, they went 1-25 last season and have not won a conference match since 2015. It will be interesting to see if she handles this situation similarly to Earlham. I would say that three seasons is a pretty good turnaround for a struggling program. The goal should be to start winning more games and try to move up in the conference. Teams
to chase are Grove City, Saint Vincent and Thiel, all of whom finished in the bottom tier of teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference last season. This will still be a challenge because the second lowest win total was 10 and the second lowest PAC win total was four. It will definitely be an uphill fight and even though she just got hired, Kirby said she has seen some of the girls on the team play and thinks that there is potential. She will get most of the team back because there are only three players graduating. With that, she has some young talent to work with in the returning players. Previously, the members of the team played in positions that they aren’t used to. So, obviously one of the first steps would be to put those players in the correct positions. As of now it’s uncertain what recruits will be coming in next year and what their impact will be, but returning juniors Jordyn Wyllie and Cassidy Guiser, as well as freshman Hannah Colvin, will be among the key players for the team if used correctly. A coach like this could be huge for the Jackets, especially if she is able to bring some of the magic she had at Earlham. Solely based on her track record, Kirby has what it takes to turn the program around. Having said that, the success of the team won’t be immediate, and it might take more than a year for them to see a major turnaround. So, don’t give up on them just yet and be patient as the team looks to make progress under Kirby.
PRESIDENTS’ ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROUNDUP STANDINGS Wash & Jeff Geneva Thiel Grove City Thomas More Westminster Waynesburg Bethany Saint Vincent Chatham
UPCOMING GAMES
Monday’s Box Score
BASEBALL Conf. 7-1 5-1 6-2 3-1 5-3 3-3 2-6 2-6 1-3 0-8
Overall 14-9 16-3 10-12 9-9 8-11 8-7 6-16 5-16 4-13 6-14
Sunday’s Box Score
Waynesburg 8, Westminster 4 Westminster 000 201 010 4 Waynesburg 110 300 42X 8
Friday, April 6 Waynesburg 0, Geneva 10 (Game 1); Thomas More 11, Bethany 1 (Game 1); Waynesburg 7 Geneva 8 (Game 2); Thomas More 1, Bethany 4 (Game 2) Sunday, April 8 Westminster 4, Waynesburg 3 (Game 1); Wash&Jeff 11, Thiel 0 (Game 1); Wash&Jeff 3, Thiel 4 (Game 2); Westminster 4, Waynesburg 8 (Game 2) Monday, April 9 Bethany 6, Thiel 8(Game 1); Chatham 2, Grove City 4(Game 1); Chatham 0, Grove City 8(Game 2); Bethany 6, Thiel 9(Game 2)
UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, April 14 Thiel at Thomas More - 12/3 DH; Grove City at Geneva 1/4 DH; Saint Vincent at Waynesburg - 1/4 DH; Chatham at Wash&Jeff - 1/4 DH; Bethany at Westminster - 1/4 DH Saturday, April 14 Wash&Jeff at Marirtta - 1 p.m.; Penn State Behrend - Thiel - 1 p.m.; Thomas More at Transylvania 1 p.m.; Chatham at kenyon - 2/5 p.m
PAC BASEBALL LEADERS
Batting AVG: Luciana, .440, GEN; Hauer, .437, TMC; Hudecek, .435, THI RBI: Luciana, 34, GEN; Wieland, 28, GEN; Trettel, 21, WJC WINS: Grant, 4, GEN; Rowe, 4, GEN; Schnatterly, 4, WJC ERA: Cardenas, 2.20, GEN; Malone, 2.38, SVC; Schnatterly, 2.41, WJC
RECENT RESULTS
Thursday, April 4 Chatham 7, Saint Vincent 16 (Game 1); Grove City 3 at Wash&Jeff 10 (Game 1); Chatham 2, Saint Vincent 5 (Game 2); Grove City 2 at Wash&Jeff 13 (Game 2); Saturday, April 7 Thomas More 5, Bethany 2 (Game 1); Thomas More 7, Bethany 2 (Game 2) Sunday, April 8 Thomas More 1, Denison 0 (Game 1); Saint Vincent 10, Waynesburg 11 (Game 1); Thomas More 4, Denison 12 (Game 2); Saint Vincent 19, Waynesburg 2 (Game 2)
Conf. 4-0 2-0 2-0 5-1 1-1 1-3 1-3 0-2 0-2 0-4
Overall 12-12 11-5 6-8 14-4 6-12 8-8 8-10 8-8 2-8 2-14
Saturday, April 14 Waynesburg at Teansylvania - 10 a.m.; Thiel at Mount St. Joseph - 1 p.m.; Earlham at Chatham - 1 p.m.; Franklin at Saint Vincent - 2 p.m.
Batting AVG: Johnson, .556, WJC; Sleith, .510, SVC; Noel, .509, SVC
ORLC W. LACROSSE LEADERS
400 Meter: 1. Hannah Lacey, Wash&Jeff, 62.20; 2. Burgess Grace, Wheeling Jesuit, 62.30; 3. Cassidy Guiser, Waynesburg62.75;
Goals: Nelson, 68, SVC; WUEST, 49, TRA; Quinn, 39, THI Assists: Wuest, 25, TRA; Oliver, 21, TRA; Davis, 17, HAN Saves: Vinel, 116, MSJ; Blackburne, 114, ERL; Cefola, 111, CHA
STANDINGS
Wash & Jeff Geneva RBI: Sleith, 28, SVC; Gahan, 28, TMC; Odom, 19, TMC WINS: Rohrer, 9, WES; DeDreu, 8, TMC; Assalone, 6, SVC Thomas More Saint Vincent ERA: Rohrer, 0.89, WES; Bowers, 2.07, WAY; Assalone, Westminster 2.40, SVC Grove City Thiel Waynesburg Bethany
LACROSSE (ORLC)
WOMEN STANDINGS
Transylvania Saint Vincent Hanover Wash and Jeff Thiel Mount St. Joesph Westminster Franklin Chatham Earlham Waynesburg Thomas More
Conf. 6-0 4-1 4-1 3-1 3-2 2-2 2-2 2-3 1-4 1-5 0-3 0-4
Overall 11-1 6-2 7-4 6-3 3-5 3-6 2-5 2-4 3-7 2-8 0-7 0-4
day’s Box Score
Conf. 3-0 3-1 3-1 2-1 2-2 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-4
Overall 9-2 12-1 7-3 5-7 3-6 1-5 0-2 3-5 0-8
Saturday’s Box Score
Waynesburg 1, Westminster 8 Waynesburg 00 100 000 0 Westminster 12 034 567 8
1 8
RECENT RESULTS
Thursday, April 5 Saint Vincent 6, Waynesburg 3 Friday, April 6 Thiel 3, Mount Aloysius 6 Saturday, April 7 Waynesburg 1, Westminster 8; Grove City 4, Wash&Jeff 5; Saint Vincent 1, Thomas More 8; Thiel Geneva 6 Sunday, April 8 Bethany 1, Wash&Jeff 8
UPCOMING GAMES
Thursday, April 12 Grove City at Waynesburg - 3:30 p.m.; Thiel at Wash&Jeff - 6 p.m.
RECENT RESULTS
BETHANY INVITATIONAL 100 Meter: 1. Jessica Kelosky, Geneva, 12.41; 2. Alicia Collier, California, 12.50
MEN'S TENNIS
PAC SOFTBALL LEADERS
WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Sunday, April 15 Franklin at Chatham - 12 p.m.; Hanover at Westminster - 12 p.m.; Thiel at Thomas More - 1 p.m.; Earlham at Wash&Jeff - 1 p.m.; Saint Vincent at Franciscan - 2 p.m.
Shots: Nelson, 136, SVC; Quinn, 99, THI; Wuest, 87, TRA Saturday, April 14 Thomas More at Geneva - 1/3 p.m. DH; Bethany at Chatham - 1/3 p.m.; Wash&Jeff at Westminster - 1/3 p.m. DH; Saint Vincent at Grove CIty 1/3 p.m. DH; Thiel at Waynesburg 3/5 p.m. DH
Waynesburg 1, D'Youville 18 D'Youville 11 7 18 Waynesburg 0 1 1
SOFTBALL Thomas More Westminster Wash & Jeff Saint Vincent Thiel Bethany Waynesburg Geneva Grove CIty Chatham
2 4
UPCOMING GAMES
RECENT RESULTS
STANDINGS
WAYNESBURG 2, CARLOW 5 Waynesburg 000 200 0 Bethany 000 220 X
Thursday, April 5 Thiel 6, Westminster 9; Waynesburg 0, Franciscan 23
Friday, April 13 Thiel at Saint Vincent - 12 p.m.; Pitt-Greensburg at Bethany - 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 Chatham 8, Hanover 19; Westminster 11, Mount St. Joseph 13; D'youville 18, Waynesburg 1; Wash&Jeff 15, Franklin 0; Thiel 14, Earlham 13
Saturday, April 14 Grove City at Thomas More - 9 a.m.; Thiel at Westminster - 10 a.m.; Ohio Christian at Waynesburg - 1 p.m.; Wash&Jeff at Saint Vincent - 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 8 Chatham 16, Thomas More 3; Wash&Jeff 7, Transylvania 10; Saint Vincent 17, Earlham 5
Sunday, April 15 Thiel at Thomas More - 12 p.m.; Bethany at Saint Vincent - 1 p.m.
200 Meter: 1. Alicia Collier, California, 25.89; 2. Mykera Days, West Virgina, 26.36; 8. Cassidy Guiser, Waynesburg, 27.95
MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD BETHANY INVITATIONAL 100 Meter: 1. Jae'Len Means, California, 10.84; 2. Andre Butler, Unattached, 11.00; 5. Mark Minjock, 11.43, Waynesburg 200 Meter: 1. Andre Butler, Unattached, 22.52; 2. Brian Vandusen, Wheeling Jesuit, 22.73; 3. Jack Fitch, Wheeling Jesuit, 22.98 400 Meter: 1. Antwon Foster, Alderson Bro, 50.60; 2. Korey Fennell, Alderson Bro, 51.22
800 Meter: 1. Anna Shields, Point Park, 2:09.48, 2. Summer Hill, California, 2:18.66; 6. Elinore Loch, Waynesburg, 2:26.20;
800 Meter: 1. Xavier Steohens, Point Park, 1:56.86; 2.Kyle Tumpak, California, 1:58.18; 10. Nathan Jecelin, Waynesburg, 2:02.69
1500 Meter Run: 1. Anna Shields, Point Park, 4:21.71; 2. Angie Marchetti, Waynesburg, 4:58.10
1500 Meter: 1. Brett George, California, 4:08.22; 2. Joe Uliano, California, 4:12.29; 4. Nathan Jecelin, 4:12.85, Waynesburg
5,000 Meter: 1. Sarah Taylor, Seton Hall,, 18:12.08; 2. Julie Gerber, 18:13.49, Waynesburg 100 Meter Hurdle: 1. Nicole Bartoletta, Geneva, 14.80; 2. Nina Jones, Wheeling Jesuit, 15.02; 13. Katherine Fair, Waynesburg, 17.15 400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Ashley McIntosh, Wheeling Jesuit, 65.02m; 2. Dominique Jefferson, Pitt-Johnstown, 69.15 4. Katherine Fair, Waynesburg, 70.77; 3,000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Jenna Furr, Wheeling Jesuit, 11:54.01; 2. Elizabeth Trump, Waynesburg, 12:15.28 High Jump: 1. Mariah Harmon, Wheeling Jesuit, 1.58m; 2. Erin Meckler, California, 1.58m; 11.Taylor Clarkson, Waynesburg, 1.37m;
5,000 Meter: 1. Albert Schrimp, Unattached, 15:33.70; 2. Andrew Weiss, Bethany, 16:32.17; 6. Morrison Colomb, 17:04.51, Waynesburg 110 Meter Hurdle:1. Paris Vaughan, Alderson Bro, 15.16, 2. Tavon Jeter, Wheeling Jesuit, 15.40; 4. Matthew Shinkle, 16.25, Waynesburg 400 Meter Hurdle: 1. Paris Vaughan, Alderson Bro, 56.00, 2. Bryan Partika, Point Park, 58.04 8. Matthew Shinkle, 61.11, Waynesburg 3000 Meter Steeplechase: 1. Nicholas Long, Franciscan, 9:51.53; 2. Anthony Camasso, Seton Hill, 10:06.30; 3. Matt Mansfield, Waynesburg, 10:37.76 High Jump: 1. Michael Morris, Point Park, 1.98m; 2. Isiah Claytor, West Liberty, 1.93m
Pole Vault: 1. Amanda Theodoro, West Liberity, 2.59m; 2. Andrea Precurato, Bethany, 2.25m
Pole Vault: 1. Nathaniel Wheeling, Wheeling Jesuit, 4.25m; 2. Mitch Kendra, 4.10 m, Waynesburg
Long Jump: 1. Kailah Holmes, California, 5.44m; 2. Kia Clayton, Pitt-Johnstown, 5.44m; 20. Taylor Clarkson, Waynesburg, 4.36 m
Long Jump: 1. Andre Lowery, Point Park, 6.80m; 2. Brian Vandusen, Wheeling Jesuit, 6.70m
Triple Jump: 1. Kia Clayton, Pitt-Johnstown, 11.65m; 2. Kailah Holmes, California, 11.33m; Shot Put: 1. Addy Knetzer, Waynesburg, 13.35m, Waynesburg Discus: 1. Lauren Dickerson, Wheeling Jesuit, 40.12m 2. Jessica Beal, Seton Hall, 39.42; 10. Addy Knetzer, Waynesburg, 32.99m Javelin: 1. Demi Katie, West Virgina, 39.80m 2. Mackenzie Mangun, Point Park, 34.98; 3. Jordan Simpson, Waynesburg, 34.25m
Shot Put: 1. Dominique Hudson, West Liberty, 14.02m; 1. Jordan Hunkins, Bethany, 14.02m; 7. Blake Feldner, Waynesburg, 12.08 m Discus: 1. Dominique Hudson, West Liberty, 45.04m; 2. Alex Eye, West Virgina, 42.51 m; 5. Blake Feldner, Waynesburg, 37.54 Hammer Throw: . Dominique Hudson, West Liberty, 46.10m; 2. Hogan Wells, West liberity, 45.59m Javelin: 1. Henry Kennedy, Geneva, 56.92m; 2. Roman Lessard, 48.67, Waynesburg
WHATS ON THIS WEEK WCYJ-FM Waynesburg Baseball and Softball Games Will Be Broadcast Live All Season Long on WCYJ-FM
WPIAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ROUNDUP Carmichaels
Jefferson-Morgan
Mapletown
Boys Baseball 4-13
Boys Baseball 4-13
Boys Baseball 4-13
4-13
4-13 Girls Softball
4-13
FRAZIER AT CARMICHAELS
Girls Softball
CARMICHAELS AT MAPPLETOWN
JEFFERSON-MORGAN AT JEANNETTE
JEFFERSON-MORGAN AT WEST GREENE
MAPPLETOWN AT MONESSEN
Girls Softball
CARMICHAELS AT MAPLETOWN
Waynesburg Central
West Greene
Boys Baseball 4-13
Boys Baseball 4-13
4-13
4-13 Girls Softball
MOUNT PLEASANT AT WAYNESBURG CENTRAL
Girls Softball
WAYNESBURG CENTRAL AT MCGUFFEY
GEIBEL AT WEST GREENE
JEFFERSON-MORGAN AT WEST GREENE
April 12, 2018
Page C3
Baseball continues to struggle with clutch hitting, defense in DH split By MITCHELL KENDRA Associate Editor
The Waynesburg University baseball team’s struggles of leaving runners on base and committing fielding errors cost the Yellow Jackets once again last weekend against Westminster College. The Yellow Jackets left 11 runners on base in each game, and committed a total six errors in the doubleheader to add to their now-Presidents’ Athletic Conference leading 53 errors. These continued problems of defense and scoring baserunners resulted in a nine-inning doubleheader split against Westminster April 8. The Yellow Jackets lost the first game 4-3, but avenged in the second game 4-8. The Titans fell to 8-7 overall and the Yellow Jackets improved to 6-16 overall, 2-6 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference games. After a close battle back and forth, the Yellow Jackets wound up on just short of winning game one, after the Titans went up one run in the top of the 10th inning. The Yellow Jackets were able to get two runners on base but with two outs were unable to score their baserunners. The Titans’ Jaret Johnson
recorded the win in game one, while junior Nate Gearhart recorded the loss. Johnson pitched two innings, allowing three hits, one run – which was earned – and three strikeouts. Junior Mitch Nordstrom went 2 for 5 and had an RBI. Senior Tyler Godwin and freshman Tyler Srbinovich both added two hits of their own. The Yellow Jackets’ 11 hits was better than the Titans’ seven, however, the Jackets could not get their baserunners home. Head coach Mike Humiston said the team needs to find the ability to score runners in scoring position, along with improve its fielding percentage. “Fielding percentages are not very good – something we used to hang our hats on in the past, that we could field the ball and make the throws and make the plays defensively,” Humiston said. “Coupled with leaving guys on base in scoring position…We’ve done a lot of that this year and those two things unfortunately resulted in losses for us.” Humiston said the team needs to get hits early in the inning, instead of starting the inning with two outs and then working to get on base with limited abilities to score runners. “I say it a number of times
during the game, [when a guy is] in scoring position with less than two outs [we need] to make sure the guy up to bat hits it out of the infield,” Humiston said. “I don’t care what it is, we have to score that guy from third base. And we haven’t been able to do that.” Humiston also said the fielding percentage, something the team used to do well in the past, has not been good this season. “It would be different if they were hard plays….but we are making errors on balls that we make plays we make time and time again in practice and when we get to the game it goes awry,” Humiston said. The team has lots of talent, according to Humiston, but has had difficulty when piecing everything together. “I think the bottom line we’re just not playing very good baseball,” Humiston said. “We have the talent to win baseball games, we just haven’t put it together.” While Humiston acknowledged the team still makes mistakes, the improvement he sees is promising. He noted some players who have continued to progress as the season has continued. “Tyler Srbinovich at third base for example,” Humiston said. “He’s a freshman but
he seems to be getting more comfortable at third base. [Junior] Tyler Reis – he was a first team all-conference guy last year. He’s had some bumps defensively but I think he’s a guy that can fix it. [Sophomore] Justin Buberl, who has been moved around the last few years from third base to outfield to first base, has done a great job. Aside from a couple of hiccups at first base, he has done I think a really good job for us.” Sophomore Mason Miller started on the mound for the Yellow Jackets in game two, pitched 5 1/3 innings while allowing three hits, two walks and three runs – none of which were earned. Sophomore Colton Uzzell pitched 2/3 innings, allowing one run – unearned – with one walk. Freshman Tyler Srbinovich transitioned from third base to finish out the final two innings of the game, where he allowed two hits and recorded the save. Buberl went 3 for 5 and recorded three runs, junior Tyler Reis went 2 for 3 while recording two runs and 2 RBIs and sophomore Tyler Reyes went 1 for 3 while recording one RBI and one run. The pitching staff has performed well recently – only allowing one earned run
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Sophomore shortstop Vinny Monico has driven in seven runs this season. in the doubleheader series against Westminster – and Humiston has been pleased with its performance all season. “I have no qualms with our pitching staff,” Humiston said. “They have done an absolute great job since our first games down in Florida.” Although the defense has struggled fielding the ball, Humiston acknowledged the problems could be worse with pitching struggles. “Pitching wins baseball games and the more good pitchers you have, the better
chance you have of winning games,” Humiston said. “I think we do have a good pitching staff, we just aren’t helping them out defensively or offensively.” Humiston said with the implementation of nineinning doubleheaders this season has made the team more cautious of when they are bringing bridge pitchers into the game. He said the transition from seven-innings to nine-inning games hasn’t been as easy as some BASEBALL >> C4
Syfert: Sophomore plays in father's memory Volleyball: Main goal Continued from C1
Presidents’ Athletic Conference. For a few hours an afternoon, Syfert isn’t grieving, but rather trying to play a part in getting Waynesburg to the PAC Tournament for the first time since 2011. Syfert’s .279 batting average is 21 points higher than where she finished last season, and in addition to stolen bases, Syfert is tied for the team lead in hits with 19 and runs scored with 12. Syfert sees her decision to take up a second sport as a blessing. Without softball, she said wouldn’t be able to control her grief. “I honestly think I’d have multiple meltdowns every day,” she said. “I’d probably let my emotions build up and get the best of me.” But there are times when even the distraction that the game brings can turn into a curse. On March 28, Syfert thought that the Jackets’ PAC opening doubleheader with Westminster would be postponed. When she found out that the game was on as scheduled, she called her mother. Then, she called her dad. For a few brief moments, she forgot his voice wouldn’t be on the other line. For people who haven’t experienced anything like what Syfert saw and heard that Christmas morning, it’s incomprehensible. For Syfert, it’s still difficult to process. “You always hear stories about this, and people [saying], ‘I can’t even imagine [what you’re going through],’” she said. “I always tell people, ‘I’m going through it, and I still can’t even fathom.’ It’s crazy. You never know when it’s going to be your last day or the last time with them. You just have to take it one day at a time and live in the moment.” *** With the Spring semester starting just three weeks after her father’s death, Syfert’s friends and family were uncertain if she could handle life as a student-athlete so soon. “You’re not going back to school, are you?” she remembers multiple people questioning. But she never considered taking a break. The reason was simple; it wouldn’t have
been what her dad would have wanted. Out of her three siblings—two older sisters and a younger brother—Syfert said she had the closest relationship with her father. As somebody with an athletic background—Bryant wrestled collegiately at Clarion, where he was teammates with future Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle—her father supported Syfert in all sports, going to every game he could. Academically, he pushed Syfert, now a sophomore, in her effort to graduate from college a year early with a degree in mathematics, and she still plans on completing that goal. Knowing that taking a break from school would hold her back from making her father proud both on the field and in the classroom, the decision was an easy one. “My dad was so tough on us, and I knew that [staying in school] was what he would want me to do,” she said. “You have to come back to school. Life goes on. If you take a semester off, are you ever going to go back? I think coming back to school was probably the best thing for me.” All throughout the rest of winter break, freshman outfielder Taylor McCall was right by Syfert’s side. She was at her house later on Christmas Day, and despite living 30 minutes away, spent several nights sleeping on Syfert’s couch. The two have been best friends since meeting in high school, and now they room with each other. Like
for Kirby is teaching program ‘how to win’ Continued from C1
Photo courtesy of Courtney Syfert
Courtney Syfert said her father regularly attended her soccer and softball games at Waynesburg. more obvious reminders, such as her dad’s birthday Feb. 6, have tested her strength. But others have been more subtle. Just nine days after the start of the Spring semester, Syfert took her seat and began her first class of the day. She pulled out a piece of paper to take her notes for the day’s lecture, and she wrote down the date. January 24, 2018. It was almost a month to the day, and she broke down. When Syfert was in Florida for the softball team’s spring trip, the sight of a stranger who resembled her
“You always hear stories about this, and people going 'I can't even imagine [what you're going through].' I always tell people 'I'm going through it, and I still can't even fathom [it].”
COURTNEY SYFERT
Softball player
Syfert, McCall knew what her friend’s father would have wanted her to do. “He would not want her to give up sports or transfer back home just because of him,” McCall said. “He would want her to be here, having fun with her friends, and just living her life as a college student. He would definitely want that.” *** Each day evokes memories for Syfert. Some of the
father was enough to stir emotions. During the Florida trip, Syfert, like most of her teammates, was supposed to have her parents watching, supporting her as she began her sophomore season. With her father’s passing, and her mom having to stay back to take care of things at home, McCall was the closest thing to family that Syfert had for the week. The first night of the trip was Syfert’s “bad night,” McCall said. The combination
of her parents’ absence, as well as the long bus ride, was difficult for Syfert to handle. Despite an 11 p.m. curfew, Syfert and McCall took a walk—with head coach Richele Hall’s blessing—down to the hotel pool at around 10:50 p.m. They talked about a variety of topics, ranging from Syfert’s loneliness due to her parents not making the trip to the team’s general exhaustion from the long bus ride. The talk wasn’t unlike the conversations that Syfert and McCall have late at night in their room. While Syfert goes through her struggles, the two find time to talk about softer subjects, such as the two visiting the beach over summer vacation, sometimes staying up into the early hours of the morning. While Syfert has her good and bad days, McCall said the good is starting to outweigh the bad. “It [used to] go like she’d have a good week, then a bad week,” McCall said. “But now, she has a lot of good days, and then maybe two bad days in two weeks…I think time heals everything.” Although it’s been over three months since Christmas Day and the dream that she can never wake up from, Syfert is constantly reminded that her father is still here. “He’s always just looking over me,” Syfert said. “If I’m having a bad week, I can just hear him, saying ‘Come on, get your crap together.’ I can just feel his presence.”
really reflects the talent they have, so I think there are a lot of good things that can happen and a lot of good stuff I can do with them,” Kirby said. A positive first impression for Kirby was the average height of the team, but the talent of the players was even more exciting for her and for a team that was winless in the PAC the last two years. “With the skill level they have, I don’t think it’s going to be as hard as I expected,” Kirby said. “I thought it was going to be a little harder, but when I saw them last night it was exciting to see the talent I do have.” Kirby has yet to decide what system she will run with her players, as she hasn’t seen all
the setters, but she would prefer to run a 5-1. The biggest problem according to Kirby isn’t the system or that they have been lacking talent, but instead they have been lacking the knowledge of how to win games. “I think the main goal is to teach them how to win— I think their one weakness is they don’t know how to win and I think I have been able to teach how to win before,” Kirby said. “At Earlham, we won six games last year, this year we won 15 and nine of those I was acting as head coach.” As a new chapter begins in Waynesburg volleyball history, Kirby is confident that she will be able to pass down winning ways. “I know how to win and I think I can teach them how to,” Kirby said.
Sikora: Stanford next step in lifelong goal to become an NFL coach
coach I can be. I have a long way to go and I think this could be a great step towards approved for the master’s learning more from every asdegree program and was ac- pect of a football program.” cepted as a graduate assistant As Sikora reflects on his with the football program. time at Waynesburg UniverFollowing which, Sikora was sity, it doesn’t take long to reimmediately flown out for an member some of the fondest interview and a tour of the moments of the past seven facilities. years: the 10-1 With aspirations season in 2012 to one day coach in that resulted in a the National Footbowl victory; upball League, Sikora setting Washingsaid Stanford is the ton & Jefferson next step in the proat home in 2014 cess. with a game“[St anford is] winning field selling [their] instigoal in overtime tution and how presand when Shepas tigious it is,” Sikora beat Grove City Sikora said. “And what a to become the degree from a place like that all-time winningest coach can do for your future—it is in school history. impressive.” Yet, as Sikora prepares With a start date set to depart from his home in in June, Sikora’s time at Washington, Pennsylvania to Waynesburg University is make the drive to Palo Alto, slowly drawing to a close af- California, what sticks to ter seven seasons. In a drastic Sikora the most is the influjump from Division III to Di- ence football will always hold vision I athletics, Sikora said in his life. he feels motivated more than “This is a special game… anything else. something that lasts 30 to “I’m more excited than 40 years in your memory,” anything,” Sikora said. “I’m Sikora said. “That’s obviously more excited to continue my significant to the guys that growth and become the best play it.”
Continued from C1
Page C4
April 12, 2018
Playoff window dwindling for baseball Jackets preparing for By COLIN MCLAUGHLIN Convergence Editor
The Waynesburg University baseball team will look to halt a rough start to the month April when it takes on the Saint Vincent Bearcats Saturday, April 14, at home for a doubleheader. The Yellow Jackets lost both of their games to Geneva last Friday, April 6, and then took one of two from Westminster Sunday, April 8. For junior second baseman Tyler Reis, the Jackets have a chance to leave Saturday with a sweep if they can put two good games together. “For doubleheaders, we always struggle in the first game and we end up coming alive at the end of game one, but it is not enough to come out with a win,” said Reis. “But in the second game we always come out strong, get the lead and then the second game looks a lot better for us. I think that if we take the same approach we always take into the tail end of the series into the first game, then I think there’s a good chance we can take two this weekend.” Currently the Yellow Jackets are 6-16 overall, with four of those wins coming from the Florida trip and 2-6 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference, putting them in eighth place. “It’s definitely not how we planned it out to be,” said Reis. “We are hitting a little more bumps in the road than we expected. There are flashes of potential at times, but we just haven’t put everything together yet and whenever we have put everything together I think [we can win].” St. Vincent has also struggled this season, with an overall record of 6-11
and conference mark of 2-3, which puts the Bearcats right above Waynesburg in the PAC standings. Although St. Vincent has scuffled this season too, Reis said that every game at this stage of the season is vital, regardless of the opponent. “We definitely cannot take [St. Vincent] lightly,” said Reis. “Especially at this point, anything can happen. If we keep the same mentality that we have had for the past couple of days like against both Geneva and Westminster, we were in those games for the most part, against Westminster we could have easily had two wins the other day.” After a four-game winning streak at the beginning of the season, a 13-game losing streak followed. The Yellow Jackets are currently 2-3 in their last 5 games with wins over Bethany and Westminster, in the two victories, the Jackets combined to score 16 runs. Aside from statistics, Reis feels that it will be vital for the team to enjoy itself down the stretch. “Our biggest concern right now as a team is trying to have as much fun as possible,” said Reis. “Because I know that we started out the season strong and then we went through a long rough patch, and most of the team was struggling. So, everyone was putting pressure on themselves and we found that whenever we make it a point to have as much fun as we can and enjoy everything we are going through, then things have worked out better for us and we end up doing better overall.” The biggest, and most obvious struggle for the Yellow Jackets, is the defense. Waynesburg has had PACworst 53 errors this season, which has become the
eight-game stretch in upcoming week By TYLER GODWIN
Sports Convergence Editor
Mitchell Kendra, Yellow Jacket
Tyler Srbinovich got the save in game two against Westminster. The freshman pitched two shutout innings. Achilles heel of this team. “Just about every game we have played this season we have been in them and had opportunities to take advantage of it and win the game,” said Reis. “But errors at wrong times caused more runs and not enough production from the offense and things just have not been going our way so far.” In the win against Bethany late last month, Waynesburg didn’t commit an error, but against Westminster Waynesburg had four errors, but still managed to win the game. For Reis, the errors are extra costly, because a lot of them come in crucial situations. “Anytime that we’ve put all three aspects of the game together it has worked out
well for us,” said Reis. “And I think that right now, the biggest thing we have been struggling with is defense, myself included. The errors that we make probably happen at the worst times and there are always runs that end up coming from them.” There are five conference games left in the season, which means there is still a slim chance of Waynesburg making the conference. Although it’s a long shot, Reis is confident that the Jackets can make a run. “I know that the odds are really against us right now for making the playoffs,” said Reis. “But I still have confidence in our team. I know what we are capable of and I think that we can get it done.”
Track: Weather prevents consistent competition Continued from C2
“We’ve had to have a lot of practices indoors,” said Cross. “And obviously because of certain facility restrictions, it’s not as quality of a practice as it could be if it was outdoors, so we are not able to do everything we want to do.” The team has only attended two meets this outdoor season—one of which was run in the snow, and the other on Easter weekend. The Yellow Jackets are scheduled for two more competitions before the
Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships April 25 and 26. The first of the two meets are this weekend in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, hosted by Westminster College. Cross said that this will be the last meet before conference championships where the entire team will attend. “So, this is the last full chance for our relays and for people to bring their times down,” said Cross. “It’s also the second to third chance for a lot of them to even compete in their main event and I
think it’s a meet that everyone is looking forward to, especially because the weather is
“With the irritation of weather and not being able to compete, I'm hoping that people are hungry to compete.”
MICHELLE CORSS
Head coach
going to be little bit warmer.” The combination of the weather, and the stiff com-
petition, bodes well for the Jackets this weekend. The forecast is set to be in the 70-degree range, and according to Cross, the Jackets are exiting their toughest stage of training. “I actually think we are going to see a lot people kind of ‘pop off ’ at Westminster,” said Cross. “We are coming into our peak week, which means we are coming off of lifting and beginning to back mileage down for training plus, with the irritation of weather and not being able to compete, I’m hoping that people are hungry to compete.”
As the Waynesburg softball team continues its season, the recent stretch of poor weather has caused many Presidents’ Athletic Conference games to be rescheduled. As such, the Yellow Jackets will have played eight games in seven days come this Saturday, April 14, when the team takes on Thiel in its final two games of a long home stint. Head coach Richele Hall sees the concentrated week of games as something that will benefit the team because they will actually be playing in game situations, which is what the team has been preparing for since the off-season. “I am not worried about the heavy week of games especially since the girls just want to play,” said Hall. “Playing a [double header] and sitting for 11 days isn’t going to help us get better, playing the game we have worked so hard to prepare for since January is what is going to get us rolling.” Last season, the Yellow Jackets dropped both contests against the Tomcats, losing game one 8-2 and falling in game two 12-1. In the games, then-sophomore Jessica Kelley tossed all 13 innings in the double header for Thiel, allowing three runs on 16 hits, two walks and five strikeouts. On the offensive side, thenfreshman Vanessa Falce went 4 for 8 with six RBIs between the two games for Thiel, and then-sophomore Miranda Reesman notched five RBIs for the Tomcats as well. No hitter for the Yellow Jackets produced more than two hits across the 13 innings of play. The Tomcats went on to be the four-seed in the PAC tournament, while Waynesburg missed out on the playoffs with a seventh-place conference finish. For Hall, the most important thing to emerge victorious against Thiel will be staying consistent for both games of the double header. “The biggest thing we need to do is to keep with our approach and our fight—we need to string two great games together,” Hall said. “We have been doing a great job playing game one of the double header, but in game two we
see a drop off and the girls are well aware of this being an area of focus. The biggest thing for us and staying persistent and confident throughout both games.” Entering play Wednesday, the Yellow Jackets have a 10-10 overall record and sit in fourth place in the PAC with a 3-3 conference record. Thiel, on the other hand, is off to a 7-13 start overall entering Wednesday and holds a 2-2 conference record, good for sixth place in the PAC. Hall is especially confident in her team entering the contests, and looks for more of the same type of solid production on the field from all members of the team. Junior first baseman Alex Lawrence is one of the many key contributors of the team, hitting .310 with a team-high three home runs and 14 RBIs entering play Wednesday, while junior pitcher Courtney Messenger will look to hold the Tomcat offense in check as she enters Wednesday with 10 complete games and an 8-4 record after shutting out Chatham twice Tuesday. “My expectations are always through the roof for my leaders down to my freshman, because this team is talented and we haven’t even seen the best of them yet,” Hall said. “Lawrence and Messenger have done a great job for us and I need them each to continue doing their part.” First pitch for the double header this Saturday will be 3 p.m., with game two following shortly after the conclusion of game one. Hall feels the Yellow Jackets have all the personnel to match what Thiel will bring to the table, and knows the team will have to capitalize on every opportunity against the conference foe. “As far as Thiel’s top players and hitters, I believe we match them in that category. We need our best, including in the circle to out-do their best,” said Hall. “[Our] approach against their pitching staff will be that same for us as it has been all season, making sure we are patient and committing to our good ‘yes’ pitch. We have to find a way to get runners to score once we have them on base—every run for us will count in this double header with Thiel.”
Baseball: Humiston highlights team Kendra: Nationals qualification up focus as point of emphasis in practice next for senior after breaking record Continued from C3
conference coaches believed it would be. “Those four innings that we tack on for a double header, from a seven to a nine, I think all of the teams are starting to feel the pres-
sure of that,” Humiston said. Humiston said the team needs to learn from previous mistakes and make sure not to make the same ones again. “We just have to focus more,” Humiston said. “We still have some games ahead of us. We put ourselves be-
hind the eight ball as a team and we have to find a way to fight our way back to where we should be and hopefully that happens Saturday.” The Yellow Jackets will return to action Saturday when they host Saint Vincent for a doubleheader at 1 p.m.
Softball: Allstatt goes 3-for-3 in game two to lead Jackets offense Continued from C2
gave up ten hits total on the day with five in each game—Chatham wasn’t able to string anything together.” Waynesburg’s offense continued in the second game as the Jackets picked up one run in the second on a Skon sacrifice fly that scored freshman Tara Staley. The Jackets added two more runs in the fifth to secure a 3-0 victory over the Cougars. Allstatt went 3 for 3 in
game two, scoring once in the fifth inning to add to the Waynesburg total. “[Allstatt] has been really steady for us this year and she is batting around .500 for us now on the season,” said Hall. “She doesn’t try to do too much and that is what I like about her. Both of her hits [might] be singles but she knows what we need from her and she produces.” The Yellow Jackets have fought their way back to an even record with a lot of softball left to be played. The Jackets are in the upper
half of the PAC with an opportunity to make a push for a PAC title. “Our biggest thing is that we have played two of three teams that are ahead of us in conference as we are sitting in fourth place,” said Hall. “We already played Westminster and Saint Vincent, and we have Thomas More coming up on Friday and that’s going to be a challenge but we’re definitely up for it.” Waynesburg will host Thomas More on Friday for a double header starting at 3:30 p.m.
Continued from C1
let alone competitively.’” Kendra had no choice but to shift his focus—finishing his senior year as best as he could—but never reaching his goal. *** Since coming to Waynesburg University, Kendra has broken the pole vault record time and time again—so many times that he doesn’t remember the amount off the top of his head. But it was never satisfying. He still hadn’t reached 14’6”. Everyone continued to congratulate him as he made new personal records, even winning PAC Championships. None of that mattered to him. “It was tough because when you plateau, you’re thinking [negatively],” he said. “If I’m consistently jumping 14’, it’s like, ‘OK, I’m still getting up high enough to win meets and do well, but that’s not where I want to be.” And it wasn’t easy. In the spring, Kendra had to balance academics with early morn-
ing football practice, lifting midday and pole vaulting in the afternoon. It was easy to feel overwhelmed, but he kept telling himself that this would make him better. He was close—six inches to be exact. “It’s kind of like everything, you just keep going because you want to get better and even if it’s like tough—you need to push through it because you need to be better,” said Kendra. “To be your best self, you need to be willing to go through the struggles and everything and that makes the final destination or whatever worth it.” Then last year, in the last meet of his junior year, Kendra reached 14’6” exactly, at the Great Lakes Final Qualifying Meet at Ohio Wesleyan. “I couldn’t be happier even though I didn’t get it when I wanted to,” Kendra said. “I was getting better, like every year I’ve gotten consistently better.” *** That wasn’t the end of the story for Kendra. While he had finally reached the height that had eluded him for years, he still had another year of competition ahead of him.
For him, jumping any higher at this point feels like a bonus. That brought him to last Saturday. Kendra was able to jump multiple times—climbing in height with each one. First 3.99 meters. Then 4.14 meters. Miss. Miss. 4.29. 4.44. Miss. Miss. At this point, Kendra had broken his record again, making it a fraction of an inch over 14’6”. The bar was still raising, though, and Kendra still had jumps left. After two more misses, Kendra cleared the next height, at 4.59 meters, about 15’3/4”. He broke the school record yet again, this time by more than 6”. *** Like every record before, the hunger to reach greater heights drives Kendra on. “You reach your goal that you’ve set for years, and then you set new ones,” Kendra said. His new goal is set at 4.72 meters—about 15’6”—which would guarantee him a spot in the NCAA DIII National Championships.
SECTION D
APRIL 12, 2018 | WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY | THEYELLOWJACKET.ORG
RELAY FOR LIFE
WALKING FOR THE CURE
Student leaders use personal experiences as motivation to organize campus-wide Relay event By KADEN HURLEY Editorial Assistant
Courage comes in all shapes, sizes and stories. For Waynesburg University’s Relay for Life student leaders, that courage stems from unique stories and struggles. Brittnay Faust, senior early childhood special education major, has been participating in Relay for Life since her freshman year. By her sophomore year, Faust was selected as team captain for the track and cross-country team, maintaining that position all through her junior and senior years. Faust not only leads her team, but also stands as the co-president of Colleges Against Cancer, the organization that runs the campus’ Relay for Life events. The track and cross-country team chose to represent brain cancer for the second year in a row as a way for the team to honor the passing of Rebecca and Angela Marchetti’s father, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer. As for Faust, her motivations fall much closer to home, as multiple members of her family have lost their lives to some form of cancer. “Cancer is something that has always touched my family,” said Faust. “Before I was even born, my grandmother passed away from ovarian cancer. When I was five years old, I lost an aunt to breast cancer. Most recently, my great uncle has been diagnosed with lung cancer
and is undergoing chemotherapy.” The biggest push came from Faust’s grandfather. “In 2006, my grandfather was diagnosed with kidney cancer,” said Faust. “He got very involved with Relay for Life, and we were just little kids so we just went along. Then he was cured, and then in 2011, it came back as bone cancer. Then in April 2012, he passed away. [Relay for Life] just became a big thing in my family. We honor [my grandfather]. We have pins with his picture on them. We keep the tradition alive.” Though she has experienced numerous losses from cancer, Faust has persevered and, she says, even grown stronger because of it. “It puts life into perspective,” Faust said. “While my grandfather was battling cancer, my family had these little keychains that read ‘one day at a time.’ It kind of became our family motto, and I still live by it to this day.” Junior human services major Alicia Smail jumped into her second year by participating in Relay for Life as team captain of the Human Services Sociology Club. Smail’s group chose to represent colon cancer in honor of a team member’s close friend who had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015 and underwent surgery later that year. Much to the dismay of friends and family, the cancer returned in 2017, segwaying into another round of treatment.
Photo courtesy of Ashley Hall
Participants in the 2017 annual Waynesburg University Relay for Life begin the survivor walk, following the track that loops behind Benedum. “I do have some personal connections, too,” Smail said about her passion for participation. “A friend of mine from high school, his mom passed away our senior year. We were all really close, so it was really hard for me to watch him and his family struggle with that. My pastor’s wife actually passed away from cancer a few years ago, and my uncle has been in and out of chemo for the
last couple of years.” Despite the hardships, Smail still finds joy and excitement while participating for the event. “It’s an awesome thing for everyone to come together and support a cause,” Smail said. “Everyone has different people that they’re advocating for, so RELAY >> D2
Professor to sculpt statue of late WU icon Lifelong piano and percussion musician reflects on experience By RACHEL MANGAN Associate Editor
James D. Randolph, better known as “Fuzzy” Randolph, was a “quirky” individual who left a lasting impression on students and staff at Waynesburg, and just about to everyone he performed his signature bagpipes for. One of those people that were left with a lasting memory of Fuzzy was Andrew Heisey, chairperson for the fine arts department. He was impacted by Fuzzy so much that now, he is in the beginning stages of crafting a statue in his honor. According to Heisey, the statue has yet to begin being built as he is still in the beginning stages of planning exactly what it is he wants to do. “I haven’t started yet,” said Heisey. “I’ve been doing research at the moment. I’ve gone down to the museum here, and they have quite a collection of images of Fuzz. So, I’ve been collecting images of Fuzzy to see if I have the materials I need to create the representations of the image I want.” Heisey said that it’s more of a challenge sculpting a person from just photographs. “It’s really hard,” said Heisey, “It’s so much easier to make a sculpture of the real person, in person – it’s really hard to just go from images.” What Heisey wants to do for his sculpture of Fuzzy is a technique he often teaches
By ANTONIO PELULLO Editorial Assistant
Photo courtesy of Institutional Advancement
James D. Randolph, known as "Fuzzy", smiles while wearing his traditional Kiltie band outfit. After his passing, the band was later renamed in his memory. in one of his classes called a “head bust.” “I really love teaching my students [this technique], so it will be a really good example for my students to see me do something like this,” he said. The technique is part of a project that is assigned in one of Heisey’s many art classes. Doing this head bust is far from an easy task, even for someone as experienced as Heisey. “The challenge here is how to create a likeness of someone and to show their personality,” said Heisey. “Fuzzy was an unusual individual
here on campus. He always stood out. Not necessarily that he was a loud person, he was loud with bagpipes, but he just had some quirks that were really, really cool.” According to Heisey, the first time he met Fuzzy was when he was in his office, what Heisey referred to as “the dungeon of Miller,” because he thought it was scary looking. Fuzzy was looking for something, and, at that time, Heisey noticed a muffin on his desk completely covered in ants. Fearing that Fuzzy would eat the ants, Heisey slid the muffin into the trash and brushed all the
ants off the desk only to find out that Fuzzy was feeding them on purpose. This was something he would do all the time: feed the bugs around his office. “[Years ago], he also had a pet wasp, and somehow I need to capture that into the sculpture,” said Heisey. At some point, at a much later date, Heisey would love to create a life-size statue of Fuzzy to possibly have sitting on a park bench, much like the Mr. Rogers statue, to honor the impact he had on everyone around him. FUZZY >> D2
Since she was six years old Jennifer Gabrielcik has been a musician. It was something that was passed down from her parents to her, and it started with the piano, progressing to percussion. “I like hitting things and making loud noises if that makes sense,” Gabrielcik said. As a senior forensic science major, one of the highlights for Gabrielcik was when she was selected to go to Intercollegiate Band for Pennsylvania which selects the best students from different colleges across Pennsylvania. Only 28 people were selected to come out and play this year, but as one of the few who wasn’t a music major in some form, this was an outstanding experience for Gabrielcik. “It was pretty good. There are so many people there who are music majors doing this for a living, and me being [forensic] science, I know I am not the best percussion ever,” Gabrielcik said, “but it’s fun to play with people who are
really good.” Gabrielcik grew up in a musical home, with her parents giving her an appreciation for various musical genres and talents. Gabrielcik, though she isn't a music major, was selected as one of the best musicians in Pennsylvania, but her passion for music may not be as deep as her passion for her major, forensic science. “I have a bigger passion for science, I guess,” Gabrielcik said. She thought about picking up a music minor but didn’t have the space necessary in her schedule. A forensic science major obviously has to know a lot of science and that can become overwhelming for anybody, but for Gabrielcik, band was always able to calm her down and relieve some stress. “I’m kind of glad I’m done, because it gets progressively more stressful with all the science it’s harder and more depth, but band has helped me a lot just the two nights a week we meet,” Gabrielcik said. Staring down the PERCUSSION >> D2
Page D2
April 12, 2018
Student musician performs original songs, covers in recital By ANDREW HREHA Staff Writer
Rachel Philipp, senior arts administration major with a concentration in music, has recorded music professionally, performed for audiences in Pittsburgh, released an Extended Play (EP) on iTunes, Spotify and other streaming services and opened for a top act in current pop music. Philipp recently had her senior recital on campus, displaying her musical abilities in Robert’s Chapel last Saturday. While Philipp’s senior recital signifies the end of her college career, music is something that has stuck with her since childhood. “I have been singing, writing music and performing for quite a while,” Phillip said. “I have been involved in music since a very young age.” Philipp started performing online via YouTube in high school by playing guitar and singing covers of popular songs. “I started out on YouTube doing covers with my guitar,” Philipp said. “I think YouTube really helped me start sharing things with people when I was in ninth grade.” As she grew as an artist, Philipp released an EP to iTunes, Spotify and other streaming services. “I have written a lot of songs,” she said. “A lot of them end up in a little stash
in my computer, but I have professionally recorded some into an EP, so I have some music on iTunes and Spotify.” The EP titled “Spectacular” was released in 2016 and contains four songs with Philipp providing both vocals and playing guitar. Outside of the studio, Philipp grew comfortable performing by actually participating in live shows. “I s t ar t e d p e r for m ing when I was mid-way t hroug h hig h s cho ol,” Philipp said. “I did a lot of shows in Pittsburgh.” Eventually, doing shows in Pittsburgh landed her in a group of musicians from the city. It was through this group that Philipp would be presented with a unique opportunity. “I have had some cool opportunities opening for people,” Philipp said. “I opened for Andy Grammer.” Grammer, a top act in the pop genre, has landed spots on the Billboard Charts on multiple occasions, and his hit song “Honey, I’m Good” certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Grammer’s manager contacted Philipp via email and asked if she would be his opening act in Pittsburgh. She was able to learn lessons from Grammer through his personal story. “We all hung out and Andy shared a little bit of
Photos courtesy of Paul Hicks
Rachel Philipp, senior arts administration major with a concentration in music, played at her senior recital, held in Robert's Chapel. She has music available on iTunes, Spotify and YouTube, where she has over 100,000 views. his story with me,” Philipp said. “I was so inspired. He was telling me he would play music on the streets for money, and now he is where he is.” At Waynesburg, Philipp has been focusing on school and learning additional skills to add to her repertoire. For her recital, Philipp hopes those who attended left inspired by her music. “I know for myself if I go
to a concert or a recital, I have been to many here, I just really love hearing the end product of something that someone has been working on for a long time,” Philipp said. “It’s polished and it’s beautiful and it’s inspiring, so I hope that people walk away inspired.” Philipp is excited to continue to share her music with the world after graduation. “I just really want to share
music with people,” Philipp said. “I think music has this power to touch all of us in different ways.”
Philipp wants her followers to be on the lookout for new music later this year.
Percussion: Studies strained time commitment Inclusive innovation Continued from D1
tunnel towards the end of the journey, Gabrielcik, vice president of band, almost never made it this far as there was a lot of fear this may not have been the right choice for her. “I was scared at first, but as I was adjusting to college, I realized I had to be there,” Gabrielcik said, “I think it went away after Christmas break my first year, because I knew I wasn’t going to transfer. I was going to stick with band and everything, and I knew I liked my major and didn’t want to switch.” She is happy she stayed, because along with enjoying her time with school activities, the friends she has made will stay with her for a life time. Gabrielcik hasn’t found
event offers chance to display businesses By DYLAN CLELAND
For the Yellow Jacket
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Gabrielcik
Jennifer Gabrielcik, pictured second from left, has been playing insturments since she was six years old. While in the band at Waynesburg, she was vice president. a job yet, but she’s still looking in the Pittsburgh area. She hasn’t yet decided to continue band, but knows she will always be
welcomed back to Waynesburg. “There are community bands around that I can do,” Gabrielcik said. “I can
come back here and play with them, as she calls people all the time, because we need more bodies. We need more sound.”
Relay: Leaders know that hard work is ‘worth it’
Continued from D1
it’s super cool to see everybody come together and support the ones we really care about, and give them a voice when they might not have one.” No matter how great the stress becomes, Smail knows what they’re doing is worth every moment. “I love to just look back and see all of the tables,” said Smail. “To see all of the groups and organizations, to see all of the people, to see people from the community come and to see people like Jan Teagarden walk as survivors in the beginning is such an inspira-
tion for them and for me to know that there is hope throughout this struggle.” Sophomore accounting major Heidi Dziak was chosen to lead the Lamplighters Touring Choir team, a welcoming challenge, as this is only her first year participating. Her inspiration comes from a woman named Sue from Dziak’s hometown church. “She’s a sweet lady, always very happy, very upbeat and always makes everyone smile,” said Dziak. “But then I found out that her son has cancer, and he’s been battling that for a long time, and she says it’s just really rough but keeps going, keeps God right there
beside her.” No one in Dziak’s family or close friends had been diagnosed before her involvement, so the entire experience proved life altering. “I didn’t really realize how many people’s lives are affected by cancer until I started doing this,” said Dziak. “Yeah, I knew a good amount were affected, but I didn’t really realize how much money they need in order to be treated for certain things. I also didn’t put into consideration families who are from West Virginia or Kentucky who have to go to New York or California or any big place that has treatment for them. I didn’t realize how much cost went
into this, and how important it is that we do stuff like this.” Dziak says she understands people’s hesitation to join in or to donate. It can be daunting, especially if they’ve never experience cancer’s challenges first hand. “I definitely encourage people to try it, just one year,” said Dziak. “If they don’t want to stay, that’s okay, I can respect that, but just give it a try, one time, and just talk to people who are cancer survivors or people whose lives have been affected by cancer. Then you can see all the benefits that are going to occur there for them.”
Fuzzy: Clay bust to commemorate Randolph Continued from D1
One of the biggest challenges for Heisey’s head bust sculpture is what kind of hat he should have Fuzzy wearing. He was well known for wearing several different hats on a daily basis so it has caused quite a conundrum for Heisey to decide. “Do I put a kiltie band hat?
Do I put the Waynesburg College cap that he often wore? I just have so many images of him and how do I capture it,” said Heisey. Heisey plans on making the sculpture out of clay, and he hopes to get some donors in order to bronze the finished product. Heisey’s statue is not the only thing at Waynesburg that is there in Fuzzy’s honor.
The kiltie band was also renamed in his memory and now includes brand new uniforms and instruments with a logo depicting Fuzzy playing the bagpipes. What is now known as the James D. Randolph Kiltie Band has a drum head featuring the new logo and continues to grow. One of Heisey’s hopes for the group is to be able to compete in lo-
cal competition once they get enough members. Fuzzy was considered a person, according to Heisey, as someone who could be “loud in a quiet way” and make anyone smile with his many quirks and interesting personality along with the fact he would sometimes surprise staff members with impromptu bagpipe performances.
Students from Waynesburg University and Assistant Professor of Arts Administration Xela Batchelder went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to assist with the Youth Innovation Night April 6, an event part of Inclusive Innovation Week. Batchelder said the event in Pittsburgh is unique compared to the same event in other cities. “Inclusive Innovation Week is run by the city and is all about business, data, programming and innovation,” said Batchelder. “A lot of cities have innovation week, but we’re the only city [Pittsburgh] that has Inclusive Innovation. They want it to include anyone that is innovated, and so they also want to include the arts.” Batchelder was contacted by the organization to assist in
“We had some teen and college students coming, so we brought in staging, lights and sound.” The event was held at the NOVA Place in Pittsburgh, which has evolved and became innovated over the years into a newer area with restaurants, office space and things to do. Batchelder said the Nova Place is the place to be for some businessmen. “The Nova Place is an old mall that has a lot of business moving in,” said Batchelder. According to weinnovatepgh.net, the Inclusive Innovation Pittsburgh organization strives to work in conjunction with the city of Pittsburgh to support collaboration and innovation by different groups in the area. The Department of Innovation & Performance and the Urban Redevelopment Authority are joint partners of the organization. The organization focuses
“Inclusive Innovation Week is run by the city and is all about business, data, programming and innovation.”
XELA BATCHELDER
Assistant Professor of Arts Administration
their Youth Innovation Night. “They called and asked us to see how we could be involved with them,” said Batchelder. “We determined we could help with the Youth Night,” said Batchelder. “They opened it up and there were a bunch of organizations that were teaching programming. There were about 20 different groups across the city that took part in this.” Other organizations and groups contributed, but the focus was on programming. “A lot of it was programming. People who teach programming to children during the year came and set up tables and booths to teach people,” said Batchelder. “There was also a guy teaching video and green screen.” The Waynesburg Arts Administration program contributed to the event as well by supplying music. “Our Arts Administration program ran music [for the event],” said Batchelder.
on six particular sections of innovation from Pittsburgh: city operations, civic engagement, clean technology, digital divide, local business and open data. Inclusive Innovation Pittsburgh has been part of a multi-million-dollar rebirthing project, which has taken the former Allegheny Center and turned into a modern-day business and entertainment park in attempt to reconnect part of Pittsburgh’s north side to downtown. In addition to last week’s annual festival, the organization works on two other main projects. The first is PGH Lab, a city-led project connecting new companies to the city for support. The second is ConnectHome USA, working with the Housing Authority of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Housing Authority to provide residents in assisted living to be a part of the transforming community.
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WEEKLY CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Med. recording 4. Type sizes 9. “__, then ... “ 13. __ Post: Nassau County, N.Y. school 14. Spectacle 15. Haunted house sound 16. Letters on a com munications corp. logo 17. *Dog that really needs a bath? 19. The Gray Lady of the press: Abbr. 20. Exile of 1979 21. Els on greens 22. *Donkey that has mastered the hurdles? 26. AB negative, among blood types 27. Cockpit no. 28. Prepared 29. Big Ben feature 30. Odysseus’ faithful dog 32. *Holiday employ ment schedule in “Animal Farm”? 39. Friend of d’Artagnan 40. Unsullied 41. One-fifth of MD 44. Swindle 45. Any Beatle, say 47. *Offer to acquire a rising agent? 51. Give one final flicker 52. Greatly reduced sea
53. Old possessive 55. When required ... or a terse hint to solv ing the starred clues 58. Where Simone Biles won four golds 59. Welsh actor Roger 60. Subway entrance 61. Lake Mich. state 62. Criteria: Abbr. 63. Thompson of “Creed” 64. Org. with a tee in its logo
DOWN 1. Joie de vivre 2. Lockup
3. Throaty 4. Hunter’s need 5. Trap during winter 6. Sound on some San Francisco streets 7. Small batteries 8. Muddy abode 9. “__ very hard, and ... play very hard”: Maya Angelou 10. Regional animal groups 11. “Forrest Gump” actor 12. Most stale 17. Voids 18. Bully 23. __ toast 24. Baby food array
25. Bit of aquatic life 26. Nutritional fig. 30. Cadillac compact 31. Hue of many Re naissance drawings 33. Long list substi tute, briefly 34. “Cat on __ Tin Roof ” 35. Xperia maker 36. Best 37. Causing to foam
38. Marshy expanse 41. Pleasures shared by Churchill and Castro 42. It might be stuffed at home 43. Like one who is beside oneself? 45. How land prices are often calculated 46. Lean (on) 48. Stab
49. Refreshing spot 50. Range with one end in Kazakhstan 54. Small figure wielding much force? 56. Del. winter hrs. 57. Jeanne d’Arc, e.g.: Abbr.
LAST WEEK'S SOLUTION
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MAGNOLIA ASTER RHODODENDRON PEONY JASMINE HONEYSUCKLE
ROSE CLOVER MARIGOLD LILY VIOLET
ZINNIA PANSY DAISY DOGWOOD LILAC
MOVIE REVIEW: "Ready Player One" The following is a synopsis and review of a musical from the perspective of a student who studied film in Los Angeles, California. By MEGAN COOK
For the Yellow Jacket
Easter eggs in media do not refer to a holiday activity; instead, they are hidden messages within media such as video games. Ready Player One is a science fiction story about a dystopian world set in 2045. The inhabitants enter the virtual reality world to the OASIS to escape their human troubles and be who they want to be, creating their avatar to be the gender, build and look of their choice. The creator of the virtual world, James Halliday, was obsessed with 1980s culture. When he died, a viral video challenged “gunters” (egg hunters) to find the three keys that ultimately led to his Easter egg. The first to find it would obtain Halliday’s fortune and control of the OASIS. Of late, the competition has become stale after years of no progress for any gunter; Wade Watts is the first to make a breakthrough about Halliday’s life in order to find the first key and therefore get his name on the competition’s scoreboard. Wade, an eighteen-year-old orphan, lives with his aunt and her boyfriend in a community with trailers stacked in vertical columns known as the “stacks.” His avatar, Parzival, is named after the knight involved in the quest for the Holy Grail. In search for the key, he meets Art3mis, a famous gunter named for the Greek goddess of the hunt. Art3mis is the second to get on the scoreboard, followed by Aech, Wade’s best friend that he has never met outside of the OASIS. Japanese brothers Daito and Sho trail in fourth and fifth place.
The five avatars team up to stop the global communications conglomerate Innovative Online Industries (IOI) from winning the prize and gaining control of the OASIS. CEO Nolan Sorrento exhausts resources for one of the IOI employees, referred to as “Sixers” for their six-digit avatar names, to finish first so the company can monetize the virtual reality world. The movie is based on the 2011 book of the same name by Ernest Cline, co-writer of the movie screenplay. Although, the basic structures of the plot are similar, the specifics are executed differently. Both versions include a competition to find an Easter egg, but the method to find each key are different challenges. The final challenge is the only similarity between both stories: the player must locate the first Easter egg, the creator’s name hidden in the 1980 Atari game Adventure. The movie was very well cast with actors that could embody the qualities of the book’s characters. Tye Sheridan played Wade Watts and the voice of Parzival, and Olivia Cooke was Art3mis and her gamer Samantha Cook. One of the most impressive performances of a character was by Lena Waithe, portraying Aech and real-world Helen, nicknamed “H” by her father. Alan Silvestri composed original music for the film, but the soundtrack also included music from the 1980s. Other pop culture references from the decade include components of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, Tootsie Pop commercial, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” costume, and many more.
INTERESTED IN GETTING YOUR ARTWORK PUBLISHED? IF SO, CONTACT TIFFANY MORGAN AT MOR4950@ STUDENT.WAYNESBURG.EDU.
Photo from: https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/890739/Ready-Player-One-movietrailer-Back-to-the-Future-Steven-Spielberg-The-Joker-Harley-Quinn
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April 12, 2018
Senior Checklist Written by Rachel Mangan
Designed by Cheyenne Nester
Graduating from college can be a whirlwind trying to get everything that needs to be done finished, but this checklist can help keep track of everything that needs done in addition to your sanity in the process.
MAKE SURE... ...You don’t have any charges for your dorm building or library fees.
$$ $
...To get all of your important digital files in one place for easy access and make sure they are backed up to something else in case of emergency. This should definitely include a resume and other important information like writing samples or projects that could aid in your likelihood in getting a job, internship, or entering graduate school. ...To have a few copies of your transcript. It’s not uncommon for employers to ask for one when applying for a job straight out of college.
...You have all the correct contact information for each of your references; losing out on a job because one of your references couldn’t be reached would be awful. ...Your cap and gown are folded neatly now so that you aren’t handed you degree in a few weeks looking like you just rolled out of bed and picked up the first pieces of clothing off the floor to wear. ...The person announcing your name before you walk on stage knows how it’s pronounced.
...To pick your graduation outfit for under your gown ahead of time so that it’s one less thing to stress about.
...Your family is there to see you achieve what has been your end goal for the past four years.
TRANSCRIPT for
Sting Waynesburg University
BSBA ‘18 Summa Cum Laude Douglas G. Lee
@